Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 39: Chapter 39 – tell her to take her claws off my servers

Desmond might be a middle-aged man, but he was not foolish. He had been in this business far too long, weathered too many corporate wars and hidden vendettas to miss the faint metallic scent of a trap when it was laid for someone he cared about.

Voren’s question had been too deliberate, too carefully framed to sound casual, s keeping his expression neutral, Desmond leaned back in his chair and replied evenly, as though the topic barely interested him. ”The King brothers are the best in the industry,” he said mildly. ”I doubt that’s news to you.”

The response deflected the bait cleanly. Voren’s eyes hardened, irritation flashing across his face when he realized his attempt had failed. He exhaled sharply and abandoned subtlety altogether.

”I already called them,” Voren said flatly. ”They told me their top broker resigned, and according to them, she now works with you.”

The moment the words landed, understanding snapped into place for Desmond. The mystery behind the sudden plunge in his stocks unraveled almost instantly. So this was it.

Seraphine wasn’t working with him at all, at least, not in the way Voren imagined. She had simply acquired forty-five percent of his shares, enough to shake markets, enough to frighten predators, and enough to remind everyone just how dangerous she could be when pushed.

If anything, she was worth protecting, because not only her investment but whatever she was doing, had doubled their wealth overnight. For an asset like Seraphine, Desmond finally understood the reason why Humphrey and Kylie forced her marriage with Ravyn when they knew the one he loved was Daisy.

Desmond’s thoughts softened for just a fraction of a second. He did not just want Seraphine as a business partner but also as a daughter-in-law. That alone made this conversation deeply personal.

Still, he kept his voice calm, almost amused. ”Mr. Ashkael,” he said, folding his hands together, ”I don’t recall employing anyone new. If you’re referring to Miss Walker’s shares, you and I have already discussed that matter thoroughly.”

His refusal the first time had caused his losing so many investors but now, they were the ones trying to come back. Desmond was a man of principle. Since they wanted to contribute to his fall, he was not going to let them enjoy his success when it showed face.

Voren’s jaw tightened. He clearly wasn’t enjoying the middle-aged man’s polished diplomacy. ”Fine,” he snapped. ”I’ll talk to your shareholders. They’ll reinvest but stop dancing around it and answer me plainly. Is Seraphine a stockbroker?”

Desmond smiled, faint but measured, yet beneath that smile, he felt an odd sense of pressure, as though invisible walls were slowly closing in around him.

”Honestly?” he replied after a brief pause. ”I know very little beyond the fact that she was once the Luna of my pack. She spends most of her time with Corvine, and I’m usually buried in the office or at home, but see each other at dinner, nothing more.”

He watched Voren closely, hoping, almost expecting the man’s expression to darken further. When it didn’t, Desmond added smoothly, ”If you want clarity, you can call her yourself. I doubt she’d be afraid to answer you.”

That was when Voren finally faltered. He hated desperation, hated being cornered even more, and yet, that was exactly where he stood. He had thrown everything he had at the Stone Group, confident he could crush them under sheer force, but instead, the blowback was eating him alive.

For the first time in years, Voren Ashkael had no leverage, so he swallowed his pride and chose vulnerability. ”Alright,” he said stiffly. ”Beg her, tell her to take her claws off my servers, and I won’t bother you again.”

The words tasted so bitter, Desmond’s composure finally cracked, not into cruelty, but into unmistakable satisfaction. His smile broadened, slow and triumphant, as he regarded the once-untouchable titan before him.

”You’re welcome to bother me as much as you like,” Desmond replied pleasantly. ”As you can see, my stocks are already stabilizing.”

Voren pressed his lips together, fury and helplessness colliding in his chest. His mind raced, grasping for a tangible threat, a weapon, anything, but there was nothing left to reach for.

”Fine,” he muttered. ”Thanks for your time.”

Without waiting for a response, he stood up and left.

Instead of contacting Seraphine, Voren made a different decision. The moment he arrived back at his office, he pulled out his phone and dialed David, his IT manager. Cyber warfare was his last remaining battlefield.

”David,” Voren said as soon as the call connected, ”what’s the status on Nova Ghost?”

David’s reply came swiftly, tense. ”His agent confirmed that Nova Ghost is back online, which is good news. But sir, the price he’s quoting is outrageous. We’re still negotiating.”

Voren didn’t care about money. Cyber experts like Nova Ghost were worth millions, sometimes more, and he had always paid without blinking. Even now, despite the sustained attacks, he had only lost about a hundred million so far.

But the projections were grim. If nothing changed, the losses would double by tomorrow.

”How much?” Voren demanded. There was a brief pause before David answered carefully. ”Ten billion.”

”What?” Voren nearly dropped the phone. His breath hitched, disbelief slamming into him so hard his knees almost buckled. On the other end of the line, David stiffened, clearly startled.

”Sir?” he said cautiously. ”Are you alright?”

”Repeat that,” Voren snapped.

”Nova Ghost’s usual minimum is ten million,” David explained. ”But for Ashkael Holdings, his starting price is ten billion. That’s what worries me.”

Cold realization crept up Voren’s spine. ”That kind of price,” David continued, voice lowering, ”suggests this attack is personal, direct.”

Voren stared blankly at the floor, his vision blurring as though stars were dancing at the edges.

Then David asked quietly, almost reluctantly, ”Sir... did you offend someone recently?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and unforgiving, and for the first time since this nightmare began, Voren couldn’t answer.