"Oh my God" Cassandra yelps.
"Good to see you too pet." Deveraux smiles pulling her toward the far end of the empty corridor pushing past the plastic partition into the unfinished portion of the new construction.
"Now don't make a scene I'm not going to hurt you I only want to talk and you're going to want to hear what I have to say." He says a wicked smile curling his lips.
"I don't have to do a damn thing!" She snaps tugging at her arm in his iron like grip to no relief.
"You do if you want to keep up the farce you have going with Sherrigain or would you rather he know the truth?" Cassandra pulls her arm from his grasp and steps back putting a few feet between them as she tries stuff down the panic that threatened to overwhelm her.
"I've already told Rego everything I don't have any more secrets." She bluffs hoping her voice sounded more assured than she felt at the sound of Devereaux's bitter laugh.
" I assume you're referring to that ridiculous restraining order accompanied by that even more ridiculous paternity test." He laughs again as Cassandra tries to calm her shaking and meet his cutting gaze with one of her own.
"There's nothing ridiculous about it! Rego Sherrigan is the father of the child I'm carrying!" She bluffs only to be met by a laugh that burgeoned on hysteria.
"If nothing else my love you were always entertaining! The way you can tell a bold face lie with a straight face." He say wiping a tear from his eye as his words chilled her to the bone.
"You and I both know I'm the father of the child you're carrying and I have two paternity test to prove it. " He says pulling an envelope from his pocket and handing it to her. Cassandra opens them with shaking hands and reads them quickly her mind racing. Devereaux grins manically enjoying the expression of shock and fear etch her face. He had her exactly where he wanted her and she knew it.
"The real results that you had young Joseph run and the one I had done at a well respected DNA pathology lab. The child you're carrying is mine and if you want that information to remain our little secret you'll do exactly what I tell you." He says before he snatches them back.
"So what! You have a paternity test saying what you want it to say. Who cares Rego would never believe you" She scoffs calling his bluff.
"Maybe not. But you know who would believe me? His father Oliver Sherrigan. He'd believe every word of it was true. Putting doubts in Rego's mind. Forcing him to re-run those tests. Maybe even running some of his own without you ever knowing it. What do you think would happen if Rego had those test re-run? What do you think they'd show? More to the point what do you think your knight will do then? When he finds his lady has made a fool of him again?"
"Whatever he does it will never top the things you've done to me! Go ahead and tell him! I don't care! In fact you have more to lose than I do once word gets out you finally have a vulnerability. I should charge you for keeping it a secret from them!"
"Touche! You were always good on your feet and you're right. I have a lot of enemies that would love that juicy bit of information. all the more reason you would want to keep it a secret. But that's besides the point. You forget exactly who I am don't you?"
"I have the scars to show exactly who and what you are! Do what you want! As I sad before don't care!"
"Oh my love you should care. You should care a great deal. There are laws against falsifying medical records so there criminal charges and possible lawsuits. Then there's fraud and extortion charges not to mention grand theft. All of which I'm going to have you charged with." He says pausing for effect enjoying her growing fear and panic as her mind searched every corner for an exist where there was none.
"And my favorite prostitution! Although I'm sure it's your Mommy and Daddy's least favorite! The best part I'll have my son and revenge. I won't have to deal with you well, not at least until our son is well into his twenties. By then he'll have no idea who you are. You won't even be a memory." He pauses and watches as the tears begin to scroll there way down Cassandra's cheeks.
She'd lost. All her plans and sacrifices and she was still as trapped as she ever was. The voice in her head screamed as he marched on unperturbed by her tears. Each word hit her like a slap.
"Lets see no rich husband, no mansion, no money and a very long stretch in prison. Or, you could do something for me and I'll keep your secret. It's all up to you Pet." He finishes sounding expectant and bored at the same time.
Cassandra glares at him in silence trying to stomp down the overwhelming feeling of panic and foreboding. The felt like a caged animal with no chance of escape. No matter what decision she made she'd be back under Devereaux's control. Still, it was preferable to prison. At least working for him again she would be free and she'd have a chance at future freedom from Devereaux. There was also the baby to think about. Despite who his father was she loved her son. No child should be left in the hands of a man like him. She wasn't about to let that happen to her child not ever. Even if it cost her everything she would never let get his hands on her son.
"What do you want me to do?" Despite the defiant tilt of her chin defeat edged her voice causing a satisfied grin to curl his lips.
"There she is." He smirks
Devereaux
Jesse and Griff, Cassandra and Angie
*Copyright Takeitish Pine Valley Chronicles 2019
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