Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever-Chapter 81 – We are so screwed

The woman standing in front of him in that midnight-blue gown looked like someone he had never known a day in his life.

The dress hugged her in a way that made heads turn without her even trying. The fabric shimmered every time she moved, catching the firelight and the glow from the overhead fixtures, making her look almost unreal.

During their entire seven years of marriage, she had never dressed like that for him. Not once. Not on anniversaries. Not at pack events. Not in private. Back then, she had been simple, understated, almost invisible beside him.

And now she stood there glowing like she had been saving this version of herself for somebody else.

It pissed him off more than it should have.

Ever since the last time he ran into her years ago, when he had sworn to himself that he would never cross paths with her again, he had treated her like a closed file in his life. Done. Finished. Irrelevant. He had convinced himself she would stay far away from his world.

Yet somehow she always found her way back into it.

Seraphine had actually planned to keep things calm tonight. She had told herself she would nod politely, act like she barely knew him, and move on.

When she looked around earlier, she had already spotted a few familiar faces. Powerful Alphas who understood their world and the politics that came with it. They would read between the lines without needing an explanation.

But there were humans here too. Men like Leon. Men who would never fully understand pack hierarchy, Alpha dominance, or the kind of history that could not be explained over wine and small talk.

She could not sit Leon down and casually say, "Oh by the way, my ex-husband is a powerful Alpha with control issues." That conversation would never go well.

And Ravyn, being Ravyn, just had to make a scene.

If not for the fact that she needed him financially stable right now, needed him to return to the pack long enough for Damon to push that DNA test between him and Bryan, she would have already wrecked his stocks out of pure spite.

She had the means to do it, and she had thought about it more than once. But timing mattered, and she needed him secure for now. So instead of attacking his money, she would have to find another angle.

James stood stiffly beside his son, nerves practically written across his forehead. He was terrified Seraphine would blow up Leon’s chances at partnerships tonight.

He had even considered stepping in and politely removing her from the situation. But then he remembered how she had helped Tyler without hesitation, and he swallowed the words he had been about to say.

"Mr. Walker," Leon said, pulling Seraphine a little closer to his side, his arm firm around her waist, "do you have a problem with my woman?"

The way he said it was not fake bravado. His father could see that clearly now. Leon actually liked her. For a man who understood how much was at stake tonight, that kind of loyalty was bold. Maybe even stupid. But it was real.

"Your woman?" Ravyn repeated, letting out a dry laugh that carried farther than he intended.

A few nearby conversations died down.

Mark Whitmore, always entertained when the drama did not involve him directly, smiled slightly. "If we didn’t all know about Mr. Walker’s wife, Daisy," he said smoothly, "I might’ve thought he was admiring this beautiful lady himself."

A ripple of low laughter moved through the room and Seraphine smiled bitterly. Ravyn never saw her worthy of being by his side throughout their seven years of marriage.

No one knew her in relationship to him but the mistress was even known as his wife in the city. It wasn’t funny but Seraphine felt proud of herself for walking away from that miserable marriage.

"What the hell, no," Ravyn snapped immediately, frowning hard. "She—"

"I’m his evil sister," Seraphine cut in, smiling sweetly.

The word evil hung in the air in a way that made it clear she meant something deeper than a joke.

Leon blinked. "Sera... why didn’t you tell me you had ties to someone like Mr. Walker?" He looked between them, confused. "I thought the last name Walker was just a coincidence. You two don’t even look alike."

It was a fair question but Seraphine had no intention of answering it. "She is not my sister," Ravyn growled.

Seraphine laughed, and the sound was sharp enough to quiet the people closest to them. The escorts scattered around the room stared openly.

In their eyes, any woman without a wife title was basically in the same category, and watching one of them challenge the acting chairman so openly was shocking.

"Should I call mom and dad?" Seraphine asked lightly, tilting her head. "It’s not my fault they disowned you for me."

That did it.

Understanding started clicking into place for the people listening in. You could almost see it on their faces. Ravyn felt the embarrassment settle heavy in his chest.

Every word she spoke chipped at his image, and he hated losing control in public more than anything.

He stepped toward her.

Leon reacted instantly, pulling Seraphine closer against him. Partnerships were important. Connections mattered. But if Ravyn tried anything physical, Leon would not hesitate to stand in front of her.

"I apologize on her behalf," Leon said quickly, forcing a nervous laugh. "I’ve spoiled my girlfriend a little too much. You probably should’ve spoiled her too. I mean, you’re her brother."

"I am not her brother," Ravyn roared.

The force in his voice made Leon’s mouth snap shut.

Seraphine, however, did not look shaken at all. "I was adopted," she said casually. "So what? Mom and dad love me. Even if you don’t."

A subtle wave of relief passed through some of the onlookers. Adoption explained the lack of resemblance. It made the story easier to swallow.

Ravyn did not look relieved.

He smiled, but it was the kind of smile that made people uncomfortable. He moved closer again, stepping into her space. Leon tried to reposition, but Ravyn blocked him easily. He was stronger, taller, dominant in a way humans could feel even if they did not understand it.

He leaned down slightly, voice low and rough, as he towered over Seraphine.

"Didn’t I tell you," he muttered, "that no man in my league would ever want you? That the best you’d get is some pathetic pack member? Tsk, tsk, tsk, your man is worse. A weak human, and you’d be stuck in this world for the rest of your miserable life, b—"

He never finished the insult, the word bitch barely leaving his mouth when Seraphine’s heel came down hard on his foot.

Pain shot through him instantly, and as he jerked instinctively, her knee drove straight into his groin with brutal precision. Before he could recover, her fist connected with his face, landing a strong punch. The crack of impact echoed louder than anyone expected. Then she shoved him backward with all her strength.

Gasps exploded around them.

Mark Whitmore stared, eyes wide. "Did she just hit our acting chairman?"

James ran a hand down his face, panic settling in. "We are so screwed," he muttered under his breath, watching Ravyn stumble back while the entire room processed the fact that a woman they had underestimated had just knocked the most powerful man there off balance.