marked by midnight: the enemy's heiress-Chapter 33 : mr. cassian?

As she settled into his lap, Cassian wrapped one arm securely around her waist while using the other to eat—and occasionally feed her a bite. Every now and then, he leaned in to kiss her neck, soft and unhurried, making her giggle despite herself.

It felt domestic.

Soon, they finished eating.

Not long after, the children arrived—small bags slung over their shoulders, eyes bright with excitement. Both of them looked adorable, but Lucien stood out instantly. He carried the same stern little expression as his father, serious even at his age.

The moment Ivy and Lucien spotted Mira, they ran toward her.

"Mommy!" they cried together, wrapping their arms around her legs.

Mira immediately bent down to their height, hugging them tightly.

"My babies," she whispered, kissing their foreheads. "Did you miss Mommy?"

"Yes! I did," Ivy answered quickly, nodding hard. Then she added thoughtfully, "But I’m not sure about Lucien. He was busy building aircrafts with Uncle Kael."

Lucien looked up at Mira, slightly embarrassed. "Mommy... I missed you too."

She smiled warmly. "I know," she said softly. "Mommy missed you both too."

She tickled Ivy lightly, making her burst into giggles.

Just then, Cassian stepped closer from behind—posture straight, one hand casually tucked into his pocket, a quiet smile on his face.

"Hi, kiddos," he said, lifting a hand in a small wave.

Ivy tilted her head, eyes wide with curiosity. "Mommy," she said, pointing at him, "this is the saviour uncle?"

Mira nodded, ruffling Ivy’s hair gently. "Yes," she replied softly.

Lucien looked between Mira and Cassian, his small brows knitting together.

"Are we staying with uncle now?" he asked.

Mira inhaled gently before answering, her voice calm but firm.

"He’s not your uncle," she said. "He’s actually your daddy."

"I thought Uncle Kael was the one," Lucien said proudly.

Mira blinked in surprise. "And why do you think it’s Uncle Kael?" she asked gently.

"Because he takes care of you," Lucien replied seriously. "And he plays with us, and fixes my toys. He even fixed my train, Johnson."

Cassian immediately bent down to Lucien’s height, meeting his gaze calmly.

"Fixing toys doesn’t mean someone is your dad," he said firmly but gently.

"Then who can be a real dad?" Ivy asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Cassian glanced at Mira, a faint blush touching his face before he looked back at the children.

"Um..." he began, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "The one you belong to. The one who gave your mommy two beautiful gifts." His voice steadied, pride settling in his chest. "And that’s me."

Before they could bombard him with more questions, Cassian quickly changed the subject, clapping his hands lightly as if remembering something important.

"By the way," he said, pretending to think hard, "who likes hot chocolate?"

"Me! Me!" Ivy and Lucien both shouted at once, shooting their hands into the air.

"Mmm... oh—uh—but it’s not free," Cassian added seriously. "It costs something."

Ivy’s eyes widened. "Is it too expensive?" she asked innocently.

Cassian leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"Well... it costs maybe a kiss on my cheek."

He pointed to his cheek.

Ivy and Lucien exchanged a quick look—then turned toward him at the same time and kissed his cheeks together.

Here you go—tightened, polished, emotionally clearer, without cutting anything, just smoothing language and flow:

He laughed as they planted sloppy kisses all over his face, their tiny hands gripping his shirt as if he were their favorite playground.

With a sudden burst of energy, he picked both of them up—one in each hand—lifting them like little airplanes.

"Alright, aircrafts ready!" Cassian announced dramatically. "Let’s head toward the kitchen!"

He made engine noises, tilting them side to side like a trained air-commando, and burst out laughing when the kids squealed with delight.

Watching Cassian laugh and play with them like this made Mira’s heart melt.

He needed them.

He needed us.

More than power. More than control. More than anything else in the world.

A family.

She stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, quietly observing as Cassian gently set the kids onto the kitchen counter and rolled up his sleeves.

He started preparing hot chocolate, focused yet relaxed, glancing at the kids every few seconds as if making sure they were still there.

He’s not scary at all when he’s like this, she thought, a soft smile curving her lips.

I’m lucky to see this side of him.

She walked into the kitchen to help him, handing things over, teasing him lightly. Laughter filled the space as the kids giggled, trying to "help" and sneaking tiny tastes when they thought no one was looking.

After a few minutes, Cassian carried the mugs to the table carefully.

"Hot chocolate is ready!" he announced excitedly.

The kids came running from behind, cheering loudly.

"Yes—sit here," he said, placing the mugs in front of them. "Try it and tell me what you think."

He then looked at Mira and chuckled nervously. "I’ve... actually never done this. Cooking especially for kids."

She raised a brow, smirking. "Oh? A man who isn’t scared of anything is nervous now?"

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "They didn’t matter," he said simply. "But my family does. That’s why their opinion matters. Got it, dummy?"

He flicked her forehead lightly.

"Ouch," she said, rubbing it. "Fine, I get it. I was just messing."

As the kids sipped their hot chocolate, Lucien suddenly looked at Cassian with a serious expression. Cassian stiffened, fingers crossing under the table.

Lucien took another sip, then nodded. "You are good, Mr. Cassian. Better than what mom makes. She needs to learn how to make it perfect."

Cassian let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

"Mr. Cassian, huh?" he said with a small smile. "Guess it’ll take time."

He turned toward Mira, and she laughed softly.

"Of course it will," she said. "He’s your son. He won’t give in easily. And he just insulted my cooking skills or.. maybe stated the truth"

She muttered under her breath so only she can hear. Slightly embarrassed.

She tilted her head, amused. "You’ll have to run a few errands to earn that title."

Cassian smiled to himself, watching Lucien and Ivy drink happily.