Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Voren pushed himself out of his chair so abruptly that the sudden motion sent it rolling slightly behind him, the quiet scrape of its wheels against the polished floor echoing through the office as his entire posture hardened with restrained irritation.

His gaze darkened instantly, and the tension radiating from him made the atmosphere in the room feel heavier than it already was.

”That’s enough,” he said, his voice carrying a firm edge that made it clear he had reached the limit of his patience. ”I’m not giving you their names, because I already dealt with them.”

The words landed between them like a stone thrown into still water.

Seraphine froze where she stood, her fingers tightening around the documents in her hand as her sharp eyes locked onto him with sudden intensity.

The anger that had been simmering inside her since the conversation began did not explode immediately, because her mind caught something far more interesting in what he had just admitted.

Her voice came out slower this time, every syllable heavy with suspicion. ”So there’s more than one person involved in poisoning me.”

The statement was not phrased like a question, because Seraphine already knew the answer from the expression that crossed Voren’s face.

Voren felt the mistake the moment the realization flashed in her eyes. His teeth ground together in frustration as he cursed himself internally for letting that small piece of information slip out so carelessly.

”What if there is,” he replied roughly, his voice edged with irritation as he forced himself to stand firm. ”And like I already told you, I handled it, so you might as well let the whole thing go and stop digging for something that’s already finished.”

Seraphine remained completely still, her gaze fixed on him with an intensity that made the room feel smaller with every passing second.

”No,” she answered, the quiet certainty in her tone cutting through the air with far more force than shouting ever could.

The determination in her expression made something uneasy twist inside Voren’s chest.

Her blue eyes burned with a fierce brightness that reminded him of flames fed by gas, glowing hotter and more dangerous the longer they burned.

”You have one last chance to tell me the truth,” she continued slowly, lifting the documents in her hand just enough for him to see them clearly. ”If you refuse again, I’m shredding these papers and canceling our collaboration right here.”

The threat hung heavily between them. Voren pressed his lips together as he inhaled deeply through his nose, his mind running through the consequences of every possible answer he could give.

For several long seconds, the office remained filled with nothing but silence and tension. ”Fine,” he said at last.

The single word carried reluctant resignation.

Seraphine released a slow breath of relief as the tightness in her shoulders finally loosened, the tension draining from her posture as she lowered the documents back onto the desk and leaned comfortably into the chair again.

For a brief moment, she allowed herself to believe that Voren had finally chosen to cooperate.

Unfortunately for her, Voren had no intention of surrendering the conversation that easily.

”You can go ahead and cancel our collaboration if you want,” he said calmly as he settled back into his executive chair, his expression returning to that familiar mask of casual indifference. ”Even if you destroy those documents and walk away, you still won’t know who they are.”

Seraphine’s brows slowly pulled together as annoyance crept back into her expression.

Then Voren delivered the final piece of his statement with a faint trace of mocking amusement in his voice. ”Unless you’re willing to pay me a trillion to hear their names.”

For a moment, Seraphine simply stared at him. Then a quiet chuckle escaped her lips. The sound carried both amusement and disbelief, because the situation suddenly felt ridiculous from her perspective.

Voren was clearly attempting to use the same manipulation tactics she had perfected over the years, turning the conversation into a negotiation where he controlled the information and the price attached to it.

Watching someone attempt to mirror her methods did not impress her. If anything, the effort felt mildly entertaining.

”Alright,” she said finally, lifting one shoulder in a casual shrug that suggested she had already lost interest in the game. ”Forget it.”

Her voice carried a calmness that felt almost suspicious. ”I’ll deal with the situation another way.”