Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 44 – I love Sera

Seraphine pressed her lips together, the irritation already simmering in her chest as she shot back, her voice calm but sharp enough to cut.

"It’s not my fault Voren is acting childish."

The moment the words left her mouth, the couple across from her visibly flinched, as though she had just spoken something forbidden out loud. James stiffened first, followed closely by Mila, whose fingers curled tighter around her teacup.

"Do you even know who you’re talking about?" Mila asked, her tone low and cautious.

Seraphine lifted her chin and offered a polite smile, but it never reached her eyes, never softened the guarded edge in her gaze.

"Voren Ashkael?" she said evenly. "I think he has way too many problems on his hands right now to care about what I say about him."

James’s gaze dropped to the table, his jaw tightening as everyone present silently acknowledged the unspoken truth hanging in the air. The Ashkael Holdings challenge was no longer a rumor or distant corporate drama.

It had become a storm cloud looming over every high-level circle in the city, and everyone knew Voren was fighting battles on multiple fronts.

James exhaled slowly, clearly weighing his words before finally speaking.

"My older son has been wanting to visit the Sovereign Circle for a while now, so I already registered him under my gold invite," he said carefully. "Each member gets one gold invite annually, but there’s another way in."

Seraphine straightened instantly, while Corvine leaned forward without even realizing he had moved.

"What’s the way?" Seraphine asked, her voice quieter now, alert and focused.

his thumb along the edge of his phone like he needed something

wife has always been my plus one, but my elder son, Leon, is

stiffened. "You could go as his plus one." The words landed heavily

froze almost immediately, his reaction instinctive as he blurted out, "Can’t there be

with quiet finality, his expression apologetic but firm.

her chair, disbelief flickering across her face before she scoffed softly. "But this is the twenty-first century. You can’t

be a fake relationship, unless

this table, regretted walking into this

tabletop, irritation and unease swirling together inside

gears, already calculating possibilities and outcomes. All she could see was the opportunity laid out

if it was only once, even if it was brief, she could make the right connections inside

back to James. "Aren’t you going to ask if he’s even

out his phone. "I don’t think he’d mind, but a quick

as James dialed. He silently begged whatever higher power might be listening for Leon to refuse, or at least miss the call, anything that would give him time to pull Seraphine

on the first ring, and a smooth, velvety voice came through the speaker almost

here, and you’re on

pleasantly surprised.

smiling at his tone. There was warmth

Seraphine," she replied softly. "But

to come work for me? I’ll double the standard pay, whatever

exhaled. Of course, that was exactly the department she needed to search for her daughter, and hearing it spoken aloud felt like fate reaching out and brushing against her

"but not right now. There are a few