A few awkward coughs. Some suppressed smiles. A couple of hurried glances away. Ruby bit back a laugh, shaking her head slightly before stepping in. "That will be all," she said smoothly, regaining control of the room in a heartbeat.
One by one, the screens began to disappear. Faces signing out. Voices cutting off. Until it was just them. Silence again. But this time… It felt different. Softer. Warmer.
Ruby turned in his arms, her hands resting lightly against his chest as she looked up at him. "You just embarrassed an entire board," she said, though her eyes were shining.
Max didn't even try to deny it. "Good," he replied simply. But his hand never left her. Not from her waist. Not from the small life growing between them. Because even in that quiet moment… even with her right there in his arms… that feeling still lingered in the back of his mind.
That silence. That waiting. And the certainty…that somewhere out there… the storm was still coming.
