his stare lingered on the page she slid across, but his focus never wavered from her face. he let the silence stretch—weighted, deliberate—until the only sound was the city bleeding through the window. when he finally spoke, his voice was calm, measured, but heavy with that edge that made men lean in whether they wanted to or not.
“hud funding. families. publicity.” he said it like he was tallying up lines on an invisible ledger. a slow nod followed, though not in agreement—more in acknowledgment. “you came prepared. you’ve done your homework. i’ll give you that.”
he leaned forward now, fingertips pressing against the file but not flipping it open. his eyes were steel, steady, locked on hers. “but let me tell you where i stop listening to most people who come through that door with smiles and tax incentives. they say all the right words—‘families,’ ‘shelters,’ ‘better housing’—but when the ink dries, the people i grew up with end up pushed out. prices climb. neighborhoods turn into billboards for people who don’t even know their names.”
cassius’ jaw flexed once, his tone cutting sharper. “i don’t build on bones. i don’t gut harlem to line anyone’s pockets. you telling me this isn’t that? then you better be damn sure the people on those lists aren’t numbers on a grant application—they’re people who stay. people who belong.”
he finally tapped the file once, the sound sharp against the desk. “i don’t need the tax credits. kingsley realty isn’t starving for investors. what i need is stability. roots. if what you’re offering strengthens that, then maybe—maybe—we talk about partnership.”
his voice dropped lower, quieter, but no less cutting. “but you bring me one eviction notice, one family displaced on your watch, and i’ll tear this deal up in front of you myself. and trust me, lydia—when i break something, it doesn’t get put back together.”
cassius sat back again, the faintest curl tugging at his mouth, not warmth, but calculation. “so here’s your chance. show me this isn’t smoke and mirrors. prove you’re not just another suit in sheep’s clothing.”
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