Jealousy Alpha's Regret novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Iris’s POV

I woke up to sunlight filtering through the familiar curtains of my old

room at Grey Manor. For a disorienting moment, I forgot everything

that had happened–the separation, the apartment, the pregnancy.

Then reality crashed back, and I sighed, staring at the ceiling.

The dinner last night had been surprisingly civil. William had

commanded most of the conversation, while Sebastien remained

unusually quiet. I’d managed to avoid any direct interaction with him,

though I caught him watching me several times.

After a quick shower, I dressed in a simple navy pencil skirt and

cream blouse, professional but not flashy. I needed to be taken.

seriously today, especially with Megan now in charge.

As I made my way downstairs, I caught the scent of fresh coffee and

cinnamon rolls. My stomach rumbled appreciatively, a good sign after

weeks of morning sickness.

“Good morning, my dear,” William called from the dining room as I

entered. He was seated at the head of the table, newspaper in hand,

looking every bit the distinguished Alpha. “Did you sleep well?”

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“I did, thank you,” I replied, taking a seat to his right–my usual place

during the two years I’d lived here. “The room was very comfortable.

William’s eyes crinkled with warmth. “It’s always been your room, Iris.

That hasn’t changed.”

I smiled politely but didn’t respond. So much had changed that I

didn’t know where to begin.

As Mrs. Peterson served breakfast, I noticed the empty chair across

from me. “Is Sebastien not joining us?”

“He left early for a meeting,” William replied, watching me over his

coffee cup. “Something about new investors.”

I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and something else I didn’t want

to examine too closely. “That’s probably for the best.”

William sighed. “You two need to talk eventually, Iris.”

“We’ve done plenty of talking,” I said, cutting into my omelette.

“There’s nothing left to say.”

As I ate, my mind drifted to the box of mementos Sebastien had taken

last night. Why would he want them? After two years of making it

clear our marriage meant nothing to him, his sudden interest in those

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reminders made no sense.

Unless…no. I shook my head slightly. Whatever game Sebastien was

playing, I wouldn’t be drawn in again.

“Will you be coming back tonight?” William asked as I prepared to

leave.

“I don’t think so,” I replied gently. “I appreciate your hospitality, but I

need to focus on my own life now.”

William nodded, though disappointment shadowed his eyes. “You’ll

always have a place here, Iris. Remember that.”

I kissed his cheek and headed out, calling a taxi to take me to

Crescent Design.

I’d barely sat down at my desk when my phone buzzed with a

notification. A department–wide message from Megan Claire.

Emergency meeting in Conference Room A in 15 minutes. All design team

members must attend with your current North Star project drafts.

“Well, that’s just great,” I muttered, quickly opening my laptop. I’d

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been working on my designs until late last night, but they weren’t

completely polished yet.

“Did you see this?” Lisa whispered, leaning over from the next desk.

“She’s obviously trying to catch us unprepared.”

“I saw,” I replied, fingers flying over the keyboard as I pulled up my

files. “Don’t worry, I’m ready.”

Lisa looked shocked. “How? She just dumped that full concept

assignment on you yesterday while the rest of us only need to show

preliminary sketches. It’s like she’s deliberately setting you up to

fail.”

I shrugged, not wanting to reveal how familiar I was with North Star’s

design aesthetics from my time as Aurora. “I work quickly when I’m

inspired.”

The truth was, I’d anticipated something like this. Megan had given

me an impossible task, expecting me to fail. But she didn’t know who

she was dealing with.

I gathered my tablet and notes, heading to the conference room five

minutes early. Marcus caught my eye as I entered, giving me a subtle nod of encouragement. He knew how Megan operated.