Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 48: Chapter 48 - She was Nova Ghost

Seraphine smiled like she couldn’t believe she was even having this conversation, then she leaned back slightly in her chair and started explaining in a calm voice that made Ravyn’s blood boil even faster.

”Well, I never asked Daisy for that video, and since she went ahead and sent it to me on her own, I figured it was only fair that if I got to watch it, then other people could too.”

Ravyn looked like he might explode right there in the room. His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw locked so tight it probably hurt, and his breathing was sharp and uneven, like he was holding back either a scream or tears or both.

Voren noticed it all, but instead of reacting the way Ravyn expected, he found himself studying Seraphine. There was just something about her that amused him in a strange, frustrating way, even while everything around them was spiraling out of control.

He didn’t know exactly what it was. Maybe it was because part of him was just as angry at Ravyn for being careless enough to let something like this happen in the first place, or maybe it was because Daisy had been stupid enough to send the video at all.

Either way, Voren was beyond ready to hear what Seraphine was really planning, and she didn’t waste time dancing around it.

”In the normal world,” she said evenly, folding her arms, ”accepting a job to make a video go viral costs a whole lot of money. So you’re gonna have to pay me for spreading it, and you’re also gonna have to pay me for taking it down.”

Ravyn snapped. ”What the fuck?” he snarled, his voice breaking like he was hanging by a thread. ”No way in hell are you getting another dime from me.”

Seraphine just shrugged, completely unfazed by his outburst, like she’d seen tantrums far worse than this.

”Alright,” she replied casually. ”Then don’t stand in my way. I’ve got places to be.” She started to rise from her seat, but Ravyn immediately stepped forward.

”No, no, no,” he said, shaking his head hard. ”Daisy sent that video by accident.”

Seraphine chuckled softly, almost sadly. ”Oh, Ravyn,” she said, tilting her head. ”You’ll always believe whatever she tells you.”

”That’s because Daisy doesn’t lie,” Ravyn fired back, his voice thick with rage. ”Unlike you.” Nothing about his reaction surprised Seraphine anymore.

She had grown used to this version of Ravyn, the blind loyalty, the stubborn refusal to see truth even when it was shoved right in his face. She had lived with it for years, swallowed it down for years, made excuses for him for years.

”What if I had proof?” she asked quietly, Ravyn pressed his lips together before answering. ”I’d like to see it.”

Without another word, Seraphine pulled out her phone, opened her chat with Daisy, and handed it to him with the video still sitting right there in the thread.

She watched him closely as his eyes scanned the messages. For a moment, surprise flickered across his face.

Just a moment. Then his expression hardened again, settling back into stubborn denial. ”Daisy sent it by mistake,” he said flatly. ”You’re doing all this just to set her up.”

That was when it hit.

Seraphine didn’t want to feel hurt. She told herself she wouldn’t, but it still slipped in anyway, settling quietly in her chest like something heavy and bitter.

She had stood beside him through everything, given him her strength, her loyalty, her honesty, and even her dreams when the pack needed her. She had sacrificed pieces of herself over and over again, believing he would someday see her clearly.

But Ravyn was just like most men. They would rather live with trash than make it work with a good woman.

She straightened slowly. ”Ravyn,” she said unapologetically, her voice calm but sharp, ”your stupidity honestly amazes me. I think your last name should be changed to something more fitting. Maybe... Silly Goose.”

Corvine let out a quiet laugh before he could stop himself. Voren’s jaw tightened, and Ravyn’s face went rigid.

But Seraphine wasn’t done. ”Yeah,” she continued coolly. ”Ravyn Silly Goose sounds way more accurate. And honestly, you don’t deserve to be a Walker.”

She stood up, and just as she turned to leave, Voren finally spoke. ”You’re not going anywhere yet,” he said. ”What about my company server?”

Seraphine let out a long, frustrated sigh and turned back toward him. ”I’ll go easy on you,” she said. ”Transfer ten billion into my account within twenty-four hours, and I’ll have your server restored along with everything you lost in under an hour.”

Voren’s fingers curled into tight fists, his knuckles turning white. He had already spent billions hiring cyber experts trying to fix the mess, and now she was demanding almost the same amount Nova Ghost had quoted.

A bitter scoff escaped him. ”I’d rather pay Nova Ghost than give that money to you.”

Seraphine smiled, not a sweet one, but a victorious one. ”Perfect,” she replied. ”Go right ahead. And since you deserve to know, Nova Ghost works for me, so either way the money ends up in my pocket.”

She glanced at him with calm confidence. ”You’ve got twenty-four hours, Mr. Ashkael, and your time starts now. Tick tock. Tick tock.”

Voren stared at her, stunned. All he had done was stand up for his best friend, and now he was staring down a ten-billion bill. Worse, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that Nova Ghost was somehow connected to Seraphine, considering she had spent most of her life inside the pack.

Before he could say anything, Ravyn jumped in. ”There’s no way Nova Ghost works for you,” he said harshly. ”Do you even know who he is?”

Seraphine only smiled, her eyes slowly sweeping across their confused faces. Corvine, on the other hand, had been smiling the whole time. If only they knew.

If only they realized that the woman standing in front of them wasn’t just connected to Nova Ghost. She was Nova Ghost.

”Sera,” Corvine said quietly as he stood, ”we should head out.”

But Ravyn stepped forward and blocked their path, his teeth clenched so tight his jaw muscles twitched. ”To take down the video,” he demanded, ”how much are we talking about, and what guarantee do we have that it’ll actually disappear?”

Seraphine met his gaze, and this time, there was no softness left in her eyes.