Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 397: Chapter 397 – Demanding answers

"I...I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for some fresh air."

Oriana forced a smile and quickly wiped her tears as she looked up at Vladimir, desperately hoping he wouldn’t pick up on how badly shaken she was.

But her nerves only twisted tighter when her gaze drifted down the corridor. There, lingering in the shadows near the corner, was Corvine.

He was still there, still watching, still making sure she couldn’t get anywhere near Jasmine. The realization made her stomach clench with frustration and fear.

Vladimir followed her gaze but didn’t spot anything obviously wrong. Even so, he could tell something was off with her. His brows furrowed slightly. "You should be resting," he said, extending his hand. "Come on. Everyone’s asleep."

Oriana stared at his offered hand for a long moment before slipping hers into it. She had no real choice.

Without solid proof, Vladimir couldn’t accuse her of anything, but she knew Corvine wasn’t about to drop his guard. As they walked back to their room together, her mind refused to settle.

The day after tomorrow was the wedding, and if she didn’t find some way to talk to Seraphine soon, it might already be too late to fix any of this.

The next morning hit like a whirlwind, way busier than anyone had expected. The mansion turned into absolute chaos in the best way, buzzing with energy as designers showed up carrying garment bags and boxes of accessories, makeup artists unloaded massive cases full of products, and professional wedding planners darted from room to room checking schedules and tweaking last-minute details.

Staff members rushed through the hallways while chefs worked nonstop in the kitchen, filling the air with incredible smells.

Everywhere Seraphine looked, people were pouring their hearts into making the day perfect. For once, she wasn’t the one worrying about everyone else or carrying the weight of it all.

Today was truly about her, and as strange as that felt, she let herself sink into the moment and actually enjoy it.

Several beauticians surrounded her at once, working on different treatments with careful, focused hands.

One stylist gently handled her hair, another gave her a manicure, and a third took care of her pedicure. The whole experience felt completely unreal, like something out of a dream.

During her first wedding, she hadn’t gotten any of this. There had been no excitement, no real joy, and no sense that she was truly cherished or wanted. Everything had happened so fast back then that she barely had time to breathe or feel anything good.

This time was completely different. This time, she felt deeply loved, and Voren made sure of it every single step of the way.

Even though he wasn’t in the room with her, he was constantly checking on every little detail, determined to make everything flawless.

From the decorations to the dresses, nothing slipped past his attention. Right then, he was personally inspecting several gowns he’d ordered just for her, making sure every stitch and every tiny detail lived up to his high standards.

The thought made a warm, glowing smile spread across Seraphine’s face. Even after all the pain and chaos they’d survived, he still looked at her like she was the most precious thing in his entire world.

Eventually, a thought she couldn’t ignore anymore pushed its way forward. "Can someone get Corvine for me?"

The room went quiet for a beat. A few minutes later, Corvine stepped inside, and the second he did, he knew exactly why she’d called him. Seraphine wasn’t smiling anymore.

Her eyes had narrowed with that familiar determination, and she pointed to the empty chair beside her. "Sit."

Corvine almost laughed. The tone reminded him so much of when she was the Luna of the Centenary pack. So commanding and void of argument. He sat down obediently.

Seraphine didn’t waste a second. "Tell me what’s going on."

Corvine rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a slow breath. That was pure Sera, no games, no small talk, just the answer she needed. His expression softened with a mix of affection and guilt. "Sera, you know I can’t hide anything from you."

A guilty smile tugged at his lips. "But for the sake of tomorrow, don’t stress yourself out over it." He leaned forward a little. "I’ll tell you everything after the wedding, okay?"

Seraphine studied him carefully. Normally Corvine gave in the moment she pushed, always. This was the first time he was really holding firm, and that alone told her the situation was dead serious.

Still, she wasn’t ready to back down completely. "What about the DNA tests and everything else?"

"They’re ready," he answered right away. "But we’ll discuss all of that after the wedding." His eyes flicked briefly toward the humans working around the room, and Seraphine caught the hidden meaning instantly.

He didn’t mean right after the ceremony. He meant after the Full Moon Festival, once all the outsiders were gone and they finally had real privacy.

He seemed exhausted, worried, and fiercely determined all at once. Most importantly, he genuinely believed he was protecting her by keeping quiet. Slowly, she nodded. "Alright."

Relief washed visibly across her face. "I trust you."

Those three simple words hit Corvine harder than Seraphine probably realized. The trust she placed in him felt like a responsibility he never wanted to break. A warm, grateful smile spread across his face.

Before he could say anything more, Seraphine turned toward the beauticians with a bright look. "You should take care of my maid of honor too."

The room fell silent for a second. Everyone’s eyes swung toward Jasmine, including Jasmine herself. Her eyes widened in total surprise. "Me?"

Seraphine blinked, then laughed softly. "Why not?" Jasmine pointed at herself again, still looking like there must’ve been some mistake. "Me?"

A warm laugh escaped Seraphine. "Yes, you." She smiled with real affection. "I don’t expect my maid of honor to look shabby on my big day."

It was a small wedding but from the look of things, Voren’s meaning of small meant attendees but everything else seemed weigh bigger than even her first wedding.

Jasmine’s chest tightened with unexpected emotion. For years, people had treated her like she barely mattered, like she was disposable. Now Seraphine was treating her like family, like someone who truly belonged and was important. The rush of feeling hit her so hard she almost teared up on the spot. "Thank—"

She didn’t even get to finish. The beauticians immediately swarmed around her. One grabbed her hand, another steered her toward an empty massage chair, and a third started talking excitedly about skincare treatments.

Within seconds, Jasmine found herself being escorted across the room, completely overwhelmed by how fast everything was moving.

Meanwhile, Seraphine watched the whole scene with quiet amusement. Then her smile slowly faded. The playful look disappeared from her face, replaced by something sharper as soon as Corvine retreated. Her eyes settled on Jasmine, observant, curious, and knowing. Seraphine had seen the brief eye exchanges between Corvine and Jasmine, and the sudden change in her demeanor, sent a chill racing down Jasmine’s spine.

"What are you and Corvine hiding?"

The question landed like a bomb. Every muscle in Jasmine’s body stiffened instantly. Her heart nearly stopped. For several terrifying seconds, she couldn’t even think straight.

How had Seraphine figured it out so quickly? Jasmine swallowed hard. At that moment, she realized something she probably should have known from the very beginning: Seraphine was not as simple as she appeared.