Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever-Chapter 129 – Let’s Have That Date You Promised Me

On the other end of the line, Voren allowed a slow smile to spread across his face as he listened to Seraphine’s question, because her reaction was exactly what he had predicted from the moment he proposed the offer.

And the truth was that Seraphine possessed a level of intelligence that made most conversations with her feel less like ordinary negotiations and more like a strategic game played between two people who understood very well that every word carried hidden weight.

"It’s simple," Voren replied smoothly, his voice calm and confident as he leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the challenge of speaking with someone who could keep up with him. "Tell me your evil plans concerning Ravyn."

Seraphine did not hesitate before responding, because she had already expected that Voren would try to uncover her intentions the moment he realized she was working toward something larger than a simple business project.

"The only response to that request," she said calmly, "would be if you tell me the name of the person who saved me that night, but if you want to continue presenting that offer as bait, then I will simply do my programming work from my bedroom and outsource the rest of the operational tasks, which may increase the cost slightly but honestly would not be much different from the amount I would pay in rent."

For several seconds Voren remained silent, and the quiet frustration that followed made it obvious that Seraphine had once again avoided the trap he had carefully placed for her.

"You won again," Voren finally admitted through clenched teeth, because even though he rarely acknowledged defeat during negotiations, Seraphine had once again maneuvered around his attempt to gather information without giving anything valuable in return.

Seraphine released a slow breath when she heard his reluctant admission, and although she had technically gained the advantage in that moment, the victory did not bring her the satisfaction most people might have expected.

"I should be happy," she said with quiet honesty, "but the fact that you are still my master in chess makes it difficult for me to celebrate winning a small exchange like this."

Voren allowed a faint exhale to escape him that sounded halfway between amusement and reluctant respect before he finally continued the conversation.

"Alright, Sera," he said in a calmer tone. "Pete will finalize the arrangements with Corvine, but I have one more request before we finish this conversation."

Seraphine listened carefully without responding immediately, already expecting that Voren’s final request would be something that benefited him more than it benefited her. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Can I receive monthly updates on all your accounts so that I can monitor how my investment is being used?" Voren asked, phrasing the request in a way that sounded reasonable even though the implication behind it crossed a boundary Seraphine had no intention of allowing anyone to cross.

A faint frown appeared on Seraphine’s face the moment she heard that suggestion because allowing anyone that level of access to her financial activities would give them far too much insight into her plans.

"I’m sorry, but that will not be possible, Mr. Ashkael," she replied politely yet firmly. "Let us keep our arrangement limited strictly to the contract, and I sincerely hope that our paths do not cross again until I call for the first board meeting."

Silence followed her response, and the quiet stretched across the phone line long enough to create a tension that felt almost tangible, as though both of them were carefully measuring the distance between their intentions and their words.

"Alright," Voren eventually said in a restrained tone that suggested he understood pushing further would not achieve anything productive. "I wish you all the best with your project."

After the call ended, Seraphine handed the remaining details of the negotiation over to Corvine and allowed him to continue coordinating with Pete while she stepped away to rest for a few hours and gather her strength before moving forward with the next stage of her plans.

When she woke again later that day, Seraphine returned her focus to the work that had been waiting for her, dividing her time between assembling the remaining components of MindNest and managing her trading activities with the same quiet concentration that had carried her through every challenge she had faced so far.

Corvine handled the contract for the office venue with remarkable efficiency, and by the following day every detail had already been finalized and secured without requiring Seraphine to spend additional energy on the process.

Seraphine felt genuine relief knowing she did not need to exhaust herself dealing with the administrative aspects of the arrangement because Corvine seemed to understand exactly what needed to be done.

"You can explain how you want the office to operate," Corvine told her confidently, "and I will organize the structure and make sure everything is arranged properly."

A warm smile spread across Seraphine’s face as she reached for a blank sheet of paper and began outlining her ideas.

Within twenty minutes she had drawn a detailed plan that showed the internal structure of the company, including department divisions and the human resources necessary to maintain efficient operations.

When Corvine examined the paper, his expression filled with genuine amazement because the level of clarity and organization displayed in the plan was something most people would have needed several days to design.

"You are incredibly smart," he said with admiration as he looked at the arrangement she had created.

Several days passed while preparations continued, and one morning Seraphine was getting ready to visit the new office building with Corvine so she could see the space in person for the first time.

Just as she finished preparing and stepped toward the door, her phone rang.

When she glanced at the screen and saw the caller identification, she immediately recognized Augustine’s name and answered the call.

"Sera, everything has been completed," Augustine said once the line connected. "Both Alphas failed to appear, so their betas have taken their positions for now, and both packs will hold beta selections soon in order to determine the next leaders. Is there anything else you want me to do here?"

Seraphine listened carefully to the report before responding in a calm and polite tone.

"No, there is nothing else I need," she said. "Thank you for handling the situation, and please send me the bill for your services."

On the other end of the line Augustine frowned slightly as he heard her words because the suggestion of payment clearly was not what he had expected.

"There is no need to worry about payment," Augustine replied in a voice that carried a hint of playful insistence. "Instead, let us have the date you promised me."

Seraphine paused briefly as she considered the request before responding in a calm and agreeable voice.

"That sounds fair," she said. "Let me know when you return, and I will send you the location where we can meet."

After ending the call, Seraphine headed downstairs where Corvine was already waiting near the entrance of the mansion, and the moment he saw her approaching he greeted her with a friendly smile that suggested he had something interesting to share.

"I have some news about Zane that you might want to hear," Corvine said while watching her reaction carefully. "Would you like me to tell you about it before we leave to visit the office building?"