Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 608: Chapter 608 – Can we get a room?

Jasmine desperately wanted a way to apologize to Corvine. His coldness towards her had become a constant ache in her chest, a wound that refused to heal no matter how well she hid it from the world.

She had replayed every moment of their last encounter a thousand times, imagining different words, different actions, different outcomes.

After showering the kids and planning on having a mud bath, she didn’t have the bravery to ask Voren to watch the children for her so she could indulge. She was their nanny, not their mother, and could not overstepped boundaries.

However, luck shone on her when Voren decided to put the kids to sleep in the guest room after they began yawning profusely, their small bodies succumbing to exhaustion. The children had drifted off quickly, their faces peaceful and innocent.

Jasmine took the opportunity to have the mud bath, but as she walked through the corridors, she saw that Liah was having a conversation with her roommate, Estelle. Their voices drifted through the hallway, soft and private.

It was difficult to find Corvine alone ever since they stepped into Paris. He had been constantly surrounded by Liah, Voren, and the children. This was her chance to smoothen things between them, to explain herself, to make him understand that she hadn’t meant to hurt him.

Corvine was admiring the paintings on the wall when the familiar voice sounded behind him. His shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly, a barely visible flinch that Jasmine caught despite herself.

”Corvine, can we talk?”

The whole thing reminded him so much of what happened in Voren’s mansion, except that this time, they were in a Paris living room and were clothed, not naked in the shower.

But the memory was still there, burned into his mind like a scar that refused to fade. He hadn’t been able to get that moment out of his head. His teeth gritted together with the effort of keeping his composure.

”Jasmine, we have nothing to talk about if it’s not about Espe and Bryan, okay?” His voice was flat, dismissive, every word a deliberate reminder of her place in his life. Indirectly, he was reminding Jasmine that their relationship only centered around the kids because she was their nanny. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Jasmine’s heart ached, a sharp pain that radiated through her entire chest. She knew it was her fault. She had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed, had made a mistake that would haunt her forever.

Desperation drove her to do the unthinkable. Her hand reached out, fingers trembling, intending to touch his arm, to bridge the impossible distance between them.

She knew she would never have Corvine’s love, knew that the walls around his heart were impenetrable, but it was still so hard to get over it, so hard to accept.

Then Liah. Jasmine hadn’t liked her at first, not at all. The princess had captured Corvine’s heart so quickly, so effortlessly, and Jasmine had felt the sting of jealousy like a physical wound.

But after the time spent with Liah through the runway show and all the chaos that had followed, Jasmine understood why not just Seraphine and Corvine but even Voren’s heart had begun to warm towards the princess.

One moment, Liah could walk with her head high like some untouchable goddess, her bearing regal and commanding. But another moment, she was bent over backwards, doing whatever would make them happy without help from her maids. She cooked for them, laughed with them, treated them like family instead of friends.

Jasmine understood that while she focused on the kids and how to win the second man she had fallen for, Liah had only been herself, authentic and unapologetic. That was why Corvine had chosen her. That was why Jasmine could never compete.

But still, her hand touched Corvine’s arm, the briefest brush of her fingers against his sleeve.

The reaction was immediate.

Corvine spun around, his eyes blazing with cold fury. He pushed her hand away like it had burned him, his expression twisting with contempt. ”Are you so shameless?” His voice was ice, cutting through her like a blade. ”How dare you touch me again?”

”It’s not—” Jasmine wanted to say that it wasn’t what he thought, that she just wanted to apologize, that she just wanted to make things right. But Corvine was too furious to listen.

”Stay away from me, Jasmine.” Each word was a hammer blow, precise and devastating. ”I tolerate you for the sake of the kids, and that’s all there is to it. Do you understand? That’s all you’ll ever be to me.”

”I just want to—” Her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. She just wanted to apologize. She just wanted to tell him she was sorry for everything.

But Corvine refused to listen. His eyes darted toward the hallway, watching for Liah. He was terrified that the princess might see them and read a different meaning into the scene, or might misunderstand his presence with Jasmine, might doubt his commitment.

”I don’t want to hear it.” Corvine snapped, his voice harsh and dismissive. He didn’t care that she was hurt, didn’t notice the tears spilling over her cheeks. His only concern was Liah, was protecting what he had finally found.

Jasmine wanted to say everything even if he wouldn’t listen to her, wanted to pour out all the words she had been holding inside. But Liah was already returning from having her chat with Estelle, her footsteps echoing in the corridor. Jasmine knew she wouldn’t get the chance now.

With tears blinding her, she took another look at Corvine, a last desperate glance at the man she had fallen for, the man she would never have. Then she turned and ran, her footsteps pounding against the marble floor, right before she bumped into Seraphine.

Unknown to them, Voren had heard everything from upstairs. He had stood at the top of the staircase, his expression unreadable as he listened to the exchange below. He too did not want his plans ruined. Corvine needed to face his problems, not run from them. Running would only make them fester.

It would not be the first or the last time anyone would be obsessed with either of them. That was simply the price of power, of status, of being who they were. Voren had dealt with his share of obsessive admirers, and he knew that avoidance never worked. It only made things worse.

So he refused to be a shield for Corvine to escape. He watched as Corvine’s jaw tightened, as he shot a desperate look at him, seeking an ally, an escape route. Voren simply shook his head, his expression firm.

Corvine turned back to Liah, his gaze meeting hers. ”Corvine, it’s fine if you don’t—” Liah began, her voice soft and understanding.

But Corvine’s voice cut through her words, sharp and determined. ”Can we get a room?”

Liah smiled with satisfaction, a warmth spreading through her chest. ”Of course.”