The next afternoon came too quickly.
Sienna sat tensely on the living room couch, fiddling with the hem of Cassian's sweater, her nerves stretched tight. Cassian hovered nearby, just as anxious, pacing back and forth from the window to the door.
"You okay?" he asked for the third time.
She nodded stiffly, not trusting her voice.
They were waiting for Nicole's parents—and Cassian's parents had decided to come too.
The weight of what was coming made the air feel thick, heavy with unspoken fears.
At one point, Sienna excused herself quietly and slipped into Cassian's bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Her hands were shaking as she pulled out her phone and called Maeve.
"Hey," Maeve answered almost immediately, her voice laced with concern.
"It's happening," Sienna whispered. "Nicole's parents are coming. Cassian's too."
There was a beat of silence before Maeve said fiercely, "I'll be there in ten minutes."
Sienna smiled faintly despite herself. "No," she said softly. "It's okay."
"Si—"
"Maeve, if you come, you might actually throw hands with someone," Sienna said, a shaky laugh escaping her. "I just need to handle this."
Maeve grumbled but finally relented. "Fine. But if you need me, you call."
"I will."
Sienna ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
Moments later, there was another knock at the door.
Cassian's parents—Jonathan and Margo—were first to arrive. Cassian quickly let them in, and the tension doubled immediately.
Jonathan looked grim but nodded respectfully at Sienna.
Margo, however, crossed the room and took Sienna gently by the arm, leading her a few steps aside.
"I just want you to know," Margo said quietly, her hand warm and firm, "we will support whatever decision you and Cassian make."
Sienna blinked, stunned by the soft kindness in her voice.
"You're important to us, Sienna," Margo added. "And you always have been."
Before Sienna could respond, there was another knock at the door.
Nicole's family had arrived.
The moment the door opened, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Nicole's father stormed in first, his face a furious shade of red, followed closely by her mother, who looked equally furious, clutching her handbag like a weapon.
"How dare you!" Nicole's father bellowed the moment he crossed the threshold. "How dare you destroy our trust, our family's reputation!"
Jonathan and Margo stiffened visibly, but it was Sienna who instinctively tensed where she stood behind Cassian.
Nicole's mother added sharply, "You are going to marry our daughter, Cassian. There is no discussion."
Nicole's father jabbed a finger at Cassian's chest. "She told us everything—that you forced her! She's a good Christian girl, a virgin, and you… you took advantage of her!"
Cassian's mouth opened and closed, stunned.
"You will take responsibility!" Nicole's mother cried out, her voice breaking with rage. "You will make this right or you will face the consequences!"
The room was rapidly spiraling out of control, the shouting growing louder, more frantic, each accusation slamming into Cassian and Sienna like physical blows.
Cassian's parents exchanged dark, worried glances, but said nothing yet, letting the chaos unfold.
And Sienna, standing frozen in place, felt the world tilting dangerously around her, every word a fresh, twisting knife in the wounds still struggling to heal.
Margo finally stepped forward, raising her voice over the shouting. "Enough!" she snapped. "Nothing will be agreed upon if everyone keeps screaming."
Nicole's parents paused, breathing hard.
It was only then that their eyes fell on Sienna, like noticing her for the first time.
Nicole's mother narrowed her gaze. "Who is she?"
Cassian stepped forward immediately, placing himself between Sienna and their anger. "She's my girlfriend," he said firmly, voice steady despite the chaos.
Nicole's father's face turned an even deeper red. Without warning, he lunged and punched Cassian square in the face.
Cassian stumbled back, but he didn't lift a hand to defend himself.
Another punch landed, harder this time, splitting Cassian's lip. Still, he stood there and took it.
Jonathan finally snapped out of his shock, surging forward to pull Nicole's father away. "That's enough!" he shouted. "Get out! And forget we were ever friends."
Nicole's father struggled against him, shouting threats. "We'll see you in court! You think this ends here? We'll ruin you!"
Cassian wiped the blood from his mouth, still not fighting back, still standing between Sienna and the storm.
Once Nicole's parents were finally shoved out the door, the apartment fell into stunned, brittle silence.
Jonathan turned to Cassian, his face dark. "You should go down to the courthouse right now and get some papers started," he muttered furiously. "Those people are crazy. They'll twist everything if we don't have protection."
Margo, still calming herself, placed a hand on Jonathan's arm. "No," she said firmly. "They shouldn't get married just because of this. Let's handle this carefully first. Rushing into anything would only make it worse."
She turned to Cassian, her expression softening. "First thing you need to do is go to the hospital. Get checked. We'll need medical records of the assault if this goes to court."
Jonathan nodded grimly. "And file a police report. Today. We need everything documented."
Cassian said nothing, still shaken, but he nodded slowly, his hand drifting unconsciously to his bruised jaw.
Sienna sat quietly on the couch, watching them, the enormity of everything pressing down harder and harder on her chest. She felt like she was just going with the flow, barely holding herself together, swept along by the chaos surrounding her.
Cassian noticed. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and gently pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, like he could anchor her against the storm.
"Everything will be okay," he murmured against her hair, voice rough but steady. "I swear, Si. We'll get through this."
Later, after things settled into a heavy, exhausted silence, Cassian and Sienna prepared to leave for the hospital. Sienna slipped on a jacket, her mind still spinning.
In the car, as Cassian drove quietly through the fading light of day, Sienna sat staring out the window, lost in thought. Her chest felt hollow, like something vital had been carved out and left bleeding.
When they reached the hospital parking lot, Cassian parked but didn't move immediately. The tension between them filled the small space.
Sienna finally turned to him, her voice a brittle whisper. "If I told you I couldn't do this... would you still choose me?"
Cassian's head snapped toward her, his face a mask of raw pain. He didn't even hesitate.
"I'd choose you every time," he said hoarsely. "Even if you hated me. Even if you left. You're it for me, Sienna. You always have been."
Sienna closed her eyes, her throat tightening painfully.
Part of her wanted to believe him so badly it hurt.
Part of her still wasn't sure if love alone was enough.