Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever novel Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 – Mr. Ashkael... did you take Sera?

Voren cleared his throat when his gaze finally settled on Ravyn, and the faint apology visible in his expression softened the tension on his face just enough to show that he was aware of the betrayal Ravyn might feel in that moment, even though he had already decided that business would come before friendship.

He inclined his head toward Seraphine before speaking, his voice calm but carrying across the quiet room with unmistakable clarity. "Fifty billion."

The number landed heavily in the air, and the silence that followed carried the stunned reaction of everyone present, because even inside a club filled with billionaires, casually announcing an investment of that size still had the power to shock the room.

Ravyn’s face twisted in disbelief as he stared at Voren, looking as though the ground beneath his feet had just collapsed. The betrayal in his eyes was painfully obvious as he forced the words out. "Voren... you?"

Voren met his gaze with careful composure, and although there was a trace of sympathy in his eyes, the firm tone of his voice made it clear that sympathy would not change the decision he had already made.

"Ravyn, this is business," Voren said, choosing each word carefully while maintaining steady eye contact. "And I have my conditions too."

The moment the word conditions entered the conversation, Ravyn’s tense expression relaxed slightly, because he immediately understood that Voren was not blindly throwing money at Seraphine without securing his own advantage.

Seraphine tilted her head with quiet interest, her eyes resting on Voren with the calm attentiveness of someone evaluating a chess move several steps ahead.

"What, Mr. Ashkael, are your conditions?" she asked smoothly.

Voren’s glare hardened as he looked at her, not because he disliked her but because he recognized exactly what she was capable of becoming in the world of finance, and the businessman inside him refused to walk away from an opportunity that promising.

"I want forty percent returns in twelve months."

The room reacted instantly.

Eyebrows lifted across the lounge and murmurs began rippling through the gathered investors, because even in aggressive markets that kind of return was extremely ambitious, and hearing it demanded so bluntly made several men exchange skeptical looks.

Seraphine pressed her lips together thoughtfully as though weighing the numbers inside her mind with careful calculation.

"In that case," she replied calmly, "double the amount."

Ravyn’s fists tightened so hard that the tendons in his hands stood out sharply beneath his skin.

The amount Seraphine had already secured during the evening was large enough to push her name into the Forbes rankings, yet promising Voren forty percent returns from one hundred billion within a single year raised the stakes to a level that made Ravyn’s chest tighten painfully.

He wanted that money more than anything.

He also understood exactly what the consequences would be if he spoke up against it.

"Deal," Voren said without hesitation as he stepped forward toward the holographic interface displaying the contract.

He raised his hand to scan the document, but Seraphine stopped him with a small apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry," she said lightly. "My battery died earlier, so I’ll send you a revised contract when I get back."

Voren nodded thoughtfully, already considering the implications. "In that case," he said, "I’ll make a deposit as a show of commitment so you don’t change your mind."

His concern that she might reconsider the arrangement had the opposite effect on the rest of the room.

The billionaires gathered around them instantly grew more interested. Gordon leaned forward with curiosity shining in his eyes as he addressed her.

"Does the same rule apply to the rest of us?"

Seraphine’s smile returned, calm and confident. "If you can give me one hundred billion," she replied, "then sure."

Gordon laughed softly, shaking his head at the absurdity of the proposal.

"If I hand you one hundred billion, I would have to temporarily shut down my company or take out a massive loan just to keep operations running," he said with an amused but cautious expression. "Can I trust you?"

Seraphine released a quiet sigh, and the sincerity in her voice softened the atmosphere.

"If you give me that kind of money, don’t take a loan," she said gently. "Try to manage with whatever resources you still have for three months, and I will send your returns in installments so your company stays afloat."

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