After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Arnold’s voice came through, casual but with an undertone of something unspoken. “Are you free today? Alex wants to hang out with Abby.”

Cole leaned against the wall, glancing toward Nora, who had gone back to reading but seemed slightly aware of his presence. He replied evenly, “I’m taking Abby out today. Maybe another time.”

Arnold let out a short chuckle. “You’ve been going out more lately.”

Cole smirked faintly, though there was an edge of something else in his expression. “Abby’s been opening up more.

She’s not as reserved as before.”

They exchanged a few more words before ending the call, but as Cole slipped his phone back into his pocket, something lingered in his mind.

Arnold knew all of this knowledge–probably even more than Cole did–but he had never been willing to teach

Nora.

His eyes darkened slightly at the thought.

The marriage between Arnold and Nora had always been surrounded by rumors.

Many people say that it was Nora’s underhanded tactics that forced Arnold to have to marry her in the first place.

Cole had believed it too, once. But after spending time with her, after seeing how she carried herself with quiet dignity, it was getting harder to reconcile that image with reality.

And then there was Linda–the woman who had somehow inserted herself between them.

had been underhanded,

couldn’t ignore the fact that Arnold had always resented the very idea of ‘mates‘–that he had resisted his connection to

rebellion against fate, against something

of what he truly

conversation stretching

about economics had seamlessly drifted into other topics–philosophy, literature, even the nature of ambition. Cole found himself

had a sharp, analytical mind, the kind that dissected

much time had slipped away, the sun was already

99.1%

the

room in warmth, making the atmosphere

her fingers resting

for today,” she said, her voice

chair, a relaxed smile forming,

caught off guard by his gentleness. She had expected professionalism, maybe some casual politeness, but this–this warmth was unexpected. It lingered between them, like an unspoken promise,

the room, Elisa had been getting along well with

had been a constant background melody throughout the afternoon.

preparing to leave, a strange but comfortable atmosphere had settled between

found himself speaking without much thought. “See you next

unreadable, but there was something steady in

car giving her space to think. Cole

she reminded herself, they were

no time in sharing her observations with Alexander. She leaned against the doorframe of his office, arms crossed, a knowing smile

up at her with