Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Voren stayed off to the side like he always did when the spotlight wasn’t meant for him, blending into conversations with investors while the rest of the room buzzed with excitement, cameras flashing and reporters circling like hawks, all hoping to get even a single word out of him, but he turned them down one after another without hesitation, not out of arrogance, but because today wasn’t about him.

This was Seraphine’s moment, and he wasn’t about to take even a fraction of it away from her.

From where he stood, his eyes kept drifting back to her, drawn in without effort, taking in the way she carried herself in that tailored pantsuit that hugged her just right, every step she took steady and confident, every word she spoke commanding attention without trying too hard, and for a brief second, something almost like admiration settled deep in his chest, mixed with something quieter, harder to name.

She wasn’t just beautiful, but powerful, the kind of woman who built something out of nothing and made it look effortless, even when it wasn’t. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

And honestly, the more he saw her like this, the more he couldn’t help but think of Ravyn, and how badly his friend had lost someone like her, because this wasn’t a small loss, but the kind that followed you for the rest of your life.

Voren didn’t rush over. He waited. Watched. Let the crowd thin out around her slowly until the noise softened and the space around her finally opened up, because if he was going to speak to her, it had to be on his terms. Calm, respectful, and without interruption.

"Sera," he called once he stepped closer, his voice low but steady, carrying just enough warmth to be noticed as he extended his hand toward her. "Or should I say chairwoman? Congratulations on this mind-blowing launch."

Seraphine lifted a brow, clearly not expecting him, surprise flickering across her face before she placed her hand in his for a brief second, her touch light, almost cautious, before pulling back like she’d reminded herself to keep a boundary in place.

There was something about Voren that always kept her on edge, not fear exactly, but awareness. One second he felt calm and collected, and the next, there was a quiet edge to him that made it hard to read what he was really thinking. She didn’t understand where it came from, and maybe that was exactly why she refused to get too close.

"Coming from you, that means a lot," she replied, holding his gaze just long enough to acknowledge him, though there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes, like she was trying to figure him out and kept coming up short.

"Honestly," Voren continued, slipping his hands into his pockets as his attention stayed locked on her, "I always knew you were going to make it big, but this... this is on a completely different level. I don’t usually say things like this to business partners, but you deserve to hear it."

He paused for a second, his expression softening, something that rarely happen when he was around business partners.

"You’re a storm, Sera. And there’s nothing and no one out there strong enough to stand in your way once you decide what you want."

That pulled a small smile out of her, slow and genuine, her lips curving upward as she held his gaze a little longer this time, because his words didn’t feel forced or exaggerated, they felt real, and that alone made them land differently.

It looked like he had more to say, like something else sat right at the edge of his thoughts, but before he could get it out, his phone rang, cutting the moment clean in half.

"Excuse me," he said, stepping aside as he reached into his suit pocket, glancing at the screen.

Seraphine watched him without meaning to, catching something rare in his expression as he answered, a softness in his eyes that didn’t match the man she thought she knew, followed by the faintest smile stretching his lips.

"It’s alright," he said into the phone, his tone quieter now. "I’ll be there shortly."

When he hung up, that look was gone just as quickly as it came, like it had never been there at all.

"I was planning to stay longer," he said as he turned back to her, "but something important came up. I have to head out. I wish you all the best."

"Thank you again for coming," Seraphine replied politely, watching as he gave a small nod before turning and walking away without looking back.

"You two seem to be getting along pretty well."

The voice came out of nowhere, and Seraphine turned sharply, her shoulders tensing for a second before she saw Leon standing there with that familiar teasing smile on his face.

"You scared me," she said, letting out a breath.

Leon only chuckled, clearly entertained. "I’m still waiting for the day you finally fall in love with me."

Seraphine laughed, shaking her head as she crossed her arms lightly. "You really do have a great sense of humor, Leon."

The event stretched on for a few more hours, filled with conversations, celebrations, and endless congratulations, but by the time it finally wrapped up and Seraphine left with Corvine, the numbers coming in were already beyond anything most people would believe.

On just the first day, downloads had climbed to an unbelievable three billion.

"Sera, you knew this was going to be big," Corvine said as he walked beside her, his eyes glued to the stats on his device, scrolling through numbers that kept climbing faster than he could process. "Why didn’t you start this earlier? Even back in the pack? You’ve already made five hundred million in just a few hours after the la—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he stared at the screen.

"Hold on... that’s not right."

His thumb moved quickly, refreshing the page, then again, like he needed to be sure.

"No way," he muttered, his voice dropping in disbelief. "It just doubled. We’ve already hit a billion in income."

Seraphine let out a quiet breath, a faint smile resting on her lips, though there was a trace of something heavier underneath it, something that came from everything she had lost before getting here.

"Love," she said softly, almost to herself, "they say it’s strong enough to blind you... but I’m just glad I can see clearly again."

Corvine looked at her then, something like pride settling in his expression as he gave a small nod.

"I’m really proud of you."

By the time they got home, though, the night wasn’t over yet because waiting for them was a surprise neither of them saw coming.