Chapter 3 The Child He Never Knew

The rain began the night Aurelia realized she could no longer pretend nothing had changed.

It was a quiet rain at first, tapping gently against the narrow window of her small apartment. The kind of rain that usually brought comfort.

But there was nothing comforting about the way her hands trembled as she stared at the thin plastic strip in front of her.

Two lines.

Clear. Unmistakable.

Her vision blurred.

“No…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “No, no, no…”

She took another test.

Then another.

Three tests lay on the bathroom sink.

Three positive results.

Her legs gave out, and she sank slowly onto the cold tiled floor.

Pregnant.

The word echoed inside her head like a thunderclap.

Pregnant with Cassian Virell’s child.

A sob rose from her chest before she could stop it.

Just weeks ago, she had stood in a wedding dress, believing she was about to marry the man she loved. Hours later, he had destroyed her reputation in front of the entire city.

Now, he was gone.

And she was carrying his baby.

The doctor’s voice was calm, professional, distant.

“You’re approximately six weeks along.”

Aurelia nodded mechanically, her hands folded tightly in her lap.

“Are you under stress?” the doctor asked gently. “Your blood pressure is slightly elevated.”

Aurelia almost laughed.

Stress?

Her life had collapsed.

She had no job. No reputation. No fiancé. No family support. And now…

She pressed a hand lightly against her abdomen.

Now she had a child.

“I’ll be fine,” she said quietly.

The doctor studied her for a moment before handing her a file.

“Take care of yourself. Eat regularly. Avoid excessive stress. And come back in four weeks.”

Aurelia stood, her movements slow and deliberate.

Four weeks.

Four weeks to decide what kind of life she was going to build.

For herself.

For the child.

That night, she sat at the small kitchen table of her apartment, the doctor’s file open in front of her.

Her phone lay beside it.

Cassian’s name was still there in her contacts.

Her thumb hovered over the screen.

He had a right to know.

The thought twisted painfully in her chest.

But another memory rose immediately after.

His cold voice at the altar.

“She stole confidential documents.”

“She betrayed this company.”

“This wedding is canceled.”

Not once had he asked if it was true.

Not once had he looked at her like someone he loved.

He had believed the evidence.

He had believed everyone else.

Just not her.

Her hand slowly lowered.

“No,” she whispered.

She wouldn’t call him.

If he could destroy her so easily… then he didn’t deserve to know.

And she refused to let her child grow up feeling unwanted.

The next weeks were the hardest of her life.

Job applications went unanswered.

Interviews were cut short the moment her name was recognized.

The scandal had spread faster than she imagined.

One employer had even said it bluntly.

“We don’t hire corporate spies.”

Aurelia walked home that day under the burning sun, her vision swimming.

Her savings were running out.

The rent was due soon.

And the nausea had started.

Morning sickness didn’t care about dignity or timing. It came suddenly, violently, leaving her weak and shaking afterward.

But every time fear threatened to overwhelm her, she pressed her hand to her abdomen.

“I’ll figure it out,” she whispered.

“I promise.”

The call came from someone she didn’t expect.

“Miss Hale?” the voice said. “This is Maren from Larkspur Design.”

Aurelia straightened immediately.

“Yes, this is Aurelia.”

“We received your freelance portfolio. Your work is impressive. We’re a small firm, but we could use a remote designer. It’s contract-based. The pay isn’t high, but it’s steady.”

Relief hit her so hard she had to sit down.

“I’ll take it,” she said immediately.

The woman laughed softly. “I didn’t even finish explaining.”

“I’ll take it,” Aurelia repeated, her voice thick with emotion.

It wasn’t much.

But it was enough.

Enough to survive.

Enough to start over.

Months passed.

The seasons changed.

And slowly, painfully, Aurelia rebuilt her life.

Her belly grew.

Her freelance work expanded as her designs began attracting attention.

She moved into a smaller apartment in a quieter neighborhood where no one recognized her name.

And for the first time since the wedding, she began to breathe again.

Until the night she saw Cassian.

It happened by accident.

Aurelia had gone to a late-night pharmacy to pick up prenatal vitamins.

She was waiting at the counter when the television mounted on the wall switched to a business news channel.

A familiar face appeared on the screen.

Cassian Virell.

Her heart stopped.

He looked exactly the same.

Sharp suit. Cold composure. Controlled authority.

The caption below read:

“Virell Group Announces Major International Expansion.”

The reporter’s voice filled the store.

“CEO Cassian Virell has led the company to record profits this year, solidifying his position as one of the youngest and most powerful executives in the industry.”

Cassian spoke briefly during the interview.

His voice was calm. Controlled. Untouchable.

There was no trace of the man who had once held her at night and whispered promises.

No trace of regret.

No trace of her.

Aurelia placed a hand protectively over her stomach.

“You don’t need him,” she whispered.

The baby shifted slightly beneath her palm.

And for the first time, she didn’t feel alone.

The labor came earlier than expected.

It started as a dull ache.

Then a sharp pain.

By midnight, she was in the hospital, gripping the bed rails as waves of agony crashed through her.

There was no one beside her.

No husband.

No family.

No Cassian.

Only nurses. Doctors. Bright lights. And the sound of her own breathing as she fought through each contraction.

Hours passed.

Pain blurred into exhaustion.

And then 

A cry.

Sharp. Strong. Alive.

Tears streamed down her face as the nurse placed the baby in her arms.

“It’s a boy,” she said gently.

Aurelia stared down at the tiny face.

Dark hair.

Small clenched fists.

And eyes that opened slowly.

Steel gray.

The same color as Cassian’s.

Her heart broke and healed at the same time.

“Hello,” she whispered softly. “I’m your mother.”

The nurse asked gently, “Have you chosen a name?”

Aurelia hesitated only a moment.

“Lucian,” she said.

Lucian Hale.

Her son.

Her world.

Her reason to keep going.

Three years later.

The small park near their apartment was filled with the sound of children laughing.

Aurelia sat on a wooden bench, watching a small boy chase a bright red ball across the grass.

“Careful, Lucian!” she called.

The boy turned, grinning widely.

He had her smile.

But those eyes 

Those unmistakable gray eyes.

Lucian ran back to her, breathless and proud.

“Mommy! I ran fast!”

“You did,” she said, pulling him into a hug. “You’re the fastest.”

He leaned against her, warm and happy.

For three years, it had been just the two of them.

She had built a small but stable design business.

Their life was modest.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

And for the first time in years, Aurelia believed the past would stay buried.

Until her phone rang.

Unknown number.

She almost ignored it.

But something made her answer.

“Hello?”

A deep, controlled male voice spoke.

“Miss Aurelia Hale.”

Her heart stopped.

“This is Rowan Virell.”

Cassian’s father.

The air left her lungs.

“How did you get this number?” she asked slowly.

“That isn’t important,” Rowan replied. “What is important… is your son.”

Aurelia’s grip tightened around the phone.

“You’re mistaken.”

There was a pause.

Then Rowan spoke again.

“Our investigation confirms the child’s paternity.”

Silence.

Cold fear spread through her chest.

“We would like to arrange a meeting,” Rowan continued calmly. “Because Miss Hale… that child is the only heir to the Virell family.”

Aurelia looked down at Lucian, who was happily playing with her bracelet.

Her heart pounded.

Because if the Virell family knew about Lucian…

Then there was only one person who didn’t.

Cassian.

And something told her that was about to change.