Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

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.

the caller ID, she

needs your help. There’s been a server attack, and we

him mid-sentence, firm and unwavering. "Billion." The call filter gave her tone a masculine resonance, demanding

"But... you said—"

is for others. Ashkael Holdings starts

she had been waiting for

the delay, the greater the damage. The agent exhaled a long, frustrated sigh, conceding, "I will get back to

sensing the subtle power Seraphine wielded.

Groups’ history, they ranked number

wrapped around them, the faint clink of cutlery, soft murmurs of conversation, the

rang out above the ambient noise. "It’s you! I’ve been looking everywhere

missing the boy with the woman, but the moment she saw him, calm, bright-eyed,

to call you, but we didn’t have your number,"

lips curved into a soft smile, her

I just bumped into her," the woman said, Corvine frowned,

phone, the woman’s face radiated gratitude. "My husband." She looked at Seraphine like she just saw her childhood fictional hero. "Her prescription worked,

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

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

herself caught between the boy’s disarming innocence and the quiet intention she had carried with her all day, the simple act of