Chapter 42 – 10 billion

A week ago, Seraphine had braced herself for Voren to confront her directly after his conversation with Desmond.

She had pictured it in vivid detail, the storm behind his gaze, the sharp cadence of his words, the kind of confrontation that left even the toughest people unsettled, but Voren had surprised her.

Not only had he refused to take the bait but had proven far more stubborn than she had anticipated. Ashkael Holdings itself had shown resilience she hadn’t fully expected, and the company’s foundations were too solid for a single server attack to topple.

Even with the chaos she had orchestrated, the stock dips were negligible. It was frustrating, and deflating, but she took cold satisfaction in knowing Ravyn would remain isolated.

Help would not come for him, not when Voren would be busy stabilizing his company affairs.

The next morning, Seraphine decided to grant herself a small reprieve. She called Corvine, her tone unusually warm, almost soft. "You’ve been good to me. Let me give you a treat."

Corvine’s polite smile masked a quiet ache. No matter how close they had grown, Seraphine’s eyes never lingered the way he longed for. To her, he was family, a reliable presence, a protector, but nothing more.

Still, he accepted, clinging to the hope that this outing might mark the beginning of something new. "I’m flattered," he said, keeping his voice steady, as Seraphine smiled confidently and subtle, led the way.

She moved with the quiet authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed without question, yet wrapped in warmth, rewarding loyalty without excess.

The drive to the restaurant was serene, the city blurring past in muted golds and grays. Only the rhythmic beeping of her phone punctuated the calm.

she answered immediately, her

manager of Ashkael Holdings needs your help. There’s been a server attack, and we

"Billion." The call filter gave

"But... you said—"

is for others. Ashkael Holdings

waiting

the delay, the greater the damage.

the conversation but smiled quietly, sensing the subtle power Seraphine wielded. She had been with the

ranked number four,

restaurant, the hum of luxury wrapped around them, the faint clink of cutlery, soft murmurs

when a familiar voice rang out above the ambient

nearly missing the boy with the woman, but the moment she saw him, calm, bright-eyed, smiling, her chest

My dad told us to call you, but we didn’t have your number,"

curved into a soft smile, her eyes

I just bumped into her," the woman said,

face radiated gratitude. "My husband." She looked at Seraphine like she just saw her

He had assumed medicine was Seraphine’s expertise, but the past week had revealed layers of her skill and influence

boy stepped forward, earnest and polite, gesturing toward a vacant chair. "Do you mind if we share a table? My

quiet intention she had carried

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