Monday morning arrived with the scent of warm coffee and an unusual calm on OrionTech's work floor. The rumors about the "mysterious intern" were gone. There were no more secrets behind casual smiles. Everyone now knew who Ronan Blake really was.
But among all the things that had changed, one thing remained Evelyn.
She still showed up on time, her hair tied up messily, her ever-reliable sling bag slung over her shoulder, and the same serious expression that only softened for those who truly knew her.
Ronan watched from a distance, from behind the glass walls of his now-frequently-open office.
He knew better than to push. Evelyn needed space, and he had promised to give it to her. But that didn't stop him from looking, admiring, and patiently waiting.
When Evelyn entered the meeting room that afternoon, she hesitated for a moment before sitting beside Ronan. But he simply offered her a soft smile and pulled out the chair without a word.
During the marketing team's presentation, Evelyn glanced his way.
Ronan wasn't busy on his phone or looking bored like a typical CEO. He was listening. Attentive. Nodding slowly as ideas were thrown around. Asking questions sincerely, not to intimidate.
And somehow, he looked more like the Ronan she had known on the rooftop not the man from the Forbes headlines.
That evening, as most of the office lights started going out one by one, Evelyn found herself back on the rooftop garden. Not because she hoped Ronan would appear. But because the place had become her thinking space.
She sat on the slightly weathered wooden bench by the edge. The evening breeze stirred the rosemary and lavender leaves growing in large planters nearby. The orange sky slowly faded into deep violet.
Footsteps echoed.
Evelyn didn't have to look to know who it was.
Ronan sat beside her, this time carrying two cups one filled with her favorite lemon tea.
"You remembered," Evelyn murmured, accepting the cup without looking.
"Hard to forget," Ronan replied softly.
Silence filled the space between them. But it wasn't awkward. It was full of meaning.
"How was your day?" she finally asked.
"Interesting," said Ronan. "HR is trying to redesign the onboarding structure. They want to include a 'CEO undercover' session in the new training."
Evelyn let out a soft laugh. "That'll be a long story."
Ronan chuckled. "It sure will."
She finally turned to look at him.
"You've changed, Ronan."
He swallowed. "Changed for better or worse?"
"More honest," Evelyn replied. "But I still need time to fully trust that."
"I understand."
"And… I don't know how to move forward. With this. Us." She gestured between them. "It's not normal."
Ronan nodded. "Can I show you something tomorrow?"
"What?"
"Something I've been building. Not a boardroom. Not a stock plan. Something real."
The next day, Ronan picked Evelyn up outside the OrionTech building. This time, not in a luxury car with a suited driver. He drove himself. The car was a modest, clean SUV nothing flashy.
"Surprising ride for a CEO," Evelyn remarked as she climbed into the passenger seat.
"I used to have a collection of sports cars," Ronan replied. "Now I prefer something with working AC and a decent radio."
They drove out toward the suburbs, far from the glittering skyline and upscale restaurants.
After nearly an hour, they arrived at a modest brick building with a sign that read: "Orion Outreach Center."
"This place hasn't opened yet," Ronan said, unlocking the front door and motioning for her to enter. "But it's my new project."
Inside were empty bookshelves, an open space with beanbags and wooden tables, and a giant whiteboard covered with sketches of coding classes, entrepreneurship workshops, and career consultation sessions.
"Who is this place for?" Evelyn asked as she walked slowly through the room.
"For anyone who feels shut out by the tech world. Young people without access. Mothers who want to learn to code. Anyone needing a place to start over."
Evelyn paused in the center of the room, absorbing it all.
"I want OrionTech to be more than a company," Ronan continued. "I want it to change lives. And this… this is the first step."
He walked closer.
"And you've been part of that change. Even before you knew who I really was."
Evelyn looked into his eyes.
"When you first sat next to me, I thought you were just an overly polite intern."
Ronan smiled. "And you were the toughest woman I'd ever met."
She looked at the whiteboard. "I want to help."
Ronan held his breath. "Are you sure?"
She turned to him, her gaze far more certain than it had been the day before.
"I'm still angry. But anger doesn't erase the fact that you're trying to change. And I see that."
Ronan didn't say anything. He only nodded slowly, gratefully.
The days that followed felt different. Not just for Evelyn and Ronan, but for all of OrionTech.
Evelyn was no longer just another employee. She became part of a new cultural transformation committee. Ronan often joined the lower-level meetings, talking with teams, making decisions based on discussion, not command.
But the evenings still belonged to just the two of them.
They returned to the rooftop sometimes not to hide their relationship, but because it had become their beginning.
One evening, when the wind carried the scent of approaching rain, Ronan gently took Evelyn's hand.
"I don't know what the future holds," he said. "But I know who I want to spend it with."
Evelyn looked at him. "And I know you still have a lot to prove. But… you don't have to do it alone."
Ronan drew a deep breath, heart full.
Because finally, he wasn't just rebuilding his company.
He was building something greater trust, love, and a real life.
No longer as a CEO in disguise.
But as a man who chose to stop hiding.