After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Nora sat at her desk, her fingers lightly tapping the surface.

The soft glow of the city skyline reflected off the window behind her, casting

elongated shadows across the office. She could hear the subtle strain in Arnold's voice... he wasn't used to negotiating from a position of weakness.

"I'm sorry," she said, her tone detached. "This isn't just about business cooperation. At that time, it wasn't only me who was insulted... it was my employees as well. This has crossed a boundary I cannot ignore. There is no compromise here."

Arnold exhaled sharply. "Is there really no room for negotiation?"

A small smile ghosted across Nora's lips. She leaned back, staring at the ceiling

as if contemplating his desperation. "If you plan to use your Alpha authority to pressure us, it might make a difference," she admitted.

"But you should remember something, Arnold... Silvermoon Pack and STARLINE Studio exist in a

If you resort to coercion, it won't just hurt me. It'll make other businesses relationship of mutual benefit

in the pack wary, and once that fear spreads, the entire market will freeze."

Arnold remained silent for a beat.

Nora tilted her head slightly. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"

Of course, he did.

The power of an Alpha could be overwhelming, but even an Alpha couldn't rule over a dead economy.

If businesses feared being strong-armed, they would start looking outside the pack for partnerships.

And once trust was broken, it was nearly impossible to rebuild.

"I see what you mean," Arnold said finally. His voice was resigned.

Without another word, he hung up.

Nora let the phone slip from her fingers and exhaled slowly. She had expected his call, but not the almost desperate undertone to his voice.

She had never seen Arnold as someone who truly feared losing control... until

now.

14:02

After I left, Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

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That night, Arnold, Charles, and Linda sat in a dimly lit bar, a private lounge reserved for them.

The rich aroma of aged whiskey mingled with the faint scent of leather and cigar smoke.

Ice clinked in glasses, and the ambient hum of conversations filled the space.

Charles, already on his second drink, slammed his glass down in frustration. "Nora usually comes across as quiet and dignified. I never expected her to be so calculating."

He scoffed before adding, "But then again, we should've seen it coming. Back then, she drugged you, Arnold. She acted innocent afterward, but that was just a performance. She's never been as simple and kind as she pretended to be."

Arnold remained silent, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. He hadn't corrected Charles before, and he wasn't going to now.

Linda, seated beside him, barely heard the conversation. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Cole.noveldrama

He wasn't here tonight.

Lately, he had been distant, absent from their usual gatherings. He hadn't even acknowledged her struggles, let alone offered any assistance.

He hadn't reached out, hadn't defended her, hadn't even given her a simple word of reassurance.

Her fingers tightened around the stem of her wine glass, her nails pressing into the delicate crystal.

She forced a casual tone, keeping her voice light. "Arnold, Charles, have you noticed? Cole's been avoiding

us."

Arnold glanced at her, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

He hadn't expected her to bring up Cole, not in the middle of such a tense situation.

Charles, on the other hand, simply shrugged. "Yeah, he's been scarce. But that's nothing new. Even back in school, he was secretive... always disappearing for stretches of time. Probably dealing with family.

matters."

Linda hesitated before asking, "And does anyone actually know what his family does?"

That made Charles pause.

His brows knitted together, and he sat up straighter.

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w with regret

"Now that you mention it.." He frowned, as if trying to piece together fragments of a long-forgotten

puzzle. "We've known him for years, but he never talks about his family. No one really knows what they do. That's odd, isn't it?"

The air in the private room was thick with unspoken thoughts. No one dared to break the silence, their gazes flickering between each other, unsure of what to say.

Cole's family was a mystery to them, and the more they tried to recall anything relevant, the more they realized how little they actually knew.

The weight of this realization sat heavy in the room, like a curtain drawn over an unsolved riddle.

Then, the door swung open abruptly.