Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 396: Chapter 396 - He is my son in every way that actually matters

Oriana’s fingers curled into tight fists at her sides as she spun around. The second her eyes landed on Corvine standing there in the hallway, pure irritation flashed hot across her face.

Of all the people who could have caught her, why the hell did it have to be him?

The hallway sat quiet under the dim lights, long shadows stretching across the floor. Corvine stood a few feet away with his hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking completely unbothered like he owned the place.

"What’s wrong with you?" Oriana snapped in a hushed, angry whisper, careful not to wake the whole house. "I only want to have a word with her."

Corvine raised an eyebrow, a humorless smile tugging at his lips. "A word? Is that what we’re calling it now?"

Oriana’s jaw tightened painfully. "I don’t need your permission to speak to Jasmine."

"No," Corvine agreed, his voice calm but edged with steel. "But I think I know exactly why you’re here. You want to threaten her into staying quiet in case your husband finds out about all the things you’ve been hiding."

Oriana stiffened as the accusation sliced right through her, but she refused to let the panic show. "My only crime was lying to Voren about the rogue attack," she shot back, lifting her chin defiantly. "And the only reason he tolerates Jasmine is because of that lie. If I tell him the truth, Jasmine will be the one leaving."

Corvine stared at her for several long seconds, then let out a low laugh filled with raw disbelief. "I see. You really don’t know your son at all." The words hit her harder than she expected. Oriana’s expression darkened like a storm cloud rolling in.

Corvine tilted his head slightly. "Or maybe that’s because he isn’t actually your son."

The air in the hallway seemed to vanish completely. Oriana’s eyes widened in shock, a flicker of raw panic crossing her face before she buried it deep. "Watch your mouth," she hissed, sharper than she meant, her gaze darting nervously toward the nearby doors in case anyone might overhear.

Corvine smiled, but there was zero warmth in it. "So that’s the plan? Throw Jasmine under the bus and hope everything magically works out?" He didn’t wait for her to answer. "You really think Voren won’t start asking questions? You think he won’t want to know exactly how you met Jasmine in the first place?"

Oriana crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "I simply liked her. Her mother was a good friend of mine. That’s all."

Corvine looked thoroughly unimpressed. "And then she betrayed you?" The corner of his mouth twitched. "Because she refused to keep trying to seduce Voren? And now you’re ready to toss her aside because Athaliah became available."

Oriana’s face burned with fury. She hated how easily he saw straight through her schemes. More than that, she hated that he kept standing in her way like some unbreakable wall. "This is a family matter," she snarled, her patience completely gone. Every word came out sharper, laced with venom. "You have no business interfering."

In truth, she hadn’t been planning to threaten Jasmine outright. Her idea had been simpler and colder, offer the girl a huge pile of money, enough to make her leave the pack, leave New York, and disappear forever.

If Jasmine vanished, the whole problem would vanish with her. Or at least that’s what Oriana had desperately hoped.

Then Corvine spoke again and shattered that fragile hope into pieces. "Well, I should tell you something." His voice stayed far too calm, sending a chill racing down her spine. He looked her dead in the eyes. "Jasmine already told me everything."

The words struck her hard. For a moment, Oriana forgot how to breathe. Everything? No, that couldn’t be possible. Her mind spun wildly. Jasmine didn’t know the full story, only her mother had. And thankfully, her mother was dead.

Slowly, she scraped together a shred of confidence and straightened her shoulders. "Fine," she said, but the word came out weak and trembling. "Yes. Voren isn’t my biological son."

Real pain flickered across her face, and for the first time that night, her words rang with raw sincerity. "But I love him. He is my son in every way that actually matters."

Corvine’s expression didn’t soften even a fraction. "Not only that," he continued, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. "You also abandoned your two-year-old daughter."

The color drained instantly from Oriana’s face. Corvine didn’t stop. "Olivia," he called out, her entire body trembled violently at the name. It felt like a knife twisting straight into her chest. "She should be older than Voren now."

Oriana stumbled backward, her knees nearly buckling beneath her. No. No. No. How could Jasmine possibly know that? How? That secret had died with her mother, or so she’d convinced herself for years. Pure panic consumed her, flooding every inch of her being.

Corvine watched her with cold, steady eyes. There was no sympathy, no mercy, only deep disappointment. Slowly, he lifted his chin. "At least you still have two days."

Oriana stared at him blankly, the words echoing in her head. Two days before her entire world fell apart.

"Had you treated Sera properly," he went on, his voice remaining ice-cold, "she might have helped calm Voren when the truth comes out." The words stung bitterly because they were painfully true.

Every chance she’d had to support Seraphine, she’d wasted it. Every opportunity to build any kind of relationship, she’d destroyed. Now there was no one left to stand beside her.

Corvine’s gaze hardened even more. "But now you’re on your own."

Those final words broke something deep inside her. Her legs gave out completely, and she collapsed onto the cold floor, the hard surface pressing against her knees.

A tear slipped down her cheek, then another, and soon they wouldn’t stop. For the first time in years, genuine terror gripped her heart in an iron fist.

Corvine looked down at her, his expression unreadable. He bent slightly. "The least you can do now is enjoy what little time you have left. Make sure the wedding goes smoothly, and make sure Voren is happy."

The hallway felt impossibly silent as he straightened up. "Goodnight, Luna Oriana," he said, a bitter smile pressing his lips. "If I should even call you that."

The words lingered in the air long after he walked away. Oriana remained on the floor, frozen, broken, and terrified beyond measure. Now, she truly understood that her world was collapsing all around her.

There was no escaping it, no manipulating it, and no covering it up. The truth was coming, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Her thoughts immediately turned to Vladimir. Would he forgive her? Maybe. Maybe he would understand why she’d taken her sister’s place in that desperate moment.

Maybe he would see how trapped and terrified she’d been. But her previous marriage? The abusive husband she’d run from? The mountain of lies she’d built their entire life upon?

Oriana knew Vladimir too well. His pride would never let him overlook something that massive. Not when he valued the Alpha code above almost everything else. Not when honesty and loyalty meant the world to him.

A fresh wave of crushing regret drowned her. She lowered her head, tears flowing freely now. What had she done? Why had she wasted so much time fighting Seraphine?

Why had she kept pushing Voren away? Why hadn’t she simply accepted the woman her son loved with his whole heart? If she had supported them from the beginning, everything might have been different.

Maybe Voren would have forgiven her. Maybe Seraphine would have stood by her side. Maybe she wouldn’t be facing this nightmare completely alone.

A sob caught in her throat. "Goddess..." The whisper barely escaped her lips. "What have I done?"

Lost in the storm of her thoughts, she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps until a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind her.

"Oriana?"

Her entire body froze. The blood drained from her face. "What are you doing down there?"

The voice was unmistakable. Vladimir.

Oriana’s heart nearly stopped. Slowly, she turned her head. Confusion flooded her mind. Wasn’t he asleep when she left their room?