Cassie woke to the scent of fresh coffee and the soft hum of distant voices. For a moment, she forgot where she was. The plush bedding, the quiet, the faint aroma of sandalwood—it wasn't home. It wasn't her apartment.
It was his.
She rolled over slowly, hand drifting to her belly. Morning nausea curled in her stomach, but it passed quickly. She was already learning to breathe through it. Learning to be steady.
The clock read 6:13 AM.
She dressed deliberately, choosing a structured cream blouse and a soft gray skirt that flattered her without clinging too tightly to her waist. She applied makeup carefully, polished but understated, and pinned her hair into a low twist. No jewelry, no flash. Just enough elegance to hold her ground.
By the time she entered the kitchen, Julian was already seated at the long marble island, phone in one hand, tablet in the other, a steaming mug beside him. He looked up as she walked in.
"Morning," he said simply.
"Is it?" she replied, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
Julian set the tablet down. "We go live at nine. The statement will be released to the press, and then we make a brief public appearance at the Edison Foundation Gala tonight."
Cassie raised an eyebrow. "You planned this whole rollout overnight?"
"The moment you signed," he said. "I don't like loose ends."
She sipped her coffee, studying him. "You don't like anything you can't control."
Julian met her gaze. "True. That includes narratives."
She set the mug down. "What if I say the wrong thing?"
"You won't."
"And if I do?"
His voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. "Then I handle it."
Cassie exhaled slowly. "We really are doing this."
"We already did."
---
By 9:05 AM, their engagement was trending across five social platforms. News outlets ran variations of the same headline:
**Julian Thorne Engaged to Tech Heiress Cassandra Lin**
"Private romance, public empire," one article read.
"Two titans, one legacy," said another.
Photos of them surfaced from old industry events—Cassie in sharp heels beside Julian's distant frame, captured mid-conversation, edited to look like longing glances. Analysts praised the merger as a stroke of PR genius. Investors called it a stabilizing move for Thorne Capital and Lin Technologies.
Nobody mentioned Nathan.
Nobody knew about the baby.
Yet.
Cassie scrolled through the comments without expression. Most were flattering. Some were invasive. A few were venomous.
One particularly cruel post stood out:
**"Guess you can't buy love, so they bought each other."**
She shut off the screen and set the phone down. Her hands shook.
Julian walked into the room, suit jacket in one hand, cufflinks in the other. "You don't need to read that garbage."
"I need to know what they see."
"They see what we show them. That's the point."
Cassie didn't reply. She stood up and walked to the window, watching the city buzz beneath her.
"And what if they see through it?" she asked quietly.
Julian paused behind her. "Then we give them a better lie."
---
The Edison Foundation Gala was hosted in a grand glass pavilion, where every surface sparkled with light and excess. Cassie stepped out of the car first, head held high, lips painted red, arm hooked lightly around Julian's.
Cameras flashed like fireworks.
The moment their feet touched the carpet, they were swarmed. Photographers, reporters, influencers.
Cassie smiled smoothly, her expression practiced.
Julian kept his hand at the small of her back—protective, possessive, polished. The image was perfect.
"Cassie! Over here! Is it true you've been dating for over a year?"
"Julian, when's the wedding?"
"Are you merging your companies, too?"
They answered nothing directly. They smiled. They waved. They walked the carpet like royalty.
Inside, the gala glittered with the city's elite. Music swelled, champagne poured, and subtle envy sparkled in every glance cast their way. They were the couple everyone wanted to be.
Cassie hated every second of it.
But she played her part.
She laughed when Julian leaned in to whisper a joke.
She touched his arm just enough to look natural.
She danced with him once, slowly, deliberately, in full view of every camera.
And she didn't flinch when he touched her waist.
---
Back in the car, silence settled like smoke.
Julian finally spoke. "You were flawless."
Cassie leaned her head against the window. "Was I? I felt like a mannequin."
"That's what public image is. A sculpted lie."
She turned to face him. "Why are you so good at this?"
"Because I stopped caring what people think."
She studied him for a long moment. "And what do you care about?"
Julian didn't answer.
Instead, he looked away, jaw tight.
"When are we telling people about the baby?" she asked.
His voice was careful. "Not yet. Let the engagement settle. The news cycle will chew on that for a few weeks. Then we give them the next piece."
"And what if someone finds out before we're ready?"
Julian met her eyes. "Then we go on the offensive. I've already secured medical confidentiality, and my team is monitoring press leaks."
Cassie bit the inside of her cheek. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"
"I try."
"Except how I feel."
That silenced him.
The car slowed outside the penthouse. Cassie stepped out without waiting, heels clicking sharply on the pavement.
She didn't speak to him again until they were back upstairs.
---
It was after midnight when she finally changed out of the gown and into an old T-shirt. She washed her face slowly, mechanically. Her body ached. Her feet throbbed.
She stepped out of the bathroom to find Julian standing in the hallway between their rooms.
He was no longer wearing his suit jacket. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie loosened. For the first time, he looked almost human.
"Can I help you?" she asked, tired.
He hesitated. "I have a gift for you."
Cassie blinked. "Now?"
He nodded and held out a slim box.
Inside was a necklace. Simple, elegant—a single diamond set in a soft curve of white gold.
Cassie looked up at him.
"It's not a bribe," he said. "It belonged to my mother. I thought you should have it."
Cassie's breath caught.
She wasn't sure what startled her more—the gesture, or the fact that he had a mother at all.
She took the box slowly. "Thank you."
Julian stepped back. "Good night, Cassie."
He turned and walked toward his room, leaving her alone.
Cassie stood there a long time, holding the necklace like it was a secret.
Then, just as she moved to close her door, her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen.
**UNKNOWN NUMBER: I know what you're hiding.**
Her heart stopped.
Another buzz.
**You're not the only one who wants that baby.**