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124
CASSIAN'S POV

The door clicked behind me, soft and final, like a verdict I had not earned. I stood in the hallway, heart pounding, hand still warm from holding Leo. I should have felt something like victory. But all I felt was the sting of everything I had broken too late.

“Sir.” My assistant, Colin, jogged up, breathless. He held out a tablet. “They are waiting on your final signature. If we do not close this within the hour, we lose the entire Becker Alliance. It is your last window.” I stared at the screen. My stomach twisted.

“How much stake does Becker have in that shell company targeting Verdant?” I asked, voice low. Colin blinked, caught off guard. “I am sorry?” I stepped closer. “How much?” He hesitated. “Eighteen percent. But that is spread thin. We can still negotiate favorable clauses.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Pull the deal. Kill it.” Colin’s jaw dropped. “Sir, that would be—” I cut him off. “It is not up for debate. I am not funding a company that is trying to gut Verdant from the inside out.” He looked like I had just shoved him into traffic.

“That deal is worth five hundred million in projected revenue,” he said. “You know that, right?” I did. I had memorized the numbers. But that did not change anything. “Let them choke on their own sabotage. I am not letting them use me to bleed her company dry.”

Four people stepped out of the boardroom down the hall. I recognized them instantly. Investors. Press. One was already lifting her phone. I turned, pushing past Colin. “Call Marcy,” I said. “Tell her to prepare a press statement. We are withdrawing. Effective immediately.”

AURORA'S POV

I paced the small patch of hallway near the pediatric oncology wing, fingers tapping against my arm. Leo was sleeping again. His fever had dipped, but the worry still clung to my skin. I could not shake the feeling something was shifting beneath me.

Julian’s voice buzzed through the phone. “They pulled out?” I nodded, even though he could not see me. “Yes. Cassian’s team just announced it. The deal collapsed an hour ago.” There was a pause. “You are not happy about that?” he asked. I sat down slowly.

“I do not know how to feel,” I admitted. “It was the right move. Verdant was being targeted through Becker. But why now? Why suddenly draw a line?” Julian’s voice lowered. “Because he is trying to prove something to you. Or maybe to himself.”

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “But that deal was everything to his recovery plan. It was the only thing keeping Viero Pharmaceuticals from slipping under.” Julian’s breath caught. “Then he burned his own safety net. For you.” I hated the way my chest twisted.

“I did not ask him to do that,” I said quietly. “He made that choice on his own.” Julian did not respond right away. “Maybe he is finally learning what it costs to lose something real. Maybe it is not about business anymore.” I did not want it to be about me.

I ended the call and stared at the floor. Just then, a nurse tapped my shoulder. “He is back,” she said gently. “Downstairs. Waiting.” I nodded, heart heavy. I took the elevator, unsure if I wanted to thank him or walk right past him without a word.

CASSIAN'S POV

I sat on the bench outside the hospital’s side entrance, elbows on my knees, watching cars roll past. I heard her footsteps before I saw her. Sharp. Hesitant. Aurora stopped in front of me, arms crossed, wind tugging at loose strands of her hair.

“You should not be here,” she said. Her voice was not cruel. Just tired. I stood slowly. “I wanted to make sure you heard it from me. I shut down the Becker deal.” She blinked, but her mouth stayed firm. “Why?” she asked. “Why would you tank your own company?”

“Because Verdant was the target,” I said. “They were using me to bleed it out through licensing loopholes. I did not see it until I looked harder.” Her eyes narrowed. “You always look harder when your name is on the line.” I winced. “That is not fair.”

She laughed. Not loud. More like breath pushing past disbelief. “Fair?” She stepped closer. “You left me drowning in silence and boardroom gossip while you shook hands with the people who stole from me. And now you want a medal for pulling out?”

“No,” I said. “I do not want anything. I just want you to know I see it now. I see what they did. And I am not going to help them do it again.” Her jaw clenched. “Do you think this makes us even?” I shook my head. “I do not think we will ever be even.”

The wind picked up, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. Then she looked down. “Leo asked about you again.” My chest squeezed. “What did you tell him?” She looked up, eyes bright. “That you are still learning how to show up.”

AURORA'S POV

I was not trying to hurt him. I was just being honest. That was all we had left between us. He nodded like he understood. But there was something in his eyes. Something restless. Like he knew there was still more I did not know. More he had not said.

“I am sorry,” he said suddenly. “For more than just the deal. For what came before it. For everything I let happen.” I stared at him. “You are going to have to be more specific, Cassian. That list is long.” His hands tightened at his sides.

“There are things I should have questioned,” he said. “Things I should have never believed.” I frowned. “Like what?” He looked like he wanted to say it. Like it was right there, resting on the edge of his tongue. But he hesitated.

I took a step back. “Do not say anything unless you are ready for the fallout.” He nodded slowly. “I am almost ready,” he said. “But I need one more piece.” I narrowed my eyes. “Then go find it. And do not come back until you know where you stand.”

He turned, walking away this time. But something in his posture had changed. He moved like a man heading straight for a fire. And part of me wondered what he planned to burn down when he got there.

I watched him disappear around the corner. Then my phone buzzed again.

Another message.

This time, it said only: “He is getting too close.”

I stared at the screen, my breath catching.

And this time, I did not feel cold.

I felt afraid.