Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35: 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."

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