Ella could barely believe it as she and Ryan walked into the conference room, ready to present their findings. The past few weeks had been gruelling—late nights, tireless fieldwork, and moments of doubt that had nearly derailed them—but here they were, armed with the evidence they needed. Thanks to their relentless work, they had uncovered a clear link between the pollution and the reef damage, and they were ready to present it to the environmental board.
As they set up their presentation, Ella cast a quick glance at Ryan. He was calm but focused, his usual playful expression replaced by a steely determination. She was grateful for his steadiness, the quiet confidence he exuded that bolstered her own nerves. Today was the day everything changed—or so she hoped.
The room filled slowly with board members, environmental advocates, and a few representatives from the facility they suspected of being responsible for the pollution. Ella's heart raced as she recognized some of the faces, each one a reminder of how much was at stake.
Dr. Ashford introduced them, laying out the background of the reef's importance and the impact pollution had had on its ecosystem. Then it was Ella's turn. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she stood up to present their findings.
"Thank you all for being here today," she began, her voice steady and clear. "What you're about to see is the result of countless hours of fieldwork and analysis. We've worked tirelessly to trace the source of pollution that has been damaging our reef, and we now have undeniable evidence linking it to industrial waste discharged into the river upstream."
She launched into the data, presenting their findings step-by-step, each slide detailing the chemical compounds they'd traced and the path of pollution from the facility to the reef. She could feel the board members' eyes on her, the weight of their attention heavy, but it only fuelled her determination.
Ryan stepped in to highlight their methodology, showing the samples they'd collected and how each one led back to the dockyard near the facility. His tone was firm, confident, every word laced with the commitment they'd poured into this investigation. Ella watched him speak, a sense of pride swelling in her chest. He was as passionate as she was, fully invested in the cause—and she knew that together, they were stronger.
When they finished, there was a moment of silence. The room seemed to hold its breath, each person processing the gravity of what they'd presented.
Finally, the head of the board spoke, his expression serious but impressed. "Thank you, Dr. Parker and Mr. Chase. Your dedication is evident, and your findings are... hard to ignore. This is an important case, and I assure you that we'll pursue it with the rigor it deserves."
Ella felt a surge of relief, her heart lifting. She glanced at Ryan, who was already looking at her with a small, triumphant smile. They had done it. They'd made their case, and now, at last, there was hope for the reef.
As the board members filed out of the room, Dr. Ashford clapped them both on the shoulder, beaming. "You two were fantastic. I've never seen such a compelling presentation. You've given this reef a real fighting chance."
Ella felt herself relax, the weeks of stress melting away. "Thank you, Dr. Ashford. I couldn't have done it without Ryan."
Ryan grinned, giving her a mock bow. "I'm just here to make you look good, Doc."
They laughed, the tension breaking as they gathered their things. They agreed to meet at the small Italian restaurant near the harbour—a victory dinner to celebrate their breakthrough. Ella couldn't remember the last time she felt this light, the excitement bubbling up in her as they left the building and headed to the restaurant.
---
Later, as they settled into a cozy booth at the restaurant, their plates filled with pasta and bread, Ella felt the weight of accomplishment settle comfortably over her. She and Ryan toasted with glasses of wine, their smiles wide and unrestrained.
"To the reef," Ryan said, lifting his glass.
"To the reef," Ella echoed, clinking her glass against his.
They laughed, the atmosphere warm and celebratory as they dug into their food. For once, their conversation drifted away from the reef, moving instead to lighter topics—their childhoods, favourite foods, travel dreams. Ella found herself leaning in closer with every story, every joke, savouring the moments that felt like a reward for everything they'd endured together.
But just as she was about to ask him about his most ridiculous travel mishap, Ryan's phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting to one of surprise.
"It's... my dad," he said, furrowing his brow as he looked at the caller ID. "I haven't heard from him in weeks."
Ella watched him, her curiosity piqued. She knew little about Ryan's family, only that he'd mentioned his father was a businessman and that they didn't always see eye-to-eye. But something about the way he looked at the phone now—confused, almost wary—made her wonder if there was more to the story.
"Take it if you need to," she said gently, trying to hide the flicker of disappointment. She'd been enjoying their time together, but she understood family came first.
Ryan hesitated, his gaze shifting between her and the phone. He seemed to weigh his options for a moment before answering, his voice casual but guarded. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"
He listened, his expression shifting from confusion to surprise, then something else Ella couldn't quite place—discomfort, maybe, or concern.
"I'm... actually still working on a project here," he said, glancing at Ella with a sheepish smile. "Yeah, it's, uh, it's been important work. Very important."
Ella sipped her wine, pretending not to listen, but she couldn't ignore the change in his tone. Whatever his father was saying, it was affecting him deeply. After a few more terse exchanges, Ryan ended the call, slipping his phone into his pocket with a frown.
"Everything okay?" she asked, her voice soft.
He nodded, though his expression was distant. "Yeah... just some family stuff. My dad, he's... well, he's a little intense about business."
Ella raised an eyebrow. "I gathered that. He sounded... persistent."
Ryan laughed, though there was an edge to it. "That's one way to put it. My dad likes to keep things in the family, and he doesn't quite understand why I'd rather be here than working in an office. He's got a different idea of what's 'important,' I guess."
She felt a pang of sympathy, understanding all too well the struggle of meeting family expectations. "Well, I'm glad you're here, no matter what he thinks. You're making a real difference, Ryan."
His expression softened, the tension in his shoulders easing as he looked at her. "Thanks, Ella. That means a lot."
They returned to their meal, each of them quiet for a moment, lost in thought. But Ryan's phone call seemed to cast a small shadow over their evening, his earlier light-heartedness dimmed by whatever his father had said.
Despite that, they managed to recapture the warmth of the evening, sharing stories and laughter as they finished their meal. Ryan even managed to coax a few childhood stories out of Ella, who found herself laughing more than she had in ages.
When they finally stepped out of the restaurant, the night air was cool and crisp, the sound of the waves a soothing backdrop as they walked toward the harbour. Ella glanced over at Ryan, noticing the way he seemed to relax as they neared the water, his earlier tension fading.
"You know," he said, glancing at her with a small smile, "I've never worked on a project like this before. It's... it's kind of incredible, seeing what we've accomplished."
She nodded, feeling a swell of pride. "It is. And we're not done yet. Now that we've got the board's attention, we can push for real action, hold them accountable."
He nodded, his gaze distant. "Yeah... action."
They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, each of them savouring the quiet triumph of the evening. But as they reached the edge of the dock, Ryan's phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing with a look of frustration.
"Sorry, just give me a sec," he muttered, stepping aside to answer the call.
Ella waited, her gaze drifting out over the water, though she couldn't help but overhear snippets of his conversation.
"What do you mean, Dad?" he said, his voice tense. "I told you, I'm working on something important here."
There was a pause, then his voice softened, almost incredulous. "Wait... what are you saying?"
Another long silence followed, and when he finally hung up, his face was a mixture of confusion and frustration. He ran a hand through his hair, looking lost.
"Ryan?" she asked gently, feeling a surge of concern.
He looked at her, his expression hard to read. "I... don't know what that was about. My dad, he just... it's nothing, really. Just something strange he mentioned about a project."
Ella raised an eyebrow, sensing he was holding back but not wanting to press. "Well, whatever it is, we'll handle it together."
He managed a small smile, though his gaze was distant. "Yeah... together."
They stood side by side, the weight of their success mingling with the quiet tension of the unknown. Despite his father's calls, despite the strange hints he'd dropped, Ryan stayed grounded, his focus unwavering as he looked out over the water.