(Cassian’s POV)
The air outside was cooler than I expected. Crisp, almost biting.
For a moment, I just stood there, the marriage certificate still clutched in my hand like it was the only proof that what just happened was real. The street noises were muffled in my ears, the honking cars, the chatter of strangers—all of it blurred.
It was her silence that was loud.
Lyra walked beside me, her steps steady but her shoulders tight. She didn’t look at me, not once, and I didn’t know if that was better or worse.
What do you say to someone after you’ve signed a paper that ties their life to yours?
How do you put words to something that feels heavier than any deal, any empire, any weight I’ve carried?
I didn’t know.
So I said nothing.
I shoved my free hand into my pocket, keeping the othe
