Alpha's Regret After the Divorce by Christina novel Chapter 72

I sat on the edge of my bed, eyes fixed on the phone resting on the nightstand beside me. My fingers twitched, aching to reach out and dial Rocco’s number. Back when things were simpler between us, I’d call him whenever he was away from the territory—to make sure he arrived safely, remind him of something he might have forgotten, or simply to hear the comfort of his voice. Those calls had been a lifeline, a quiet thread connecting us across the miles.

“Don’t do it,” I murmured to myself, pulling my hand back just as it hovered over the screen. “He doesn’t deserve to know you still care.”

A small voice inside wondered if maybe he was waiting for me to call, hoping I’d break first like always. The thought made my jaw tighten with frustration. No, I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction—not after everything he’d put me through. If he was out having dinner with Kim, then so be it. Let him enjoy his evening undisturbed. I was done being the one who always reached out first, the one left vulnerable.

Just as I was about to silence my phone completely, it rang sharply, making me jump. The name flashing on the screen stopped me cold: Vanessa Hoggins. My mother. The woman who had walked away from me when I was only eight was suddenly calling after all these years of silence. I stared at the screen, my finger trembling above the answer button.

“Hello?” I finally said, my voice cautious, betraying the wariness I felt.

“Kiki, darling!” Her voice was unnervingly warm, almost rehearsed. “I’d love for you to come over for breakfast. I made something special, and it’s been far too long since we’ve sat down properly together.”

A frown crept onto my face. “Why the sudden interest in seeing me?”

“Because we’re family,” she sighed, as if that explained everything. “And William would love to meet you properly as well. We both thought… maybe it’s time to rebuild some bridges. After all, family is family, right?”

I bit my lip, searching for any hidden agenda behind her words. The dull ache in my chest reminded me that time was slipping away—that I didn’t have much left to heal old wounds. Perhaps this was my last chance to understand why she had chosen to leave me behind.

“Fine,” I said reluctantly. “What time?”

“Wonderful!” Her relief was palpable. “How about ten in the morning? I’ll send a car to pick you up.”

After hanging up, I moved to the window, watching the pale morning light filter through the gray clouds. My mind drifted back to childhood memories—Vanessa as the gentle mother I once knew, staying up all night when I was sick, her face glowing with pride at my smallest achievements.

I sighed deeply, resting a hand over my aching heart. Maybe this was the final opportunity to mend what was broken.

“Just this once,” I whispered to the quiet of my apartment. “I’ll give our mother-daughter relationship one more chance.”

At the agreed hour, a sleek black car pulled up outside my building. The Hoggins family driver was silent throughout the ride, the hum of the engine the only sound accompanying my swirling thoughts.

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