Returning with a Secret

Clutching the baby tightly to my chest, I strode out of the airport and slammed straight into a rock-hard wall of muscle. The familiar scent of cedarwood instantly hijacked my lungs.

It was Cassian.

Five years ago, on my twenty-second birthday, he found my diary. The one detailing my secret crush on him. As punishment, he had me packed up and shipped out of the country overnight. Then, he turned around and dropped millions on a wedding of the century for his true love.

Now, his gaze scraped over the swaddle in my arms like a knife. His towering frame went rigid. His Adam's apple bobbed sharply, and when he spoke, his voice sounded as rough as swallowing shattered glass. "Yours?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Just finished my postpartum recovery."

Chapter 1

Willow had slept soundly for the entire flight, but the second we stepped off the plane, she started fussing. "Mommy, my feet hurt."

Hearing her quiet whimpers, I quickly scooped her up and headed straight for the exit. Once outside the terminal, I pulled out my phone to hail a cab. Right then, my phone buzzed. I stared at the familiar string of digits flashing on the screen.

I froze, debating whether to take it. Ultimately, I let it ring out. But a second call came through almost immediately. I let out a breath and swiped right.

Cassian's voice came through the speaker. Five years of absolute silence, and he sounded exactly the same. "Out of the airport? I sent my assistant to pick you up."

Cassian's tone dripped with condescending control, as if he were giving orders to a subordinate.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "I can get a cab."

A beat of silence followed on his end. Cassian probably didn't expect that answer. Back then, under his wing, my life was heavily curated. Every meal, every outfit, every ridehandled.

I never had to hail a cab myself.

After a brief pause, Cassian spoke again, his voice breezy. "Let the assistant take you. I already bought a gift for Daphne on your behalf."

"It's in the trunk. Just bring it with you when you come to the anniversary dinner."

Still so thoughtful. Every little detail perfectly managed. But then again, the man had dropped millions on a venue and auctioned off a limited-edition diamond just to craft Daphne the perfect custom wedding ring. Of course he loved her.

"Got it." I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Cassian went quiet, but the line stayed open. A long moment passed before his voice cut through the static.

"Harper. Five years abroad. I hope you've done some real reflecting. If you pull anything with Daphne, I won't let you off easy."

My breath hitched. All the chaotic airport noise faded into a dull ringing.

Cassian said he wouldn't let me off easy.

Before I could even open my mouth, the call disconnected.

Cassian had nothing to worry about. I had zero interest in messing with them. My only plan was to keep Willow safe and find a job. I lowered my gaze as I walked away from the terminal doors.

The proud, untouchable twenty-two-year-old me could have never imagined hitting rock bottom like this.

I was kicked out of the country on my twenty-second birthday. The exact day Cassian found that diary.

When I was a kid, my parents died in a cruise ship accident. They never came back, and my relatives treated me like a worthless burden. No one wanted to take me in. Cassian, who lived next door, took pity on me and decided to fund my upbringing.

Chapter 2

Our relationship had always been harmonious. Smooth. Until I grew up and realized I didnt just see Cassian as a benefactor.

I was in love with him.

But I knew the reality. There was no future for us. So, I poured every secret, every desperate hope, into my diary.

If Cassian had never found it, I could have kept pretending. I could have told myself it was just a deep, lingering dependency.

But Cassian saw it.

He slammed my diary against the wall, the torn pages fluttering to the floor like snow. He leaned in, his hands gripping the back of my chair on either side, pinning me in. His massive shadow swallowed me whole, and those eyesusually so deep and calculatedwere now overflowing with raw, unfiltered disgust.

I tried to explain. My mouth opened, but the words died in my throat. All I could do was bow my head, apologizing over and over, sobbing that I was wrongthat I should have never let myself love him.

Cassians rage didn't simmer down. The next day, he made sure I was fired from the job Id worked so hard to get. Under the guise of "continuing my education," he had me shipped off to a remote university in the middle of nowhere. To ensure I stayed isolated, he even hired bodyguards to watch my every move.

At first, I didn't understand the cruelty. Then, during my first month abroad, the news of Cassians wedding hit the global trending charts. Thats when I learned the truth. All those years, hed had a "True Love" waiting in the wings.

I watched the wedding video until my eyes burned. In every frame, whenever Cassian looked at Daphne, his gaze was soft, filled with a deep, aching devotion. He had never once looked at me like that.

In that moment, I realized that having me by his side for all those years was nothing more than a mix of pity and obligation. To him, I was a responsibility. Daphne was the only one he ever truly loved.

"Ms. Harper, please. The car is ready." The assistants voice snapped me back to the present.

I nodded and climbed into the back seat, cradling the sleeping Willow in my arms.

The assistant caught a glimpse of Willow through the rearview mirror. His hands jerked, the steering wheel slipping for a fraction of a second. "Ms. Harper, this child"

I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling for silence. I didn't want the chatter to wake her. Once we were settled and moving, I answered in a low whisper. "Shes my daughter."

The assistant nodded, instantly shutting down any further questions.

When we finally pulled up to our destination, my heart did a slow, painful roll. This was the same hotel where Cassian and Daphne had held their wedding.

Five years of marriage, and he still hosted an anniversary gala every single year. He still hand-selected every gift. He cherished her.

