In the weeks that followed, the decision made in that conference room began to settle into something more than just a moment of resistance. It became a declaration. Maya and Ayumi felt a renewed sense of purpose, an invisible but undeniable force pulling them toward a future that seemed boundless, one where they didn't have to compromise their values for success. They had chosen the road less traveled, and it wasn't going to be easy. But the collective had always thrived on the hard path, the one that demanded more than mere success.