Cass sat on the cabin porch that night, eyes tracing the stars above the tree line. Jason was inside, asleep with their son curled beside him. The quiet hum of the forest masked her restless thoughts.
For years, she'd followed Jason from the firestorms of the media to the tranquil seclusion of this anonymous mountain ridge. She had adapted, thrived even—but a fire still smoldered inside her. Not for fame. Not for fortune.
For impact.
---
Earlier That Day
The Nairobi announcement had triggered an avalanche of encrypted messages from old allies and partners.
Cass had seen the data: WyldeChain's protocols were spreading. Schools in Bangladesh, voting systems in Estonia, healthcare registries in Chile—all now running on Jason's decentralized blueprints.
And all of it… had her name buried deep in the architecture.
Because Jason didn't build it alone.
She'd been there from day one. Code, vision, infrastructure—Cassandra Rivera was half the legacy. And yet, the world never knew.
Until now.
---
A Call From Geneva
Her secure phone buzzed. Only one line was still active.
> INCOMING CALL: DR. MAURELLE, UNITED NATIONS CRYPTO TASKFORCE
She answered.
A French-accented voice spoke quickly. "Cass. We want you in Geneva. You. Not Jason. He's untouchable, too controversial. But you… you're the architect now."
She was silent for a beat.
"I'll think about it."
"You're the only one who can scale this right."
"Maybe I've done enough."
"No. You've hidden long enough."
---
The Conflict
That night, Jason stirred awake to find her at the desk, blueprint open, her eyes glassy with thought.
He stood silently in the doorway.
"You're leaving?" he asked quietly.
She didn't flinch. "Not leaving. Stepping forward."
He walked to her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist.
"You don't need my permission."
"I know," she said. "But I wanted your blessing."
Jason kissed her temple. "You have more than that. You have my admiration."
---
A New Dawn
One week later, Cass boarded a private jet to Geneva.
As she took her seat and glanced at the sunrise, she whispered:
"For once, I'm not behind the curtain."
She looked down at her phone and sent a message:
> To: Jason
Our legacy isn't finished. It's just beginning.