Ex-Alpha's Regret: Siren's Comeback novel Chapter 114

POV: Damian

My first move was not a cannonball, but a pinprick. A deliberate, irritating, and deeply personal annoyance. Seraphina had always had a soft spot for the weak, a trait I'd once derided as sentimental nonsense. After the summit, my intelligence confirmed she was the primary benefactor of a charitable foundation managed by Vance Capital, one aimed at providing sanctuary for displaced Omegas and their pups.

It was the perfect target.

From a purely financial standpoint, attacking it was absurd. It was a non-profit, a drain on Vance's resources, not a source of income. My board of directors was baffled when I gave the order. But its value wasn't monetary. Its value was emotional. It was hers.

I unleashed my corporate raiders. We initiated a series of aggressive, hostile maneuvers—not to take over the charity, but to bleed it. We bought up the debt of its suppliers, choked its supply lines, and filed a dozen frivolous lawsuits that would tie up its operational budget in legal fees for years. It was a petty, brutish, and wildly expensive display of power, designed to do nothing more than wound her and force her to pay attention to me.

Phase two began simultaneously. The annual Starlight Charity Gala was the most high-profile social event of the season, a feeding frenzy for the media. I made sure we were the main attraction.

I arrived with Sylvie on my arm. I had spared no expense. She was draped in a king's ransom of diamonds, wearing a gown of shimmering gold that made her the undeniable center of attention. I played my part to perfection. I held her hand constantly, laughed at her vapid remarks as if they were the wittiest things I had ever heard, and never let my adoring gaze stray from her for more than a few seconds.

The paparazzi were eating out of my hand. During a pre-arranged interview with the lead anchor from the Continental News Network, I delivered the master stroke.

I immediately dictated a public response to my PR team, which they released within the hour. It was short, defiant, and dripping with righteous indignation.

"My business dealings are my own and are conducted within the bounds of the law," the statement read. "Furthermore, I will not stand for any entity, no matter how powerful, casting aspersions on my partner. An attack on her is an attack on me, and I will not tolerate it."

The message was clear. I was a devoted Alpha, willing to go to war for the woman I loved.

The board was set. The pieces were in motion. Now, I just had to wait for the queen to react to the threat.