For the first few years, he wouldn't even allow me to step foot back into their world. Bringing me back now was clearly just a move to make me witness their "happily ever after."

I stepped out of the car, feeling a strange numbness settle over me. Across the sidewalk, Daphne was already walking toward me, a bright, practiced smile on her face.

The contrast was staggering. My face was weary, my clothes cheap and functional. Daphne was draped in high-end jewelry, the expensive scent of her perfume cutting through the humid air. She looked like a woman who had been perfectly cared for by Cassian.

Suddenly, her smile flickered. Shed spotted Willow.

"Harper!" she exclaimed, her voice pitched in faux-shock as she reached us. "You had a baby in secret? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I've been married to your Uncle Cassian for so long now, and you still treat me like a stranger."

Before I could get a word out, she reached over and scooped Willow out of my arms without asking. Willow woke up instantly. She started wailing, her small body thrashing as she tried to get away from Daphnes grasp.

I reached out and took her back, swaying gently to soothe her. Daphne knew about my crush on Cassian. I knew she knew.

And being back here, I had no intention of letting her get under my skin. I just wanted to survive this.

Chapter 3

But Daphne stubbornly insisted on carrying Willow. By the time we reached the private dining room, Willow was still sobbing, desperately reaching out for me.

The practiced curve of Daphnes smile turned ice-cold. She shoved Willow back into my arms, her perfectly manicured acrylic nails scraping sharply across the back of my handa deliberate scratch.

"Your Uncle Cassian pampers me. He couldn't bear the thought of me going through the pain of childbirth. We were planning on being strictly child-free. But seeing you actually pop out a little bastard I have to admit, I'm surprised."

The room was already half-full. I hated mingling, so I immediately claimed a seat in the dimmest corner. Naturally, Daphne slid right into the chair next to mine. She looped her arm through mine in a suffocating display of fake affection, eagerly introducing me and Willow to the room.

The stares that locked onto me were laced with naked mockery and probing curiosity.

The toxic atmosphere was choking me. I muttered an excuse about needing the restroom and slipped out.

After splashing cold water on my face, I walked back toward the room, only to catch Daphnes voice drifting through the cracked door. Someone had just asked her why she dragged such a jinx into the party.

"Oh, don't call her that," Daphne chimed, her tone dripping with faux-sweetness. "Harper is the daughter of a friend of Cassian's."

"It's only right we look out for her. Sure, she went off the rails in the past, but she's a mother now. She definitely won't make those same pathetic mistakes again."

I stood frozen outside the door, my expression deadpan. Right. To these people, I was just the psychotic homewrecker who tried to seduce another woman's husband. A shameless little slut.

Willow tugged anxiously at my collar. I patted her back to soothe her, pushed the door open, and walked back in. Some things you just had to face head-on.

I lost track of time until the entire room suddenly stood up, chairs scraping against the floor.

"Mr. Cassian is here!"

"Good evening, boss!"

A crowd instantly swarmed him. I didn't move. I stayed glued to my corner seat.

After a long beat, I finally lifted my gaze to Cassian. He looked a little leaner. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, and Daphne immediately leaned into his side. When their eyes met, they shared a look of pure, sickly-sweet devotion.

Surrounded by his sycophants, he didn't even notice me hiding in the shadows. All these years, he was still the king holding court. I was the only one who had crashed and burned.

Suddenly, as if remembering a fun little secret, Daphne nudged Cassian with a beaming smile. "Cassian, Harper is here too! You two haven't seen each other in so long, you should catch up. Harper even brought back a surprise!"

Cassians massive hand remained draped possessively over the back of Daphnes chair. The heavy carat diamond ring on his ring finger caught the chandelier's light, stabbing fiercely into my eyes.

Hearing the word "surprise," Cassian didn't even flinch. He prioritized helping Daphne into her seat first, ordered her a warm cup of decaf chamomile tea, and only then did he finally lift his gaze and shift his focus to my side of the room.

Willow shrank back into my chest in pure terror, her defenses fully up.

Cassians gaze landed squarely on Willow. His eyes snapped wide open. "Harper, what is that?"

He was asking about Willow. I hadn't told anyone about her, so the entire room shared the exact same reactioneither genuine shock or a hungry anticipation for the drama to unfold.

Daphne spoke up before I could. "Cassian, this is Harper's daughter. Isn't she precious? She's a carbon copy of Harper, looks like she's already a few years old."

Cassian's eyes burned into Willow, then dragged heavily up to my face. He stared at me for a long, suffocating moment.

Just when I thought he was going to ignore me completely, his finger shot out, pointing directly at Willow. His voice was stripped of its usual smooth arrogance, coming out hoarse and cracked. "During these years abroad you got married? You had a kid?"

I tipped my chin up, meeting his stare head-on without blinking. "Yeah." My voice was flat.

"Married a long time ago. Sorry I didn't send an invite, sir."

Dead silence swallowed the room. Nobody dared to breathe.

Chapter 4

Cassians jaw snapped tight, the muscle ticking. His gaze swept over me inch by inch like a radar, trying to tear a crack of a lie into my blank face.

Daphne opened her mouth, but Cassian was already stepping right into my personal space. "Where's your husband?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "He's been swamped lately. Couldn't make it