The boardroom suddenly felt smaller.

Aria stood frozen as the older man walked in slowly.

Elegant suit.

Sharp eyes.

And a calm confidence that made everyone else in the room feel insignificant.

Kael’s posture stiffened immediately.

Kael: “You shouldn’t be here.”

The man smiled lightly.

Uncle: “And miss the show? Absolutely not.”

Aria looked between them.

Aria: “You’re… his uncle?”

The man turned to her with curiosity.

Uncle: “So you’re the famous Aria.”

Her eyes widened.

Aria: “Famous?”

Leo whispered beside her.

Leo: “You did stop a CEO assassination five minutes ago.”

Kael stepped slightly in front of Aria.

Subtle.

Protective.

Kael: “Leave her out of this.”

The uncle chuckled.

Uncle: “Oh Kael…”

He slowly walked around the table.

Uncle: “You always did have a weakness for unexpected variables.”

His gaze returned to Aria.

Carefully studying her.

Uncle: “My associate told me about you.”

Aria felt a chill.

Aria: “The man in the parking garage?”

The uncle nodded calmly.

Uncle: “Smart girl.”

Kael’s voice hardened.

Kael: “What do you want?”

The uncle leaned against the table.

Relaxed.

Almost amused.

Uncle: “I came to offer a deal.”

Leo quietly muttered.

Leo: “This is where the villain music starts.”

Aria elbowed him.

Aria: “Not helping.”

The uncle continued.

Uncle: “Kael… you’ve made Orion stronger than I expected.”

Kael said nothing.

Uncle: “But unfortunately for you…”

The uncle’s smile widened.

Uncle: “I still intend to take it back.”

Aria frowned.

Aria: “You said the company was stolen from you.”

The uncle nodded.

Uncle: “It was.”

Kael scoffed.

Kael: “You ran it into the ground.”

The uncle shrugged casually.

Uncle: “Details.”

Then he turned back to Aria.

His tone suddenly softer.

Uncle: “You’re talented.”

Aria blinked.

Aria: “…Thank you?”

Uncle: “You caught a mistake an entire board failed to notice.”

Leo whispered.

Leo: “He’s recruiting you.”

Aria whispered back.

Aria: “I noticed.”

The uncle folded his arms.

Uncle: “Come work for me.”

Silence.

Aria blinked again.

Aria: “Excuse me?”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

Kael: “She works for Orion.”

The uncle smiled.

Uncle: “Not for long.”

He stepped closer to Aria.

Uncle: “Join me.”

Uncle: “And I’ll make you one of the most powerful executives in the industry.”

Leo choked on air.

Leo: “That escalated quickly.”

Aria stared at him.

Then slowly crossed her arms.

Aria: “You don’t even know me.”

The uncle laughed.

Uncle: “I know ambition when I see it.”

Kael suddenly stepped forward.

Now he was standing directly between them.

Kael: “She said no.”

The uncle raised an eyebrow.

Uncle: “Did she?”

Aria leaned sideways to look around Kael.

Aria: “For the record…”

She pointed at the uncle.

Aria: “You approached me in a parking garage like a movie villain.”

Leo nodded enthusiastically.

Leo: “She has a point.”

Aria: “And now you're trying to steal my boss’s company.”

The uncle sighed dramatically.

Uncle: “Steal it back.”

Aria shook her head.

Aria: “I’m going to stay right where I am.”

The uncle studied her carefully.

Then he smiled again.

But this time it looked… satisfied.

Uncle: “Interesting.”

Kael frowned slightly.

He didn’t like that reaction.

The uncle straightened his suit.

Uncle: “Well then.”

He began walking toward the door.

But stopped before leaving.

Without turning around he said quietly -

Uncle: “You should tell her the truth, Kael.”

Aria blinked.

Aria: “What truth?”

The uncle looked over his shoulder.

His eyes glittered.

Uncle: “That Orion was never just Kael’s company to run.”

Then he left.

Silence filled the boardroom.

Aria slowly turned toward Kael.

Aria: “…What does that mean?”

Kael didn’t answer.

Instead, he walked to the window.

Hands in his pockets.

Thinking.

Leo looked between them nervously.

Leo: “I feel like this is the moment someone says something dramatic.”

Aria folded her arms across her chest.

Aria: “Kael.”

Back he swung to face her.

Faces shift into something heavier. A quiet settles where words once moved.

Kael: “There’s something about Orion you don’t know.”

Aria’s stomach tightened.

Aria: “I’m listening.”

Kael hesitated.

It had been a while, really, since that moment they crossed paths -

He looked uncertain.

After a pause, his voice dropped to a whisper

Kael: “I didn’t become CEO the normal way.”

Aria frowned.

Aria: “What does that mean?”

Kael pulled air into his lungs.

Kael: “It means… Orion might not belong to the board.”

Aria blinked.

Aria: “Then who does it belong to?”

Kael turned his gaze straight toward her.

Then spoke the sentence that shifted each detail.

Kael: “It might belong to me.”

Aria’s eyes widened.

Fingers slipping, Leo almost lost grip of the tablet.

Leo: “Wait… WHAT?”

Then silence fell, just like that

The screen lit up as Aria's phone broke the quiet. It started buzzing without warning.

The glow lit up her face. A quick glance showed what she needed.

The moment passed, her face shifting fast.

Fear.

Confusion.

Kael noticed.

Kael: “What is it?”

Her eyes lifted, heavy and quiet. Up came Aria’s gaze, slow like fog rolling over stone.

Aria: “It’s my brother.”

A voice came through when the phone rang. She picked up.

A scream slipped out between static on the line.

Brother (voice shaking): “Aria… someone is looking for you.”

Aria froze.

Aria: “Who?”

A silence settled between them. The air grew still, heavy with what went unsaid.

Then he said -

Brother: “A man from Orion.”

Not far into the moment, Aria shifted her weight, facing Kael. The air between them tightened without a sound.

Frost crept across Kael's face before another word was spoken.

It clicked right away when he saw the face. That moment made everything clear.