Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 371 - I’m not stupid enough to throw it away

Oriana smiled, a sharp, satisfied little grin that lit up her whole face. For the first time since she’d stepped into the cabin, she felt like she’d finally gotten under Seraphine’s skin, and damn did it feel good. Why stop now when she was winning?

"Sera, you’re upset because you know I’m telling the truth," she said, leaning in like she’d already won the argument.

"No," Seraphine shot back instantly, her voice calm on the surface but carrying a dangerous edge that hadn’t been there before.

She’d been holding back this whole time purely out of respect for Voren, because this woman was his mother. But that patience was wearing razor-thin.

She rose slowly from her chair, ignoring the dull ache still throbbing through her body, and locked eyes with Oriana.

"Out of respect for Voren, I’ve been choosing my words so carefully. But you need to leave. Right now." The smile on Oriana’s face vanished. "Because if you keep pushing me like this, I might just forget that you’re about to be my mother-in-law."

For the first time, Oriana looked genuinely thrown off balance. The words hit her harder than she’d expected. "Mother-in-law?" Her brows knitted together in confusion. "Wait. You’re not actually planning to leave him?"

Seraphine almost told her the truth right then, about Esperanza, about all the things Oriana had no clue about, but she stopped herself. This woman was too bitter, too determined to get what she wanted.

any real information would be like giving a loaded weapon to someone already aiming at your heart. So instead, Seraphine kept it

spell broke, I fell in love with him all over again. So tell me, why the hell would I leave him now just

shock. "You really do have a sharp tongue." Her voice dropped colder

folded her arms across her chest, standing her ground. "Oh, I remember exactly who I’m talking to." The cabin fell into a heavy silence. "I already gave you a chance to walk out of here peacefully. If you choose to stay and

already warned her about Seraphine, that

I’ve shown you respect. But being

"You don’t approve of my relationship with your son? That’s your problem, not mine. I don’t have any agreement with you, and I’m sure as hell not gonna stand here and let

those endless lessons, the crushing expectations, the stupid rules that told women their worth only came from being appraised by

it into us that our value depends on being chosen, that we need a man’s approval to feel

without a man. That’s the difference between us. I don’t need love to survive... but when my heart finds something real, I’m not stupid

unshakable certainty. "If a powerful spell couldn’t keep us apart, then honestly..." She tilted her

shot to her feet so fast her perfect

smile spread across her face. "Let’s see how long he keeps pretending to love you once he meets

beat, then burst out laughing. Real, genuine laughter that

said, shaking her head. "Like how

it looks. You care about prestige and having the perfect Luna on his arm so you can parade her in front of your