After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Cole let out a soft chuckle. "I didn't expect you to answer. Where's your mom?"

"She's in the shower," Alex answered honestly. "Do you know my mom?"

There was a slight pause. "Yes, I do."

Alex tilted his head, intrigued. He had never known his mother to have many friends.

Just then, the bathroom door opened, steam curling out.

Nora stepped into the room, towel drying her hair. She spotted Alex holding her phone and frowned slightly.

"Who's that?"

Alex handed it to her. "Uncle Cole."

Nora's brows lifted. She took the phone, bringing it to her ear. "Cole?"

On the other end, Cole's voice was calm, as always. "We were just talking about the next time we'd meet up with Abby."

"Ah." Nora rubbed her temple. "Right. I'll check my schedule and let you know."

After exchanging a few more words, she hung up.

Alex looked at her, eyes narrowed slightly. "Mom, you know Uncle Cole?"

Nora hesitated, then gave a brief nod. "Yes."

Alex blinked. He had never thought about it before, but now, he found himself wondering.... just how much did his mom know that he didn't?

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting soft golden hues across the dining table.

The scent of scrambled eggs and toast filled the kitchen as Nora placed a glass of milk in front of Alex, who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. ] yawned, swinging his legs under the chair, his small hands gripping the warm mug.

"Mom, are you eating too?" he asked, glancing at her with curiosity.

Nora, who had barely touched her plate, smiled faintly. "I'll eat later. You need to hurry, or we'll be late for school."

As she reached for her phone, it buzzed in her hand. Arnold's name flashed on the screen. A quiet sigh left her lips as she swiped to answer.

"I won't be back until next week at the earliest," Arnold's voice was casual, almost indifferent. "Looks like Alex will be staying with you in the meantime. Just take care of him."

Nora's grip on the phone tightened. "He has to be picked up by Saturday," she said flatly. “I have plans this weekend."

There was a brief pause, and she could almost hear Arnold frown on the other end. "What plans?" His tone shifted, curiosity creeping in.

But Nora had no intention of indulging him. Without another word, she hung up, tossing the phone onto the table.

Alex looked up from his breakfast, oblivious to the tension in her expression "Who was that?"

"Just your dad," she said, forcing her voice to remain even "Finish your food."

After dropping Alex off at school. Nora rushed to the office, barely sparing a glance at her reflection in the rearview mirror. The workload had become relentless, and with the tight project deadline looming, she worked late every night, returning home long after Alex had already fallen asleep.

Their interactions were reduced to brief moments in the morning.... his sleepy greetings, her quick goodbyes.

By Friday afternoon, as she was reviewing documents at her desk, her phone rang.

"Mom!" Alex's cheerful voice greeted her. "Daddy's back! He's picking me up now."

Nora leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. “I know,” she replied simply. There was a pause, as if Alex expected her to say more, but when she didn't, he just muttered a soft "Okay" and hung up.

A strange sense of emptiness settled in her chest.

The next day, Nora arrived at Fun Town, a brightly colored amusement park filled with the sounds of children's laughter and the scent of popcorn. Abby ran ahead excitedly, her ponytail bouncing as she pointed at different rides. Cole followed behind, hands in his pockets, his gaze lingering on Nora.

"It's been a while since we've hung out," he said, his voice casual but carrying an undertone of something unspoken.

Nora, distracted by Abby's energy, didn't notice. "Yeah, I've been busy."

They had lunch at a small outdoor café inside the park. Just as the waiter placednoveldrama

their food down, Cole finally leaned forward, his expression serious.

"I heard something about Arnold," he said, watching her reaction carefully.

Nora raised an eyebrow but remained silent, cutting into her food.

"He's been acquiring the shares of other stakeholders in his company. The plan is

to transfer controlling interest to Linda."

Nora's fork paused midair. “And?"

Cole exhaled, studying her. "You're really not surprised?"

Nora set her utensils down. "Arnold has always favored Linda. She's never been capable of running a business, but that's never stopped him from handing everything to her on a silver platter."

Cole observed her closely, wondering if she truly felt nothing or if she had just gotten better at hiding it.