Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 34: Chapter 34 – Nova Ghost

Nicole glanced around helplessly, her unease sharpening with every passing second. Her gaze finally settled on Voren, steady and unreadable as ever. He was Ravyn’s best friend so how could she talk about the centenary pack matters?

Besides, his secretary and assistant were both humans. ”We can’t talk here,” she said in a low voice.

Seraphine nodded immediately, already stepping back. ”Sure. I was just leaving.”

She paused long enough to give Voren one last look, calm on the surface, lethal beneath it before reminding him softly, almost politely, ”You have twenty-four hours.”

Voren let out a short chuckle, the sound echoing with careless confidence. ”This is the third time you’ve issued those empty threats,” he said, amusement glinting in his eyes. ”I’d really love to see what you’ve got.”

The elevator doors slid open, swallowing Seraphine and Nicole whole. As they disappeared, Pete stepped closer to Voren, concern written plainly across his face.

”Sir,” he said cautiously, ”that woman just threatened you. Shouldn’t we... at least press charges?” It was the most sensible thing to do since they had no idea in what area the threat would arise.

What if it had to do with Voren’s life? Pete was genuinely concerned, but Voren waved the idea away with an indulgent smile. ”Don’t waste the police’s time. What can she actually do?”

He was certain of it. The fact that Seraphine had no real power in the city, no influence, and no protection, or so he believed.

To Voren, she was still just his best friend’s ex-wife. A woman who had lost her standing, her safety net, and whatever leverage she once possessed.

In his mind, everything he was doing, even the ruthless parts, was for his best friend’s benefit.

But Pete saw something else entirely. Maybe it was instinct, or maybe experience. He had learned long ago that the most dangerous people were rarely loud.

Seraphine had looked wounded, yes but wounded women didn’t issue empty threats, they acted. She was beautiful, composed, almost harmless in appearance, and that alone made Pete uneasy.

Still, Voren dismissed the lingering discomfort. He considered informing Ravyn, but since he was already planning to visit the pack in a few days, he pushed the thought aside.

It wasn’t worth worrying about, not yet. The next morning began like any other tight schedules, critical meetings, and one of Ashkael Holdings’ most important gatherings of the year. The boardroom buzzed with restrained power and expectation.

Then, without warning, everything began to unravel. ”I can’t access the files,” one of the managers said, frowning at his screen. ”Same here,” another added sharply.

Pete stood, already moving to investigate when his own laptop flickered, then went completely black. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Voren’s jaw tightened as his expression darkened, the easy confidence from the day before evaporating. He pulled out his phone and dialed the IT department, his voice cutting like steel.

”If this isn’t fixed in five minutes,” he said coldly, ”every last one of you is fired.”

There was a pause. Then a nervous voice crackled through the line.

”Sir... you don’t understand, this is beyond us.”

Voren’s eyes narrowed. ”It’s a deliberate attack,” the voice continued. ”And with all my years of experience, the only person who has ever developed something like this is Nova Ghost, but his whereabouts are unknown.”

David, his IT manager, a man who had never once failed him, was now speaking with a level of fear that made Voren want to punch him in the face. His fingers curled into fists.

For over a decade, David had stayed ahead of every threat, solution-driven, unshakable. Hearing helplessness in his voice was unsettling. ”Are you telling me,” Voren said slowly, ”that there’s nothing you can do?”

”This virus is unlike anything I’ve seen before,” David replied. ”It’s called Medusa.exe. It petrifies systems on contact, total paralysis. Sir, with your permission, I can put out a request on the black market for Nova Ghost. He lives up to his name, but one of his agents might respond.”

Voren’s gaze swept across the restless partners, managers, and CEOs seated around the table. This was the end-of-year meeting, one of the most critical events Ashkael Holdings hosted annually.

And it was collapsing before his eyes. ”How long?” Voren asked tightly.

”I can’t say,” David admitted. ”Not until I hear back.”

Voren frowned deeply. ”Proceed. I won’t postpone this meeting unless absolutely necessary. You have one hour.”

”Sir,” David said carefully, ”even if we reach Nova Ghost, I doubt we’ll recover the files today.”

Voren exhaled slowly, his mind racing. ”Do what you must.” He ended the call and rose to his feet, commanding the room with sheer presence alone.

”Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced evenly, ”we’re facing a technical issue. We’ll need to adjourn this meeting. If it were up to me, I’d ask you to stay, but our technical team hasn’t provided positive projections yet.”

A murmur rippled through the room. ”Is Ashkael Holdings going down?” one of the CEOs asked bluntly.

Voren’s eyes hardened. ”That will never happen. This is a challenge, not a collapse.”

”I’ve been with Ashkael Holdings for eight years,” another executive said uneasily, ”and we’ve never faced anything like this.”

”And that,” Voren replied calmly, ”is precisely why it will be resolved swiftly.”

He paused, then added smoothly, ”All transport and accommodation expenses will be fully covered. Additionally, you’ll each receive a compensation of 0.002 percent in company shares for the inconvenience.”

The shift was immediate. Smiles appeared on their contoured faces, easing the tension. At Ashkael Holdings’ valuation, that fraction alone was worth hundreds of millions.

”It’s always good doing business with you, Mr. Ashkael,” someone said. The rest nodded in agreement, filing out one by one, reassured and satisfied.

When the room finally emptied, Pete cleared his throat, nerves creeping into his voice.

”Sir... what if it’s that woman from yesterday?” he asked carefully. ”She gave you twenty-four hours. And the servers started collapsing right on time.”

Voren froze for the first time since the incident began, doubt creeping in, cold and unwelcome. Could it really be Seraphine?