Chapter 145: Finale

Cassius POV

Callista's words hung heavy in the air, thick and suffocating. My daughter, Jessica, the little firecracker with eyes that mirrored the summer sky, was mine. A pup I hadn't known existed, a piece of me ripped away and hidden for years.

Anger, hot and burning, threatened to consume me. How could she keep this from me? All those nights spent yearning for a family and a connection, and she'd had it all along. The years of longing and the emptiness that gnawed at me—a constant reminder of the love I'd lost—were all a lie?

I clenched and unclenched my fists, the urge to roar ripping through me. But the sight of Jessica, oblivious to the storm brewing within me, choked the sound back. Her innocent smile, so full of trust, held me captive. My anger simmered, a low growl escaping my throat.

Callista flinched, her eyes pleading for understanding. But understanding is a distant speck on the horizon right now. All I saw was the betrayal and the years stolen from me. I know I caused