WAR GOD : Rise After Betrayal

Chapter 8

The car had just left the civil registry office area when Elara’s phone vibrated. She glanced briefly at the screen, then answered the call.

“Yes, Tom.”

Tom’s voice sounded slightly tense on the other end.

“Miss, there’s a problem. The board of directors is calling for an emergency meeting. Right now.”

Elara frowned. “An emergency meeting?”

“Yes. Several senior directors have already gathered. They mentioned the financial report and the Athena Project.”

Elara straightened her back. “I’ll be there immediately.”

She ended the call and turned to Ares, who was sitting beside her.

“We’re going to the office,” she said shortly.

Ares did not ask any further questions. He only nodded and sat up straighter.

The car changed direction toward the business district. The Cole Group building towered high, its glass reflecting the morning light.

As soon as they entered the main lobby, the atmosphere felt different. Several employees whispered quietly. Their faces looked tense.

Tom was already waiting in front of the private elevator.

“Miss,” Tom greeted quickly. “Everyone is already in the main meeting room.”

Elara walked briskly. “Who’s present?”

“The Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, two independent commissioners, and a representative of a foreign investor.”

Elara took a deep breath. “Alright.”

The elevator doors closed. Inside the elevator, the atmosphere was silent.

Ares glanced at Elara. “A big problem?”

Elara did not turn her head. “If the board is asking me to step down, then it’s not a small problem.”

Ares fell silent.

The elevator opened. They immediately entered the large meeting room. A long dark wooden table was filled with several people ranging from middle-aged to elderly. Their expressions were serious.

When Elara entered, some of them turned their heads. There were no smiles.

“Mrs. Elara,” said a man with glasses. “Please, have a seat.”

Elara sat in the main chair. Ares stood slightly behind her, hesitant.

“You can sit,” Elara said softly without turning around.

Ares obeyed and sat on a chair near the wall.

The Chief Financial Officer opened a thick folder. “Let’s get straight to the point. There is a serious problem.”

Elara crossed her arms. “Say it quickly!”

The man looked at Elara sharply. “The Athena Project has experienced a budget overrun of nearly twenty percent. In addition, investors from Eastern Europe have delayed their capital disbursement.”

One of the commissioners added, “And this is not the first time risk reports have been ignored.”

Elara was surprised, but her expression remained calm. “Delayed disbursement? On what basis?”

“Trust,” the commissioner replied. “They are questioning management stability.”

The room fell silent.

The Chief Operating Officer leaned back. “Mrs. Elara, you are a smart leader, but lately your decisions have been too aggressive.”

Elara lifted her chin. “The Athena Project is the core of Cole Group’s future. Without it, we will fall behind.”

A gray-haired man at the end of the table spoke coldly. “But with this, we are at risk of falling.”

He looked directly at Elara.

“Therefore, the board proposes that you temporarily step down from your position as CEO.”

The words fell like a hammer.

Ares reflexively turned to Elara.

Elara froze for a moment. “Step down?”

“Yes,” the man continued. “Until conditions stabilize.”

Elara clenched her fists under the table. “Based on a report that isn’t final?”

The Chief Financial Officer shook his head. “The evidence is strong enough.”

Elara looked at each face in the room. “You’re not giving me a chance to explain?”

The female commissioner, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. “Mrs. Elara, this isn’t personal. It’s business.”

Ares felt something throb softly in his head. He closed his eyes unconsciously.

For a brief moment, fragments of images appeared.

Another meeting room.

A rival company.

A fictitious company name on a screen.

A delayed transaction.

Leaked news.

Someone on the inside.

Ares opened his eyes, his breathing slightly heavy.

“This isn’t purely a management failure,” he said suddenly.

All heads turned toward him.

Elara was startled. “Ares?”

The Chief Operating Officer frowned. “Who is he?”

Elara took a breath. “My assistant.”

“This meeting is closed,” the man with glasses said coldly.

Ares stood up. His heart was pounding fast. “I’m sorry, I just want to express an opinion!”

The gray-haired commissioner snorted. “Go ahead.”

Ares swallowed. “The Eastern European investors delayed the disbursement not because the Athena Project failed.”

The room fell silent again.

“They delayed it because there is internal conflict,” Ares continued. “Or pressure from another party.”

The Chief Financial Officer frowned.

Ares closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. “A few days before this report appeared, there was a data leak. Negative news surfaced too quickly.”

Elara looked at him.

“Usually,” Ares continued, “investors will issue a warning first. But this didn’t happen. They immediately delayed it. That means someone wants Cole Group to look unstable.”

One of the commissioners leaned forward. “Are you accusing sabotage?”

Ares shook his head. “I’m not accusing anyone. I’m just guessing.”

Elara spoke up. “Ares, continue.”

