Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever-Chapter 35 – I’m not strong like you

Nicole, Seraphine, and Corvine squeezed into a high-end restaurant just a short walk away from the Ashkael Towers. The place smelled of warm bread, wine, and quiet money, the kind of restaurant where conversations stayed low and emotions were expected to behave.

Once their orders were placed and water glasses filled, Seraphine leaned back in her chair and fixed Nicole with a calm, assessing look. "Now," she said evenly, "tell me exactly what happened."

Nicole let out a sad, brittle smile and lifted her glass, draining half of it as if courage sat at the bottom.

"I had an argument with Daisy when she demanded the formula for the Bryan’s cure, and my position was suddenly the reward for whoever was able to come up with it." She paused, her throat working. "So I resigned. I didn’t want to live in the pack anymore."

She paused, her look far away. "I planned to stay with my boyfriend until I found a new job." Her lips curved bitterly. "But guess what?"

Seraphine barely blinked, already knowing the rest of the story from her bitter expression. "He cheated."

Nicole nodded, but a scoff slipped from Seraphine’s lips, sharp and unbothered. "And that’s why you’re like this?" she asked bluntly. "Hasn’t it occurred to you that a cheating man isn’t worth the stress, let alone your sanity?"

Nicole stared at her, something close to awe swimming in her eyes. It hadn’t even been a month since Seraphine’s divorce, yet she looked radiant, composed, elegant, untouched by the kind of ruin Nicole felt clawing at her chest.

"I’m not strong like you," Nicole murmured. Courtesy prevented her from ordering something strong because that was exactly what she needed. A strong drink to numb the pain and besides, this was a restaurant and not a bar.

"No woman is born strong enough," Seraphine corrected calmly. "It’s all in the head." Her gaze softened, but only slightly. "Do you know how long I cried, wishing Ravyn would love me?"

Nicole frowned, caught off guard. It didn’t align with the Seraphine she knew, the woman who walked through the pack and hospital corridors untouched by whispers, unmoved by gossip.

"That’s hard to believe," Nicole admitted.

"I know." Seraphine’s tone remained casual just as the waiter arrived with their food. She waited until he left before continuing. "That’s why I learned something important, that tears don’t change men.

When a man loves you, he cherishes you. He won’t hurt you intentionally, and if he doesn’t love you..." her voice dropped, firm and final. "Nothing you do will change that, not even dying for him."

Nicole nodded slowly, the truth settling heavily but cleanly in her chest. "You’re right. When the girl he cheated on me with showed up, he fell apart completely. It was like his world shattered."

Her jaw tightened. "And yet he didn’t spare a single glance for me, the one who was betrayed." She exhaled. "I get it now. I’d rather pour my energy into work."

"That’s the spirit," Seraphine said, approving. No woman was born strong. It was a decision they had to make and live through it. Even she, who lost her child, was still trying to soar above her challenges. "Have you found a job yet?"

"I haven’t even started searching," Nicole admitted, Seraphine smiled. "You should. Your talent is needed, and there are never enough good doctors."

They finally began to eat, the soft clink of cutlery filling the pauses between them. Corvine, who had been unusually quiet, glanced at Nicole and asked casually, "You were with Voren’s assistant earlier. What’s the relationship there?"

Nicole swallowed, realizing just how hungry she’d been. Ever since the breakup, she lost her appetite completely until now.

"Pete?" she said after a moment. "He’s my ex’s best friend, but nothing like him. They argued because of me, and Pete offered me a place to stay." Her voice warmed slightly. "He’s kind, genuinely."

Seraphine lifted a brow but said nothing. The fact that Pete worked for Voren alone was enough to make her cautious.

"I should get going," Seraphine said shortly after, her tone soft but decisive. "There are important things I need to take care of."

Corvine placed a stack of dollar notes on the table without comment, and Nicole’s face fell. "Where do you work?" she asked quickly. "I’d love to work with you."

Seraphine smiled faintly. "I haven’t settled yet, and medicine is the last thing I want to dive into right now. It’s too time-consuming. I’m focusing on ventures I can delegate to skilled professionals before I return to medicine or research."

Nicole pressed her lips together, thoughtful. "Whenever you’re ready, call me. I’ll come work for you."

"I’ll remember that," Seraphine said sincerely. She admired Nicole’s work ethic, and when the time came to build the hospital she’d always dreamed of, she already knew who she’d trust.

The moment Seraphine stepped outside, her phone vibrated. Nicole waved goodbye before hailing a cab, while Seraphine retrieved her phone from her designer handbag, expecting something urgent.

The moment the message loaded, along with the attached video, her eyes dulled. Corvine leaned in, catching a glimpse of the screen.

Disgust twisted his features. "She’s shameless," he muttered, "and insecure. Just ignore her."

Seraphine wasn’t jealous, not even close. It was the message beneath the video that held her frozen.

’Do you see that? Eight years of warming his bed, and he still craves me like I’m his favorite meal, the one he can never get enough of. I’m the only woman who makes him feel like a man. Something you never could, and never will.’

"They were together for eight years," Seraphine murmured, her fingers trembling.

Corvine frowned, misunderstanding. He thought she was still hung up on Ravyn until she continued, her voice thinning.

"That night... he mistook me for Daisy. They were already together before the Moon Festival, doing everything lovers do." Her breath shook. "I wasn’t the betrayed one. I was the interruption."

Silence stretched between them, then Corvine asked quietly, "If she wasn’t insecure... why would she send you something like that?"