Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Cassandra's POV

Julian and dad handled everything effectively and I was thankful that I did not have to undergo trial in court. I had no idea how they did it and couldn't bother more. With my health being my topmost priority, I relaxed more and had forgotten about it completely, when a week later, all of a sudden, I received a phone call from Desmond's lawyer. My whole world turned upside down when he requested my presence as Desmond wanted to meet me personally. I was very scared, I knew the type of shrewd smooth talker that he was. He could get away with anything, even murder. I didn't trust him at all and since he had his eyes set upon Max, I knew that he would go to all extremes to get what he wanted. I was so stressed the whole day, clearly in a dilemma that I had skipped my food as well. Nora was concerned and when Julian came home in the evening, she complained to him straightaway.

"What is this, Cassie? You need to be more careful about your health," he scolded me.

"Desmond's lawyer called and I panicked, Julian. He said that Desmond has requested my presence and wanted to talk to me. I don't want anything to do with him, Julian. I know he wants to snatch Max away from me by hook or by crook," I cried worriedly, as the tears cascaded down my cheeks.

Julian gaped at me for a minute to calm himself first. He was furious that I didn't redirect the call to him.

"If only you would have redirected the call, I would have taught him a lesson. Wait, I'll call dad and Stefan." He wasted no time and immediately called dad and then Stefan. He called them over to discuss the issue and they arrived in a matter of minutes. They discussed with their trusted lawyers and came up with different plans and strategies while I just prayed to God to save Max from the clutches of Desmond and his wife. I was still unclear about his motive. Why would he want Max's custody was beyond me. I had no idea what transpired between Julian, his dad, and Stefan and waited with bated breath for the day to arrive.

Finally, the dreadful day arrived and I braced myself for the worst. However, I had full faith in Julian and smiled at him as he led me to his car. "Everything will be fine, Darling. I want you to be brave for my sake, okay?" he said, touching my cheek and staring deeply into my eyes. I nodded.

"Yes," I whispered, my throat choking with emotions. I was scared, petrified actually as what Desmond did to me came rushing back to my mind. The trauma, the shame, and the desperation that I had to face because of him made me scared as well as angry. How dare he appear after so many years and demand Max's custody? By the time Julian drove me to a commercial building, I was seething inwardly with anger. To my surprise, I saw Stefan, Tristan, Adrian, dad, and mom waiting for us there, ready to stand up for me. The moment I saw the whole family there to support me, I felt braver. I was proud to be a part of this wonderful family.

They accompanied me to the venue of the meeting which was Desmond's lawyer's office, located towards the backend of the building. We had two of our lawyers too with us. To my surprise, Mom approached me and quietly slipped a ring onto my ring finger without a word. I was confused but I was too agitated, angry, and nervous to ask anything and followed them wordlessly towards the office, praying that everything went well.

The office was huge with bookshelves with lots of law books everywhere. A huge mahogany table and lots of chairs around it were set up near the floor-to-ceiling windows. The place looked more cheerful than any lawyer's office. We were seated in the brightly-lit office room when the door opened and a middle-aged man with a round belly and shrewd cold blue eyes entered the room with a fake smile on his face. He looked the same type as Desmond and the moment I saw him alone, I felt angry at Desmond for sending him to negotiate on his behalf. While I was ready to face him, where could he be hiding now?

"I'm Richard Wright, Mr. Reid's lawyer. I had called for Ms. Daniels's presence at the request of my client," he said eyeing the number of people who have accompanied me. "I would like a word with Ms. Daniels alone, in my client's presence, if you don't mind," he added, staring at dad as if challenging him to object. My heart constricted with fright and I tried to move closer to mom who sat next to me. I wouldn't at all want to be alone in a room with Desmond as I knew he would try to scare me to submission.

"I'm sorry, we cannot grant you this wish. All discussions are to be held in the presence of the entire family," said dad, "I'm Nathaniel Henderson, Cassandra Daniels is my would-be daughter-in-law," said Dad, calmly. Mr. Wright looked displeased that his demeanor had no effect whatsoever upon dad and he frowned angrily at dad.

"This isn't a family discussion. I'm sure Ms. Daniels is an adult and therefore can take her own decisions without the family's involvement," said Mr. Wright with a scowl on his face. Dad shook his head and looked him in the eye.

"She is an adult but her condition is delicate as she is expecting her second child. Under such circumstances, I cannot allow this meeting to happen at all. But if you insist, it can only happen in the presence of her fiance as well as her family," said dad, with a solemn expression on his face. Mr. Wright looked flustered as he wrung his hands together and looked up towards the door helplessly.

I glanced at the door to see who he was looking at when Desmond Reid walked inside the room accompanied by a tall, slim woman with jet black hair and brown eyes. They were accompanied by two police constables as if they were attending some criminal proceedings. I froze upon seeing the criminal, as a tremor of fright ran down my spine, as the memories of everything he did to me came rushing to my mind. I was petrified and couldn't stop trembling. Mom caught my hand to give me support and I felt a little braver. The moment Desmond saw me, his cold eyes glared at me. It was a sinister and hateful look full of vengeance. The woman accompanying him also glared at me as if I had done some crime. They looked so hateful and deserved one another. I avoided Desmond's hateful glare and turned away. They weren't worth it. I glanced at Julian to find him looking at me with concern. I tried to smile at him, to show him that I was brave and he smiled back at me. Mom squeezed my hand and I knew that they were all there for me.