The morning after returning from Annecy, Antonio's office was anything but quiet. His sharp eyes scanned every file, article, and social thread tied to the controversy surrounding Eliot and Ayra. Selene sat across from him in a light cashmere pullover, her laptop open, combing through more posts.
"This is bad," she murmured. "It's snowballing. Some people are calling it 'intentional plagiarism'—they even put Eliot's and Ayra's names next to some shady headlines."
Antonio's jaw tightened. "And yet, no one's asking the real question — who started it."
He stood up, paced a little, and then turned toward her. "I'm going to the media and the design board. I'll clear their names myself."
Selene looked up, slightly startled. "You'll use your company's press ties?"
"I'll use everything I have," he said firmly. "My position. My credibility. The name of A.S Enterprises."
The Action Begins
Antonio called a private meeting with his PR team. His voice was cold, precise, and commanding.
> "I want a full investigation on this design smear — who started it, who's funding the slander, and how they got access to Ayra's sketches. I want verified timestamps. Statements. I want this buried before the weekend."
Within hours, his legal team sent cease-and-desist notices to the media houses spreading false claims. Simultaneously, Antonio's connections in the Design Authority Council were activated. A private review of Eliot's and Ayra's designs was pushed forward, verifying that all concepts were original, timestamped, and documented months before the rival company's project.
Meanwhile at Home
Mira and Amara brought comfort in other ways — baking Ayra's favorite vanilla cinnamon cookies, and Mira even stayed over with Ayra that night, braiding her hair and watching old romantic dramas with her.
Selene sat beside Eliot with coffee, her hand on his. "You should've come to us sooner."
Eliot looked up, tired. "I didn't want to drag you all into it."
> "Eliot," Selene said gently. "You're family. We show up for each other—especially when things go wrong."
Ayra leaned on his shoulder silently. "We were scared. I didn't want to ruin what we built…"
> Mira looked over and added with a smile, "You didn't ruin anything. In fact, Antonio's out there playing superhero for you two right now."
Ayra blinked. "Wait… he's actually doing something?"
"More than something," Selene said, chuckling. "He's tearing this whole thing down brick by brick."
The Turnaround
By Friday, the headlines flipped:
📌 "False Allegations Disproved: Eliot Winters' Designs Deemed Fully Original"
📌 "Ayra Raines' Creative Brilliance Recognized by Fashion Integrity Council"
📌 "Statement from Antonio Reyes, CEO of A.S Enterprises, Destroys Slander Campaign"
Antonio returned home late that evening, coat tossed over his shoulder, exhaustion in his eyes, but victory written all over his face.
He walked straight to Eliot and Ayra who stood at the living room doorway in stunned silence.
> "It's over," Antonio said simply. "They apologized publicly. The board cleared your names. And I made sure they knew—if they mess with my family again, it won't end as kindly."
Ayra teared up, walking toward him, unsure how to even begin to thank him. But Antonio just gave her a soft hug.
> "No more tears. Just get back to doing what you love."
Selene came to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist. "That was... powerful," she whispered.
He smirked. "What's the point of having power if you can't use it for the people who matter?"
That Night
The whole group — Eliot, Ayra, Mira, Amara, Selene, and Antonio — had a small celebration dinner at the mansion. There were candles, lights strung across the trees, and music in the background. No big announcements. No drama. Just laughter.
Selene leaned in toward Ayra and whispered, "Now that this is over… maybe we start planning that wedding, hmm?"
Ayra blushed instantly, and Eliot grinned like he already had a ring in his pocket.