Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah) novel Chapter 208

Chapter 0208
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Chapter 0208
Hannah
After my dance with Drake, I made my way back to where my friends were gathered. Amber, Emma, and Viona were huddled together with their heads bent, giggling about something that they were holding between them.
“What’s so funny?” I asked as I approached.
Amber turned to me, and it was then that I saw how much her eyes seemed to be sparkling. “Oh, Hannah! You’ll never guess what happened!” Before I could even attempt a guess, Amber thrust out her left hand, revealing a glittering diamond ring on her finger. “I’m engaged!”
“What?” I gasped, grabbing her hand to get a closer look at the expensive stone. “Amber, that’s amazing! When did this happen?”
“Just now!” Amber squealed. “Jake pulled me aside and got down on one knee right in the middle of the festival!”
Emma clapped her hands together. “It was so romantic. You should have seen it, Hannah!”
I felt a pang in my chest, wishing that I could have been there for my friend’s engagement rather than having to scheme over catching my own husband cheating. But I pushed the feeling aside and plastered on a smile for my friend’s sake-and truly, I was happy for her.
“I’m so happy for you, Amber,” I said, pulling her into a tight hug. “Congratulations!”
As we fawned over Amber’s ring and discussed potential wedding plans, however, I couldn’t help but notice the way that Viona was growing increasingly uncomfortable. She kept glancing over her shoulder, her eyes darting around the room.
“Viona?” I asked quietly. “Is everything okay?”
She bit her lip, hesitating before answering. “It’s Andrew. He keeps trying to talk to me, and I just… I can’t deal with it right now. He kind of grosses me out.”
I followed her gaze and spotted Andrew’s lanky frame hovering nearby, his eyes unabashedly fixed on Viona. When we looked, he quickly grinned and waved at us, causing us to snap our heads around and pretend we hadn’t seen him.
“Do you want me to say something to him?” I whispered.
Viona shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I just wish he would take the hint and leave me alone. But it seems that he thinks an arranged marriage means that I don’t need personal space.”
I placed a hand on her arm. “You know I’m here for you, right? If you need any help or support with this whole arranged marriage thing, just say the word.”
She gave me a small smile. “Thanks, Hannah. I appreciate that… Oh, Goddess, here he comes.”
Turning, I saw Andrew approaching. I took a protective step in front of her, although she placed her hand on my arm to stop me. “Viona,” he said, his voice hopeful. “Would you like to dance with me? Or perhaps I could buy you an ice cream.”
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Chapter 0208
Viona’s shoulders tensed, and she jutted her chin out at him. “Andrew, I’ve already told you-”
“If we’re to be engaged, then we should at least spend a little time together,” he insisted.
I could see the frustration building in Viona’s eyes. She looked at me, then back at Andrew. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in talking right now. Or ever, really. Please respect that.”
Andrew’s face fell, but he didn’t back down. Pushing a stray brown curl away from his forehead, he said, ” Your parents think we would be a good match, you know. Do you not agree?”
That seemed to be the last straw for Viona. She straightened up, her voice firm. “No, Andrew. I don’t agree. I’m not interested in an arranged marriage, and that’s final.”
Without another word, she turned to us. “I’m sorry, guys. I think I’m going to head home. This is all just… too much right now.”
“Of course,” I said, giving her a quick hug. “Text me when you get home, okay?”
Viona nodded and made her way toward the exit, leaving Andrew standing in her wake with a bewildered look on his face. I watched her go before I turned back to Andrew to give him a piece of my mind, but he was already gone.
As I turned back to Amber and Emma, movement near one of the side rooms caught my eye. My heart dropped as I saw Noah and Zoe emerging together, their heads close as they spoke to each other softly.
Bastard, I thought to myself, gritting my teeth.
Noah’s eyes snapped up, instantly meeting mine across the crowded room as though he could sense my gaze. He started pushing his way through the crowd, clearly trying to reach me, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed.
I couldn’t face him. Not now, not after everything that had happened tonight. Turning to my friends, I quickly said, “Amber, congratulations on your engagement. We should have a girls night soon. But unfortunately, I have to go.”
Amber and Emma widened their eyes slightly. “Oh… Okay, Hannah. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
With that, I turned and headed for the exit, weaving through the throng of people to avoid Noah.
As I neared the door, however, I couldn’t help but pause by the Moon Goddess altar. The incense had been relit, filling the air with a sweet, heady scent that drew me in. For a moment, my footsteps faltered, and I found myself standing in front of the altar with pursed lips.
Why? Why had the Moon Goddess given me a second chance at life if things still had to be so… difficult this time around? 2
Of course, the tiny clay statuette of the Moon Goddess stared back at me, silent and impassive. Her marbled eyes seemed empty, her long hair lackluster. She wasn’t in that statue. She probably wasn’t even listening. Maybe she didn’t even exist and I had just hallucinated everything.
“Hannah!” I heard Noah’s voice calling after me, snapping me out of my reverie. I looked up to see him still pushing through the crowd, and so, with a sigh, I turned away and hurried out into the corridor leading to my bedroom.
Chapter 0209
+25 BONUS
I practically ran back to my room, the sounds of the festival fading rapidly behind me. Once I was safely inside, I took care to lock the door tightly-just in case Noah got any ideas about trying to talk to me. Although, I didn’t hear him knock or try the handle, so supposed he had given up.
It was getting late and the festival was winding down anyway, so I went through the motions of getting ready for bed, my mind replaying the events of the night. Noah and Zoe emerging from that room together… what had they been doing? What were they talking about?
No. It didn’t matter. It only mattered that I collect proof of his cheating so I could use it during the divorce proceedings.
As I was brushing my teeth a while later, long after the last guests had gone home and the sounds of the festival had faded into silence, a faint sound caught my attention. I paused, listening closely and straining my ears past the lively crickets. There it was again-someone calling my name.
Frowning, I moved to the window and pushed it open. The cool night air rushed in, carrying with it the unmistakable sound of Viona’s voice coming from below.
“Hannah! Hannah, down here!”
I leaned out the window, squinting into the darkness. There, standing in the hedges below, was Viona