The next morning, Siena woke before the sun.
For the first time in weeks, her body hadn't resisted the comfort of the sheets or the rhythm of breath beside her. Alexander was still asleep, one arm wrapped loosely around her waist, his face relaxed in a way she hadn't seen since everything started unraveling.
She didn't move.
Instead, she stared at the ceiling, wondering how long this moment would last—how long before the next fire tried to pull them apart. Because peace, in her world and his, never stayed long.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
She reached for it carefully, sliding out from under his arm and padding softly into the sitting room.
The message was from Camille.
"Just a heads up—your mother called me. She saw the video."
Siena groaned under her breath and texted back.
"What did she say?"
"Nothing yet. Which is somehow worse."
Siena didn't reply. There was no point. Her mother never said much when she was planning her next move.
---
Alexander was still asleep when Siena stepped out onto the balcony an hour later. The city was beginning to stir, muted light stretching over the skyline.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
She answered cautiously. "Hello?"
"I saw the video," a familiar voice said.
Siena's breath caught. "Mother."
"I assume you've moved in with him."
Siena didn't respond.
"You're not denying it?"
"Would it matter?"
Her mother sighed. "Siena, I raised you to survive. Not to cling to men who are one bad headline away from being buried."
"He's not just a headline."
"No. He's a warning."
Siena clenched the railing. "He owned up to his mistakes. You of all people should respect that."
"I respect power. And control. Not… emotional confessions on camera."
Siena almost laughed. "You mean humanity?"
"I mean weakness."
Siena's voice hardened. "Then I guess we see strength differently."
Her mother paused, then lowered her tone. "Come home, Siena."
"I am home."
"No. You're in the middle of a battlefield. Don't forget who started it."
The line went dead.
---
When Siena reentered the suite, Alexander was awake, sitting at the edge of the bed, shirtless, hair slightly rumpled.
"You okay?" he asked.
Siena nodded. "My mother called."
"I figured she would."
"She wants me to leave you."
He blinked. "What did you say?"
"That I wasn't going anywhere."
The corner of his mouth twitched like he wanted to smile but didn't trust himself to feel it yet.
"You mean that?"
She walked over and sat beside him, her tone firm. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Alexander didn't say anything right away. He reached for her hand, threading their fingers together slowly.
"You've been steadier than I deserve."
"That's not for you to decide."
He exhaled. "I'm not used to people staying."
Siena didn't look away. "Well… get used to it."
---
By noon, the media storm hadn't calmed, but something had shifted.
Public sentiment was split, yes—but the sheer honesty of Alexander's statement had done something no polished PR stunt ever could. It humanized him. For the first time in a long time, people saw a man instead of a mogul.
And some of them… liked what they saw.
Still, the board remained cautious.
At 2 PM sharp, Alexander met with them via video call, Siena watching from the edge of the room.
He spoke calmly. Clearly. Didn't try to defend what was indefensible. He laid out the timeline. The oversight. The current internal changes. The external cooperation.
Halfway through the meeting, one of the senior members was unmuted. "We've had worse scandals in the company's history. We didn't always handle them this well."
Another added, "Truthfully, this feels… different. It feels responsible."
Reese gave a slight nod, silently backing him.
By the end of the call, the vote was taken.
Alexander remained CEO.
But he wasn't celebrating.
After the call, he sat at his desk and stared at the wall.
Siena approached slowly. "You did it."
He didn't look up. "Did I?"
"You owned it. You led."
He finally met her eyes. "But I also let it get that far."
"You fixed it before it destroyed everything."
He looked away again. "I'm tired."
Siena came around to him, rested her hands on his shoulders, and leaned down so her cheek brushed his. "Then rest. Just for today."
---
Later that evening, Siena received another unexpected call.
This time, it was from a name she hadn't seen in almost a year.
Trent.
She answered warily. "Why are you calling?"
"I saw your name trending with Alexander Knight. Thought I'd check in."
Siena stiffened. "Check in… or stir up?"
"Relax. I'm not here to ruin anything. Just wanted to say… you look good beside him."
"That's none of your business."
He laughed softly. "I guess not. But tell me—does he know everything about you?"
Siena's heart skipped. "Excuse me?"
"You know what I mean. About why we ended. What happened."
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't play this game, Trent."
"I'm not playing. Just wondering if he'd still look at you the same if he knew."
"Try me."
He paused.
Siena's hand tightened on the phone.
Trent finally spoke. "Never mind. I'll let you be happy, for now. But if he hurts you…"
"I can handle myself."
"Yeah," Trent said softly. "That's what I used to think too."
The call ended.
Siena stood there, trembling.
She hadn't told Alexander everything. Not yet. Not about the last year of her life before returning. Not about the final months after she cut Trent off. And now, that shadow lingered again.
She walked back into the suite, where Alexander was reading reports on the couch, calm and steady.
He looked up. "You okay?"
She hesitated. "I need to tell you something."
---
He set the papers aside and nodded.
"Go ahead."
Siena sat beside him, legs crossed, hands folded.
"Back when I left the city… before we met again… there were things I didn't deal with properly. Things I let haunt me."
Alexander didn't interrupt.
"I was in a relationship. Toxic. Manipulative. Not physically violent, but emotionally draining. He controlled how I thought, and what I said. Who I trusted. When I finally left, I wasn't just escaping him—I was escaping everything."
Alexander leaned forward, his eyes steady. "Was it Trent?"
She nodded. "Yes."
He exhaled slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want to be seen as broken. Or weak. Or… ashamed."
"You're not weak, Siena."
Tears welled in her eyes. "You say that now. But what if that part of me still lingers?"
He shook his head. "Then I'll help you fight it. I don't need you to be perfect. I need you to be real."
She closed her eyes, letting those words sink in.
Then she opened them again, whispering, "I'm scared."
"So am I," he replied. "But I'm still here."
---
That night, they sat together on the balcony again.
No war room. No camera. No boardroom demands.
Just the quiet hum of the city and two people clinging to what they were slowly rebuilding.
"Do you think we'll survive this?" she asked.
He looked at her, eyes softer than she'd ever seen them. "Only if we stop trying to win… and start trying to understand."