Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 46 – Mr. Ashkael, behave yourself

Voren hesitated for a long beat, the thought of calling Ravyn, of telling him exactly where to meet Seraphine, tugging at the edge of his mind, almost tempting him to drag Ravyn along.

But every instinct he had screamed that it would be a disaster. Ravyn’s presence would only muddy the waters, throw everything into chaos, and ruin the fragile, delicate chance Voren had to confront Seraphine on his own terms, cleanly, without anyone complicating the stakes.

After all, it had been Ravyn who’d lit the fire under her, the reason her wrath had turned toward Ashkael Holdings in the first place, and Voren wasn’t about to let history repeat itself because of some misjudged loyalty.

With a deep, almost imperceptible exhale, he slipped his phone back into his pocket, the decision settling like stone in his gut, and caught up to Pete, who was already parked and waiting patiently in the restaurant’s lot.

The car gleamed under the late afternoon sun, a sleek black silhouette against the concrete, and Voren’s eyes flicked to it without hesitation.

"What’s the situation?" Voren asked, voice calm but taut, like a string stretched to its limit.

Pete’s response was measured, precise, almost unnervingly serene. "I saw them go in," he said, the words falling softly into the tense air between them.

Voren nodded once, almost imperceptibly, his mind already spinning ahead. "Okay. We’ll just act like we’re here to eat. I’ll handle the rest."

"Handle the rest?" Pete’s jaw tightened. He couldn’t trust Voren with Seraphine after he’d seen what happened last time, witnessed the chaos firsthand, and this time, he refused to let pride get in the way of sense.

handle it? She might not want to see

and cold enough to make the hair on the back of

an unspoken history, a depth Pete could never hope to understand without crossing a line that could reveal truths better

waves, heavy enough to make the car feel like it was closing in on them. "I’m sorry," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of

desperate to make sure no one could see

but right now, that respect was a fragile thing, hanging by a thread, dependent on Voren not letting his

contained behind his ribs. "Don’t worry. I want the server restored just as much as you

wood, simmering sauces, and faint perfume

a square table, the picture of composure and guarded attention, but Voren made a point of pretending

chose the table directly opposite Seraphine, seating himself in a position that allowed

to face now, the invisible tension between them as thick

suspiciously toward Nicole, tight and sharp, her instincts still razor-sharp despite being outside

subtly, to hide what she felt, but Seraphine could smell the lie clinging to her, like a faint perfume that didn’t belong

with Pete sitting directly in front of Voren, acting as an almost literal shield, Voren’s cold, unwavering stare pinned Seraphine in place, making her skin crawl in ways she

forgive me," Nicole said quickly, her voice edged with nerves. "Pete helped me before, so I