Chapter 18: Wolves at the Door
The boardroom was a cauldron of tension. Directors sat in stiff silence, eyes flicking nervously from one face to another. The air smelled faintly of cologne, coffee, and fear.
At the head of the table, Rajiv Malhotra leaned back in his chair, hands steepled, his smile brittle. He looked calm, but Aanya recognized the glint in his eyes — a predator waiting for blood.
She walked in with Arjun at her side, Meera following with a sleek black folder. Her heels clicked against the polished floor like the beat of war drums.
Every pair of eyes turned to her. She felt their doubt, their suspicion — the whispers fueled by Rajiv's leak.
"Thank you for coming," Rajiv said smoothly, his voice dripping with mock courtesy. "We have… pressing concerns today."
"Indeed we do," Aanya replied, placing the folder on the table. "And those concerns are the empire you've been stealing out from under this board's nose."
Gasps rippled around the room.
She slid the folder open, laying out documents, charts, and printouts from Verma's USB. "Shell companies. Offshore accounts. Billions funneled into Europe. All traced back to Rajiv Malhotra."
One director leaned forward, squinting at the papers. "If this is true…"
"It is," Meera cut in, projecting decrypted files onto the screen. "Verified by three independent auditors."
Rajiv's smile never faltered. "How convenient. Evidence suddenly appears, gift‑wrapped, from an unnamed source. Tell me, Aanya — who delivered this treasure trove?"
Aanya's pulse skipped. He knows.
The system chimed.
[Warning!]
Board Suspicion Level Rising.
Persuasion Effectiveness Reduced by 15%.
She steadied her voice. "That's irrelevant. What matters is the truth."
Rajiv leaned forward, his tone silken but sharp. "Or is it relevant that your mysterious savior is none other than Manav Verma? The Phantom Investor — a man who buys companies just to gut them."
The room erupted. Directors muttered in alarm.
"She's working with Verma?" one whispered.
"If that's true, she's handing Malhotra Global over to a foreign wolf," another hissed.
Rajiv spread his hands, feigning concern. "I warned you she'd return only to drag this company into ruin."
Aanya slammed her palm on the table, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Enough! I am not Rajiv. I don't sell pieces of my family's legacy to the highest bidder. I fight for it. If you can't see the difference, then maybe you've already sold your souls to him."
The system chimed.
[Ding!]
Skill Activated: Boardroom Authority (Tier 2).
Persuasion +40%.
The murmurs quieted, some directors shifting uncomfortably under her gaze.
But Rajiv wasn't finished. His smile sharpened. "Touching speech. But words are wind. Shall I show you what kind of woman our dear Aanya really is?"
He snapped his fingers. A projector flickered on.
A video played — grainy footage of Aanya in the rooftop garden of the Taj, sitting with Manav Verma. The angle was distant, but clear enough: the two of them leaning in, his hand brushing across the table toward hers.
Gasps filled the room.
Rajiv's voice dripped poison. "Private dinners. Secret meetings. Whispered promises. And she claims she isn't in his pocket."
Aanya's chest went cold. They followed me.
The system chimed.
[Critical Warning!]
Reputation -25.
Ally Raghav Kothari: Trust Level Falling.
One director rose sharply. "If this is true, we cannot trust her!"
Another muttered, "We can't risk Verma swallowing us whole."
Aanya forced herself to breathe, to steady the storm inside. "That video proves nothing. I met him to protect this company. And if you'd rather believe Rajiv's lies than my truth, then perhaps you don't deserve Malhotra Global."
For a moment, silence reigned.
Then Raghav Kothari spoke, his deep voice firm. "I believe her."
All eyes turned.
Raghav met the board's gaze evenly. "Rajiv has always been too slick, too eager to close deals in the shadows. Aanya's evidence is damning. I say we vote — strip Rajiv of his overseas authority and launch a full investigation."
Rajiv's mask cracked, fury flashing in his eyes. "You'll regret this, Raghav."
But the murmurs spread — doubt now gnawing at Rajiv's carefully spun web.
The system chimed.
[Ding!]
Subtask Progress: Board Allies Secured — 2/3
Ally: Raghav Kothari
Reputation Stabilized.
Relief washed over Aanya — but it didn't last.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced down — and her blood turned to ice.
A message.
A picture.
Arjun — tied to a chair, blood trickling from his lip.
A single line beneath it:
Step down, or he dies.
Her breath caught. Her vision tunneled.
Arjun, sensing her sudden stillness, leaned closer. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
She slipped the phone under the table for him to see. His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening with deadly resolve.
Rajiv's smile returned, razor sharp. "What's the matter, Aanya? Cat got your tongue?"
Her heart pounded. She could save her company — or save Arjun.
The system chimed again.
[Emergency Quest Triggered!]
Wolves at the Door
Objective: Choose between exposing Rajiv fully in front of the board or rescuing Arjun.
Time Limit: 2 Hours.
Warning: Choices here will permanently alter future alliances.
Aanya swallowed hard, meeting Rajiv's gloating gaze.
She whispered to herself, so low only Arjun heard: "No one takes from me again."
And in that instant, she knew — she would fight for both.
Far away, in the shadows of his penthouse, Manav Verma watched the live feed of the boardroom on his screen, swirling his wine with a faint smile.
"Let's see," he murmured, "how the queen plays with wolves at her door."