Chapter 57

The office was still humming with post-victory energy. Everyone at Evermark walked with a little more pep, the engineers rode the elevator with proud shoulders, and even the interns looked like they were standing a little taller.

Sienna had just come out of a team huddle with the structural design group, laughing about obvious misaligned drafts and how no one saw it.

"Hey," Mel nudged her. "You've got that 'just got kissed in the hallway' look again."

Sienna rolled her eyes, smiling. "It's called being in love. You should try it."

Mel scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh wow… I never thought you'd be this irritating when in a relationship."

Sienna gasped dramatically. "Excuse me?"

"Seriously," another teammate chimed in. "I kind of miss gloomy Sienna."

"And I," Letty added with a mock sigh, "miss my hot, emotionally-unavailable, free-to-crush CEO boss."

They all burst out laughing as Sienna groaned and flipped them off good-naturedly.

They giggled their way down the hallway until something caught Sienna's eye—across the open floor, through the glass of his office, Cassian was speaking to someone.

It wasn't the conversation that froze her steps—it was his face.

His expression was tight, distant. His jaw clenched, brow furrowed, eyes fixed on whoever was speaking to him. Like he was hearing something terrible.

Sienna slowed, instinct tugging at her. She tilted her head slightly, trying to catch a word, anything—but Cassian looked up suddenly, eyes locking on hers.

He immediately held up a hand. A subtle wait.

Then he shut the door.

Sienna stopped mid-step. The glass turned opaque behind him.

Mel kept walking, oblivious. But Sienna stood there for a few seconds longer, her heart quietly sinking.

All afternoon, she waited for him to pop into her office like he usually did. With coffee, with a smirk, with some ridiculous reason to pull her into a conference room and kiss her.

But he didn't.

He didn't message. Didn't swing by. 

By the time they got home, he was… normal.

Cooking dinner, cracking jokes, teasing her about putting too much sriracha on her dumplings. Wrapping his arms around her waist while she dried dishes.

And still—something buzzed beneath her skin.

Something in his eyes, in the way he avoided hers just a second too long. In the way his smile didn't reach as far as it used to.

Sienna smiled back. Played along.

But her gut whispered.

Something's wrong.

Later that night, after the dishes were done and they had curled up on the couch, she tried to ask casually—light, breezy, like it was just a passing curiosity.

"So… who called you at the office today?"

Cassian froze.

His whole body went still, like she'd hit a nerve. Slowly, he turned his head toward her, color draining from his face. His hand went to the back of his neck, and she could see it—he was sweating.

Sienna straightened slowly. Her heart began to thump. "Cass?"

He stared at her for a moment longer, something flickering deep behind his eyes. Then he stood slowly, almost robotically, pacing a tight line in front of her like the room had shrunk around him.

His hand ran through his hair once, then again, the second time clumsier than the first. His mouth opened, then closed, as if rehearsing words that wouldn't settle on his tongue. He paused by the bookshelf, fingers brushing over the edge without looking at it.

He looked like a man standing on a cliff, debating whether to jump.

Then he walked in circles.

"Okay… now you're scaring me," she said, voice shaky.

Cassian sat down, pulling her to him. But he didn't speak right away. His hands were shaking. So was hers.

Her heart thundered.

"Cassian," she said more firmly, now terrified. "What is it? Are you—are we okay?"

He turned to her, his eyes dark and guilty. "How much do you love me?"

She stared at him, incredulous. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Please," he said quietly. "Just answer me."

"Enough to go to jail for killing you," she snapped.

He gave a weak chuckle, but there was no real humor in it. "Do you trust me?"

Sienna's patience snapped. "Cassian—stop. Tell me what the hell is going on. Straight. Now."

He swallowed. And with a trembling voice, finally said it.

"Nichole called. She said… she's pregnant."

Sienna blinked.

Her hands, which had been resting calmly in her lap, started to shake.

"So?" she managed, voice small.

Cassian hesitated—and then added the final blow.

"She said I'm the father."