"Would you like to speak, Doctor Athena?"
Athena froze for a fraction of a second when the interviewer turned to her.
The bright lights from the cameras seemed to intensify, bouncing off the glass table between them and burning into her skin. Live broadcast. There could be no later edits. She needed to be careful with her words, just as Ewan.
To be vague with uncomfortable truths at best.
She inhaled quietly, then nodded. "Yes, I’d like to say something."
The interviewer smiled encouragingly, gesturing for her to proceed.
Athena straightened in her chair. Her voice was steady when she began, but emotion crackled under each word. "Everything Ewan said is true. I know because I’ve seen the proof myself. I’ve spent the last few weeks going through every record, every document, and I can say with confidence that he is not who our common enemy had portrayed him to be."
A pause. "Moreso, he was the best leader for his own company. My stepping in, had just been... presumptuous, on my part. Which I have duly apologized for."
She glanced sideways at Ewan then, saw the flicker of surprise in his expression, the way his eyes told her that she didn’t need to render a public apology. But she needed to.
"And for that reason," she continued, "I will be handing the company back to him."
The interviewer’s pen stopped mid-note. "Really?"
Athena allowed a small, calm smile. "He built the Industries with integrity. I only held the reins to keep it alive, to keep the legacy from being erased, despite my methods. But now that the truth is out, I believe it’s time it returned to its rightful owner."
But she wasn’t done.
"There’s more," she said, looking back at the interviewer. "While we were working on the virus project, my team and I discovered that the person behind the threats made against Ewan years ago—the same threats that forced him into hiding—is also connected to the development of the Grey Virus."
The interviewer audibly gasped. "You mean... the same entity that’s responsible for the national outbreak?"
Athena nodded. "Yes. It’s all linked. And I can assure the public today that we will be working—Ewan, myself, and the government too—to uncover who this person really is, and make sure they are brought to justice."
The living room fell silent for a heartbeat before the interviewer recovered, murmuring something about courage and teamwork.
When the cameras finally stopped rolling, the receding tension broke with collective applause from the crew. The interviewer thanked them both profusely, promising to follow up with updates on the investigation.
When the media crew finally left, Athena exhaled long and slow, sinking slightly in her seat. She hadn’t realized how much she had been holding inside.
Ewan’s hand brushed hers under the table, and that simple gesture—the warmth of his skin, the quiet reassurance—steadied her.
"What next?" she asked softly, turning to him. "Do you want to go to the company today? Everyone’s probably waiting."
Ewan’s lips curved into a small, teasing smile. "No. I don’t want to go anywhere near the company today."
"Then...?"
He stood, stretching slightly before facing her. "I want to take you on a date. Just you and me. All day, if you’re free."
Her heart skipped a beat. The thought of spending an entire day with him felt like a dream she hadn’t dared to dream.
She mentally ran through her schedule, her responsibilities, the people depending on her. Then she thought of him, of what they had almost lost.
"I think," she said slowly, smiling despite herself, "I can make that work."
Ewan’s grin widened. "Good. It’s a date then."
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