Chapter 9
After three weeks, the Phoenix Corporation's robot made a huge debut—so much so that Mark ranked among the top ten tech innovators. The government even demanded more robots from him.
He was getting credit for something that had never even been his. But Phoenix Corporation wasn't the only one basking in fame.
CyberX was suddenly the talk of the town.
A company that came out of nowhere had built one of the best cybersecurity systems in Blackmore. And yet, the owners of CyberX remained a complete mystery.
Mark sat on a red couch, a middle-aged man beside him, holding a stack of documents.
"CEO LaRosa, how do you feel about your robot, Sunny? The government was shocked by how you managed to create such a competitive and intelligent robot on such short notice," Mr. Williams said, turning toward the cameras with a grin.
Mark let out a low chuckle.
"I put in a lot of effort… but I won't lie. Even I'm impressed by how it turned out," he said smoothly, and Mr. Williams nodded.
"These days, technology moves fast, and many companies are entering the game. I'm really proud of our work," Mark added confidently, making Mr. Williams laugh again.
"It's definitely impressive. Now, CEO LaRosa, what do you think about the new company—CyberX? The one responsible for the best cybersecurity in Blackmore?"
Mark chuckled and nodded.
"I can't say much, but their company is truly impressive. I'd love to do business with them. I'm sure the Alphas behind it are very intelligent."
The crowd screamed with excitement.
Skylar watched from the couch, her gaze fixed on the screen. A cold sensation spread through her chest. She felt a bitter knot tighten in her stomach.
Alpha?
Alpha, my foot.
Her fingers dug into the remote, the plastic edges biting into her palm. Every word from Mark felt like an insult, each one making her blood boil. She was suffocating under the weight of her anger.
But then—the TV went dark.
She snapped her head around to see Jordan standing there, holding the other remote. His brow was raised, and his lips curved into that same teasing smile.
"Stop watching this crap. It'll only fuel your anger," he said lightly, almost too casually.
Skylar sighed, her shoulders slumping as she sank deeper into the couch. A sense of defeat washed over her, and she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to shake off the gnawing discomfort.
"Our company's really getting noticed," she murmured, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. A faint smile ghosted her lips—but it was so faint, it barely registered as a smile at all.
"Of course it is. With a tech genius on our side, it was only a matter of time," Jordan said, a mischievous gleam dancing in his eyes.
He looked like a white cat scheming, Skylar thought—carefree, unbothered.
"Are you done with the robot shell, Skylar?" Techna's voice called from the kitchen, pulling her from her thoughts.
Jordan shuddered, rolling his eyes dramatically.
"Don't tell me you're still serious about that NovaX thing..."
Techna, her back to them, didn't seem to notice. She simply rolled her eyes.
"It's just a little data. It won't grab too much attention."
Jordan let out an exaggerated sigh, but Skylar stayed quiet, her gaze drifting down to the floor.
It had been three weeks with these two, and yet something still gnawed at her—something unsettling, a deep, lingering fear.
That nagging voice, always present, always waiting to tear her apart.
They'll leave you. It's only a matter of time.
She breathed in slowly, trying to quiet the voice, to calm her racing thoughts. She forced herself to look up just as Techna's gaze locked onto hers.
Skylar flinched, startled, her heart skipping a beat.
"Do you want to work together on NovaX's shell?" Techna asked, her tone serious.
Skylar blinked, taken off guard. Her chest tightened, and for a long moment, she just stared at Techna. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
After a few beats, Skylar nodded slowly.
At the same time...
An Omega with red hair burst into the police station, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes were wild, tears blurring her vision as she staggered toward the nearest officer. She grabbed his collar with trembling hands, her body shaking.
"Please!! Find out who killed my friend! Someone killed her!" she cried out, her voice breaking.
The officer froze, caught off guard by her raw desperation. Gently, he took her hands, pulling her away from his uniform. He guided her to sit on the bench, his voice soft, but firm.
"What happened? Can you tell me slowly?" he asked, trying to calm her, though his own heart was pounding.
"I don't know!!!" she wailed, clutching her head. Her sobs came in jagged gasps as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "It was an Alpha… she choked her!"
"A female Alpha?" the officer echoed, his voice a mix of disbelief and confusion.
The girl nodded frantically, her sobs wracking her body, uncontrollable.
A sharp voice cut through the tension, and Captain Thorn walked into the scene, holding a stack of documents. He looked at Officer Kingsley, his expression stern.
"Officer Kingsley. Come here," the captain said, his voice low.
The officer hesitated before gently placing a hand on the red-haired Omega's shoulder.
"Wait here, miss," he said, his voice soft, before he walked toward the captain.
"What are you doing here? You should be working on the Walker case!" Captain Thorn snapped, slamming the documents into Kingsley's hands.
Kingsley's jaw tightened, and he shot back, his words harsh.
"But someone has to take this case! We're talking about a murder, not just some hacker!"
The captain rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested.
"What happened?" he asked, brushing off Kingsley's outburst.
"A female Alpha killed an Omega," Kingsley said, his voice stiff. He pointed toward the crying girl sitting on the bench.
Captain Thorn raised an eyebrow.
"What's her family's surname?"
Kingsley frowned, the question only adding to his frustration.
"Does that matter? This is murder, Captain!"
The captain let out a heavy sigh, turning his back to Kingsley.
"Get back to work, Officer Kingsley. And remember—she's not more important than Mr. Walker," he muttered dismissively.
"Just because he's an Alpha..." a Beta coworker said bitterly, glancing toward the sobbing girl.
"That's just how the rules work here in Blackmore," she added with a shake of her head.
Officer Kingsley clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. He let out a long, frustrated sigh, the weight of the situation crashing down on him.