“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Cassandra Daniels’s POV 

“Max baby, mommy needs to go to work. You be a good boy and stay with granny, okay?” I said as I deposited my 18-month-old baby boy into Aunt Caroline’s lap. 

“Mommy, Max goo,” gurgled Max happily as he chewed on a teething stick shaped like a bunny.

“No, baby, you can’t go to my office with me,” I said, smiling as I shook my head at him.

He, too, shook his head. “Nooo,” he said, giving me a toothy grin and making me stretch forward and plant a kiss on his nose.

“Thank you, Aunt Caroline, for everything. I would have been lost without you,” I said, kissing Aunt Caroline’s cheek as well. I was indebted to her for everything. She was like a pillar of support in my life, and I didn’t know what I would have done without her.

“It’s nothing, honey, you’re just like my Avery. I’ve always thought of you as my daughter. Max has every right to be here. I don’t know what I’d do without you and him. After Avery’s marriage, I would have been so lonely, but you two fill my life so well. Now manage your job and don’t worry about Max. I’ll take care of him,” Aunt Caroline said as she hugged me. She was my best friend, Avery’s mom. After my mom’s death, I literally grew up at their house, which was next door to mine. She had picked me up at my worst time, sheltered, and cared for me. I shook the thoughts away and geared up to go to work.

“Bye, see you both in the evening,” I said as I left for work. My life turned upside down when my dad was diagnosed with fourth-stage leukemia four years back. He had always ignored his health, concentrating more on his job as a Tax Consultant in a multinational firm. After my mom’s death seven years ago from a car accident, he would drink more, smoke more than ever, and work harder than necessary. I tried talking to him, but he didn’t listen to anyone. His constant fatigue, his sunken eyes, his zero resistance power, and his steady weight loss proved his deteriorating health. However, he was adamant that he did not need a check-up. I used up all our savings and resources to treat Dad. 

After a year of treatment, his blood pressure and diabetic conditions complicated matters. He stopped responding to his treatment and breathed his last leaving me devastated. I was an orphan. Avery had been newly married and gone on her honeymoon. So, I spent the next few days bar-hopping to forget my sorrows. At that point, I had no one to call my own, no support, no help.

It was there that I met the sly, good-looking, spoiled, and notorious Desmond Reid, who was a police officer. I was just eighteen, freshly graduated from high school. He was ten years older and more experienced in taking advantage of innocent, distressed girls like me. He was very sweet to me for a few days, made me trust him, pursued me, convincing me he cared for me. It didn’t once occur to me it might be a plan to just get into my pants. In my disturbed mental state, I stupidly believed his lies, and one day he spiked my drink and took advantage of me. 

After that, I didn’t see him for three weeks. I continued with my dreary life, Dad’s funeral, medical debts, our pending bills, and payments. I had to sell our house and cars to pay off everything. Avery’s mom took me under her wing and sheltered in her house. I discovered my pregnancy then and tried to contact Desmond for days, while my nausea got worse. Aunt Caroline took me to the doctor, although I had no wish to live. I hadn’t applied to any college because of my dad’s serious condition, so my life was a mess.

When finally I could contact Desmond after a week, he refused the paternity test and verbally abused me, threatening to arrest me with false charges to my name. I was too scared to pursue the matter and hid in Aunt Caroline’s house out of fear. 

Aunt Caroline took care of me and after a hard pregnancy, I gave birth to Maxwell Daniels, giving him my maiden name, Daniels. That was a turning point in my life as I picked myself up and wanted to make something out of my life, if not for myself, for the sake of my baby boy.

I took up a short-term course on shorthand and basic computers. Since I was always a grade-A student at school, I got a job as a receptionist at Happy Feet. It was an upscale dance academy just walking distance from Aunt Caroline’s house. I was happy after a long time. Although the money wasn’t much, it was a start. Taking care of Max and working at a full-time job, helping with the housework, did not leave me with many options for pursuing any further studies. Maybe I will when Max grew up a bit. I did not have adequate savings to do the same, though.

I walked quickly and reached the dance academy in ten minutes. For the past year that I had been working at this place, I had become good friends with all my colleagues. A new teacher, Annabelle Carter, had joined as a dance instructor and she and I had become quite close. 

My distant cousin Sandra also worked here as a dance instructor and it was to some extent because of her recommendation that I got this job. I wasn’t close to her much and was thankful that she helped me. Anna left earlier than me every day. She would walk down to her boyfriend’s house nearby, where she was staying. 

Suddenly, as I was attending a phone call, the door opened. A sinfully handsome man with chocolate brown hair and beautiful jade green mesmerizing eyes walked in. My eyes were drawn to his model-like attractive physique with six-pack abs, conspicuous by his figure-hugging T-shirt. I didn’t let my eyes wander further in case he caught me checking him out. The moment my eyes went up to his, everything ceased to exist around me. I could hear music in my ears as I felt drawn toward his twinkling green eyes that held my gaze. 

“Hey, beautiful! Can you just call Annabelle Carter? She works here,” said the man in a sexy voice dripping with charm.

I frowned at the impossible flirt. Was he Anna’s boyfriend? How could he call me beautiful? I just didn’t like such double-standard men! My mood instantly soured, and I glared at him.

“Just wait here. She’ll be with you once her duty hours are over,” I said grimly, making him raise an eyebrow at me. Maybe he expected me to drool at the sight of him. I did, but I would rather die than show him. 

He sat down, pinning me with a hawk-like stare while I tried to concentrate on my work.