The days following Dael's public statement felt like walking through the eye of a storm. The media exploded. Every outlet, every platform, every whisper online had something to say about the woman who'd been declared missing and returned with the truth no one saw coming.
Some called her brave. Others questioned her story.
But through all of it, Dael stayed calm.
Or at least, she looked calm.
Inside the penthouse, things settled into a rhythm that almost resembled normal. Siena would cook. Dael would read. Alexander would disappear into his office to take calls that ended in clipped words and slammed phones.
Still, they were holding on.
Barely.
---
One evening, Siena found Dael in the kitchen staring at the kettle, eyes glassy.
"You okay?" Siena asked gently.
Dael blinked. "I don't know."
Siena didn't push. She just walked over and leaned against the counter. "Want tea?"
Dael nodded.
Siena brewed the tea quietly. The gentle clink of the cups, the subtle scent of chamomile—small comforts in a world still adjusting to its new cracks.
"You were brave out there," Siena said as she stirred the honey in Dael's cup. "Even if it didn't feel like it."
"It didn't," Dael admitted. "I thought I'd faint. Or break down. Or run."
"But you didn't."
Dael looked at her, eyes tired but grateful. "You helped. More than you know."
Siena placed the cup in front of her. "I'm not going anywhere."
---
That night, Alexander sat on the rooftop alone, phone to his ear.
"I don't care about a settlement," he said firmly. "I want indictments. And I want them fast."
A pause.
"No, I don't care how big Whitestone is. If they're going down, they're going down."
He hung up and stared out at the skyline.
For the first time in a long while, he wasn't thinking about profits or power.
He was thinking about the consequences.
He'd spent so much of his life building walls, keeping emotions out. But Dael's return had cracked something open. He wasn't just a brother. He wasn't just a CEO.
He was a man who'd almost lost everything.
And he didn't want to make that mistake again.
---
The next morning, Siena stepped into Alexander's office with two coffees.
"You didn't sleep," she said softly.
Alexander gave a tired smile. "What gave me away?"
"The fact that you're still in yesterday's shirt."
He took the coffee gratefully and leaned back. "Too much to do."
She sat across from him. "You're not alone, you know."
"I know."
He glanced at her, and for a moment, the distance between them didn't exist.
"I've been thinking," he said quietly.
"About?"
"You. Me. Us."
Siena's chest tightened. "Okay."
"I don't want to lose you again."
She exhaled slowly. "I never left."
"But I pushed you away."
"You were hurting."
"I still am," he admitted. "But I don't want that to be an excuse anymore."
Siena reached across the desk and took his hand. "Then don't let it be."
---
That afternoon, Dael received a call from a private number.
She hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
A pause. Then a male voice—calm, professional.
"Ms. Knight, this is Detective Ellis from the federal crimes unit. We're opening a formal investigation based on your statement. We'd like to schedule a full interview."
Her throat tightened. "Is this… is this real?"
"It's real," he said gently. "And it's because of you."
She hung up slowly and looked out the window.
For the first time in months, she felt something shift inside.
Hope.
---
Over dinner, Reeve joined them, his sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, laptop open beside his plate.
"They're nervous," he said as he forked a piece of grilled chicken. "Whitestone. They're reaching out to every PR firm in the city. Trying to control the narrative."
"Let them try," Alexander muttered.
"They're also pulling strings in the legal system. Judge assignments are getting shuffled. And there's been movement in the attorney general's office."
Siena frowned. "So they're trying to bury it?"
"They're trying to bury her," Reeve said, nodding toward Dael.
Dael didn't flinch.
"Then I'll keep speaking," she said simply. "I won't disappear again."
---
Later that night, Alexander joined Dael on the couch, a bottle of wine in hand.
"Thought you might need this," he said, holding it up.
She smirked. "You always assume wine fixes everything."
"Doesn't it?"
They shared a quiet laugh.
He poured two glasses and handed one to her.
"To survival," he said.
She raised her glass. "And to make sure it means something."
They clinked glasses.
After a few sips, Alexander said, "You were always stronger than me."
Dael looked at him, surprised.
"I mean it," he continued. "You didn't let them break you."
"I did break," she said quietly. "I just stitched the pieces back together."
He nodded. "Still counts."
---
The next day brought a new headline.
"Whitestone's Board Members Implicated in Silence Scandal."
The article included internal emails, bank statements, and a list of names—some of which had once sat across from Alexander in board meetings.
Siena read it out loud in the living room while Dael listened, a pillow hugged to her chest.
"They're losing control," Siena said.
Dael looked down. "Good."
But her hands trembled.
Later, in the bathroom, Siena found Dael sitting on the edge of the tub, pale and shaking.
"I'm not okay," she whispered.
"You don't have to be."
"I keep thinking about... what else they might've done. To others. To me."
Siena sat beside her and took her hand. "We'll face it. One piece at a time."
---
That night, Alexander couldn't sleep.
He went to the guest room and knocked softly.
"Come in," Dael called.
He stepped in and leaned against the wall.
"I was thinking…" he began.
Dael looked up from her book.
"When this is over—when Whitestone's buried—I want you to come back to the company. At least part-time."
Dael blinked. "Why?"
"Because you're one of the smartest people I know. Because you deserve to be there. And because I think you can help rebuild what they tried to ruin."
She looked down at her hands.
"I'm not sure I'm ready."
"That's okay," he said. "I'll wait."
---
As the chapter drew to a close, a knock came at the door.
Siena opened it to find a man in a dark suit, badge in hand.
"Detective Ellis," he introduced. "I'm here for Ms. Knight."
Alexander stepped in protectively. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Ellis said. "She's helping us build a case. And she just became our most important witness."
From behind them, Dael emerged, her shoulders back, her voice calm.
"Let's do it."