Lyra's POV
Virelux Internal Submission Portal – Monday, 9:32 AM
It took three clicks.
And a breath that seemed to hollow her chest before it could fill her lungs again.
The screen asked one last time:
> Are you sure you wish to file this paternity statement publicly? This document will enter your permanent corporate record and be available to relevant legal, medical, and administrative departments.
She hovered a moment longer.
Then clicked Confirm.
A small green box appeared.
> Submission Received.
Paternity Declared: Cassian Dorne.
A notification has been sent to the listed Alpha.
She stared at the screen until it faded back to the dashboard.
It was done.
No fanfare. No fallout. Just the quiet shift of something once unspoken becoming true.
A name. His name.
Not a secret. Not a liability.
A fact.
A choice.
---
Cassian's POV
Executive Wing – Afternoon
The ping came while he was reviewing the merger draft, now weeks stale and likely to rot further.
One glance at the screen and the noise of the office faded.
Paternity Declaration: Lyra Elmont
Named Alpha: Cassian Dorne
He didn't realize he'd stopped breathing until Theo gently closed the office door behind him.
For a moment, he stared at the screen, motionless.
Then he sat back.
Ran a hand through his hair. Let out a slow, stunned breath.
A quiet smile started to bloom. Not victory. Not relief.
Something older than both.
Recognition.
Like hearing his own name out loud after years of people saying it wrong.
She'd chosen him.
Not just the version of him in a corner office. Not just the one who brought noodles and warm hands and whispered I missed you into her sheets.
But all of him.
He opened his phone.
> From: Cassian
You gave me a name back too.
---
Theo's POV
IT Vault – That Night
"So it's done?" Talia asked, arms folded.
Theo nodded once. "Filed and confirmed. Public. No loopholes left."
"And HR?" she asked.
"I restructured her contract while they were too busy drafting Gregory's next compliance memo."
"God, I love it when you're petty."
He didn't smile. But there was a sharpness in his gaze. Focused. Ready.
"She's protected now," he said. "Formally. But they'll still try things."
"Then we keep our eyes open."
He nodded again.
Then added, almost to himself, "He's different now."
"Cassian?"
Theo didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
---
Letizia's POV
Private Suite, Virelux Tower – Late Evening
The headline hit the niche forums first.
> "Executive Paternity Declaration Filed—Cassian Dorne Officially Named."
She didn't flinch.
Instead, she poured herself a measured inch of white wine and opened a new project folder.
> PUBLIC NARRATIVE – DORNE FAMILY | Q4
In neat, looping script, she wrote the first line:
> Love does not weaken legacy. It tempers it.
She closed the folder and smiled.
"Let the cameras blink," she murmured. "We'll show them what real stories look like."
---
Lyra's Apartment – Midnight
Her phone buzzed.
> From: Cassian
Couldn't sleep. Thinking of you. Of us. Of what comes next.
I want this to be more than protection.
I want it to be the start of everything.
She ran her fingers over the message.
Her reply was simple.
> Then let's start it. Together.
She touched her belly, the smallest flutter of life pressing gently under her palm.
Cassian had said he felt the baby move for the first time on that swing in Louisiana. And she remembered his face in that moment—
Wonderstruck.
Undone.
Now, maybe, finally, beginning to be whole