Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 206 – You two fit so well together and yet...

Everything stopped.

Seraphine froze, her breath catching as the words hit her all at once, her mind struggling to process them.

The cutlery slipped from her fingers, hitting the table with a sharp, echoing clatter that sounded far louder than it should have in the sudden silence.

Corvine felt it immediately. The tension, the weight of what he had just said pressing down on his chest until it almost made it hard to breathe.

Nervousness crept in fast, sharp and unrelenting, and before the silence could stretch any further, he spoke, his voice coming out quicker than he intended. "Sera, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t have the right."

Seraphine blinked, as though pulled out of a deep, distant place, her thoughts slowly settling back into the present as her eyes found his.

There was no anger there, no hurt, no frustration, just something soft, and calm, making it even harder for him to hold her gaze.

"Corvine," she began gently, her voice carrying a quiet understanding that wrapped around his nerves instead of cutting into them, "I can’t hate you for how you feel. It happens, feelings don’t ask for permission."

She paused, her expression turning more thoughtful, more serious as her words continued, slower now, heavier with meaning. "But you of all people should understand the danger of a one-sided love."

Silence followed, stretching long enough to become suffocating, thick enough that no one at the table seemed willing to break it.

Corvine inhaled slowly, steadying himself before nodding. "I understand," he said quietly. "That’s exactly why I never said anything before."

His gaze softened, resting on her with a kind of quiet acceptance. "What we have... our friendship... it means more to me than anything I feel. That’s why I’ve been trying to keep things the way they are. To be someone you can rely on... like a big brother."

Kylie’s breath hitched softly, a tear slipping down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away, though it did little to hide the emotion building in her eyes. "Life can be so unfair," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "You two fit so well together and yet..."

into quiet tears before she could finish, and Corvine reached out

tone calm despite everything. "I love Sera... and I

no bitterness in his voice,

change anything between us. If anything... I’m just glad I finally said it out loud. Keeping it hidden all this

admiration settling into his expression before he turned to Desmond and Nessa. "You’ve raised a remarkable son,"

laugh, the tension easing just enough for a hint of his usual humor to return. "Honestly, I hope that day takes its time getting here,"

as she looked at him. "Thanks...

The words were simple.

they carried a finality neither of them could

as steady and comforting as they seemed now, had a way of becoming painful when life inevitably moved forward and new emotions

no one voiced

truths were

✧༺♥༻✧

goodbyes, the moment lingering longer than usual as hugs tightened and eyes softened, Corvine

until Seraphine began going over things, her tone slipping naturally into something

forget," she said, glancing his way briefly, "send each investor a bouquet, a bottle of expensive

her voice steady with trust. "You’re the CEO now.

are you really not

would I be?" she replied, her tone easy, almost teasing, but still sincere. "I’ve been in your position before.

at him. "The difference is, you know what matters, and

That was enough.

his face, something genuine settling into

didn’t answer, but her small

he pulled over at

standing beside his car, his posture straight, his attention immediately locking onto them the moment