Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 127: Chapter 127 – You Can Slice My Throat, But I Would Never Tell You

Voren had heard her earlier talking about rewarding whoever had stepped in to save her life, yet the thought of accepting any kind of reward from Seraphine sat wrong with him because, in his mind, what he had done had never been about recognition or payment but about responsibility, the kind of instinct that moved before thought ever had the chance to interfere.

On top of that, he understood Seraphine well enough to know how easily she could twist the meaning behind his actions if he revealed too much, and the last thing he wanted was for her to start reading emotions or intentions that simply were not there, so keeping quiet felt like the safest path.

”You can slice my throat, but I would never tell you,” Voren said with a calm certainty that sounded almost casual, though the firmness beneath it left no room for negotiation.

Seraphine’s lips curved slowly, that playful and slightly wicked smile of hers appearing as if she had been waiting for exactly that answer, and she tilted her head in mild amusement before replying, ”That’s exactly why I won’t tell you about my evil plans for your best friend.”

The moment hung between them for a second before the conversation moved on, yet there was something in the air that suggested neither of them fully believed the other’s words.

By the time Seraphine arrived at Gordon’s office later that day, her phone had already buzzed several times with messages from Augustine, who had sent the necessary documents over email, and she wasted no time filling out the form, signing it, and sending it back before stepping out again to continue the rest of her investment visits, the entire afternoon passing in a blur of meetings, signatures, and polite smiles that hid the sharp calculations always running quietly behind her eyes.

When her schedule finally loosened enough for her to breathe, the sun had already started sliding toward evening, which meant it was time for her to head to the hospital for her shift.

Inside the car, Corvine sat beside her in thoughtful silence for a while, his brows slowly knitting together as he replayed the events from earlier in his mind, because no matter how much he turned it over in his head, he still could not understand the reasoning behind one particular decision she had made.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of him. ”Tell me something, Sera,” Corvine said carefully, his voice filled with genuine confusion as he glanced at her from the driver’s seat. ”Why did you leave Gray and Riven so comfortable at Walkers Global Enterprise?”

Seraphine turned her head slightly toward him, her brows pulling together in faint irritation as if she could not quite believe he was asking something that obvious.

”You of all people should know without asking,” she replied, the mild annoyance clear in her tone. ”The whole plan has always been for Ravyn to return to the pack eventually, and Gray and Riven are experienced CEOs who know exactly how to keep a company stable without drawing too much attention to themselves.”

She paused briefly before continuing, her voice lowering slightly as she revealed the deeper layer of the plan.

”If Ravyn feels comfortable enough staying with them there for a while, it gives Damon plenty of time to get the DNA test done without anyone suspecting anything.”

The realization struck Corvine immediately, and a wave of embarrassment followed right behind it as he silently cursed himself for overlooking something so simple.

”I’m sorry,” he admitted with a quiet sigh. ”I was starting to think you were going soft.”

A scoff escaped Seraphine before she even had time to filter it, and the disbelief in her expression made it obvious how ridiculous she found the idea.

”Soft on Ravyn?” she said with a faint shake of her head. ”Never.”

Her gaze drifted toward the window for a moment as the city passed outside, though her voice softened just slightly when she continued.

”Besides, I don’t want Walkers Global Enterprise completely destroyed, because that company was built with my parents’ sweat.”

Corvine knew immediately she was referring to her adoptive parents, the ones who had taken her in and given her the love no one else including her own parents gave her, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, Seraphine spoke again before he could get the chance.

”One day,” she said quietly, turning toward him with a warmth that rarely surfaced in her usually guarded eyes, ”I’m going to buy Walkers Global Enterprise and give it back to them as a gift, with all their investments redirected there.”

Corvine lifted an eyebrow slightly, studying her expression with curiosity.

”They didn’t seem like the type who would accept the money back,” he pointed out.

”I know,” Seraphine replied gently, her smile carrying a hint of understanding that suggested she had already thought about that possibility many times before. ”But it feels good to know you don’t owe anyone.”

The words lingered in the car longer than expected, and Corvine suddenly understood something that had never fully clicked before.

Everything Seraphine had been doing for him lately, stocks, the support, and the loyalty, had never been about friendship alone but about balance, about paying back every ounce of kindness he had ever shown her so she could stand without feeling indebted to anyone.

For some reason, that realization left a strange bitterness sitting at the back of his throat, because when he really thought about it, Seraphine had already given far more than she had ever taken from him or his family.

When the car finally stopped and Seraphine stepped out, she paused beside the door and leaned slightly toward the open window.

”Can you check out some office spaces for me?” she asked casually. ”I want to rent something for now until the company grows enough for us to get our own building.”

Every time she used the word our, Corvine felt an unexpected warmth spread through his chest, a quiet sense of pride that he could not quite explain.

”Alright,” he replied with a small smile. ”I’ll start looking right away.”

Seraphine nodded once before heading into the hospital.

However, not long after she reported for duty, Corvine’s phone rang again, and when he answered it, Seraphine’s voice came through the line.

”Please don’t pick me up tonight,” she said. ”I have three surgeries scheduled, and I probably won’t finish until morning.”

”That’s fine,” Corvine replied easily. ”Just focus on your work.”

The night passed slowly, and by the time Corvine arrived at the hospital the next morning to pick up the exhausted Seraphine, he had already gathered information about several possible office locations.

As soon as she slid into the passenger seat, he glanced toward her with a complicated expression.

”Sera,” he began, sounding slightly hesitant, ”I checked out all the suitable office spaces in the area...” He paused briefly before finishing the sentence. ”And every single one of them belongs to Voren.”

Corvine exhaled slowly before adding, ”Will you talk to him?”