Making a Difference ~Book 2 of The Difference Series~ [BWWM] (Major Editing)

「Twenty」

The sound of her high heels on the wooden floor announced her arrival as she made her way into his office after he said "come in". Leo didn't pull his eyes off the file on his desk to meet hers until he heard the sound of the door shut. When he did finally look at her, he wasn't surprised she was wearing a formal dress to match her noisy shoes or that her hair was pulled into a neat ponytail. He was no stranger to clients dressing the part. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Kandy," she said introducing herself as she walked over to his desk. She took a seat across his desk and crossed one leg over the other. "Gloria told me your the best lawyer money could buy and you'll be working behind the scenes with my lawyer, Frank to ensure a win."

It was true. Leo's boss had given him a heads up. He had never worked just behind the scenes nor had he ever had a partner in crime. But, she had said she was willing to pay double our fees for the best lawyer. The only problem was I wasn't a custody lawyer. So, we made a compromise with her to ensure her a win and to not lose her as a client. "Yes. She informed me you were coming in today. Frank will be representing you in court, but we will work on your defense together. So, tell me your story."

Kandy took a deep breath before beginning. "The truth is, I fell on hard times. I needed help with my daughter while I worked to get back on my feet and made a home for her. Unfortunately, she took advance of this. After six months, she decided to go behind my back and stab it by filing for custody." A tear rolled down Kandy's face, but she quickly wiped it away. "She painted me as a bad mom, Mr. Mason. My mom and I are afraid of losing her, so my mom took a second mortgage out on her home so we could pay for the best lawyer money could buy."

Leo thought quietly as if this was any other criminal case he handled. "Is there anything she can use against you?" He knew proof was everything in any case.

"Not that I can think of," Kandy answered.

"Well, the court usually doesn't like to split a mother from her child unless there is a good reason. And, even still, the court would prefer to set the child with a kin if possible because the court always thinks about the child's best interest. Hopefully, we don't have to go there, but if we do, we can throw your mother's name in the ring. That way you still get to see your daughter."

Kandy smiled softly and stood up from her seat. "Thank you, Mr. Mason. I wish there was a way to repay you."

Leo nodded softly. "No need," he replied.

Kandy turned on her heel and left the office. Leo sighed softly trying to keep it professional, but it was hard to not let his personal feelings play into the mix seeing as his friend had been in a similar situation a while back. It hadn't ended well for them and he had wished he could of done more. So, this was his chance to play his part.

Leo cleaned up his desk and left out of the office to go home. As he pulled out his keys to open his car door, he heard a sound that sounded familiar. The click clacking of heels reminded him of Kandy, but he knew it couldn't be her seeing as their session ended about an hour ago.

He turned around to see who was in the parking lot with him when he was met with a kiss on the lips. It was warm, but forced and hard. Leo stood there motionless until she went for his belt buckle. This pulled him out of his trance as he pushed her off. "What the hell, Kandy?" Leo hissed.

Kandy breaths heavily as she looks over him with lust in her eyes. "I wanted to repay you for your kindness. No one has ever done anything like this for me."

Leo took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if that was true. "Look, you don't have to do me any sexual favors. I'm happy to do my job helping people. So, if you have any concerns, you're welcome to come to or call my office to chat." He wanted to keep things professional between them. He obviously didn't feel that way about her, but didn't want to lay it out so thick because hurting her feelings were the last thing he wanted to do.

"I'm sorry. I've just been so emotional with this case being thrown at me out of nowhere that I've been everywhere," Kandy explained.

Leo wasn't sure he was buying that either, but he didn't point it out.

x The court day x

Leo stood out the court rooms trying to take a breathier. He had just gotten Amora's mom a deal that any criminal would kill for. The only downside was losing temporary custody of her daughter. A nightmare for most mothers.

Kandy's mom left the court room with anger in her eyes. From the looks of it, Kandy had lost custody to her mother. She approached the social worker who had taken Amora from her mother and didn't miss a beat. "How long until my daughter can be reunited with her daughter? She's really trying to turn her life around. She could have had a better life for Nikita if that woman hadn't tried to get custody of her. She's had it rough," she hissed defending her daughter still.

Hannah sighed. "Look, the woman had a right to try. Your daughter left Nikita with her for six months total with no money or visits. This situation is rough for both women. Just imagine how hard it was to let go when the woman probably grew attached to Nikita. Your daughter will just need to prove she's different."

The grandmother groaned as she and her daughter walked over to a staff who sat in the chairs next to a little girl. "Let's go home," Kandy stated as she bent down to meet her eye level.

"Where's mommy?" she asked. This question broke Leo's heart as he wondered what he had done. Had his law firm really done what was best for the child or what the law said what was best for her?

Kandy's face looked pained, but she quickly let the emotion wash away from her face and smiled. "I am your mommy, sweetie."

A woman exited the court room where Kandy's case was held. Leo figured she was the defendant when she looked in Kandy's direction where the little girl sat and her a tear rolled down her cheek. Leo wanted to hold her and comfort her for some reason. Something in him told him he had done this case all wrong. He tried to follow her, but by the time he had gotten outside, she was already gone. His heart more as he thought about her and the little girl. He silently asked himself one question. What had he done?