Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever-Chapter 58 - You’re that rich?

The question caught Seraphine off guard in a way she hadn’t anticipated, and for a brief second there was nothing but silence on her end of the line, the kind of silence that wasn’t empty but full, heavy with calculations rearranging themselves in real time.

She inhaled deeply, slow and controlled, as if drawing in not just air but clarity, because she knew Damon wasn’t wrong. Voren was careful, observant, and far too intelligent to ignore unusual financial movements, especially if those movements benefited Damon in a way that didn’t align with their current market patterns.

Voren would notice because Damon was not there physically so would it mean that his acting CEO, assistant, or whoever he put in charge was doing a better job than the CEO himself?

Then again, Voren would ask questions, investigate whoever was in charge of the stocks of the Locke Group. With Ravyn still being his business partner, he would hear it and connect the dots.

Seraphine closed her eyes briefly, leaning back in her chair as the weight of the possibilities shifted across her mind like chess pieces sliding across a board. Every move had to look natural, every adjustment had to appear accidental.

She could not afford suspicion, not now, not when she was finally within reach of dismantling everything Daisy had built on lies.

"Voren won’t connect it, if I don’t leave clues" she said at last, her voice steady again, though softer now, layered with intent. "Not if we do it right."

Damon didn’t interrupt her this time. He could hear the change in her tone, that subtle shift that meant she was no longer reacting but strategizing.

"I won’t spike your stocks in an obvious way," she continued, her fingers already moving across her keyboard as if mapping it out visually helped her think faster. "It’ll be gradual, controlled. I’ll create market conditions that justify the rise. External triggers, industry shifts, competitor instability, nothing that traces back to you directly."

She paused briefly, eyes narrowing as another idea surfaced. "And Voren is predictable," she added, her voice lowering slightly. "He trusts patterns and logic. If your gains align with projected market recovery trends, he’ll assume it’s good timing and competent management. He won’t dig unless something feels artificial."

Damon exhaled slowly, absorbing her confidence, though a faint tension still lingered beneath his calm exterior.

"And if he does dig?" he pressed gently, not because he doubted her, but because he needed to understand how deep this would go.

"Then he’ll find what I want him to find," she replied, and this time there was something almost dangerous in the way she said it. "I can reroute transactional footprints, adjust digital trails, and if necessary, leak a distraction strong enough to redirect his attention entirely. Voren won’t suspect manipulation if the numbers tell a convincing story. Or better, I can just direct him to the King brothers."

"The King brothers are my stock brokers," he pointed out, Seraphine exhaled. "I stopped working with them, but for you, I’ll come up with something. My plan is to have my closest allies on the top. If I gain majority, I won’t hesitate to take Voren down when the need arises."

From the corner, Corvine stared at her with raised brows. Seraphine was proving herself ready for any and everything.

There was a beat of silence between she, and Corvine, as Damon found himself staring at nothing in particular, realizing all over again that Seraphine had grown into someone formidable. This wasn’t just about revenge. It was about control, about reclaiming power in a world that had stripped her of it without mercy.

"You’ve thought about this a lot," he murmured quietly. For a moment, Damon felt a flicker of something that almost resembled awe, because the woman on the other end of that call was not the broken Luna the pack once whispered about.

He stopped abruptly as movement caught his attention from across the room. Daisy was approaching, her walk slow and unhurried, her expression carefully arranged into something soft and vulnerable.

"Sorry," he muttered quickly. "I have to go now. Daisy’s approaching."

He ended the call before Seraphine could add anything else, sliding his phone into his pocket just as Daisy reached him.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked, her tone light but her eyes sharp, scanning his face like she was searching for something hidden.

The question irritated him instantly, but Seraphine’s voice echoed in his mind, reminding him to stay calm, to play the part, to be patient.

"My acting COO," Damon replied smoothly, as though he had nothing to hide. "You know I had to leave my company behind to come live here, right?"

Daisy nodded, and there was genuine admiration in her expression. She had accompanied Ravyn to enough meetings in the city to recognize real power when she saw it, and Damon had always commanded attention without even trying.

"It still amazes me that you gave it all up for the pack," she said, almost wistfully.

"I didn’t give it up," he corrected gently, allowing a faint smile to curve his lips. "I just have competent staff." He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "So why are you looking for me?"

"It’s Bryan," she said, her brows knitting together in what looked like concern. "Where is he? You were with him earlier."

"In his room," Damon answered easily, then stepped closer to her, lowering his voice just enough to create a sense of intimacy. "I’ll come with you. You look sad."

She stiffened slightly at that, and he saw it, the tiny crack in her composure.

"Don’t worry," he continued, his tone soft but deliberate. "Whoever made that video viral is just jealous of you."

The effect was immediate. Daisy’s posture faltered, just a little. Her carefully constructed defenses wavered under the weight of validation she hadn’t expected.

"You think so?" she asked quietly, searching his face for confirmation.

"I know so," Damon replied, giving her a rare, slow smile that he knew would linger in her mind later. "Trust me, I don’t think anyone is as attractive as you are, not even Luna Seraphine. Whoever did that must be insanely jealous of you."

For a split second, something fierce and almost desperate flashed in Daisy’s eyes, and Damon recognized it as hunger, not for affection, but for superiority. Her heart swelled visibly, her breathing shifting ever so slightly as she absorbed his words like they were oxygen.

Right then, as if perfectly timed by fate, Damon’s phone rang again. He glanced at the screen, then answered it without stepping away from her, making sure she could hear every word.

"No, don’t trade yet," he said firmly into the phone. "I’m sending someone else. Just keep about fifty billion for it."

He ended the call calmly and slipped the phone back into his pocket, as though casually discussing sums that could topple governments was just another Tuesday for him.

"Fifty billion?" Daisy repeated, her eyes widening so dramatically it almost made him laugh. "You’re that rich?"