(Cassian's POV)
Cassian leaned back against his veranda.
Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Sienna's devastated face.
"They can't keep doing this," he muttered into the phone, his voice low and frayed.
On the other end, his mother, Margo, sighed heavily. "We know, Cassian. We know."
"It's every day now," he said, rubbing a hand over his face. "Nicole's parents showing up at the house. Calling Dad at work. Sending emails. Threatening everything."
There was a pause before Margo said, "And now Nicole showing up at your company..."
Cassian's jaw clenched at the memory.
"It's like they're trying to break her," he said, voice cracking slightly. "Trying to break Sienna."
"And you," Margo added gently.
Cassian closed his eyes, breathing through the knot in his chest. "I don't care about me. I can take it. But Sienna..."
He trailed off, the ache in his chest worsening.
"We'll figure something out," Margo said softly. "Your father and I are working with the lawyer. We're documenting everything. Every call. Every email. Every appearance."
Cassian nodded even though she couldn't see him.
"You need to focus on Sienna now," his mom continued. "Give her the space she asked for. And when she's ready, show her you're still standing here."
Cassian hesitated before ending the call, voice cracking slightly. "Mom... what about the court decision on the invasive DNA test?"
Margo sighed heavily. "We're still waiting. The lawyer said it's complicated. Nicole has to consent, and her parents are fighting it. But if we push hard enough, the court might mandate it for the sake of clarity before the birth."
Cassian closed his eyes, feeling another wave of helplessness crash over him.
Then he hung up a few minutes later, his chest hollow.
The thought of leaving Sienna's life—of letting her walk away for good—felt like a noose tightening around his throat. His breathing hitched, the first tremors of panic prickling at his skin. It was a suffocating, crushing weight, a cold terror that wrapped around his ribs and squeezed until it hurt to even sit still.
He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, fighting the rising tide of panic, willing himself to hold on.
He had promised to give her space.
Even if it was killing him but unable to sit still, Cassian found himself driving aimlessly through the city, his mind restless and aching. Somehow—he didn't even remember deciding—he ended up outside Sienna's house.
He parked a few houses down, slouching low in his seat.
Through the soft glow of her windows, he caught glimpses—Sienna sitting with Maeve, laughing faintly at something on the couch.
His chest ached just watching her. It was a knife twist of longing and regret.
He stayed there the entire night, hidden in the shadows, just watching. Just breathing the same air.
At some point, exhaustion dragged him under, and he fell asleep in the driver's seat, a faint, broken smile on his lips—grateful just to be close to her, even from a distance.
He woke to a loud banging on his window.
Cassian startled upright to find Maeve standing outside his car, arms crossed, glaring at him like she wanted to strangle him.
Cassian quickly rolled down the window, throat dry.
"You can't stay parked here," Maeve said bluntly. "It's dangerous sleeping on the sidewalk like this."
Cassian scrubbed a hand over his face, still groggy. "I just... I couldn't leave."
Maeve's expression softened just a fraction. "Go home, Cassian. I'll take care of her."
Cassian pushed open the door and stepped out slowly. "How is she?"
Maeve hesitated. "She's strong. But don't make this harder for her."
Cassian nodded miserably.
Maeve tilted her head, studying him. "Are you really the father?"
Cassian opened his mouth, closed it, then said hoarsely, "I don't know."
Maeve's disappointment was palpable. She shook her head slowly. "Then you'd better act fast. Fix this before you lose her for good."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked back toward the house, leaving Cassian standing there, alone, the weight of everything crashing down heavier than ever.
Dragging himself back to his car, Cassian drove home, his mind a tangle of helplessness and desperation.
The moment he stepped into his apartment, he pulled out his phone and called his lawyer.
"Cassian," the lawyer answered almost immediately, "I was just about to call you."
"What can we do?" Cassian said without preamble, his voice tight. "There has to be more we can push."
"We're already building a harassment case against Nicole's family. We have enough documented evidence from the workplace incident and the assault at your home," the lawyer said calmly. "But we need to proceed carefully."
"What about the DNA test?" Cassian pressed.
"If Nicole refuses the non-invasive prenatal test, we can file for a court-ordered test after the baby is born," the lawyer explained. "However, if we want to force a prenatal test, it will take a more aggressive motion. It's invasive and carries risks. Courts are hesitant unless there's strong justification."
Cassian gritted his teeth. "Do it. Push it. Whatever it takes."
"Understood. We'll also send another cease and desist letter to her family. If they show up again, it'll add to the harassment claims."
Cassian exhaled shakily. "Thank you."
Cassian ended the call, feeling slightly less powerless but still drowning under the weight of it all.
He slumped down onto the floor of his living room, staring blankly at the ceiling. He just wanted all of it—the lies, the accusations, the endless noise—to be done. To be over. Every second of this nightmare felt like a punishment he had earned, and he accepted it without fighting.
God, he missed Sienna. He missed her voice, her laughter, the way she used to roll her eyes at him when he teased her. He missed the way she made even the worst days feel survivable.
Now, even breathing felt like a war he was losing.