After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Alex's voice was bright with excitement as he ran toward her, his little arms swinging the hard p the steps.

Surprised, she crouched slightly as he approached, steadying him when he threw his arms avoward hy waist.

"Hey, what are you doing here so late?" she asked gently, smoothing his slightly tousled hair.

The driver, a middle-aged man in a crisp uniform, stepped out of the car and gave her a small and

"Mr. Arnold asked me to bring him," he said simply, before returning to the vehicle without further explanation.

Nora's lips pressed into a thin line as she watched the car reverse out of the courtyard.

Arnold hadn't even bothered to bring Alex himself? Again?noveldrama

She sighed and looked down at the child.

"Come on," she said, ruffling his hair. "Let's get you cleaned up for bed."

Alex, still cheerful, chattered about his day as she guided him upstairs. He took a quick shower, changed into the soft pajamas she kept for him, and crawled under the blankets.

As she tucked him in, he reached out and held her hand. "Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

Her heart softened. "Of course."

She sat beside him, rubbing slow circles on his back until his breathing evened out. The moment his small fingers relaxed their grip on hers, she stood, carefully tucking the blanket around him before

heading back to her own room.

Once she was alone, she pulled out her phone and typed a message to Arnold:

"Next time, give me advance notice. And don't send Alex here without permission."

Nora doesn't know if he didn't see it or if he wasn't available.

After the message went out, Arnold didn't message her back for the rest of the night.

As predicted, he didn't reply until the next morning-just as she was dropping Alex off at school. The message was infuriatingly brief.

11:31

After I left, Alpha father and son went craz

"Yes."

Nora stared at the screen for a moment before locking her phone with a sharp sigh. Typical.

By the end of the week, her paper had passed Colton's review and was officially submitted. A sense of relief settled over her, and that evening, she and Leo decided to celebrate.

"Professor Colton, dinner's on us," Leo had insisted.

To their surprise, this time Colton didn't refuse.

Nora had been so focused on their conversation at the restaurant that she didn't notice the black car

parked just a short distance away.

Inside the vehicle, Cole sat silently, fingers tapping absently against the steering wheel.

He wasn't alone-Abby, still half-drowsy from her nap, was curled up in the passenger seat.

He hesitated, watching as Nora, Leo, and Colton sat at their table, their interaction easy, natural.

It was the way Colton leaned in slightly when speaking to her, the casual way Nora responded, her expression relaxed and confident.

Cole had always believed that Nora was in a position to dine with Colton through Leo's connections.

But in this image, Nora and Colton were talking to each other and clearly had a better relationship, Leo instead sometimes shaking his head helplessly because he couldn't get a word in.

A few days ago, a designer had mentioned something interesting-that Nora's ability might be superior to his own. At the time, Cole hadn't thought much of it.

But now, watching them interact, a realization settled uncomfortably in his mind. Had they all miscalculated?

Had they assumed Leo's choices were driven by personal attachment rather than professional strategy?

His thoughts were interrupted when Charles arrived at the restaurant, followed by Arnold, Linda, Alex,

and Flora.

Flora's eyes lit up instantly when she saw Cole, and she greeted him excitedly, "Cole, long time no see."

She had been trying for months to catch his attention, always lingering around Linda, hoping for an opportunity to interact with people in power.

11:31

After I left. Alpha father and son went crazy

99.580

Cole froze slightly, as if recalling who she was, then nodded politely.

The lack of response made Flora falter slightly, but she quickly masked it with a bright smile, turning her attention to the others.

Meanwhile, Alex noticed Abby sitting quietly beside Cole, rubbing her eyes sleepily. He tilted his head. "Is

she okay?"

Cole glanced down at Abby, his expression softening. "She just woke up from a nap,” he explained gently.

That seemed to satisfy Alex, and the two children soon found themselves chatting in hushed tones, sitting in the corner of the couch while the adults talked.

Linda, for her part, settled beside Arnold and pulled a book from her bag, flipping through the pages with deep concentration.

Cole recognized it immediately-one of Colton's works.

*"So she's still trying to get his approval, "* he noted.

She was ambitious, that much was clear. But as Cole watched, his gaze drifted back toward the restaurant where Colton and Nora were still engaged in conversation.

Cole frowned slightly, his mind wondering.

Colton and Nora What exactly is the relationship?