The silence between them was no longer simply a void, but an insurmountable barrier. Sitting opposite each other in the glass-enclosed meeting room, the cold light of the city seemed to accentuate the distance between them. Aru clenched his fists, his heart pounding.
"Kio..." he finally whispered, his voice betraying fatigue and frustration.
Kio barely looked up, his gaze inevitably tense.
"This is not the time for this, Aru."
A new alert appeared on their screens: a regressive bill directly threatened their NOX project. The company seemed determined to break their union, as if their simple love were a crime.
"They want to destroy us. Not just NOX, but us." Kio looked away, then breathed, his face etched with pain.
"Yet we must hold on. Pour NOX. Pour us."
The weight of the world seemed to crush them, but beneath the pressure, a spark was reborn. A fierce will to fight, together, despite everything. The days passed, but the coldness between Aru and Kio only grew. Sitting at their desks, yet in the same room, they spoke only curt, measured words, as if each word weighed tons.
Aru stared at her screen, but her mind drifted to Kio, silent, nervously tapping the pen between her fingers.
Their hearts, though connected, seemed to be drifting apart. The tension was palpable. During a meeting, Yumi, their staunch ally, spoke up, breaking the heavy silence.
"You're destroying each other, you know that? We need to talk, now. Pride won't save anything; it only widens the gap." Kio looked up, anger mixed with pain.
"I'm not ready to talk. Not yet." Aru lowered her head, clenching her fists.
"Me neither. But we can't go on like this."
Later that night, Aru stood alone on the balcony, watching the city lights. He thought of Kio, of all they stood to lose. Loneliness tightened his chest. He wanted to scream, to cry, but he just whispered into the wind.
"Come back to me, Kio."
The room was packed, rival faces on the giant screens. Aru and Kio were holding NOX's hand, ready to announce a new project when the storm broke.
A crooked politician projected stolen footage—private snapshots, moments of intimacy, of love. The murmur rose, quickly replaced by stifled laughter, harsh judgments.
Aru's heart sank. The looks he met were cold, accusing. Yet, amidst this chaos, he felt fire rise within him. He stood, his voice trembling but firm.
"Yes, we are two alphas. Yes, our love is disturbing. But it is our truth. You can judge, but you cannot erase what we are."
Silence fell. Some turned away, others whispered, surprised by this unexpected courage. Kio, however, felt a dull ache grip his chest. He couldn't hold back his tears and hurriedly left the room, his face marked by shame and anger.
Aru remained there, alone facing the crowd, the weight of their secret exposed. Just when all seemed lost, a surprise disrupted their fight.
Unexpected partners wanted their public defense. An influential, openly silly lawyer offered to represent them.
Kio, alone in his villa, received a visit from Aru. The confrontation was difficult, charged with emotion, but they ended up apologizing, understanding their flaws.
"I don't want fear to separate us anymore,"
Aru murmured, his eyes shining. Kio nodded slowly.
"Me neither. We'll get through this, together."
In this forgiveness, their love took root again, stronger, truer.
that they thought they had lost.
"I want to start again," Kio breathed.
Aru placed a hand on his thigh.
"Then recommend here. Now."
And that night, they finally fell asleep together, in peace. Kio's villa was bathed in a soft, almost unreal light. It was raining outside, but inside, the silence was no longer hostile. It was soothing.
Aru had settled down on the sofa, still wet from the rain. He hadn't waited for an invitation. Kio had let him in, and that was already a lot. They weren't speaking yet. They listened to each other breathe. Kio leaned back against the closed door.
"I thought I'd never see you again."
"Me too… But I loved you even in the silence. Even in the anger."
Their greetings crossed, laden with everything they hadn't said. Kio approached slowly. He sat next to Aru.
The contact of their shoulders rekindled the warmth. The following days, they slowly regained their bearings.
Tensions sometimes persisted, but this time, they confronted them. Yumi visited them, bringing them the latest news from the press.
"You've become the symbol of a fight you never wanted to bear," she said.
Aru stared at her for a long time.
"So you might as well bear it with dignity."
They decided to publicly embrace their relationship. The interviews, the publications, the photos… Everything was controlled, but honestly.
They refused to hide anything. Meanwhile, their nights became increasingly intimate. Not in the burning tension of desire, but in the renewed tenderness.
Aru rediscovered the gestures that reassured Kio. Kio rediscovered Aru's breath against her, which soothed her. And little by little, their bond was strengthened.
The launch of the new NOX project was an unexpected success. Despite the obstacles, their image as an alpha/alpha couple resistant to attack had been compelling. Kio watched the crowd applaud at the official announcement.
Aru was at his side, her hand discreetly placed in his. They had survived the worst. And more than that, they had transformed their fall into a rise.
But behind the scenes, Kio knew the balance remained fragile. He knew that all it took was one flaw for everything to collapse. So he leaned toward Aru and whispered,
"Don't ever let me walk away again." Aru squeezed his fingers.
"Never."