Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth by Aurora Starling

Chapter 0189

Hannah

6

+25 BONUS

The second I entered the private restaurant, my eyes were already scanning the room critically. Everything had to be perfect for Drake and Zoe’s date–everything. Not even saying a word to the hostess, I moved swiftly to the table in the corner and began nervously smoothing out the white tablecloth, rearranging the candles, and primping the flowers.

“Hannah?” Drake’s voice startled me as he entered. “You got here early.”

I didn’t even bother to look up, keeping my gaze focused on preening the pretty pink rose petals in the vase. “Just making sure everything’s ready,” I replied. “You’re early too.”

Drake nodded as he stopped in front of me, and upon a brief glance I could see his eyes darting around nervously despite his handsome appearance. “Yeah, I… I wanted to thank you again for setting this up. I know it wasn’t easy.”

A pang of guilt twisted in my stomach. “So, um… About that,” I began, biting my lip. “I sort of had to tell Zoe that I had a business proposition for her. It was the only way to get her here.”

Drake’s eyebrows shot up. “What? Why?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “She’s been looking for a job, I guess. I don’t know… it was the only thing I could think of that would guarantee she would show up.” It was true; I had considered everything. Unless Noah was in the picture, which he obviously couldn’t be for something like this, I was certain that Zoe would have said no to an invitation to meet me for dinner.

“Hannah,” Drake groaned rubbing his hand over his face, “that’s… that’s not good. She’s going to be furious.”

“I know, I know,” I said quickly. “I feel terrible about it. But I promised I’d help you, and… well, this was the best I could do in the amount of time I had.”

Drake was quiet for a moment, then he nodded and smoothed down the front of his suit. “Okay. Well, if she gets angry, I won’t let you take the blame. I’ll tell her it was all my idea.”

both of us surely

Drake paced back and forth, clutching a single rose in his hand and repeatedly smoothing his hair in the window’s reflection. He kept his back turned, although whether to hide his terror or surprise Zoe, I

the door opened, and Zoe walked in. The hostess said something to her and led her across the crowded restaurant, finally bringing her to us. Stopping a few feet away,

going on?” she

stepped forward, offering Zoe the rose.

Chapter 0189

+25 BONUS

slits. She looked from Drake to

pointing at me. “You lied to me, didn’t you? There’s

out in a placating gesture. “Zoe, Drake has been dying for a date

a step closer. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, and we would understand. But this was the only way

causing me to flinch. “After all that talk of understanding my situation? After promising me that you would

no words would come out. Not that Zoe waited for an answer,

interested, time and time again. Who the hell do you think you are?” She paused, her teeth grit as she looked back and forth between the two

threw the rose to the ground and stomped on it, grinding it

please,” he started, but she was already storming out

a brief, panicked look before I nodded at him

patrons had paused their dining, their eyes turning to me. I sank into the nearest chair, burying my face in my hands in the hopes that they would return their

spectacularly,” I muttered

pulled myself together and left, climbing back into my waiting car and instructing the driver to take me home–home, where I could finally, blissfully, sink into a hot bath and shut myself off from the world, if only for a little

was dark and quiet. I kicked off my shoes with a sigh of relief, my aching from the

feet

with my head cut off since early morning, barely having gotten any sleep after helping Noah the night before and spending the day curating the