The ballroom lights dimmed completely as everyone slowly returned to their seats.
The enormous stage glowed beneath golden spotlights while giant screens displayed the names of nominees across the venue.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
More formal.
More intense.
This was the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Powerful businessmen sat calmly at their tables pretending not to care while secretly caring a lot.
Media cameras moved constantly across the hall.
Reporters whispered predictions near the stage.
And somewhere in the middle of all that attention—
Stephan sat beside Pixel looking completely calm.
Too calm.
Pixel glanced toward him quietly.
"How are you not nervous?"
Stephan leaned slightly back in his chair.
"I've handled shareholder meetings worth billions."
"That's not the same."
"You look more nervous than me."
"Because I want you to win."
His eyes immediately softened after hearing that.
Like they always did when she said things honestly without realizing how much they affected him.
Before he could respond—
the host's voice echoed through the ballroom again.
"Ladies and gentlemen…"
The giant screen lit up behind the stage.
"…we now move toward the most anticipated category of tonight."
The atmosphere instantly sharpened.
Everyone became attentive.
Even Johan suddenly sat straight.
Stevan looked emotionally unstable already.
Hill calmly folded his arms while watching the stage quietly.
The host smiled dramatically beneath the spotlight.
"The award for…"
A pause.
"…Best Businessman of the Year."
Applause filled the ballroom immediately.
Pixel unconsciously straightened slightly beside Stephan.
Then one by one—
the nominees appeared across the giant screen.
Massive names.
International CEOs.
Powerful business groups.
Industry leaders.
And then—
Stephan's image appeared at the center.
The applause noticeably became louder.
Pixel's chest tightened softly hearing it.
Because somehow—
seeing the entire room acknowledge him like this felt emotional.
Not because of the fame.
Because she knew what it cost him to reach here.
The sleepless nights.
The pressure.
The loneliness.
The sacrifices.
People only saw success.
She saw the person behind it.
Meanwhile beside her—
Stephan remained calm.
But his fingers quietly tightened once against hers beneath the table.
And that tiny movement alone told her enough.
He cared more than he admitted.
The host continued speaking.
"This year's winner is someone who transformed his company into one of the most influential business groups in the country…"
The screens shifted again.
Business achievements flashed rapidly.
Company expansion.
International partnerships.
Leadership records.
Then finally—
the host smiled.
"And the award goes to…"
A brief pause.
"…Stephan."
The ballroom erupted instantly.
Applause echoed loudly across the entire venue while cameras turned toward him from every direction.
Stevan literally stood up emotionally.
"THAT'S MY BROTHER."
Johan grabbed him immediately.
"SIT DOWN BEFORE SECURITY REMOVES US."
Even Hill smiled quietly beside them.
Meanwhile—
Pixel simply looked at Stephan for one brief second.
And suddenly—
her chest hurt emotionally.
Because he didn't look proud first.
He looked surprised.
Like some part of him still didn't fully believe he deserved happiness this complete.
Then slowly—
his eyes turned toward her.
And somehow—
out of everyone in the massive ballroom—
that was the only reaction he searched for first.
Pixel smiled softly at him.
Pure pride visible in her eyes.
And Stephan's expression changed instantly after seeing it.
Softer.
Warmer.
Real.
Then quietly—
very quietly—
he whispered beside her before standing—
"You're looking at me like I already hung the moon."
Her heartbeat stumbled immediately.
"Go," she whispered softly. "Before I cry emotionally."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Then finally—
Stephan stood.
The applause somehow grew even louder as he walked toward the stage beneath the golden lights.
Tall.
Confident.
Powerful.
Every camera followed him.
Every eye in the ballroom watched him.
And yet—
before stepping onto the stage—
he looked back once.
Toward her.
Only her.
Pixel's chest tightened painfully after that.
Because suddenly—
she understood something clearly.
The world admired Stephan because of his success.
But tonight—
he looked strongest because he was finally loved too.
The host handed him the award while cameras flashed endlessly around the stage.
Crystal trophy.
Golden engraving.
Best Businessman of the Year.
The entire ballroom stood applauding now.
And for the first time in years—
Stephan looked genuinely happy accepting something meant only for himself.
Then the microphone was handed toward him for a speech.
The applause slowly quieted.
The massive ballroom waited silently.
Stephan stood beneath the spotlight holding the award calmly for a moment.
Then finally—
he spoke.
"Success is a strange thing."
His deep voice echoed clearly across the hall.
"For a long time…"
A brief pause.
"…I thought success meant surviving alone."
The room became quieter instantly.
Pixel's chest tightened softly hearing it.
Stephan looked briefly toward the audience.
Then slowly—
his eyes found her again.
"But eventually…"
A small pause.
"…you realize achievements stop meaning much when there's nobody beside you to share them with."
Silence filled the ballroom completely.
Even Johan looked emotional now.
Stevan had already started crying proudly.
Hill quietly looked away with a small smile.
And Pixel—
Pixel genuinely forgot how to breathe for one second.
Because everyone in the room understood now.
He wasn't giving a business speech anymore.
He was speaking to someone.
To her.
Stephan's voice softened slightly afterward.
"So tonight…"
His eyes stayed on Pixel.
