No more hiding
899 Words
The atmosphere inside Sinclair Group changed overnight.
People stopped whispering quietly.
Now they stared openly.
Because rumors were no longer rumors anymore.
By morning, news had already spread that Ethan Sinclair refused the board’s demand to separate himself from Naomi Blake.
And somehow, that made everything even more chaotic.
Naomi stepped out of the elevator slowly, immediately feeling dozens of eyes follow her across the executive floor.
The tension was exhausting.
Some employees looked curious.
Some judgmental.
Others looked weirdly supportive.
Honestly, Naomi preferred the judgment.
Support somehow made this feel more real.
“Good morning, celebrity.”
Naomi looked up tiredly as Vivian Reed handed her a tablet.
“That joke physically hurt me.”
Vivian almost smiled. “You’ll survive.”
Naomi sighed dramatically while scanning the meeting schedule.
Then she froze.
Press conference 2:00 PM.
Her stomach dropped instantly.
She looked back up. “Why is there a press conference?”
Vivian hesitated slightly. “Because Ethan’s about to publicly destroy half the board.”
Oh.
Wonderful.
By noon, Naomi officially felt like she might pass out from stress.
Every major business news outlet waited downstairs in the lobby while employees pretended not to panic.
Meanwhile Ethan remained disturbingly calm.
Which honestly made Naomi more nervous.
She entered his office carefully around 1:30 p.m.
“You wanted to see me?”
Ethan stood near the windows adjusting the cuffs of his black suit.
Perfectly composed.
Dangerously composed.
The second he looked at her, some of the coldness left his expression immediately.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
Naomi stared at him in disbelief. “There are reporters downstairs preparing to destroy our lives, Ethan.”
“I’ll take that as a no.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re weirdly calm.”
Ethan walked closer slowly. “Because I already know what matters.”
Her heartbeat stumbled slightly.
Dangerous man.
Naomi looked away quickly before her emotions embarrassed her again.
“This could make things worse,” she admitted softly.
“I know.”
“You could lose investors.”
“I know.”
“The board might remove you.”
Ethan’s expression darkened slightly.
“Let them try.”
The confidence in his voice should not have been attractive during a corporate crisis.
Yet somehow…
Naomi sighed quietly. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re nervous.”
“Obviously.”
For a moment Ethan simply looked at her.
Then unexpectedly, he reached for her hand gently.
The simple touch steadied her instantly.
“You trust me?” he asked softly.
Naomi looked up at him carefully.
Despite everything happening around them…
Despite the scandal…
Despite the fear…
The answer came easily.
“Yes.”
Something softer appeared briefly in Ethan’s eyes.
“Then let me fix this.”
At exactly 2 p.m., the press conference began.
Cameras flashed endlessly across the large conference hall while reporters filled nearly every seat.
Naomi stood near the side entrance beside Vivian and Vanessa Cole, trying not to visibly panic.
“This feels illegal,” Naomi whispered.
Vanessa looked amused. “Relax. Ethan enjoys intimidating rich men.”
“That is not comforting.”
Then the room suddenly quieted.
Ethan entered calmly.
And somehow managed to look even more powerful under pressure.
Every camera immediately focused on him while reporters shouted questions from every direction.
“Mr. Sinclair, are the rumors true?”
“Did you abuse company power?”
“Is your relationship with Miss Blake inappropriate?”
“Will the board remove you as CEO?”
Chaos exploded instantly.
But Ethan remained calm.
Always calm.
He stepped toward the podium slowly before speaking into the microphone.
“My personal relationship with Naomi Blake has become public discussion for reasons unrelated to professionalism.”
The room became silent immediately.
Naomi’s heart nearly stopped.
Oh my God.
He actually said relationship.
Openly.
Publicly.
Beside her, Vivian quietly muttered, “Well. There goes subtlety.”
Reporters erupted again.
But Ethan continued speaking anyway.
“No employee under my leadership has received unfair advantage, manipulation, or coercion.”
His voice remained steady.
Controlled.
Powerful.
“This situation was intentionally weaponized by individuals attempting to destabilize Sinclair Group for financial gain.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Now reporters looked interested.
Dangerously interested.
Ethan signaled toward a screen behind him.
Financial records appeared.
Leaked emails.
Evidence.
The room exploded into shocked whispers.
Naomi stared in disbelief while Ethan calmly exposed everything connected to Richard Hale and the board corruption.
Vanessa leaned closer toward Naomi slightly.
“Told you he’d destroy them.”
Naomi barely heard her.
Because she couldn’t stop looking at Ethan.
At the man standing in front of cameras and powerful investors risking everything to protect her.
Not because he had to.
Because he wanted to.
Then suddenly a reporter shouted the one question Naomi feared most.
“Mr. Sinclair, do you love Naomi Blake?”
The entire room went silent.
Naomi stopped breathing completely.
Across the hall, Ethan looked directly toward her.
And for one terrifying second, every emotion he usually hid became visible in his eyes.
Then slowly
He answered.
“Yes.”
The single word shattered the room into chaos.
Camera flashes exploded everywhere.
Reporters practically lost their minds.
But Naomi barely noticed any of it.
Because Ethan was still looking only at her.
And somehow, despite the scandal and fear and danger surrounding them…
Naomi smiled.
- Writer
