Kyro arrived at Catalyst the next morning feeling strangely light.

The memory of the late-night Pad See Ew, Noah’s quiet smile, the way they’d talked like equals—it all replayed in his mind. He barely slept, caught between disbelief and hope.

He placed his GreenSpark report on Julian’s desk.

“Morning. The analysis you asked for.”

Julian barely looked up. “Put it in the queue.”

The bubble burst.

Later, Kyro’s phone buzzed.

“Hey, Dad.”

Art sounded cheerful. “Noah mentioned you last night. Said you impressed him with GreenSpark. Even said you two ordered dinner while you worked.”

Kyro froze.

So Noah had told him.

Just… casually. Like it meant nothing.

“Oh. Yeah,” Kyro said. “We worked late.”

“See? I told you he’d be a great mentor. That’s my boy.”

Kyro ended the call feeling hollow. What he thought had been something special was just Noah being professional. Generous. Polite.

Art’s friend.

Not his.

That afternoon, Noah called a meeting.

“I want Kyro to lead the next GreenSpark report,” Noah said, voice calm and distant. “Julian will supervise.”

It was a huge opportunity.

And it felt like nothing at all.

Noah didn’t look at him the way he had the night before.

Just a CEO.

Just a mentor.

Kyro lowered his eyes, the ache settling deep in his chest.

He couldn’t afford to feel this.

He couldn’t.