Alexander made the announcement at the next board meeting, with Maya sitting beside him. She felt like she was going to throw up, but Alexander's steady presence beside her kept her grounded.
"I want to inform you all that Maya Chen and I are in a relationship," Alexander said without preamble. "There will be no conflict of interest regarding her position, as she reports directly to the marketing director, not to me. However, I wanted to be transparent about the situation."
The silence that followed was deafening. Maya could practically hear the wheels turning in the board members' heads.
Finally, Robert Hendricks, the longest-serving board member, spoke up. "Alexander, are you certain this is wise?"
"I'm certain that Maya is an asset to this company, and I'm certain that our personal relationship will not interfere with business operations."
"But the optics—"
"The optics will be what we make them," Alexander said firmly. "Maya is brilliant, professional, and more than capable of handling any scrutiny that comes her way."
Maya felt a surge of gratitude and love so strong it nearly overwhelmed her. Alexander wasn't just defending their relationship; he was defending her.