The morning after their confrontation with Dorian, the sky above Elvryn was a slate gray, the kind that hinted at an incoming storm but never followed through. Siena stood on the small balcony of their hotel suite, the wind catching loose strands of her hair as she watched the city breathe beneath her. A quiet place, but not peaceful—not after last night.
Inside, Alexander sat at the small table, coffee going cold in his hands. The television was on, volume low, playing an endless stream of headlines that had nothing to do with them. Yet.
Not yet.
He was going to change that.
She stepped back into the room, letting the door shut gently behind her. "You didn't sleep."
He didn't look up. "Didn't want to."
Siena walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then at least eat something."
"I will. Just... after this call." His voice was distant, preoccupied.
She nodded, brushing her thumb gently along his jaw. "Okay. Just don't forget to come back to Earth when you're done saving it."
That earned her a small, tired smile.
He picked up his phone and dialed. The line clicked after two rings.
"Reese," he said, sitting straighter. "I need you to prepare a full media statement. One that outlines my involvement in the merger, my awareness of Dael's disappearance, and—" He paused, swallowing. "—and the new information we've uncovered about Dorian Gray."
On the other end, Reese's voice came through, sharp and worried. "Alexander, are you sure you want to do this? This isn't just a press release—it's a confession."
"I'm not confessing to anything I didn't do," Alexander said. "But I'm setting the record straight. Dorian made himself a ghost for a reason. It's time to shine a light."
There was a beat of silence. Then, "Understood. I'll get started immediately."
When the call ended, Alexander didn't move. He sat with his elbows on the table, staring at the blank screen of his phone, like he was willing to rewind time.
Siena sat opposite him. "You're doing the right thing."
He nodded slowly. "I know. It just feels like losing all over again."
She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "Sometimes the only way to win back something important is to give the truth away first."
---
Later that day, they boarded the jet back to Halstone. Neither of them spoke much during the flight, but their silence was no longer sharp—it had softened into understanding. Siena's fingers remained laced in his for most of the trip, grounding him.
By the time they landed, the statement had already been drafted, revised, and approved by his legal team.
Alexander held the final version in his hands as they drove toward Blackwood Tower. Siena sat beside him in the back of the car, reading it silently over his shoulder.
"I want it published tonight," he said to the driver. "Prepare the press team. We'll go live in three hours."
He turned to Siena, his voice quieter. "And I want you there."
"I never planned on being anywhere else."
---
The press conference was scheduled at the lower hall of Blackwood Tower—a sleek, glass-paneled room with a raised platform and a dozen media outlets already setting up their cameras. It wasn't often Alexander Knight addressed the press directly. His statements were usually delivered through controlled channels, distant and filtered.
But tonight, he stood under the harsh lights, unfiltered.
He wore a dark navy suit, crisp shirt, and no tie. A deliberate choice. Less corporate mogul, more human being.
Siena watched from the wings, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, heart pounding—not with fear, but with something else. Pride. And something that felt a lot like love.
Alexander stepped to the podium, cleared his throat, and began.
"My name is Alexander Knight. For years, I've stood at the head of Blackwood Industries, guiding it through expansions, mergers, and public scrutiny. I've made hard decisions. I've lost friends. I've gained enemies. And in all that time, I've never done this—spoken to you not as a CEO, but as a man."
A murmur moved through the room. Cameras clicked. Pens scratched on notepads.
"I'm here to talk about Dael Rhodes."
Siena felt the breath hitch in her chest.
"Dael was more than a colleague. He was a friend, a mentor, and one of the most principled people I've ever known. When he disappeared shortly after the merger between Blackwood Industries and Novelle Corp, many questions were left unanswered. For years, I've carried the weight of those questions. I blamed myself. I thought my ambition had cost someone their life."
He paused, looking up from the paper.
"But recent information has come to light—information that suggests Dael met with someone that night. Someone who did not have his best interests at heart. That person was Dorian Gray, my former CFO. Their meeting ended in conflict, and Dael was never seen again."
Gasps echoed around the room.
"I cannot prove what happened after that. But I can say this—Dorian withheld the truth. And I enabled it by not asking enough questions. I let my guilt keep me quiet. But not anymore."
Alexander's voice did not tremble.
"Blackwood Industries will cooperate with authorities in re-opening the investigation. We will also launch an internal audit into any decisions made during that merger. I owe that to Dael. To his family. And to the people who trusted me to lead with integrity."
He stepped back from the podium.
"I won't be taking questions. But I'll be taking responsibility."
With that, he left the stage.
The reporters erupted behind him.
But he kept walking.
---
Back upstairs, the office was quiet.
He stood by the window, looking down at the flashes of lights from the press still swarming outside. Siena came to stand beside him.
"You did it," she said.
He didn't answer right away. Just looked at her. "Do you think it's enough?"
"I think you stopped pretending it didn't matter. That's more than enough."
He reached for her hand again. "I'm not the same man I was a few years ago, Siena. Back then, I would've buried this and walked away."
"But you didn't," she said gently. "You stayed."
He turned to her. "I want to do more than just stay."
She arched a brow. "What does that mean?"
"It means…" he exhaled, voice rough. "I want to stop building things just to protect myself. I want to build something with you."
Her throat tightened. "Alexander—"
"I know it's soon. I know we've fought and doubted and nearly destroyed each other. But I also know you see me. Not just the man with money or power, but the one who wakes up afraid he's lost too much already."
Siena blinked, trying not to cry.
"I'm not asking for promises. I'm just asking… will you try? With me?"
She stepped into his arms, resting her forehead against his. "I never stopped trying."
---
The next day brought chaos.
Media outlets exploded with headlines. Shareholders panicked. There were calls, emails, emergency meetings.
But through it all, Alexander stood firm.
Siena was never far from him.
When Dorian's official statement came out—cold and calculated, denying responsibility—Alexander responded not with more accusations, but by releasing all financial records and internal communications from the merger era. Total transparency.
The world was watching, and for once, Alexander wasn't hiding behind his empire.
And when Dael's younger sister reached out—tears in her voice, gratitude in her words—Alexander cried, silently, in the privacy of his office.
He didn't answer her with grand speeches.
Just a simple: "I'm sorry. And I'll keep fighting until we know the truth."
---
That night, as he and Siena sat curled up on the couch, wrapped in quiet, she asked, "Do you regret it?"
"Only that it took me this long."
She nodded, running a hand through his hair. "You still have more to fix."
"I know."
"And I'll be beside you through all of it."
He pulled her closer. "Then maybe this silence we've been carrying… finally has a name."
She smiled. "What name?"
"Peace."