Chapter 3

DNA

 Cassian POV

 I heard a voice.

“Daddy!”

I looked up, expecting a mistake. A case of mistaken identity. But the boy ran straight to me, laughing as he hugged my leg.

I stared down, in disbelief.

He looked like me.

The resemblance wasn't just the usual one. The shape of his eyes. The tilt of his chin. The dark curls. It felt as if I was staring at a five year old me.

“Liam!” A woman shouted.

I knew the voice before I saw her.

It sounded like Leah.

No—Raven.

“I’m so sorry. He does this sometimes—runs to strangers and calls them daddy.” She grabbed his hand.

“Liam, we talked about this, remember?”

He looked up at her, confused. “But—”

“No buts,” she said as she dragged him away.

I just stared at the boy.

The boy was four. Maybe five.

I barely had time to process everything before I heard Talias voice.

“ Cass”

She shouted as she exited the terminal, dragging two designer bags behind her and wearing a scowl.

“Seriously, Cassian?” she snapped. “You couldn’t even come inside?”

“I was delayed.”

“Yeah, same way you have been delaying our marriage.” she shot back.

I blinked.

“Talia—”

She stepped closer. “I’ve waited five years, five good year's. And you still haven’t even declared her dead or even divorced her.”

“ Please, can we not do this here?”

“You left me no choice.”

She moved closer.

“If you had just picked up your phone—or better still stopped ignoring me—I wouldn’t be bringing this up at the airport.”

“ know what, it is either you declare her dead… or you lose me.”

My jaw clenched.

“That sounds like a threat.”

“It is,” she whispered.

“And if I don't.”

“ Then prepare for the worst Cassian. Because it is either I become your wife, or I become your enemy. Choose one and you sure do not want to have me as an enemy.”

Before I could respond, she walked away.

I should’ve gone after Talia. I should’ve said something. But I didn’t. Because all I could think of was a boy who looked like me and a woman who sounded exactly as Leah.

I didn’t realize I was walking until I was already standing beside my car. I needed to call Aiden to get this doubt off my mind.

My fingers hovered over my phone for a second before I gave in.

He picked on the third ring.

“I need to ask you something,” I said, skipping the pleasantries.

“You always do.”

I didn’t smile. “That day. The accident. Are you sure… Leah’s body was in the car?”

There was a pause.

“Cassian,” he said slowly, carefully, like he was stepping around landmines. “We’ve been over this. You asked me this last year. And the year before.”

“Just tell me.”

He sighed. “I saw the body myself. I saw her…face.”

“But the face was burned,” I pushed. “Due to the fire—her face was unrecognizable.”

“Cassain can you just let this go, it has been five years, she is dead and gone.”

“No! I need you to swear, Aiden, that you are sure it was her” I said, sounding desperate.

“I swear, Cass. It was her…”

I didn't wait to hear the rest, I just hung up. I clearly saw a boy that looked like me and a lady that had the same voice, same allergy and same scar as Leah. I needed more than a swear to believe that I was just being delusional.

---

The next day, Raven was scheduled to meet me again. 

When she walked into the boardroom, she was perfectly put together—again. Black suit. But I watched her closer this time. 

“ I am sorry about yesterday.” She said,

I nodded as I offered her a seat.

“So,” she said, flipping open her tablet, “I’ve updated the rollout timeline, have you gone through it?.”

I didn’t respond. Not right away. I was too busy trying to find traces of Leah in her face. And she looked nothing like her.

Or was I just being delusional?

“Mr. Wolfe?” she said, her voice interrupting my thoughts.

I blinked. “Yeah. Sorry. Go on.”

She gave me a long, unreadable look. “Are you even listening?”

“Ahm.” I said as I stood up. "I think that’s all for today," I said, my voice louder than I intended.

She nodded, gathering her papers. "I’ll have my assistant send over the finalized draft for you to sign"

I stood. "Thank you, Raven." I said, her name as if trying to convince myself that she was Raven and not Leah.

She nodded as she turned and left.

I didn’t follow immediately. I stayed in the office trying to clear my doubts.

After a few minutes, I made my way downstairs. I needed a distraction—something to stop these delusional thoughts.

Then I saw him.

Liam.

Raven’s son, crouched by a table, playing with a toy car. Alone. His mom was nowhere in sight.

I should have kept walking. I told myself to keep walking.

But I didn’t.

He looked up—and my heart stuttered. Those eyes. Oh my, those eyes.

Same eyes as mine. And for a moment, I lost my composure.

My feet moved before I made the decision.

"Hey, buddy," I said, crouching near him. "Cool car."

He smiled, unbothered. "It’s super fast."

I smiled back, trying not to get ahead of myself. "What’s your name?"

"Liam."

I looked at the boy closely and before I could think. I reached out and gently ruffled his hair. And then I took a strand of hair.

I swallowed hard.

Before he could say more, a woman—likely the nanny—held his hand, as she apologized and dragged him away.

I stood, dazed, staring at the hair on my hand and wondering if I truly had lost my mind but the only way to end this doubt was carrying out a DNA test.

*****

The next morning, I dropped off the hair sample.

And I had to wait for three h

ours to get the result 

I waited 

Hours passed. 

Finally, my phone buzzed.

The message was simple.

Your DNA test results is ready.

My hands trembled.

I opened the message.