Katherine opened her mouth, but David gently touched the microphone.

“I’ll answer that,” he said.

The room fell silent.

“Katherine Hayes is my friend, my colleague, and the greatest leader this hospital has ever known. I have loved her quietly for fifteen years. I respected her enough never to cross a line while she was married. I cared enough to protect what mattered to her, even when she didn’t know it. That is not an affair. That is respect.”

Camera flashes exploded like lightning.

Then David gestured toward the screen behind them.

“And now,” he said, “let’s discuss the real reason Mark Thompson lost his position.”

Documents appeared. Transfers. Contracts. Messages. Hotel surveillance footage. Proof of embezzlement. Proof of the condo purchase. Proof of hidden accounts.

Finally, a photograph appeared showing a small boy in a children’s home.

Katherine’s breath caught.