“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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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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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.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret
I still don’t see the regret from her husband and son No divorce yet I would like to see Nora and Cole hooking up together...
neverending story.....repeated same story lines....boring...
What a bad spot for the book to come to an end, I truly do hope there is more to come would be sad to not have a ending to this story........
This page has repeated same story lines that was already said.......
Iam kinda wondering if the writer may speak another language??? Cause iam noting that some of the words kind of seem like another language I could be wrong but every page has a spelling mistake it's making it hard to understand most of what is happening in the book....
Iam loving this book so far but it would have been much better if someone had prof read it 1st there is alot of spelling mistakes some of which I knew what was meant but some I have no clue at all....
Is there any more...