Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate-Chapter 198

Those were minor details. What really mattered was Cole’s technology. That was what had real value.

Logan understood exactly what Sophia meant. Sure, Elodie had done well during her speech. But when it came to the technical stuff? Both he and Sophia figured Johnny had fed her all the answers beforehand.

There was no way Elodie actually knew that much on her own.

Tracy chimed in. "But she really is relying on Johnny, isn’t she?"

No matter how you looked at it, Elodie had been front and center today. And whether they liked it or not, that helped the Miller family. In Tracy’s eyes, that showed Elodie had at least some ability.

But Sophia wasn’t concerned with any of that. What bothered her was something else entirely.

She’d noticed Harry in the audience during the press conference. Watching Elodie. His gaze had been locked on her, focused, and intent.

He’d never looked at Sophia that way. She couldn’t help but think if she’d been the one on stage, Harry’s eyes would’ve been on her instead.

---

By the time Elodie and Johnny left the hotel, it was nearly ten at night. After a full day of nonstop work, Elodie’s head was pounding.

She got in her car and drove on autopilot, only realizing when she pulled into the garage that she’d gone to her own apartment instead of back to the Miller house.

It was too late to turn around now. She wasn’t going back tonight.

She got out, pulled out her phone, and scrolled through her messages. The Miller family had called. So had Liora.

There was also a text from Liora, sent around 8 p.m., asking when she’d be home.

Elodie glanced at it, then put her phone away. She went upstairs, took a quick shower, and collapsed into bed.

---

The next morning, she’d barely opened her eyes when her phone rang.

It was Liora.

Elodie didn’t want to answer. But the second her phone went quiet, the landline at the Miller house started ringing.

She sighed and picked up. "Grandma."

"Elodie, you didn’t come home last night?"

"Yeah. I was too busy. Didn’t make it back."

Hearing that she’d been working, Old Madam Miller softened. She didn’t push. Just handed the phone to Liora.

"Mom!" Liora’s voice was bright, and cheerful.

"Hey."

Liora sounded surprised that Elodie didn’t come back to the Miller house every night. When she’d called last night and gotten no answer, and then woke up this morning and didn’t see her, she’d felt a little let down.

"Mom, when are you coming back?"

"Tonight, probably."

"Oh..." Liora’s voice dipped.

Elodie remembered something. "Call your dad and have him send a driver to take you to school, okay? I’m too busy today."

"Okay." Then, after a pause, "By the way, Mom, where are you living now? Can I come see you after school?"

"No," Elodie said quickly. "I’ll still be at work when school gets out. Just stay at your great-grandma’s. If you get bored, call your dad and have him take you out to eat."

"Okay."

"I have to get to work now. I’m hanging up."

"Bye, Mom."

Elodie ended the call.

After breakfast, she went straight to the office.

Even though she’d been swamped yesterday, today was no different. But she left earlier than usual in the afternoon so she could have dinner with Grandma.

When she got to the Miller house, she noticed right away that Grandma seemed off. Upset about something.

Elodie glanced around the living room. There was no sign of Liora.

She guessed Liora had gone out to eat with Dante again.

Elodie wasn’t particularly bothered. But Grandma clearly was. She thought Liora was getting way too attached to Dante.

"Elodie," Grandma said seriously, "once you finish up your current work, you need to spend more time with Liora. Otherwise..."

Elodie nodded vaguely. "I know. I will. Let’s eat first."

Grandma didn’t say anything else.

After dinner, Elodie chatted with her for a bit, then went upstairs to rest.

Around nine, she came back downstairs. That’s when the security booth called.

There was a visitor.

Elodie glanced at the monitor and saw Dante’s car.

She frowned. Before she could process it, her phone rang. And it was from Liora.

Grandma hadn’t gone to bed yet. She came out of her room, saw what was happening, and immediately told security to let the car through.

Elodie answered the phone, talked to Liora briefly, then hung up.

A moment later, Dante’s car pulled up outside.

Liora bolted out, grinning. "Mom! I’m back!"

Elodie smiled faintly. Grandma looked pleased.

The car door was still open. Dante was still inside. Then he stepped out, holding Liora’s forgotten backpack in one hand and a cake box in the other.

He walked toward them.

Elodie didn’t say anything.

Liora suddenly remembered she’d left her stuff and turned around, beaming. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Mm." Dante glanced at Elodie, then at Old Madam Miller. "Old Madam."

Grandma gave him the coldest nod imaginable.

Elodie had no choice but to take the cake box from him.

Liora was about to say how good the cake was, but Elodie cut her off.

"Liora, say goodbye to your dad."

Liora blinked, confused. "Dad’s leaving?"

Dante smiled slightly. "Yeah."

Liora had no choice. "Bye, Dad."

"Bye." Dante gave Old Madam Miller a brief nod, then turned and walked back to his car.

Elodie took the cake and Liora’s hand and headed inside without a second glance. Without bothering to give him a polite wave. No seeing him off.

Dante’s car pulled away moments later.

The second they were inside, Liora started bouncing on her toes. "Mom! Great-grandma! This is a little cake Dad and I got for you! It’s strawberry, the kind you like, Mom! You have to try it, okay?"

Liora smelled faintly of perfume. Floral perfume.

Sienna’s, probably. Elodie’s nose almost wrinkled in disgust.

Elodie set the cake down on the counter. "I just ate dinner, sweetheart. I’m not hungry. We’ll save it for later."

Old Madam Miller nodded in agreement.

Liora’s face fell a little. "Oh... okay."

After putting the cake in the fridge, Liora ran upstairs to take a shower. She’d just finished when her phone rang.

Dante was calling.

She picked up. "Dad?"

"I just heard your grandfather’s coming back tomorrow afternoon," Dante said. "After school, I’ll have someone pick you up so you can come home for dinner. Let your mom know."

Dante’s father, Felix Wilson, worked in government. High up. He was always busy, barely home more than a handful of days each year. The day Nonna had fallen, Felix had rushed back at dawn only to leave again before sunrise.

Now that Nonna was still in the hospital recovering, Felix had taken a few days off in advance so he could come back and spend New Year’s with her.

Liora nodded even though he couldn’t see her. "Okay. Got it."

As she hung up, something clicked.

Her dad had said "pick you up." Not "pick *you all* up."

Just her. Not Elodie.

She turned to her mom, confused. "Mom, aren’t you coming to dinner with us?"

In the past, whenever Grandpa Felix came home whether Dante was there or not, Nonna always invited both Elodie and Liora to the old house for a family meal.

It happened often enough that even though Liora was young, she’d just assumed: when Grandpa comes back, we all go to the old house.

Elodie opened her mouth to answer, but Dante cut in through the speaker.

"Your mom has something to do tomorrow."

"Oh... okay," Liora said quietly.

Liora had put the phone on speaker, so Elodie had heard the whole thing.

She hadn’t known Felix was coming back. Not until just now.

But it made sense. She and Dante were in the middle of divorcing. Given the circumstances, there was no reason for her to visit the Wilson family anymore. No reason to meet Dante’s relatives or play the role of dutiful daughter-in-law.

Clearly, Dante felt the same way. He hadn’t even waited for her to respond, he just made up an excuse on her behalf so she wouldn’t have to come.

He didn’t say anything else. Just ended the call.