Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Seraphine went still for a second, the question catching her completely off guard as her brows pulled together and her thoughts immediately started racing, trying to figure out what could have possibly led Leon to ask something like that.

"Why are you asking?" she said, keeping her voice calm even though curiosity had already started creeping in.

Leon glanced down for a moment like he was trying to decide how much he could actually say without crossing a line.

He could not exactly mention how Voren had saved her at the Billionaire’s club meeting, and how he lingered at the hospital everywhere she was. How could Leon tell her that Voren had been watching her in a way he could not explain?

That would only create more questions than answers. Still, there was enough he could tell her.

"Well... Santiago’s awake now," Leon said slowly, taking his time with every word. "And he’s saying Mr. Ashkael is the one who broke his bones."

He paused for a second, letting the weight of that settle between them before continuing.

"He also said that when he gets out, he is coming after him... and his girlfriend."

Seraphine’s entire expression hardened immediately. Every other detail disappeared from her mind as soon as she heard that part.

Even now, laid up in a hospital bed with half his body broken, Santiago was still obsessed with revenge, still obsessed with hurting people.

Still planning for a future where he somehow walked free and got another chance to destroy lives, having no regrets whatsoever.

"Did he tell the FBI that?" she asked, her voice steady, although the seriousness seeping through it could not be missed.

Leon nodded. "Yeah, he did. The supervisor said they are adding it to the list of charges against him, though. Honestly, I do not think he is ever getting out again."

That loosened something inside her chest, but not enough to make her forget about it. It was just enough to let her breathe easier.

Seraphine let out a slow breath, and the faintest smile curled her lips. "That is good to hear."

She took a small step back after that, already prepared to leave the conversation there before it became anything more complicated. "I will see you tomorrow."

Leon shook his head almost immediately. "Actually, take the next two days off. You need it," he said, and his voice sounded softer now, more thoughtful than it had a minute ago.

Then a faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "And just so we are clear, nothing really changes between us. If you ever need a fake boyfriend again, I am still available."

That pulled a small laugh out of her before she could stop it. No matter what had happened between them, Leon was still someone she cared about, still someone she did not want to lose as a friend and a boss.

"Thanks for saying that," she replied, and this time there was nothing forced about the warmth in her voice.

By the time she finally made it home, the exhaustion she had been holding back all day came crashing down on her harder than before.

Now that the adrenaline was gone, every step felt heavier. Her legs ached, her head hurt, and her body felt like it was finally demanding payment for everything she had forced herself through earlier.

She barely had enough energy left to shower, change into something comfortable, and collapse onto the bed, and the second her body hit the mattress, the world around her disappeared.

She had not even realized how drained she truly was until sleep took her completely.

Hours passed, four, maybe more, then her phone rang.

Seraphine stirred with a soft groan, stretching lazily beneath the blankets while reaching for her phone on instinct before her eyes were even fully open.

When she finally looked at the screen, surprise crossed her face.

Zane.

She answered quickly, her voice still rough with sleep. "You are starting work already?"

"In three days," Zane replied, his tone steady even though there was something unusual in the way it sounded. "But that is not why I called."

Seraphine pushed herself up against the headboard just enough to stay awake, brushing a hand through her hair while she tried to clear the sleep from her mind.

"Alright," she said quietly. "Go on."

There was a short silence on the other end before Zane spoke again, almost like he needed those extra seconds to get his thoughts together.

"I do not know how you managed it," he said, "but thank you for helping the FBI take Santiago down."

Seraphine let out a quiet breath. "It was not a big deal." But to Zane, it clearly meant far more than that.

"You do not get it," he said, and this time the emotion in his voice came through stronger, rougher around the edges. "I tried so many times to get to him. I hacked everything I could, dug into anything I thought might expose him, looked for anything that would make him pay for what he did, but I always came up empty."

He paused for a second before continuing. "My dad has a serious gambling problem, and I have been the one paying his debts this whole time. There was still around five hundred thousand left, and then Santiago went after him too."

That was when everything finally started making sense for Seraphine.

Zane’s desperation for money and how he squeezed it out of his victims, all women. Most of them being the likes of Daisy.

"I was trying to get some money from Daisy because of have things about her that could destroy her," Zane continued, his voice quieter now, like he was tired just thinking about all of it. "But when I called her, Alpha Ravyn answered instead. That is how I failed to pay this time and my dad go trashed by Santiago’s thugs."

He let out a slow breath. "Then I heard Daisy was under pack arrest, so I started looking for a legal way to deal with everything, and after that, the news about Santiago came out."

By the time he spoke again, there was something firmer in his voice, something settled. "Boss... I am working with you, no matter what. From today, I pledge my complete loyalty to the success of whatever you call me to do." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

That pulled a real smile from Seraphine this time, warmer than the one she had given Leon earlier.

"Your loyalty means more to me than anything else," she said, her voice calm but full of meaning. "Get in touch with Corvine and sort out your contract. We are going public in a week, so things are about to get busy really fast."

Zane let out a small breath, and she could hear the relief in it immediately.

But even then, he had not forgotten the other thing she had asked him for.

"About the information you wanted on Daisy," he said carefully, "do you want me to send it now?"