Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 127

Chapter One Hundred And Twenty–Seven: They Are Power Couple.

The elevator doors slid open softly.

Dreston stepped out first, followed closely by Cassienne. For a split second, the corridor was quiet.

Then, applause erupted.

It wasn’t the polite, controlled kind. It was full of warmth and it was genuine.

The entire executive floor of Auralink had gathered. Developers, project managers, senior engineers, junior staff, assistants, even members of the legal team stood in a semi–circle across the open lobby space.

Some held the sleek silver trophy awarded to Auralink System as the Number One Technology Company globally. Another stood carefully holding the framed plaque bearing Cassienne’s name for her individual recognition. 5

The sound echoed off the glass walls and polished marble floors.

Cassienne froze. She hadn’t expected this.

Dreston felt her hesitate beside him. His hand instinctively rested at the small of her back, steady and protective.

“Welcome home!” someone called out.

“Congratulations, ma’am!”

“You did it!”

Cassienne blinked rapidly as she took in the sight.

The trophy gleamed under the overhead lights. The engraved words–Global Innovation Excellence Award–caught her eye.

A young female developer stepped forward first, holding the award carefully.

“CTO Cassienne Tremont,” she said with a trembling smile. “You brought this home.”

The applause grew louder.

Cassienne swallowed. Her throat felt tight. She had stood on global stages before. She had faced millions online. But this–this

was her people. Her team.

She stepped forward slowly.

“I…” She let out a soft breath. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

“That’s the point!” someone shouted from the back.

Laughter rippled warmly through the room.

Three of the senior developers approached next. They were the team behind the software optimization system that had tipped the scales during the expo.

The tallest among them cleared his throat.

“Ma’am, we just want to say thank you. You chose our product when other executives weren’t sure. You trusted our prototype when it wasn’t fully polished.”

The second added, “You defended it during the board review.”

“And you refined it,” the third said. “You made it better.”

Cassienne shook her head immediately.

Chapter One Hundred And Twenty–Seven They Are Power Couple

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“No,” she said gently. “You made it better. I only did what I thought was best for the company.”

She stepped closer to them.

“You stayed up all night coding. You debugged until sunrise. You fought for performance benchmarks when everyone else wanted shortcuts.”

Her voice grew steadier.

“This award belongs to your hard work.”

Silence followed for half a breath, then, the room burst into applause again. This time louder and stronger.

One of the younger engineers suddenly shouted from behind:

“And you’re still the legend! NULLWRAITH!”

A wave of laughter and cheering followed.

“She carried us on stage!”

“She broke records!”

“She made history!”

“She made Auralink untouchable!”

Cassienne pressed her lips together to stop the emotions threatening to spill. She had always hidden. Always stayed behind usernames. Behind systems. And behind screens.

And now they were chanting her name. Not NULLWRAITH. But Cassienne.

Dreston watched her carefully. Her shoulders trembled slightly. He moved just a fraction closer, his hand firm at her back, giving her comfort.

She glanced at him briefly, and he smiled at her softly. He was proud.

In the crowd, whispers floated.

“They look so good together.”

“They are power couple,”

“Mr and Mrs Tremont really are something.”

Tina stood near the edge of the gathering. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her. She had known this would happen. She had known Cassienne would be celebrated.

But knowing and seeing were two different things.

Dreston standing beside her, touching her, and looking at her like that. The staff cheered them like royalty.

It hurt.

Someone beside Tina noticed the shimmer in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” a colleague whispered.

Tina blinked quickly.

“Of course,” she replied with a tight smile.

But the tears didn’t fully retreat. And people noticed. Gossip began quietly in the corner.

Chapter One Hundred And Twenty–Seven. They Are Power Couple

“She doesn’t look happy…”

>>

“Wasn’t she close to Mr. Tremont?”

“I thought-”

The whispers grew.

Meanwhile, in the center of the room. A senior executive lifted the trophy and handed it to Cassienne.

She hesitated. Then she took it. It was heavier than she expected. The room fell quiet as she held it.

“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted honestly.

“Say you’ll stay!” someone joked. She laughed softly through her emotion.

“Of course I’ll stay,” she replied. “As long as you all promise to keep working like this.”

A unified cheer answered her.

Then a bold voice rang from somewhere near the front.

“Mr and Mrs Tremont! You are the best couple! Bless your union!”

The words echoed loudly.

For a second. Both Cassienne and Dreston froze. The crowd erupted again in playful applause and whistles.

Cassienne’s eyes widened.

Dreston blinked.

Then he leaned slightly toward her and murmured under the noise, “Well. That escalated quickly.”

She nudged him lightly with her elbow.

“Your fault.”

“My fault?”

“You look too supportive.”

He chuckled.

The applause continued, people clapping rhythmically now, celebrating not just the award–but them.

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