Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah) novel Chapter 105

Chapter 0105
Hannah
+25 BONUS
The ride back to the mansion was silent, the low rumble of the car’s engine and the tires crunching across the pavement the only sounds that filled the void between us. I kept my gaze fixed out the window, watching the city lights blur past us all too slowly for my liking.
I didn’t even dare to turn and look at Noah.
How could he not even remember something so simple, so fundamental as the age we were or the date when we had met?
I remembered every tiny, infinitesimal detail of that night as though it had been just yesterday. From the color of the tie Noah had been wearing on our first date-a deep forest green that almost perfectly matched the color of his eyes-to the slightly nervous way he kept adjusting his shirtsleeves.
Hell, I could probably recreate the entire exchange word-for-word if I concentrated hard enough. That moment had been seared into my memory, replayed in my mind’s eye more times than I could count over the long, bitter years that followed.
But he had mixed me up with Zoe.
Zoe, his perfect girl. His true high school sweetheart. I was just an afterthought, and so was our entire relationship. And tonight, I had made the mistake of thinking for a moment that he actually cared rather than the fact that he was simply using me to fulfill some agenda of his.
The question was… what agenda? I snuck a sidelong glance at his imposing profile, feeling my teeth grit just upon looking at him.
Just what had tonight been about, really? All of the soft words and gentlemanly gestures, the pretty dress, and the fancy event… had any of it been real? Or was this whole evening simply another calculated chess move in whatever game Noah was playing?
I couldn’t stand the nagging uncertainty any longer.
“Alright,” I said abruptly. “Now that the event is over, are you going to tell me what you actually want?”
Noah’s piercing gaze flickered in my direction briefly before he looked away once more, but not before I caught a glimpse of something that almost looked like guilt in his eyes. Again,
“I don’t want anything from you,” he finally said, his deep voice even and controlled as ever. “I wanted to have a nice evening out, celebrate our first meeting. Is that so hard to believe?”
I scoffed before I could stop myself. “Yes, considering that you got me mixed up with Zoe.”
Noah turned to look at me fully again. “I already told you,” he insisted, “this has nothing to do with Zoe.”
“But you got our meeting date and ages mixed up.
“It was an accident.” He shook his head and looked out the window again. “I met Zoe in the spring, not the winter. And we were both kids.”
“Oh, so you remember that easily, but not meeting your own wife,” I pressed. I shook my head slowly, pursing my lips. “You’ve always cared more about her, anyway. I don’t even know why I let it upset me at
Chapter 0105
this point.”
+25 BONUS
That seemed to strike a nerve. Noah’s jaw clenched for a moment, and he didn’t speak. Finally, when he did, his voice was strained as ever. “Is that what this is about?” he growled. “Dates?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who supposedly wanted to celebrate our meeting anniversary.”
For a handful of moments, there was only silence, so heavy it felt like I could hardly even breathe beneath the weight of it. Then, Noah spoke, the words coming out slow and through gritted teeth.
“Fine. There have been… rumors. About us.” A muscle in his jaw ticked. “About an impending separation.”
Of course there would be rumors; neither of us had exactly acted like we were madly in love in…. well, years. Maybe not even ever, actually. But that wasn’t what hurt.
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