Cassidy felt the air grow heavy inside the mansion.

The men around were completely silent. Nobody moved. Nobody seemed to be breathing too heavily.

The man in front of her was observing the stroller with a calmness that was unsettling.

Emma let out a small moan.

Cassidy gently pushed the stroller to reassure her.

“She’s sick,” she said, almost in a whisper. “She has a fever.”

The man bowed his head slightly.

-What’s it called?

—Emma.

There was another silence.

Finally, he reached out to one of the men standing behind him.

—Doctor.

An older man with glasses approached quickly.

Cassidy blinked in confusion.

“Check it,” the boss ordered.

The doctor carefully opened the stroller and took the baby’s temperature.

He frowned.

—Thirty-nine and a half.

Cassidy felt ashamed.

—I haven’t been able to buy medicine yet…

The boss raised a hand.

—Bring him everything he needs.

Two men disappeared down the hallway.

Cassidy didn’t understand anything.

Who was this man really?

The boss looked at her again.

—Why did you bring a sick baby to work?

Cassidy looked down.

—Because if I didn’t come… I would be fired.

The man remained silent for several seconds.

—The father?

Cassidy hesitated.

—He’s not here.

-Dead?

-Worse.

The man’s eyes hardened slightly.

-Violent.

Cassidy nodded.

—I escaped from him six months ago.

The boss walked slowly around the stroller.

—Is he looking for you?

-Yeah.

—And yet you brought your daughter to the most dangerous city in the world?

Cassidy looked up, tears welling in her eyes.

—I had no other choice.

The man watched her for a long time.

Not with contempt.

With something more complicated.

Finally, he spoke.

—Thirty years ago my mother also had to flee with a baby.

Cassidy remained motionless.

“No one helped her,” he continued. “No one gave her a job. No one gave her a place to sleep.”

Her voice became lower.

—He died in a cold room very similar to the one you describe.

Cassidy felt a lump in her throat.

The men returned with medicine, a new thermometer, and a thick blanket.

The doctor gave Emma the medication.

The baby’s crying gradually subsided.

The boss watched in silence.

Finally, he turned to Cassidy.

—Here is my proposal.

Everyone in the room seemed to tense up.

—From today you will work here.

Cassidy blinked.

—Cleaning?

The man shook his head.

—Taking care of my daughter.

Cassidy frowned.

—Your daughter?

The boss pointed towards the upper floor.

—She’s two years old. She lost her mother last year.

Cassidy felt surprised.

—She needs someone who understands what it’s like to fight for a child.

He moved a little closer.

—And I need someone I can trust.

Cassidy hesitated.

—But… I don’t know anything about working for people like you.

The boss gave a slight smile.

—That’s exactly what I like.

There was a long silence.

“You’ll have a room here,” he continued. “Food. Security.”

He looked at Emma.

—And medical attention for your daughter.

Cassidy felt tears fill her eyes.

—Why would he do something like that for me?

The boss answered without hesitation.

—Because I recognize the people who survive.

At that moment one of the guards rushed in.

-Mister…

The boss turned slowly.

-What’s happening?

The guard looked at Cassidy.

Then he spoke.

—There’s a man outside asking for a woman named Cassidy Moore.

Cassidy’s heart stopped.

-How is?

—Big. Tattoos. Very aggressive.

Cassidy whispered:

—Derek…

The boss’s expression didn’t change.

—Is it him?

Cassidy nodded fearfully.

The boss looked towards the door.

—Triangle.

Cassidy opened her eyes in terror.

—¡No!

But the men had already left.

Minutes later they dragged Derek inside the mansion.

Her ex-husband was furious.

—Cassidy! I knew I’d find you!

He tried to move towards her.

Two guards restrained him.

The boss watched him calmly.

—Are you the father?

Derek spat on the ground.

—That’s none of your business.

The boss walked slowly until he was standing in front of him.

—I think I do care.

Derek laughed contemptuously.

—And who the hell are you?

The men in the room looked at each other.

The boss answered in a calm voice.

—The man who decides if you ever approach that woman again.

The silence turned icy.

Derek began to understand.

Her face changed.

“No…” he murmured.

The boss leaned slightly towards him.

—Listen to me carefully.

Her voice was soft.

But terrifying.

—If you go looking for her again…

He placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder.

—New York will become too small to hide you in.

The guards took him out.

Derek never looked back.

When the door closed, Cassidy burst into tears.

The boss looked at the stroller.

Emma was fast asleep now.

—Your daughter will be safe here.

Cassidy looked up.

-Really?

The man nodded.

—As long as you work for me.

Cassidy looked at her little daughter.

Then he looked at the enormous mansion.

And for the first time in months, he felt something he had almost forgotten.

Hope.

Because sometimes…

Help comes from the most unexpected places.

Even from the house of a man whom everyone calls a monster.

But that once upon a time he was also just…

A child who needed his mother.