Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Voren stiffened slightly at the question because there was absolutely no way he could explain that he had the dress custom-made for her, or that he had spent two full days in France making sure every detail looked exactly the way he wanted it to.

Going to the pack had only been part of the truth because most of his time had actually been spent chasing down every device, every hidden weapon, and every piece of equipment she might need tonight since he refused to trust something this important to anyone else.

The second he returned, he barely gave himself enough time to shower and change before coming straight to her room.

"She’s built like any normal woman," he said indifferently, even though his eyes lingered on her far longer than they should have.

Seraphine narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing as she walked toward them, still visibly uncomfortable with how much skin the dress exposed because she was not used to dressing like this, and the amount of bare skin the silk revealed made her feel exposed in ways she hated.

"It’s time for the accessories," Voren said.

He moved closer to her, his expression calm and focused as he started attaching different devices to the dress with careful attention, his hands steady as he worked like a man who had done this a hundred times before.

"This is the knife sheath," he explained as he crouched in front of her. "I’m hiding it inside the slit."

He lowered himself onto one knee and started securing the weapon into place with careful precision.

Seraphine immediately tensed when his hand brushed lightly against her leg because even though she knew he was only doing his job, his touch still made her pulse jump in a way she did not want to think about.

"I’m adding micro-speakers into the lining," he continued, as though he could sense exactly why she had gone stiff. "You’ll be able to hear us clearly without anyone noticing."

Seraphine swallowed hard but stayed quiet because she was suddenly far too aware of how close he was.

Then Voren pulled out a pair of sparkling gold stilettos. "These are weapons too," he explained. "The heels are sharp enough to use if you need them."

Seraphine looked surprised as she slipped them on because not only did they fit perfectly, but they were far more comfortable than she expected.

Then Voren stood up and handed her a small clutch.

"Press the knob here," he said, showing her the hidden mechanism. "Then aim at the target."

Corvine’s eyes widened with disbelief. "You mean the clutch is a gun?"

Voren nodded. "It’s the easiest way to get one inside without security noticing."

Seraphine felt a wave of gratitude she never said out loud because involving Voren had been the smartest decision she could have made.

Just like Corvine, he took every part of this seriously, but somehow, Voren took it even further because he thought about details other people would never notice.

When Voren reached up to adjust the strap resting against her shoulder, his fingers brushed lightly against her bare skin, and a shiver ran through her before she could stop it.

He was preparing her for a mission and making sure she had everything she needed to survive, but there was still something else hidden that neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

Finally, he picked up the necklace. The diamonds caught the light as he stepped behind her and fastened it around her neck, his fingers moving slowly against her skin as he secured the clasp.

"The camera is hidden here," he murmured softly.

His knuckles brushed lightly against her throat as he adjusted the necklace into place, and Seraphine had to force herself not to react because the contact sent another unwanted shiver through her body.

The necklace looked beautiful against her skin, sparkling brightly beneath the lights, but she knew it carried far more than beauty.

Once Voren finished, Seraphine steadied herself and pulled out her foldable phone, expanding it smoothly into a tablet while the glow from the screen lit up her face.

Several hacking programs appeared instantly.

"I can deactivate some of the sensors right before I go through security," she explained. "That should make things easier."

"Good," Voren said with a nod. "Once we get close enough, I’ll leave and pick up my FBI contact while Corvine drives you through the gate. You’ll tell security that he’s your driver and that he’ll be coming back later to pick you up."

Seraphine listened carefully while Voren continued laying out the rest of the plan.

"When Corvine comes back, they probably won’t search the car again because the number plate will already be registered in their system. My friend and I will stay hidden inside the booth until we know the right time to move."

Seraphine nodded because she liked the plan. "I’ll tell Santiago that I need to use the restroom," she said. "That should give me enough time to disable his cameras before anything starts."

Corvine frowned slightly. "Don’t those systems come back online after a while?"

Seraphine smiled faintly. "I already planted a virus into their server," she explained. "As long as I get close enough, I can activate it and move everything onto another server before anyone notices."

Voren looked at her with slightly raised brows, clearly impressed. "You’re scarier than I am."

The plan worked even better than they expected because by the time they reached Santiago’s estate, the amount of security around the property was unbelievable.

There were guards everywhere, cameras mounted across every wall, sensors hidden throughout the entrance, and bodyguards standing at nearly every corner, but what surprised Corvine most was the fact that nobody even realized their systems were being disabled because the second Seraphine stepped out of the car, every eye turned toward her.

She looked so beautiful that people stopped paying attention to everything else.

The guards barely glanced at the monitors, the security team forgot to double-check anything, and the bodyguards moved aside immediately, opening doors for her everywhere she went.

Corvine drove away exactly as planned while Seraphine was escorted inside.

She walked through long hallways lined with flowers and soft lighting until she finally reached a massive room glowing beneath golden chandeliers.

There was only one table in the center, surrounded by candles and flowers so excessive that the entire place looked more like the setting of some dramatic romance movie than a private dinner.

Then Santiago stepped forward to greet her.

Once again, he was dressed entirely in white.

"My Donner," he said with a smile. "You’ve arrived."