Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 583: Chapter 583 – For how much?

After hearing from Corvine that Coco was in France, and that she had already been bought over, Voren felt certain she ought to be heading back to New York by now.

Still, commercial flight schedules being what they were, there remained a real chance she was stuck in Paris a little longer. That possibility opened a door he could not ignore.

He wanted to help with Liah’s runway show and, at the same time, pull the information he needed straight from Coco herself. Two birds, one stone. Yet none of it could happen without his wife’s blessing.

He leaned closer to Seraphine, voice low and careful so only she could hear. ”Coco’s a model, and she looks exactly like you.” His eyes stayed on hers, searching, waiting to see if the pieces had already clicked into place. ”I don’t know if you’re up for it. You’re still feeling weak, aren’t you?”

Seraphine had eaten well on the jet, but the exhaustion was already creeping back into her limbs.

Voren wanted them home at the pack as soon as possible, and everything waiting there demanded his attention too.

He also knew that once they returned he would not set foot in the city again until the situation stabilized. Yet Coco’s presence in Paris kept pulling at him.

Seraphine understood at once what he was proposing. If she stepped onto that stage, the live broadcast would send her face across every screen.

Most people would take her for Coco without a second thought, and that alone might force the other woman to escalate whatever games she was playing.

If the plan worked, there would be no need to fly back to New York and set the trap they had originally discussed.

Still, her appearance alone would not be enough. Her gaze drifted toward Jasmine and Corvine.

Coco had already dangled a modeling contract in front of Jasmine, which meant the girl possessed the look and the presence the job required. ”I think we’ve got an idea,” Seraphine said, the words carrying quiet certainty.

Athaliah’s light-green eyes brightened as she leaned forward, hungry for any solution. ”Anything, Sera. Tell me.”

A small smile curled the corner of Seraphine’s lips. ”After we launch the software, we’ll have to show the customers how to use it anyway. What if you shortened the runway portion?”

Athaliah’s expression lit with sudden hope. Having someone sharp and clear-headed help her think through the chaos felt like a gift after days of grinding stress. ”You mean fewer models?”

Seraphine nodded and turned to Jasmine. ”Jasmine, how about a little adventure? Would you like to model?”

The teasing warmth in her voice was intentional. She wanted the girl to feel invited rather than put on the spot, hoping shyness or residual shame over what had happened with Corvine would not keep her from saying yes.

Jasmine had been nearly silent ever since Seraphine and Voren returned.

Since they knew why, no one had forced the subject back into the open. Yet the simple fact that Seraphine was speaking to her with such easy warmth made something loosen in her chest.

In that moment she would have agreed to almost anything. Corvine was still angry with her, and part of her hoped that helping save Athaliah’s show might give him even the smallest reason to soften.

There was only one problem. ”Sera, I’ve never done anything like that before,” Jasmine admitted, honest and a little nervous. Before any disappointment could settle on Seraphine’s face she hurried on, ”But I’m willing to try.”

”I’ll teach you,” Athaliah cut in at once, gratitude already flooding her voice. Then her gaze landed on Corvine with a spark of mischief. ”Corvine, I still have a family capsule collection from last year. What if you, Jasmine, Bryan, and Espe take that segment?”

At first Athaliah had not been comfortable with the idea of Jasmine working together with Corvine but after Corvine explained before she left New York that whatever the girl felt for him stemmed from gratitude rather than anything deeper, the discomfort had faded.

She could picture them now, Jasmine and Corvine as bride and groom showcasing wedding pieces, Espe and Bryan as flower girl and page boy. It would have been perfect, except for Corvine’s reaction.

There was nothing like the enthusiasm she expected, and worse, his face tightened into a grimace, lips parting as though he meant to refuse outright. Seraphine stepped in before the objection could form.

”In this particular case, Voren and I will do it with the kids,” she said evenly. ”Jasmine and Corvine can handle other parts of the show.”

She already knew Corvine would never agree to walk beside Jasmine. Things might have been different if the girl had simply told him how she felt instead of the approach she had taken, that misstep had cost her his trust completely.

Yet something else simmered beneath the surface chaos. Athaliah wished she could unsee it, but the evidence sat right in front of her.

Corvine and Jasmine avoided each other’s eyes as though the mere act of looking had become unbearable.

Guilt and remorse clouded Jasmine’s expression whenever Corvine’s name came up, while his own features hardened into indifference edged with anger, an expression that had never belonged there before.

Something no longer felt right between them, but the show had to be saved first.

”Alright,” Athaliah said, voice trembling as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. ”I’ll get the crew back in. Thank you. Thank you so much.” She could scarcely believe that someone like Voren was willing to step into the center of her stage for her.

In that moment she finally understood why Corvine’s loyalty to Seraphine and Voren had never once wavered.

The couple would move heaven and earth for the people who mattered to them, and she felt profoundly grateful to have been pulled into that circle.

As Athaliah laid out the new plan, Elodie’s eyes widened in open shock. She stared at Voren as though she had misheard. ”Mr. Ashkael... you’ll actually do this for us? For how much?”