Cassie looked at Noah, then at Patrick. “What is it?”
Noah scowled at his grandfather. “It won’t make any difference.”
“It will make me feel better,” Patrick said stubbornly. “Besides, there’s been enough secrets between us. If you and Cassie are starting a new life together, she needs to know what happened before the trial.”
Cassie had no idea what Patrick was talking about. She had talked to her dad, reread the trial notes, and devoured all the articles and social media posts about the court case. If there was anything left to uncover, she didn’t know what it could be.
Patrick pulled the napkin out of his shirt. “Noah wasn’t the person who made the attorneys press charges against your father. I was.” He held up his hand when Noah started to speak. “I told Noah we needed to make an example of your father. Too many designers were breaking copyright and reproducing jewelry using cheaper materials. Something had to be done. The board of directors agreed with me. Noah couldn’t have done anything to stop what happened.”
Cassie turned to Noah. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m responsible for the decisions my board makes. It doesn’t matter whether I agree or disagree with them.”
“What did you want to do?”
Noah glanced at his grandfather. “Emanuel wasn’t meeting the targets we expected from him. When he told my staff someone had copied his designs, they believed him. I wanted an independent panel to assess the two designers’ work. If they could prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that your dad had copied his designs, I was happy to take the matter farther.”
“Did you appoint a panel to look at the designs?”
“I did. The designs were similar, but there was a discrepancy in the timeline Emanuel gave the panel. They couldn’t verify who had created the designs first.”
Cassie dropped the flowers to her lap. “Emanuel copied Dad’s designs, but he couldn’t prove it. By the time the case went to trial, everyone assumed my father was guilty.”
“Emanuel knew how to use the media to his advantage.” Noah shook his head. “Even well-respected jewelers were fooled by his bravado.”
Patrick leaned forward. “We didn’t know Emanuel was lying until we were nearly at the end of the trial.”
“You could have apologized after it finished.”
“I didn’t think your dad would want to talk to anyone from Wilson Enterprises,” Patrick said. “There were too many stories appearing in the newspapers. When they stopped, I tried to find your dad, but you’d left Los Angeles. I kept searching for you, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“We didn’t do that intentionally. After dad paid the attorney, we had no money. Mom was struggling with her treatment, and we needed to find somewhere quieter to live.”
“Why did you go to San Francisco?”
“Dad was offered a job. The salary wasn’t large, but it included a small apartment above the jewelry store. When the owner realized my father was the person everyone was talking about, he didn’t want anything to do with him.” Cassie looked at Noah, unsure about his reaction to what she’d say next. “We could only afford to stay in a hostel for a couple of weeks. After that, we didn’t have anywhere to live. We were homeless for six months.”
She studied Noah’s face. His mouth was set in a grim line, but at least he didn’t look too appalled.
Patrick sat silently on the other side of the table waiting for her to continue.
“By that stage, Mom was really sick. Dad looked after her while I worked. Even with two part-time jobs, we couldn’t live on the money I earned. We relied on food donations from the local church and the kindness of strangers to survive. It was worse after Mom died. If it weren’t for Steve, Dad’s friend, I don’t know what would have happened to us.”
Noah’s hand trembled as he held Cassie’s. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “That’s why I volunteer at The Welcome Center. I know what it’s like to struggle to find money for food, to not be able to pay rent or buy clothes. It messes with your mind and makes you think you’re less worthy than everyone else.”
Patrick wiped the tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry, Cassie. If I’d known what was happening, I would have helped.”
She took a deep breath. “I know you would have. I’m just glad I went home to look after Mom during the trial. At least we were together when all this was happening.”
“You shouldn’t have gone through any of it.” Noah’s voice shook as his gaze shot to his grandfather. “The board assured me Tony’s family was okay.”
Cassie squeezed his hand. “It’s not Patrick’s fault. We’re okay now. Dad enjoys working with Steve, and my jewelry store is doing better than ever.”
“I’m surprised you spoke to me,” Noah said with more control. “I’m not sure I would have been as forgiving.”
“I didn’t know who you were when I first met you.” Forcing a smile, she looked at the food on the table. “It’s easy to take what you have for granted. I’m looking forward to spending more time with both of you and enjoying the yummy dinner you’ve cooked.”