"…this award matters because for the first time, I'm not standing here emotionally alone."
The ballroom erupted into applause again immediately.
But honestly—
Pixel barely heard any of it.
Because at that moment—
with the entire world watching him—
Stephan still somehow made it feel like only the two of them existed.
The applause continued long after Stephan finished speaking.
Louder than before.
Warmer too.
Because somehow—
his words reached beyond business tonight.
People didn't just hear success in his voice.
They heard loneliness.
Healing.
Love.
And unfortunately for Pixel—
half the ballroom was now openly looking at her.
Johan leaned dramatically toward Stevan.
"Well."
Stevan wiped imaginary tears proudly.
"He basically confessed in 4K."
Hill sighed softly.
"At least the speech was good."
"GOOD?" Johan looked emotionally attacked. "That man emotionally destroyed the entire venue."
And honestly—
he wasn't wrong.
Even several senior businessmen nearby looked unusually quiet after the speech.
Because Stephan—
the same man known for cold professionalism—
had stood under national spotlight and spoken like someone deeply in love.
That alone shocked everyone.
Meanwhile on stage—
Stephan accepted congratulations from several officials before finally stepping down with the award still in his hand.
The moment he started walking back—
camera flashes followed him again instantly.
But his attention remained somewhere else completely.
Or more specifically—
on someone else.
Pixel tried very hard to look calm as he approached the table again.
Failed terribly.
Because the way he was looking at her now—
soft.
Steady.
Completely unguarded—
made her chest feel unbearably full.
Stephan stopped beside her chair quietly.
Then in a lower voice only she could hear—
"You're crying."
Pixel immediately touched near her eyes.
"…No."
"You are."
"That's your fault."
A faint smile appeared on his face again.
The warm real one.
And somehow—
seeing him smile while holding the award affected her even more.
Because suddenly she remembered all the exhausted nights.
The pressure.
The loneliness.
The way he used to carry everything silently.
And now—
he was standing here with the entire country applauding him.
Happy.
Actually happy.
Pixel looked up at him softly.
"I'm proud of you."
For one brief second—
everything around Stephan visibly softened again.
The noise.
The crowd.
The cameras.
None of it mattered more than those four words from her.
Stevan noticed immediately and whispered emotionally—
"He stopped functioning again."
Johan nodded seriously.
"Bhai is spiritually gone."
Hill quietly took another sip of water.
"Everyone noticed already."
And honestly—
everyone had.
The media cameras nearby practically refused to stop capturing Stephan and Pixel together now.
Whispers spread rapidly through the ballroom.
"That speech was definitely about her."
"Look at the way he's looking at her."
"I've never seen Stephan like this."
Meanwhile—
across another side of the ballroom—
Natasha quietly watched the scene too.
Clark stood beside her calmly.
For a few moments Natasha remained silent while watching Stephan smile toward someone else in a way he never smiled before.
Then softly—
"…Now I understand."
Clark looked toward her quietly.
Natasha's expression held no bitterness anymore.
Only acceptance.
"You really can't force love."
The honesty in her voice felt strangely peaceful now.
Clark didn't interrupt.
Didn't say unnecessary things.
He simply stood beside her quietly.
Present.
And somehow—
that steadiness itself comforted her more than dramatic words would have.
Natasha looked toward him briefly afterward.
Then a very small smile appeared on her lips.
And Clark's expression softened almost immediately after seeing it.
Back at Stephan's table—
the atmosphere had become complete chaos again.
Johan grabbed the trophy dramatically.
"I'm taking pictures with this."
Stephan looked unimpressed.
"Give it back."
"No. I also suffered emotionally during your CEO journey."
Stevan pointed proudly toward Stephan.
"BEST BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR."
Hill looked calmer than the others.
But even he seemed genuinely proud tonight.
Then suddenly—
another businessman approached their table smiling politely.
"Congratulations, Stephan."
Stephan nodded professionally.
"Thank you."
The businessman's eyes shifted toward Pixel afterward.
"And congratulations to you too."
Pixel blinked slightly.
"…Me?"
The older businessman smiled knowingly.
"Men don't give speeches like that unless someone important changed their life."
The sentence instantly made her heartbeat soften again.
Stephan looked completely calm externally.
But beneath the table—
his hand quietly found hers again.
Like instinct.
Like grounding himself.
The businessman noticed.
And smiled slightly before leaving.
After he disappeared into the crowd, Pixel looked toward Stephan quietly.
"You caused chaos tonight."
"You surprised me first."
"That was private chaos."
"This was public revenge."
She stared at him in disbelief.
"You emotionally exposed me in front of the entire country."
"No," Stephan replied softly while looking directly at her.
"I acknowledged the truth."
God.
This man genuinely had no fear anymore.
Pixel looked away instantly while Johan physically collapsed against the table dramatically.
"Please stop flirting like emotionally married people."
Stevan nodded seriously.
"It's becoming difficult to watch respectfully."
Even Hill laughed quietly this time.
Meanwhile Stephan remained completely relaxed beside Pixel now.
Award trophy resting nearby.
Her hand still in his.
And honestly—
for the first time in years—
success no longer felt lonely to him anymore.