Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 393: Chapter 393 - I didn’t save Luna Oriana

Flashback.

A few days earlier, right after Voren and Seraphine had left, Corvine had finally started looking forward to getting some decent sleep.

The day had dragged on forever, and all he wanted was to collapse into bed and shut the whole damn world out for a few hours.

But fate had other ideas, because the second he thought about turning in, his inbox started blowing up with one urgent email after another.

By the time he’d slogged through them all, a deep knot of irritation had settled heavy in his chest. He fired off replies to the most pressing ones, but there were still way too many left demanding his attention.

It was obvious he’d have to drag himself into the office first thing in the morning. The thought made him drag a hand down his face in frustration.

Then he remembered the promise he’d made to little Esperanza. The kid had lit up like a Christmas tree when he told her she could tag along to the office with him, and there was no way in hell he was going to let her down.

Before he finally called it a night, he decided to check on her.

The house was dead quiet as he padded down the hallway. When he gently pushed open the door to her room, his whole face softened at the sight.

She was out cold, one little arm wrapped tight around her stuffed toy while her blanket had gotten all twisted up around her legs. Her chest rose and fell in that steady, peaceful rhythm, completely lost in whatever sweet dreams kids have.

A soft smile tugged at Corvine’s lips. She looked so peaceful. He carefully pulled the blanket back over her, making sure she was tucked in nice and warm, then slipped back out as quietly as he’d come in.

As he turned to head to his own room, though, he caught a sliver of light spilling from under Jasmine’s door. His brows pulled together. It was already crazy late. Since he was planning to head out super early the next morning, he figured he should give her a heads-up so she could be ready.

He walked over and raised his hand to knock. That’s when the words drifted through the door and stopped him cold.

"...Yes, it’s time Voren knows the truth."

Corvine’s entire body went rigid. The truth? About what? His expression darkened fast, anger and suspicion surging through him. Without a second thought, he pushed the door open.

Jasmine jerked upright on the bed, pure panic flashing across her face. She fumbled to end the call and clutched her phone like it was a lifeline, her knuckles turning white.

For a long, heavy moment, neither of them said a word. Corvine stood there in the doorway, staring her down with a sharp, unrelenting gaze.

"I heard enough," he said, his voice calm on the surface but carrying a dangerous, icy edge underneath.

Jasmine’s heart plummeted. "Corvine, please..." she started, her voice already cracking with strain.

"When Seraphine picked you as her maid of honor, I really wanted to trust you," he continued, his jaw clenching tight. "I thought maybe I’d been wrong about you all along." His eyes narrowed. "But now I’m seriously wondering if I need to find someone else for the role."

The accusation landed like a slap across the face. Jasmine shot up from the bed, desperation flooding her. "It’s not what you think! Please, just listen to me."

His face stayed hard as stone. "Then start talking."

Corvine folded his arms and stayed planted right there in the doorway, making it crystal clear he wasn’t budging an inch until he got answers. Jasmine swallowed hard, her mind spinning wildly.

She’d always known this confrontation might happen someday, but she’d never imagined it would crash down on her like this, right now, with everything else hanging in the balance.

She took a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to meet his eyes. "I can tell you... but you have to promise me something first." Her fingers gripped the phone even tighter. "You can’t tell anyone. Especially not Sera or Voren."

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped Corvine. That sound alone told her exactly where his head was at. "They’re the two people who matter most to me in this world," he said, his eyes hardening like steel. "If this has anything to do with them, you better believe I’m telling them. And if you refuse to talk, I’ll still warn them anyway."

Jasmine’s shoulders slumped as the weight of it all crushed down on her. She felt completely trapped, like no matter which way she turned, someone she cared about was going to get hurt. Her voice dropped, soft and pained. "This is only about you and them? What about me?"

For the first time, Corvine’s expression flickered, one brow lifted. "If you want my trust, you’re gonna have to earn it."

He paused just long enough for the words to sink in, then continued, his tone steady but heavy. "I hated Seraphine for years. Then I actually got to know her."

His face softened for a brief second before the seriousness returned. "And I hated Voren just because he was Ravyn’s best friend. But eventually I learned the truth."

The meaning hit her hard. Trust built on lies wasn’t real trust at all. No relationship could survive that kind of foundation. Jasmine understood perfectly what he was driving at.

She pointed toward the couch with a trembling hand. "Please, sit down."

Corvine barely glanced at it. "I’d rather stand."

His refusal only made her nerves spike higher. She pressed her lips together and sank back onto the edge of the bed, twisting her hands anxiously in her lap.

The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating, until she finally gathered the courage to speak.

"I didn’t save Luna Oriana."

The confession came out quiet, but it felt like it echoed in the room. Jasmine looked up at him right away, bracing for the worst, disappointment, fury, disgust, anything. But Corvine just looked at her, his face completely unreadable. No shock, no outrage, no judgment. Just cold indifference.

The reaction threw her completely off guard. Corvine leaned against the doorway, studying her. "So how’d you manage to get into her good graces, then?" His tone was more thoughtful than accusatory. "From what I’ve seen, she’s extremely protective of Voren."

Jasmine stared down at her clasped hands, her heart hammering faster and faster. "Corvine..." She hesitated, fear twisting in her gut. "You need to think really carefully about this. If you tell Voren, it could mess up the whole wedding. Can you just wait until after?"

The fear in her eyes was obvious, but it wasn’t enough to sway him. "That depends entirely on what you’re about to tell me," he said, his voice dropping lower and more intense. "We don’t have much time."

He glanced briefly toward the hallway. "I actually came in here to tell you we’re leaving really early tomorrow. I’ve got work piling up at the office, and after that I still need to handle a bunch of errands for Sera and Voren."

The reminder only ramped up her anxiety. Her fingers twisted together so tightly they ached. For a second she looked like she might back out entirely, but then she sucked in a deep breath and forced the words out.

"Alpha Vladimir isn’t Luna Oriana’s first husband." Jasmine’s throat tightened painfully as the secret she’d carried for years finally broke free. She looked him straight in the eyes, her voice barely more than a broken whisper. "And Voren... isn’t her son."