“Just being here is enough to steady me.” She looked up, surprised, but said nothing. The look in her eyes said more than words. A few moments before the meeting began, Cassian pulled something small from his jacket pocket. He held it out to her, a pen, sleek and simple, with the Varity Tech logo engraved in silver.

If this works, he said, I want you to keep this as a memory of what we built together. Lena’s fingers closed around it carefully. She nodded, then tucked it gently into her notebook, her cheeks flushed, but she said only, “Thank you.” The demo began. The room was silent, but heavy with tension. The investors sat with crossed arms and guarded expressions.

Cassian stood before them, crisp and calm, and walked them through the new system. How the AI detected false signals, how it corrected real-time distortions, how Lena’s model flagged bias in third-party data sources before it entered the system. Slide by slide, number by number, their expressions changed.

Arms uncrossed, eyes widened, questions came, not in skepticism, but in curiosity. When the final demo prediction chart appeared, showing what the company’s position would have been 6 months ago with this system in place, one of the investors whispered, “My god,” the room broke into murmurss. Cassian let them absorb it before speaking. “We’re not selling Varity Tech,” he said calmly.

“We’re rebuilding it.” There was a pause, then applause. It was not thunderous, but it was genuine. As the investors filed out, still talking in hushed excitement, Cassian remained inside for a moment, taking it all in. When he finally stepped into the hallway, the first person he saw was Lena.

She stood just beyond the doorway, her hand pressed lightly against her chest, breath held. When she saw him, she straightened. Cassian approached slowly and held out a cold bottle of water. We did it. Lena took it, fingers brushing his. She smiled, a little stunned. For a heartbeat, they stood in silence. Then Cassian stepped closer and without planning, without thinking, they shared a brief embrace.

Gentle, unsure, but meaningful. His arms around her shoulders, her forehead resting just near his collarbone. It lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like more. When they stepped apart, neither of them spoke. There was no need. They both knew something had changed, not just for Varity Tech, but for them. The days after the demo felt different.

There was motion again in Varity Tech’s halls, not frantic, but focused. Investors signaled renewed interest. Staff returned from leaves. Hope was slowly, cautiously returning. Cassian called Lina into his office one afternoon. She looked surprised, hesitant as she stepped through the tall glass doors. He gestured to a chair. I want to bring you on officially, he said.

Part of our data team full-time. Lena froze. Cassian. I don’t think I You earned it, he said gently. I’m not ready, her voice was low. I’m not trained like them. I still Google things in the middle of work. He smiled. So do I. But he did not push. I’ll wait. When you’re ready, the door stays open. She lowered her gaze.

But the way he said it made her feel seen, not judged, not pied, just seen. Instead, Cassian had Ezra include her in informal team meetings, quiet technical huddles. She listened, took notes. Cassian never introduced her as the janitor, just Lena, no labels. One morning she arrived late to a meeting and hovered near the doorway. The room was full engineers, analysts, managers.

She felt out of place. Cassian looked up, met her eyes, then silently pulled out the chair beside him. She blinked, then crossed the room and sat down. During a break, he vanished down the hall. When he returned, he set a cup in front of her. It was not coffee. It was chamomile tea. Lena looked at him surprised. How did you know I don’t drink coffee? Cassian leaned back.

Because every time you tried, you made a face. She laughed. I didn’t think anyone noticed. I did. She picked up the cup. It was warm, gentle, thoughtful. Later that week, Cassian held the first all staff meeting since the crisis. The auditorium filled with cautious employees. Some had seen friends laid off. Others had nearly quit.