Ares took a breath. “If Miss Elara steps down now, it will actually confirm the rumor that Cole Group is unstable.”

The Chief Operating Officer fell silent.

Ares looked around the room. “What should be done is clarification and an internal audit, not replacing the leader abruptly.”

The female commissioner nodded slowly. “He has a point.”

The man with glasses tapped the table. “But our time is limited.”

Ares turned to Elara. “Give her time.”

Everyone looked at Ares.

“One week,” Ares said. “Let Miss Elara prove that the Athena Project is still viable and find the root cause of the funding delay.”

The room fell silent again.

Elara looked at Ares, clearly surprised.

The Chief Financial Officer exchanged glances with the commissioners.

Finally, the gray-haired man said, “One week.”

Elara held her breath.

“We will give you one week,” he continued. “If there are no results, the decision still stands.”

Elara nodded firmly. “I accept.”

The meeting ended. One by one, the board members left.

As soon as the door closed, Elara quickly turned to Ares.

“You,” she said softly but sharply. “How did you know all that?”

Ares rubbed the back of his neck. “I was just… guessing.”

Elara narrowed her eyes. “Your guesses were too precise.”

Ares smiled stiffly. “Maybe I watch too much business news.”

Elara stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed.

“Regardless of that,” she finally said, “you just saved my position.”

Ares fell silent. “I just didn’t want you to be treated unfairly.”

Elara stood up. “A man like you… is becoming more interesting.”

Ares was startled. “Miss?”

Elara only smiled faintly.

Inside her chest, the seal pulsed softly.

Clearer than before.

***

The car drove away from the Cole Group building. The atmosphere inside the cabin was silent. Ares stared out the window, his mind in chaos.

‘Why was I able to speak like that in the meeting room earlier?’

He recalled every sentence that had come out of his mouth. He had never formally studied business. He had never even worked in a large company. Yet earlier, those words flowed so naturally, as if they had already been arranged in his mind.

“Strange,” he murmured softly.

Elara glanced at him. “What is it?”

Ares shook his head. “It’s nothing. I just… don’t understand why I could predict things like that.”

Elara smiled faintly. “Sometimes a person’s instincts are sharp.”

Ares did not reply. Instincts? It felt like more than that. Like something was whispering in his head, giving him fragments of images he himself did not understand the source of.

The car slowed as it entered a quieter road.

Suddenly—

The brakes were slammed.

“What—” Ares reflexively braced himself.

Ahead, two black cars were blocking the road. Their doors opened almost simultaneously. Several men stepped out quickly.

Tom, who was driving, cursed softly. “Damn it.”

Elara straightened. Her face immediately turned cold. “They came too fast.”

Their car door was forced open.

“Our target is Miss Cole,” one of the men said in a low voice. “Don’t move too much.”

Ares reflexively stepped in front of Elara. “Don’t touch her.”

The man laughed dismissively. “Move.”

A hard shove made Ares stagger. His body felt weak, his arms trembling as he tried to block the next attack. He was not a fighter. He knew that.

Meanwhile, two other men dragged Elara out of the car.

“Miss Elara!” Ares shouted.

Elara struggled. “Let go of me!”

Ares tried to move closer, but a punch slammed into his shoulder. He fell onto the asphalt.

“Don’t interfere!” someone barked.

Ares’s vision blurred. Pain spread, not only through his body, but also in his chest. He saw Elara being dragged away, her face remaining firm despite the clear threat.

Inside him, something trembled.

That pulse appeared again. Stronger. Even hotter.

“No…” Ares muttered as he clenched his fists. “Don’t touch her.”

The seal in his chest shook violently, like cracks being forced open. Vague memories flashed quickly—battlefields, screams, and one identical command.

Ares rose slowly. His breathing was heavy, but his body felt different. Lighter. More stable.

He stepped forward.

One of the men turned his head. “He’s getting up again?”

Ares did not answer. He only punched.

A single simple punch, without any complicated technique. Yet the man was thrown to the side.

“What the hell is this?” another shouted.

Ares moved again. His reflexes were sharp, his body seemed to know where to move. He blocked, pushed, and knocked his opponents down one by one.

Elara froze, staring at Ares with widened eyes.

“Ares…” she murmured.

A few seconds later, the attackers retreated in panic.

“Let’s go!” one of them shouted.

They fled as quickly as they had arrived.

Ares stood there, panting. His body trembled. The heat slowly subsided, pulled back into his chest.

He stared at his own hands.

“What… just happened?” he whispered.

Elara approached slowly. “You saved me.”

Ares shook his head slightly, still confused. “I don’t understand either.”

Inside his chest, the seal tightened again. But its cracks were now clearer.

“You said you weren’t good at fighting! But just now?”