The week of Leornard's silence had been anything but quiet.
He hadn't returned calls, ignored two internal memos, and conveniently "missed" every executive briefing. But when his name appeared in an anonymously leaked article in Business Echo Weekly, suggesting a "questionable international expansion plan pushed by the CEO and his mysterious strategist," Kai didn't even blink.
Aurora, on the other hand, had been ready for war the moment the headline broke.
"Insiders claim internal unrest at Valen Tech as CEO Kai Valen pushes aggressive Asian expansion despite divided board."
By noon, the company press line was flooded. By evening, social media was ablaze. The article didn't name Wallace directly but it didn't have to.
That Friday, Leornard finally emerged from the shadows.
In a planned press briefing, standing outside Valen Tech headquarters with an unofficial podium and conveniently placed media crew, Leornard stood in his tailored suit, smiling smugly at the cameras.
"Our commitment remains to sustainable growth, and as shareholders know, not all proposed strategies reflect the board's collective vision. Some of us believe in caution, logic... and transparency."
Aurora watched it live from the media floor. She closed the screen slowly, her lips pressed tight.
"He's trying to look like the voice of reason," she said. "While implying you're reckless and I'm manipulating you from behind the curtain."
Kai stood at the window, hands in his pockets, calm as ever. "Good. That means he's desperate."
They didn't wait. Within the hour, a press statement was scheduled in-house, with all senior executives present, and live-streamed to every major financial news outlet.
By 4 PM, the media room was packed. Aurora stood to Kai's right, dressed in a crisp, white belted suit clean, authoritative, intentional. Kai wore charcoal grey, no tie, but his stance radiated command.
He addressed the room first.
"I've heard the rumors, the whispers, the anonymous sources. So let's be clear. Valen Tech is not a playground for internal politics. It's a global force built on results. And I don't answer to shadows."
Aurora stepped forward next, her voice measured."Strategic expansion into Asia is not just my suggestion it's a direction backed by six months of research, regional partnerships, and vetted legal contracts. Anyone opposing it has either not read the data or has something to lose from its success."
Leornard, seated toward the back of the room uninvited but not removed flinched visibly when Kai pulled out a printed version of the leaked article.
"This article cites no name, no source, no proof. But since someone wants to question transparency..."
Kai turned to the screen. One by one, Aurora projected department reports, signed minutes from board meetings including Leornard's silent approval and the projected Q4 revenue from the Seoul partnership. The evidence was overwhelming.
And then Aurora delivered the final blow.
"Effective today, an internal audit has been authorized on all outbound communications from board members over the past two months. Any data breach or unauthorized leak will be met with full disciplinary consequences."
A slow murmur rolled through the room.
Wallace's face paled.
Kai leaned into the mic one last time. "We run a company. Not a gossip column."
Then he walked out. Aurora followed, not sparing Leornard a single glance.
Outside the press room, they didn't speak until they reached the elevator.
Kai finally broke the silence. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"
Aurora allowed herself a small smile. "I didn't hate it."
The elevator doors closed, the scent of strategy and quiet triumph hanging in the air between them.