After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

"Mom didn't answer," he said softly.

Arnold smiled, though a flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze. "She's probably busy."

"Let's not bother her," he continued. "How about Daddy takes you out to dinner tonight?"

Alex's face brightened. "Can we invite Aunt Linda too?"

Arnold nodded, ruffling his hair. "Good idea."

With that, Alex slid off his lap, his small feet padding across the polished floor as he ran back to his playroom.

Arnold, however, remained seated. A weight settled on his shoulders as he returned to the parlor where his guests awaited.

The air inside the parlor was thick with expectation.

The assembled guests, all prominent figures in the werewolf world, had come with their own agendas.

Most had only heard whispers of Arnold's heir, but now that they had seen Alex with their own eyes, speculation spread like wildfire.

"He's been hiding a child all this time?" one murmured to another.

"Was he secretly married?"

"If so, why hasn't he introduced the mother?"

Their unspoken questions hung in the air, but Arnold remained indifferent to their curiosity. He had no obligation to explain himself.

Among them were families who had come with a clear purpose-introducing their daughters to Arnold, hoping to secure a powerful marriage alliance.

They had prepared carefully, dressing their daughters in elegant gowns,

instructing them to charm and impress.

But Arnold hadn't even looked their way.

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After I left, Alpha father and son went crazy

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His disinterest was a quiet but brutal rejection.

Some of the fathers in the room clenched their fists in frustration.

So even if he wasn't married, their daughters still had no chance?

Arnold sipped his whiskey, unfazed by the silent battle of ambitions playing out before him.

Let them think whatever they wanted. It didn't concern him.

Meanwhile, at the arcade, Nora remained unaware of the world outside.

Cole had something to do just now and took Abby to leave first, while Nora had spent a lot of time recently working on her thesis, which was now nearing completion, just in time to relax by playing the game.

She didn't notice the woman standing outside, watching her with amusement.

It was Flora, Linda's friend..

Just then, Flora smirked.

Still the same, aren't you, Nora?

To Flora, the sight of Nora alone in an arcade was something to mock.

In college, Flora had always been part of the popular crowd-friends with Linda,

the kind of woman who thrived on exclusivity and social power.

And Nora? She had always been different.

Too smart.

Too independent.

Too unwilling to play their games.

Flora withdrew her gaze and turned on her heels. Linda would love to hear about this.

Linda's house was lavish, every corner decorated with the finest taste.

Her mother, Jenna, sat on the couch, sipping a cup of tea when Flora arrived, practically bursting with

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After I left, Alpha father and son went crazy with

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excitement.

"You won't believe what I just saw," Flora announced, sliding onto the couds with a dramatic flourish

Linda barely glanced at her. She was reading a document, her expression calm and detached

Jenna, however, leaned forward with interest. "What is it?"

"I saw Nora," Flora said, her voice carrying a sharp edge of glee. "In an arcade, playing games-alone She looked so miserable."

Jenna's laughter was loud and unrestrained. "That girl? Still wasting her time like a child?

Flora nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Can you believe it? After all these years, she's still the same-always pretending to be above everything, but in reality, she's just pathetic."

Jenna shook her head with mock pity. "Some people never change."

Linda, however, remained indifferent. She flipped a page in her document without looking up.

"She has nothing to do with us anymore."

That was the difference between Linda and the rest of them.

Where Flora thrived on petty gossip, and Jenna took pleasure in belittling others, Linda was simply

indifferent.

Nora didn't matter to her. Not anymore.

And yet, if that was true, why did she feel the need to say it out loud?

The arcade had been a fun distraction, but as soon as Nora stepped through the door of her quiet home, reality settled back in.

The brief excitement of neon lights and victorious games faded into the background as she kicked off her shoes and set her plush prize on the couch.

With a deep breath, she walked straight to her desk, where her laptop waited, screen dimmed but still

open to the unfinished document.

Her research paper.

She rolled her shoulders and sat down, fingers flexing before settling onto the keyboard.

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After I left. Alpha father and son went crazy th

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r

The quiet of her apartment was finden rady by the sound of keystrars and the gas

de rewrote sentences, adjusted reimences, and meticulously checked her ration Somewhere around the second hour, she leaned back, riding her eyes, the seven's waving them

eting

*Almost done," she murmured to herself.

The desire to submit it immediately burned at the back of her mind, but she knew better than to much.

Colton was thorough he'd scrutinize every detail, and she refused to send him anything less than polished.

When she finally hit send, a wave of exhaustion settled over her.

Stretching her arms above her head, she stood and made her way downstairs, intending to grab a glass of water before heading to bed.

The moment she reached the living room, she noticed the soft glow of headlights pulling into the

courtyard.

A sleek black car rolled to a stop.noveldrama

Her brow furrowed.

Before she could fully process the unexpected arrival, the car door swung open,

and a small figure bolted

out.

"Mom!"