Alpha's Regret: Chapter 44 – I love Sera

Chapter 44: Chapter 44 – I love Sera

Seraphine pressed her lips together, the irritation already simring in her chest as she shot back, her voice calm but sharp enough to cut.

"It’s not my fault Voren is acting childish."

The mont the words left her mouth, the couple across from her visibly flinched, as though she had just spoken sothing forbidden out loud. Jas stiffened first, followed closely by Mila, whose fingers curled tighter around her teacup.

"Do you even know who you’re talking about?" Mila asked, her tone low and cautious.

Seraphine lifted her chin and offered a polite smile, but it never reached her eyes, never softened the guarded edge in her gaze.

"Voren Ashkael?" she said evenly. "I think he has way too many problems on his hands right now to care about what I say about him."

Jas’s gaze dropped to the table, his jaw tightening as everyone present silently acknowledged the unspoken truth hanging in the air. The Ashkael Holdings challenge was no longer a rumor or distant corporate drama.

It had beco a storm cloud looming over every high-level circle in the city, and everyone knew Voren was fighting battles on multiple fronts.

Jas exhaled slowly, clearly weighing his words before finally speaking.

"My older son has been wanting to visit the Sovereign Circle for a while now, so I already registered him under my gold invite," he said carefully. "Each mber gets one gold invite annually, but there’s another way in."

Seraphine straightened instantly, while Corvine leaned forward without even realizing he had moved.

"What’s the way?" Seraphine asked, her voice quieter now, alert and focused.

Jas hesitated, rubbing his thumb along the edge of his phone like he needed sothing solid to anchor himself before delivering the next part.

"Well," he started slowly, "every mber or guest is allowed a plus one. My wife has always been my plus one, but my elder son, Leon, is still single."

Seraphine’s brows lifted slightly, and Corvine’s shoulders stiffened. "You could go as his plus one." The words landed heavily on the table.

Corvine froze almost imdiately, his reaction instinctive as he blurted out, "Can’t there be another way?"

Jas shook his head with quiet finality, his expression apologetic but firm. "It’s the only way."

Seraphine leaned back in her chair, disbelief flickering across her face before she scoffed softly. "But this is the twenty-first century. You can’t just arrange sothing like that."

Jas chuckled lightly, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, it’s not like that," he said with a knowing smile. "It’ll be a fake relationship, unless you sohow fall in love with him. Trust , Leon isn’t just a skilled surgeon, he also has the looks to match."

Corvine’s stomach dropped. He instantly regretted agreeing to sit at this table, regretted walking into this conversation, regretted every choice that had led to this mont.

His jaw clenched as he stared at the tabletop, irritation and unease swirling together inside his chest.

But Seraphine barely noticed his reaction. Her mind had already shifted gears, already calculating possibilities and outcos. All she could see was the opportunity laid out in front of her, glowing like a doorway she had been desperately searching for.

It did not matter that it was unconventional. It did not matter that it was awkward. Even if it was only once, even if it was brief, she could make the right connections inside that circle.

She lifted her gaze back to Jas. "Aren’t you going to ask if he’s even interested in having

as his fake plus one?"

Jas smiled knowingly as he pulled out his phone. "I don’t think he’d mind, but a quick check won’t hurt."

Corvine’s pulse began to pound in his ears as Jas dialed. He silently begged whatever higher power might be listening for Leon to refuse, or at least miss the call, anything that would give him ti to pull Seraphine aside and talk her out of this.

But the universe did not cooperate. The call connected on the first ring, and a smooth, velvety voice ca through the speaker almost instantly. "Dad, did she agree?"

Jas smiled. "She’s here, and you’re on speaker."

"Oh," Leon said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Hi there, I’m Leon."

Seraphine couldn’t help smiling at his tone. There was warmth there, easy confidence mixed with humor.

"I’m Seraphine," she replied softly. "But you can call

Sera."

"Great," Leon said. "I love Sera. So tell , do you agree to co work for ? I’ll double the standard pay, whatever it takes to get you into our pediatrician team."

Seraphine closed her eyes briefly as she exhaled. Of course, that was exactly the departnt she needed to search for her daughter, and hearing it spoken aloud felt like fate reaching out and brushing against her shoulder. But the timing was wrong, and she knew it.

"I will," she said quietly, "but not right now. There are a few things I need to take care of first."

There was a short silence on the line, and just as Leon seed about to respond, Jas jumped in.

"But there is good news. She agreed to be your plus one at the next Sovereign eting."

"Fake plus one," Seraphine corrected quickly.

Leon laughed, low and confident. "Yeah, fake," he said. "But you’ll be the one falling for ."

Seraphine opened her mouth to shut that down imdiately, but he continued before she could interrupt. "Share your contact. I’m scheduled for surgery and won’t be available for the next twelve hours."

"Sure," Seraphine replied, Jas ended the call and handed her his phone. "Your contact, please."

She entered her details effortlessly, her fingers steady even though Corvine was sitting beside her feeling like sothing precious was slipping quietly through his hands.

When she finally looked up, she noticed the grim expression carved into his face.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

Corvine forced a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I’m just trying to understand how Mila has a son who’s a surgeon and a director, and Tyler too."

Mila looked young enough to pass for soone in her twenties, which made the math feel impossible.

But Jas’s eyes darkened briefly, and that single look told Seraphine everything she needed to know.

There was a story there, a heavy one, and whatever it was, it had shaped this family in ways none of them were ready to talk about...