He gives me a look full of confusion as he asks, “What type of explanation, Mr. Quinn?”
Max gets to his feet as well and places a hand on my arm. “What Mr. Quinn means is that the woman you know as April Chester has long been known to my clients as Monique Chandler. Until this moment, they had no idea of her identity nor that she was in some way related to Ms. Wyatt. Before we begin, Your Honor, it seems only fair to Mr. Quinn and Mr. Spencer that this confusion be cleared up.”
Monique’s lawyer, Mr. Banks, gets to his feet and gives us a polished smile. “If it’s all right with you, of course, Your Honor, I would be happy to give these gentlemen an explanation on behalf of Ms. Chester.” The judge waves him on, looking more than interested in this new information. “Ms. Chester was married briefly when she graduated college. Her spouse was abusive and she sought a restraining order to protect herself. This order was repeatedly violated and Ms. Chester was advised by her legal counsel at that time to legally change her name. For this to be successful, she was forced to distance herself from her family and relocate. She left behind her father and her stepmother, who was also the mother of Cassie Wyatt.” The lawyer hands the judge a folder saying, “This contains the supporting paperwork for the information I’ve revealed.”
Running a hand through my hair, I attempt to make sense of what Monique’s lawyer has said. “So, let me get this straight,” I say, addressing my question to Monique. “You’ve known about Cassie since your father married her mother?” I find it damn hard to believe that Cassie would have kept a stepsister to herself.
Monique looks at her lawyer, only answering my question when he gives her a nod. “I knew that my stepmother had a daughter from a previous relationship, but I didn’t find out her identity until a few years ago when my stepmother passed away. I was helping my father sort through her things and came across a copy of Cassie’s birth certificate. My father was concerned about her welfare so I told him I would attempt to locate her, having no idea she was in a mental hospital.”
Beside me, Aidan gives a snort of disbelief. “So, you didn’t think to mention any of this to me while we were seeing each other?” he asks Monique sarcastically. “You led me to believe that you knew Cassie from college.”
Looking so sincere that even I have a hard time not falling for it, Monique looks at Aidan with wide, teary eyes as she says, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I found myself in a difficult position and I had no idea what I should do until I spent time with Cassie at the hospital. After that, I just couldn’t walk away and hope she would be okay. I owe it to my stepmother to make sure that she has the best care possible. Both you and Lucian have done so much for her. It’s not fair to either of you to continue letting you shoulder the responsibility, though. My father and I feel that she needs her family now.”
“Your Honor,” Max begins, “in light of this unusual situation, I’ll ask you again if you’ll consider granting a continuance so we may be better prepared.”
Considering his earlier refusal, I’m surprised when the judge says, “I think these are indeed special circumstances, Counselor. We’ll reconvene here at nine in one week.” When Max opens his mouth, possibly to ask for more time, the judge adds, “That’s all the leeway I can offer. A young woman’s care is at stake here. I’m sure you’ll agree that her needs take precedence at this time.” Monique and her lawyer stand, leaving the room quickly. She probably hopes not to be waylaid by any of us on her way out.
Max, Aidan, and I are slower to depart, still reeling from what has just transpired. We’re on the courthouse steps before Aidan finally says, “What in the fucking hell just happened in there?”
Max shakes his head. “My investigator called me right before I got here. I was hoping to catch you both before earlier, but no such luck.”
“There is no way that I believe all of this is a coincidence. Monique goes after both Aidan and me, even though she knows our connection to Cassie. She sought us out after finding out who we were,” I snap, needing an outlet for my frustration.
“I agree.” Aidan nods. “This is all some kind of game to her. We just need to figure out what her goal is before next week.”
Max looks at his watch and then nudges me in the shoulder. “Hey, Lia’s graduation begins in less than an hour. It’ll probably take close to that to get through the traffic, park, and find a seat.”