Chapter 30 — STANDING IN THE STORM

The conference room was thick with tension.

I could feel every stare the moment I stepped in through the door. Suits lined the long table, some faces skeptical, others unreadable. The silence was sharp, broken only by the quiet hum of the air-conditioning and the rustle of papers being passed from hand to hand.

I stood at the front, next to the seat Leo would've filled if he were here.

My fingers curled slightly, trying to calm myself. This is for him. This is for us.

"Good morning," I said as clearing my throat gently. "I'd like to start by informing you all that I will be representing Mr. Leo Cyprus in today's meeting."

The silence shifted.

Almost instantly, voices rose in hushed murmurs. Someone at the end of the table leaned forward, his voice clipped. "And who exactly gave you that authority, Miss?"

I instantly look at him without hesitation.

"Chairman Cyprus," I replied calmly. "And I'm sure many of you have already heard—I'm Leo's fiancée."

The words lingered in the air like a spark about to ignite.

I saw surprise in some faces, doubt in others. But no one spoke up immediately.

"I understand this situation is far from standard protocol," I continued. "But Mr. Cyprus is currently unwell and has entrusted this responsibility to me. I intend to honor that trust, and I hope you will allow me to proceed."

A sharp voice cut through the pause. A woman I recognized from previous briefings—the head of finance—narrowed her eyes at me.

"Then explain," she said, tapping her pen against the table, "how the revised quarterly budget supports the projected expansion goals, especially with the unexpected tech investment increases."

I clicked the remote in my hand. The screen behind me flickered to life with the slide deck I'd spent all night refining.

"If you'll look at page twelve," I began with keeping my voice steady, "you'll see that we've reduced surplus allocations in operations, redirecting them to support technology development without compromising the core infrastructure. Our early results show a 7.4% increase in productivity, particularly with the new hires."

I turned toward another board member. "As for the fluctuation in euro exchange rates impacting our international goals—Mr. Renwick, that's addressed in Section B of the appendix."

He blinked, flipping through his copy. Sure enough, the figures were there. He didn't say another word.

One by one, they tried to challenge me—but I met every question with confidence. I had studied the reports, memorized the charts, and prepared this with Leo.

I wasn't just doing this for Leo. I was doing this because I believed in him—and now I wanted them to believe in me, too.

At the far end of the table, the German investor, Mr. Klaus Biedermann, had been watching me silently.

His hands were steepled under his chin as he leaned forward.

 He grinned slightly and continued, "I must admit," in an accented voice, "I didn't expect this much clarity from someone outside the core board." But now I see... Leo Cyprus made an acute decision.

Heat rushed through my cheeks, but I held my composure.

"Thank you, Mr. Biedermann."

He looked around, exchanged nods with the other international guests, and pulled the contract forward.

"We will proceed with the signing."

And just like that, the atmosphere changed.

Pens met paper. Relief swept across the table like a quiet wave. I stood there, the weight of it all settling on my shoulders—but it didn't feel heavy.

It felt like I'd finally found my place. As the final signature hit the paper, a weight lifted off my shoulders—one I hadn't even realized was pressing down so hard. The deal was sealed. The meeting was over.

But just as I gathered the documents, Mr. Klaus Biedermann approached me.

"You were remarkable," he said, amusement gleaming behind his sharp, silver-rimmed glasses. His accent curled around every word with poise. "Leo Cyprus is a very lucky man to have a partner like you."

I felt heat bloom in my cheeks, but I stood tall, meeting his gaze.

"Thank you, Mr. Biedermann. That means a great deal coming from you."

He nodded, then offered a warm, rare smile. "Send him my regards. I look forward to seeing what the two of you achieve together."

"I will," I replied, bowing slightly as the group began to take their leave. "It's truly an honor and pleasure to have spoken and worked with the biggest investors in the world."

Bryle approached me quietly, eyes wide with amazement. "You... you actually pulled it off, Mel."

A breathless smile came out of my mouth. "No. We succeeded. For Leo.

I paused to close my eyes as the others left the room, their talks shifting to celebration and preparations for the future.

As they walked away, I remained still for a moment, letting it all sink in. My heart was pounding—not from nerves this time, but from excitement.

I did it. We did it. I can't wait to tell him...

I gathered the reports, my heels clicking against the marble as I left the boardroom. The moment I stepped outside the conference room, I was greeted by an explosion of cheers.

"She's here!"

"Melody!!"

"You did it!!"

Bryle was the first to throw his arms up in the air. "You absolute legend, Mel!!"

Everyone—staff, assistants, evens the junior developers—stood up, clapping and cheering with wide smiles. The entire place was vibrating with joy, relief, and pride.

I raised my hands in surrender, smiled, and felt overwhelmed. "Okay, okay, calm down everyone or I might actually cry now!"

"You made history," one of the designers beamed.

"I didn't do this alone," I said quickly, holding back the welling emotions. "Without each and every one of you—the late nights, the data, the quiet support—I couldn't have handled something this crucial."

I bowed deeply, sincerely..

"Thank you. Really.".

They clapped even louder, some laughing, some tearing up. But I couldn't linger. My heart was already pulling me away.

"I need to go," I said, already making my way to the door. "There's someone who needs to hear about this."

I didn't wait for anyone to stop me.

I rushed to the elevator, then down the stairs when it felt too slow. My heels tapped out my heartbeat on the steps, and I gripped the rail to keep my pace steady. My eyes were blurry with anticipation.

Leo… I did it. And I'm coming to you now.

-------------------------

The hallway outside Leo's room was quiet—peaceful in contrast to the buzzing energy I had just left behind. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I stood before the door, my hand hovering over the knob. I didn't knock. I didn't need to.

I pushed it open gently.

There he was.

Leo was sitting up against the headboard, a soft blanket draped across his lap. His skin still looked pale, but the color had returned slightly to his cheeks. His eyes were half-lidded, tired—but the moment they saw me, they lit up.

"Melody," he whispered, his voice rough like wind through old trees.

I rushed to him.

He tried to get up, but I placed my hands on his shoulders, pushing him gently back down. "No—don't move too much. You need to rest."

His hands found mine instantly, fingers threading through as if he couldn't bear another second without holding me. "You're here."

I nodded, but the emotions I'd been holding in began to well at the corners of my eyes. "Leo…" My voice cracked.

He looked up at me, brushing his thumb over the back of my hand. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, and a few tears finally fell. "No… I just— I wanted to see you. I couldn't wait. I needed to tell you everything. About the meeting. About how it went."

His lips parted slightly. "You went?"

I nodded again, kneeling beside the bed. "I offered to. I couldn't just sit still. You needed to rest—and someone had to do something. So I did. And… Leo, they signed. They signed."

For a moment, his expression was unreadable. Then it softened with such intensity that my breath hitched.

"You amazing woman," he murmured. "You really did it."

I smiled through my tears, wiping at my cheeks. "Mr. Biedermann even told me you're lucky to have me."

Leo let out a soft laugh. "He's absolutely right."

I leaned in closer, and he gently touched my cheek, brushing away the remnants of my crying.

"I'm so proud of you," he said. "So incredibly proud."

I rested my forehead against his. "We did this together, Leo. And when you're ready… we'll keep moving forward, hand in hand."

His arms wrapped around me weakly but warmly, pulling me to his chest. I nestled into his embrace, feeling his heartbeat against mine—steady, strong.

"I missed you," he whispered into my hair.

"I'm right here," I said. "I'm not going anywhere."

And in that quiet room, in the arms of the man I love, I finally allowed myself to breathe again.