The reactions didn't take long.
By morning, the interview was everywhere.
Clips.
Quotes.
Arguments.
People chose sides fast.
Some called Daevyd bold. Others called him desperate. Some praised Shemmy's composure. Others dragged her deeper into the mess.
Nothing was neutral.
Shemmy sat at the dining table, scrolling through it all, her expression calm but distant. She wasn't reacting anymore. She was observing.
Patterns.
Angles.
Damage.
Daevyd stood across from her, phone in hand, already on his third call.
"Yes, I saw it."
Pause.
"No. We don't respond again. Not yet."
Another pause.
"Let them talk."
He ended the call and dropped the phone on the table.
"It's dividing people," he said.
"That's better than everyone being against us," Shemmy replied.
He looked at her.
"You're adapting fast."
"I don't have a choice."
Ruth walked in minutes later without knocking, her energy already high.
"You two didn't just shake the table," she said. "You flipped it."
Shemmy raised a brow.
"That bad?"
"That effective," Ruth corrected. "People are arguing everywhere. Which means attention has shifted."
"To us," Daevyd said.
"No," Ruth replied. "To the story."
That mattered.
But the moment didn't last.
Daevyd's phone rang again.
He picked up immediately.
"Yes."
Silence.
Then his face changed.
"What do you mean they pulled out?"
Shemmy looked up instantly.
"Who?"
Daevyd didn't answer her. He was listening.
"All of them?" he asked.
Another pause.
Then he ended the call slowly.
The room felt different immediately.
"What happened?" Shemmy asked.
Daevyd looked at her.
"Two major investors just pulled out."
Silence.
That was real.
Not online.
Not rumors.
Real.
Ruth's expression tightened.
"Because of the interview?"
"No," Daevyd said. "Because of pressure."
Shemmy leaned back slowly.
"Astra."
"Yes."
Another phone buzz.
This time, Shemmy's.
She picked it up.
A message.
Unknown number.
Again.
She didn't hesitate this time.
She opened it.
A photo.
Her designs.
New ones.
Unreleased.
Spread out on a table.
Her chest tightened.
"How did they get that?"
Ruth stepped closer.
"That's not online."
"No," Shemmy said quietly. "That's from my new collection."
The one she hadn't even finished.
The one she only worked on privately.
The room went still.
Daevyd's voice dropped.
"That means they're still inside."
Not just TechWave.
Closer.
Much closer.
Another message followed.
"We told you we're not done."
Shemmy's fingers tightened around the phone.
This wasn't just about taking down a company anymore.
This was about breaking her too.
She stood up slowly.
"This ends now."
Daevyd looked at her.
"How?"
She met his gaze.
"We stop waiting for them to move."
"We already are."
"No," she said. "You're still reacting."
That hit.
He didn't argue.
"Then what do you want to do?" he asked.
Shemmy took a breath.
Then said it clearly.
"We hit where it hurts."
Ruth blinked.
"I like how that sounds, but explain."
Shemmy looked between them.
"They're using information, control, and fear."
"Yes," Daevyd said.
"Then we take one of those away."
"Which one?"
She didn't hesitate.
"Control."
Silence.
Then Daevyd stepped closer.
"You have something in mind."
"Yes."
Shemmy walked to the table and picked up her tablet.
She opened her sketches.
Designs.
Bold.
Unapologetic.
Raw.
"This collection was supposed to come later," she said.
Ruth frowned.
"How much later?"
"Months."
"And now?"
Shemmy looked at her.
"Now we drop it."
Ruth blinked again.
"Wait. Like… now now?"
"Yes."
"That's risky."
"So is sitting still."
Daevyd watched her carefully.
"You're trying to shift attention."
"I'm taking it back."
He stepped closer.
"And if they try to sabotage it too?"
Shemmy met his gaze.
"Then they'll do it in front of everyone."
That changed the equation.
Public visibility.
Less room for hidden moves.
Daevyd nodded slowly.
"That forces them out."
"Yes."
Ruth smiled slowly.
"I'm not going to lie… I like this version of you."
Shemmy didn't smile back.
"I'm done reacting."
But before they could move forward
Daevyd's phone buzzed again.
He checked it.
And froze.
Shemmy noticed immediately.
"What now?"
He didn't answer.
He just turned the phone toward her.
A news alert.
Breaking.
"Emergency Board Vote Scheduled Tonight to Remove Daevyd Kng as CEO."
Her chest tightened.
"Tonight?"
"Yes."
No time.
No delay.
No preparation.
Ruth stepped closer.
"That's not pressure anymore. That's execution."
Silence filled the room.
Then Daevyd spoke.
Calm.
Too calm.
"They think they can corner me."
Shemmy stepped closer.
"Can they?"
He looked at her.
"No."
A pause.
Then he added quietly,
"But they're getting close."
Another message came in.
Unknown number.
Again.
This time on both their phones.
They opened it at the same time.
One line.
Cold.
Precise.
"Pick what you want to save."
Shemmy felt her breath catch.
Daevyd's jaw tightened.
Because that message meant one thing.
They weren't just attacking everything.
They were forcing a choice.
And whatever choice they made…
Something would still be lost.