There was a new kind of silence in the air the next morning.
Not peaceful. Not warm. But sharp—like everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see which direction the fire would spread.
Alexander didn't sleep much.
He'd spent most of the night in the study, reviewing documents, timelines, and messages from the legal team. Siena had checked on him at least three times, each time offering coffee, warmth, or just her presence—but he'd barely looked away from the screen.
And now it was morning, and the world had questions.
"Are you going to release a statement?" Siena asked as she came into the room with a steaming mug.
He looked up, dark circles under his eyes, shirt sleeves rolled up, tie discarded. "I drafted three and deleted all of them."
"You don't have to craft the perfect sentence," she said, setting the mug down beside him. "You just have to be honest."
"I was honest," he said quietly. "But the problem with truth is it doesn't travel as fast as scandal."
She pulled up a chair beside him and sat. "What did the memo say?"
He turned the screen toward her. The document was old—dated nearly four years ago. It wasn't incriminating on its own, but it contained enough vague language that, out of context, anyone could twist it.
"I flagged Dorian's proposal back then," Alexander explained. "There were inconsistencies. But instead of launching a full internal review, I made a note to revisit it after the merger was finalized."
"Because you were focused on other things."
He nodded. "Because I trusted Dael to handle it."
"And that's what they're spinning now? That you knew and looked the other way?"
"Yes."
Siena leaned back. "They're going to try and make you the villain."
"They already are."
He studied her face. "You sure you want to be seen standing next to me right now?"
Her answer was immediate. "Yes."
---
Reese arrived just before nine, pacing even before the elevator doors fully opened.
"We have three hours before the press conference. That's if we don't get completely buried before then. Half the board wants you to take a leave of absence, and the other half is prepping a contingency CEO in case shareholders panic."
Alexander didn't even blink. "Let them prep."
"You can't just ride this out, Alex. You need to either go on the offensive or remove yourself."
"I'm not stepping down."
Reese sighed. "Then you need to show them who the hell you are."
Siena watched the exchange quietly before stepping forward. "What if he told the truth? All of it. Not in a curated statement. Not in a suit behind a podium. Just… directly. Unfiltered."
Reese frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Sit down. Film it. Release the video on his channels. Make it impossible to twist."
Alexander considered it. "A confession."
"A conversation," Siena corrected. "With the people who matter. Not the ones with the loudest microphones."
Reese crossed his arms. "You'd be taking a massive risk."
Alexander stood. "No bigger than the one I took when I chose silence back then."
---
By noon, the office had been turned into a makeshift studio.
No dramatic lights. No PR team. Just a single camera, a neutral backdrop, and Alexander Knight sitting in a chair.
Siena stood behind the camera, heart pounding in her chest as he adjusted his sleeves.
"You ready?" she asked.
He nodded once. "Start it."
She pressed the button.
---
Alexander Knight's Statement – April 22, 10:03 a.m.
"My name is Alexander Knight. I'm the CEO of Blackwood Industries, and for the past twenty-four hours, a document has been circulating—one that I wrote. A memo from years ago where I raised concerns about a financial proposal that, in hindsight, should've been investigated more aggressively."
He paused and looked directly into the camera.
"I want to be clear. I did not approve of any illegal activities. I did not knowingly cover for Dorian Gray. But I did overlook things I shouldn't have. I trusted the wrong people, and I delayed action when I should have moved immediately."
He inhaled, then leaned slightly forward.
"People will say I protected my empire. They'll say I cared more about closing a deal than doing the right thing. And I understand why. That memo isn't just ink on paper—it's a reflection of hesitation. Of someone who wasn't ready to face what that hesitation could cost."
Siena felt her chest tighten.
Alexander continued. "I didn't kill Dael Lawrence. But I failed to protect the kind of culture he worked so hard to build. And that failure matters."
"I won't run from it."
He sat back. "I've already contacted federal regulators and invited a full investigation into the company's history. I've authorized the release of our internal audits, and I've stepped back from the final vote on the merger review panel. Not because I'm guilty—but because integrity isn't just about being right. It's about being accountable."
He looked away for a second. Then back.
"My name is Alexander Knight. And I'm not perfect. But I'm done hiding behind power."
---
The video went live within fifteen minutes.
It exploded.
The views climbed into the hundreds of thousands within the first hour. By evening, it had crossed two million. Headlines shifted. Opinion pieces flooded in. Some praised his honesty. Others accused him of performative guilt.
But the truth sat there. Unedited. Plain.
Alexander sat in his office and watched the numbers rise, the silence in the room broken only by the occasional buzz of his phone.
Siena stepped in. "They're talking about it on every major outlet."
"I know."
He turned his phone off and placed it on the table.
"I thought I'd feel more afraid."
"And now?"
"I feel… clean."
Siena walked to him, folding her arms. "You did the right thing."
He stood and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Only because you reminded me how."
---
That night, they didn't sleep in separate rooms.
There were no more walls.
No more pretending to be untouched by fire. They curled into each other's space, tangled in silence, warmth, and something that felt dangerously like peace.
But somewhere, not too far away, a storm still circled.