Chapter 4 The Meeting

Aurelia didn’t sleep that night.

Lucian was curled beside her, his small hand gripping the edge of her shirt the way he always did when he slept. His breathing was soft, steady, peaceful.

He had no idea that his life had just changed.

That their quiet world had just been found.

Aurelia lay awake, staring at the ceiling, Rowan Virell’s words echoing endlessly in her mind.

Our investigation confirms the child’s paternity.

That child is the only heir to the Virell family.

Her chest tightened.

They hadn’t just found Lucian.

They had investigated him.

That meant they knew everything.

Where she lived. Where she worked. His age. His birth records.

And if Rowan knew…

Then it was only a matter of time before Cassian did too.

Fear curled inside her stomach.

Not fear for herself.

Fear for her son.

The meeting was scheduled for the next afternoon.

Aurelia almost didn’t go.

Every instinct told her to run.

Change cities. Change names. Disappear again.

But deep down, she knew something important.

You couldn’t run from the Virell family.

They had money.

Power.

Influence.

If she disappeared, they would find her again.

And next time, they might not ask politely.

So she went.

The Virell headquarters towered over the city like a monument to power.

Glass. Steel. Authority.

Lucian held her hand as they entered the lobby, his small fingers warm and trusting.

“Mommy,” he whispered, looking around with wide eyes. “This place is big.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “Stay close to me.”

The receptionist’s smile froze the moment Aurelia gave her name.

“Yes, Miss Hale. Mr. Rowan Virell is expecting you. Please take the private elevator to the top floor.”

Private elevator.

Of course.

Lucian pressed his face against the glass wall as the elevator rose.

“Are we going to the sky?” he asked excitedly.

Aurelia forced a smile.

“Yes, baby. Something like that.”

But her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe.

The doors opened into a quiet, luxurious floor.

Soft lighting. Thick carpets. Silence that felt expensive.

A man in a dark suit approached immediately.

“Miss Hale,” he said respectfully. “This way, please.”

Lucian held her hand tighter as they walked.

They stopped in front of large double doors.

The assistant knocked once.

Then opened them.

And Aurelia stepped inside.

Rowan Virell stood near the window, his back straight, his posture sharp and commanding.

He turned slowly.

His eyes moved past Aurelia.

And stopped on Lucian.

For a moment, the powerful patriarch of the Virell empire didn’t speak.

Because the resemblance was undeniable.

The same gray eyes.

The same bone structure.

The same presence.

Lucian looked back at him curiously.

“Mommy,” he whispered loudly, “that man is staring at me.”

Aurelia swallowed.

“Lucian, say hello.”

The boy gave a small wave.

“Hello.”

Rowan walked forward slowly.

Every step was measured.

Controlled.

But when he stopped in front of Lucian, something changed in his expression.

Not warmth.

Not affection.

Recognition.

“Yes,” Rowan said quietly. “There’s no doubt.”

Aurelia’s chest tightened.

“I didn’t come here for confirmation,” she said. “You already did your investigation.”

Rowan’s eyes shifted to her.

Sharp. Assessing.

“You raised him well,” he said.

It wasn’t a compliment.

It was an evaluation.

“Why am I here?” Aurelia asked.

Rowan gestured toward the sitting area.

“Sit.”

She didn’t move.

“I’d rather stand.”

Rowan studied her for a moment.

Then nodded slightly.

“Very well. Let’s speak plainly.”

His gaze moved briefly to Lucian.

“The child is Cassian’s son. Which makes him the sole biological heir to the Virell family.”

Aurelia’s hand tightened around Lucian’s shoulder.

“And?”

Rowan’s voice remained calm.

“And that means his future cannot remain… like this.”

Aurelia’s heart dropped.

“Like what?”

“Ordinary,” Rowan said.

The word hit like an insult.

“My son is not a business asset,” Aurelia said sharply.

Rowan didn’t react.

“I’m offering him opportunity. Education. Security. A future worthy of his bloodline.”

“He already has a future,” Aurelia replied.

“With you?” Rowan asked calmly.

The silence that followed felt heavy.

Because they both knew the truth.

Her business was small.

Her savings were limited.

Her life was stable but fragile.

Rowan stepped closer.

“I’m not asking to take him away,” he said. “I’m asking to bring him into the family.”

Aurelia’s eyes narrowed.

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” Rowan said, “that Cassian will meet his son.”

The words hit like a physical blow.

“No.”

The answer came immediately.

Rowan’s expression didn’t change.

“You don’t get to decide that alone.”

“I’m his mother,” Aurelia said. “And Cassian gave up the right to be his father five years ago.”

Rowan’s gaze sharpened.

“My son was misled.”

“He chose to believe the lies.”

Silence filled the room.

Lucian tugged gently on Aurelia’s sleeve.

“Mommy,” he whispered. “Who is that man?”

Her heart broke.

Rowan answered before she could.

“I’m your grandfather.”

Lucian blinked.

Then looked at Aurelia.

“Do I have a daddy too?”

The question shattered her.

Rowan spoke calmly.

“Yes. And you’re going to meet him.”

The doors behind them opened.

No one announced him.

No footsteps warned them.

But Aurelia felt it.

That familiar shift in the air.

That quiet, powerful presence.

She turned slowly.

Cassian Virell stood at the entrance.

He looked exactly the same.

Tall. Imposing. Controlled.

His gaze moved past her.

And landed on Lucian.

The world went silent.

Because for the first time in his life…

Cassian was looking at his son.

And the resemblance hit him instantly.

The same eyes.

The same features.

The same presence.

Cassian’s expression didn’t change.

But the air around him turned cold.

“Explain,” he said.

Rowan’s voice was calm.

“This is your son.”

Silence.

Cassian didn’t look at Aurelia.

Didn’t acknowledge her.

His eyes stayed on the boy.

Lucian stared back, curious but unafraid.

“Mommy,” he whispered. “That man looks like me.”

Aurelia’s throat tightened.

Cassian finally spoke.

“When?” he asked.

The single word carried no emotion.

Aurelia stepped forward.

“Three years ago.”

Cassian’s eyes moved to her.

For the first time since the wedding.

And there was no warmth in them.

Only calculation.

“You hid him,” he said.

The accusation cut deep.

“You destroyed my life,” she replied quietly.

Silence.

Lucian stepped closer to her, sensing the tension.

Cassian’s gaze dropped to the small hand holding her dress.

Then back to the child’s face.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he spoke.

“What’s his name?”

Aurelia hesitated.

“Lucian.”

Cassian repeated it once.

Quietly.

As if testing the weight of it.

Then he turned to Rowan.

“We’ll arrange DNA confirmation.”

Aurelia’s chest tightened.

“He’s your son. Not a contract.”

Cassian ignored her.

Rowan nodded.

“It’s already in process.”

Cassian looked back at Lucian.

The boy tilted his head.

“Are you my daddy?”

The question hung in the air.

Everyone waited.

Cassian didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said, in a calm, emotionless voice 

“Yes.”

Lucian smiled.

Aurelia felt her heart break.

Because she knew something Cassian didn’t.

This wasn’t a reunion.

This was the beginning of a battle.

And the Virell family never lost what they claimed.