Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 322: Chapter 322 – Voren’s little surprise

Seraphine blinked several times as she slowly opened her eyes. For a few long moments, she simply lay there staring up at the ceiling, trying to piece together exactly where she was.

The room felt familiar in a strange way, yet it wasn’t quite right. Her gaze drifted around the space, taking in every detail, the furniture, the colors, the soft scent lingering in the air, and her giant monitors.

Everything was different, and yet there was something deeply comforting about it all that made her feel safe.

A small smile tugged at her lips. For one brief second, she thought she might have woken up back at Stone’s mansion. The feeling was so strong that a wave of nostalgia tightened in her chest. Then reality gently settled back in. No, this wasn’t the stone mansion. There were too many differences.

”Voren?” she called out softly, her voice carrying easily through the quiet room.

She expected the door to open right away and for him to appear with that annoyingly handsome smile that always seemed to melt whatever defenses she had left. But nothing happened.

The room stayed silent, and a faint flicker of disappointment sat in her heart.

That was when she noticed the folded note resting on the bed beside her. Curiosity quickly replaced the disappointment. She reached for it and unfolded the paper, and a warm smile instantly spread across her face.

’I prepared a bath for you. Esperanza’s room is second to the right.’

Her smile deepened, not just because of the thoughtful bath or the sweet note, but because of the name he had used. Esperanza.

He had called her daughter by her new name instead of Marigold—the name everyone else had grown so used to. It was the name Seraphine had chosen, and the simple gesture warmed her heart far more than Voren probably realized.

She carefully set the note aside, climbed out of bed, and headed toward the bathroom. The second she stepped inside, she froze in place.

”Oh my Goddess...” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Soft red lighting bathed the entire room in a warm, luxurious glow that reflected beautifully off the marble walls, creating an atmosphere that felt both elegant and deeply relaxing.

Her eyes immediately landed on the massive jacuzzi tub, which was filled with water tinted a rich crimson color. She had no idea what Voren had added to it, but rose petals floated gently across the surface while a rich, soothing fragrance filled the air.

The scent was calming, comforting, and almost magical. Seraphine didn’t waste another second. Within moments, she slipped into the warm water, and the second the heat wrapped around her body, a soft sigh of pure pleasure escaped her lips.

Every muscle in her body began to relax as the warmth soaked deep into her bones, easing aches she hadn’t even realized she was carrying.

She leaned her head back against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. Goddess, this was absolute heaven. All her life, she toiled for others and never stopped for once to five herself a treat, but Voren did that for her in just one night.

For the first time in years, her mind felt completely quiet, no worries, no stress, no lingering fears. Just pure, peaceful calm.

A low groan of satisfaction left her as she sank deeper into the water. She suddenly understood why people spent ridiculous amounts of money on things like this.

If she didn’t have work waiting for her later, she could easily spend the entire day soaking here. Maybe even longer.

Unfortunately, there was one thing she wanted to see even more than this luxurious bath or her monitors—her daughter.

The thought brought an immediate smile to her face. Eventually, she forced herself out of the water, though she silently promised herself she would return later. Tonight, definitely tonight.

By now, she had already made up her mind. There was no point pretending otherwise. Mentally, she had already moved into Voren’s mansion. There was nothing left to debate.

Her daughter lived here, and that alone was more than enough. The fact that Voren lived here too was simply a very attractive bonus. A dangerously attractive bonus. The thought made her cheeks warm with a soft flush.

Voren had somehow become one of the safest places in her life, strong, protective, and steady, like a powerful lion guarding everything he loved.

For someone who had spent most of her life feeling overlooked, forgotten, or underestimated, his attention still felt almost unreal. Voren looked at her like she truly mattered. Like she was precious.

Like he would burn down the world before letting anyone hurt her again. The feeling was completely intoxicating.

By the time she finished getting ready and headed toward Esperanza’s room, she felt lighter than she had in months. For the first time, she hadn’t bothered to check her emails or on her tech team after waking up.

But the sight waiting for her inside wasn’t what she expected. Jasmine was there. At first, Seraphine wasn’t surprised. After all, Jasmine was Marigold’s nanny, so of course she would be spending time with the little girl.

Then something slipped from Jasmine’s hands. Years of sharpened instincts kicked in immediately. Seraphine moved without thinking, catching the paper effortlessly before it could reach the floor. Jasmine visibly relaxed and offered an embarrassed smile.

”Sorry,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. ”Mari doesn’t usually let anyone touch her drawings.” A nervous laugh escaped her. ”I know I shouldn’t have been looking through them, but I saw someone last night and his face looked so familiar. Then I remembered seeing him in one of her drawings.”

For the first time, Jasmine truly looked Seraphine directly in the eyes, and she froze.

Something inside her chest tightened unexpectedly. The feeling caught her completely off guard—warmth, comfort, and an overwhelming amount of love. She couldn’t explain it or understand it, but somehow being near Seraphine felt remarkably similar to being near Esperanza. The same gentle energy. The same feeling that made people instinctively want to trust them.

Now Jasmine finally understood why Voren was losing his mind over this woman,

There was simply something special about her, something impossible to describe. ”Honestly,” Jasmine continued quietly, ”I don’t think Mari has ever met this man before.”

Looking at Seraphine’s expression, Jasmine could tell that her instincts were right. There was something about the drawing related to the man she saw this dawn.