Cassian's POV
His office was quiet. Always was on weekends, but today, it felt heavier. Final.
The legal folder sat on his desk, open to the final page. The termination of engagement, clause by clause. Pre-merger contract dissolved. No penalties. No press announcement yet.
He could almost hear his father's voice. Something clipped about duty and appearances. But that voice had stopped mattering a long time ago. Long before the gala. Long before her.
Cassian picked up the pen.
Signed.
Initialed.
Then closed the file.
He stood for a moment at the window. The skyline buzzed quietly beneath him, unaware. Celeste hadn't answered his last message. Just silence. Efficient, like always.
He wasn't surprised.
They'd been a proposal, not a partnership. Now they were paperwork.
And maybe, for the first time, he was okay with that.
---
Lyra's POV
The envelope sat unopened on her nightstand.
Letizia's voice lingered in the back of her mind.
Allies. Registration.
Secrets that wouldn't stay sealed for long.
She ran a hand over her belly, still barely rounded.
Nine weeks. Almost ten.
She hadn't told him she heard the heartbeat.
She would. Soon.
The phone buzzed once beside her. A text from Cassian.
> C: I haven't scared you off yet, have I?
She smiled.
> L: You're late. We agreed on evening check-in.
> C: I was signing something. Thought you'd be proud.
> L: What kind of something?
> C: Something final. Something overdue.
She stared at the screen.
> L: Are you okay?
> C: Better now.
A pause.
> C: I've been thinking… I don't want this to be a temporary shelter. I want it to be a beginning. For both of us.
> L: You don't even know all of me yet.
> C: Then let me learn.
She swallowed hard. Rested her head on the pillow.
> L: Ask me something.
> C: Tell me what you miss.
She closed her eyes.
> L: My grandmother's cooking. Watching my sister dance. Knowing where I was going.
> C: I'll help you find that again.
> L: You can't promise that.
> C: I'm not promising. I'm offering.
Her throat tightened.
> L: I've never had that before.
> C: You do now.
---
Theo's POV
On Monday, he caught the HR delay notice on the internal admin dashboard.
Elmont, L.
Flagged as transferred to sealed wellness review under executive priority.
He leaned back, eyes narrowing.
He knew the file was Cassian's doing. He'd been waiting for it.
He hadn't reported anything.
Hadn't stepped between them.
But now it was real.
Not a fling. Not an oversight. A choice.
He tapped a message to Talia.
> T: He's cleared the path. Legally, quietly.
Her reply came fast.
> T: So what now?
> T: Do I need to prep a marriage pact or a fire escape?
> Theo: Both. Depending on how brave they are.
He exhaled through his nose, watching the hallway across from the executive wing.
Lyra passed by. Head high. Spine straight. A different weight in her steps.
Theo smiled faintly to himself.
She had chosen to stay.
Now came the harder part.
---
Cassian's POV – Executive Office
The boardroom was empty. Lights dimmed. His signature still ink-wet on the merger withdrawal letter for Celeste's family holding company.
He looked over the city again. The sky was a slow bruise fading to gray.
He pulled out his phone.
Typed.
> C: Can I bring you soup?
The reply took two minutes.
> L: I already made pasta.
> C: You made food? Who are you?
> L: Someone learning to take care of herself again.
> C: Can I come anyway?
> L: If you bring dessert.
> C: Done. I'll be there in twenty.
He closed his office.
This wasn't the end of his empire.
It was the beginning of something he hadn't dared make room for before.
Not power. Not legacy.
Just the possibility of a life no longer lived alone