Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate-Chapter 203

Before Elodie could even finish her sentence, a car rolled into the driveway.

The engine hummed softly, then cut off. A second later, the back door flew open.

"Mom! Great-grandma!"

Liora came tumbling out of the car, her little legs moving as fast as they could carry her. Her face was lit up with pure excitement.

Old Lady Miller’s entire expression softened. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled wide and bent down, arms open.

"Ah, there’s my girl!"

Liora had actually started running toward Elodie first. But the moment she saw her great-grandmother crouching down with her arms stretched out, she veered off course and threw herself into the old woman’s embrace instead.

Old Lady Miller hugged her tight, rocking her a little. "Have you eaten yet? Are you hungry?"

Liora shook her head, her voice muffled against her great-grandmother’s shoulder. "I just ate with Dad. I’m not hungry."

She pulled back after a moment, then turned toward Elodie. Her arms shot up immediately, fingers wiggling.

"Mom, hug!"

Elodie’s chest tightened, just a little.

She bent down and reached for her daughter, ready to scoop her up. But as Liora leaned in, Elodie caught it.

A faint scent that was floral and expensive. Definitely not something a five-year-old would be wearing.

Elodie’s expression didn’t change. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull back. She just lifted Liora into her arms like nothing was wrong.

But she knew.

She knew exactly whose perfume that was.

---

Dante hadn’t come himself this time.

After Liora hopped out of the car, she left the door wide open. The driver, a middle-aged man in a dark suit, got out, shut the door for her, and gave Elodie and Old Lady Miller a polite nod.

Then he got back in the car and drove off.

---

Liora didn’t stay long.

She had school the next morning, so after a quick visit with her great-grandmother, Elodie gave her a bath and tucked her into bed.

Liora was out like a light within minutes, her little hand curled under her cheek, breathing slow and even.

Elodie stood there for a moment, just watching her.

Then she pulled out her phone and typed out a message.

[Please have the driver pick Liora up tomorrow afternoon. Also, don’t send her here without letting me know next time.]

She hit send.

The message showed as delivered. Then read.

But no reply came.

Not that night, anyway.

---

The next day, after dropping Liora off at school, Elodie headed straight to the office.

It was only then, hours later, that Dante finally responded.

[Okay.]

That was it. One word.

Elodie stared at the message for a second, then locked her phone and got back to work.

---

Two days later, the weekend rolled around.

Monday morning, Elodie’s phone buzzed with a new email.

It was from Professor Nolan.

[No problem. You can submit it now.]

Elodie let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. A small smile tugged at her lips.

It was done. Finally.

She and Johnny hadn’t seen Nolan in a while, weeks, maybe longer. So after the official submission went through, they decided to invite him out for dinner that evening.

To their surprise, Nolan actually said yes.

---

That evening, Elodie, Johnny, and Professor Nolan pulled up to the restaurant around six-thirty.

The place was upscale but not overly fancy. Warm lighting, quiet atmosphere, the kind of spot where you could actually have a conversation without shouting over background music.

They got out of the car and headed inside, chatting as they walked toward the entrance.

None of them noticed the sleek black car parked a few spaces down.

But Harry noticed them.

He was still sitting in the driver’s seat, eyes following the group as they disappeared through the restaurant doors. His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.

Then he let out a slow breath and pushed the door open.

He stepped out into the cool evening air, walked around to the backseat, and carefully lifted Daisy into his arms. She was half-asleep, her head resting heavily against his shoulder.

He stood there for a moment, adjusting his hold on her, then made his way toward the entrance.

---

Levi was already waiting outside when Harry arrived.

He spotted Harry immediately and walked over with a casual grin. "You’re here?"

Harry nodded. "Mm."

A few minutes passed. Daisy stirred in his arms, blinking groggily as she woke up.

Then more cars pulled into the lot.

It was Dante’s sleek and expensive car. Unmistakable. The doors opened.

Dante stepped out first, calm and composed as always. Then Sienna, looking polished and perfect in a soft cream-colored dress. Then Liora, who immediately ran over to Levi with a bright smile.

And then Sophia.

Harry’s gaze dropped slightly when he saw her.

But Sophia? She lit up like someone had just turned on a spotlight.

She practically bounced over to him, her smile wide and eager.

"Harry!" she said sweetly, her voice dripping with warmth.

Harry looked at her.

His expression was flat. Indifferent.

He didn’t say a word.

Sophia stood there, smiling awkwardly, waiting for Harry to say something back.

He didn’t.

The silence stretched just long enough to sting.

Then Liora came trotting over, her eyes immediately going to Daisy, who was still slumped against Harry’s shoulder looking half-asleep.

"Daisy, are you feeling okay?" Liora asked, her little brows furrowing with concern.

Daisy blinked slowly and mumbled, "I’m fine..."

Harry’s expression softened the moment he looked down at Liora. A small, genuine smile tugged at his lips.

"She’s alright," he said gently. "She just woke up."

That seemed to satisfy Liora. The second Daisy perked up enough to notice her, she wiggled out of Harry’s arms and grabbed Liora’s hand.

"Come on, let’s sit over there!"

The two girls scurried off to the corner of the room, plopping down on the sofa and immediately diving into some animated conversation about who-knows-what.

Harry watched them for a moment, his expression unreadable.

Then Sienna walked in.

She moved with that same calm, graceful confidence she always had. She sat down beside Dante without a word, accepted the glass of water he handed her with a quiet "thank you," then pulled a book out of her bag.

She glanced around the room briefly, then said in that soft, polite voice of hers, "I’m going to read for a bit. Don’t mind me. Just go ahead and talk."

Levi, who was sitting across from her, let out a short laugh.

"You’re bringing a book to dinner?" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Isn’t that a little... extreme?"

Sophia, now seated beside Harry, too close for his liking, chimed in immediately.

"My cousin’s been like this lately," she said, her tone dripping with admiration. "Super hardworking."

Harry said nothing.

He knew Sienna was trying to become Professor Nolan’s student. Everyone knew. She’d been working herself to the bone for weeks now, studying day and night, meeting with tutors, attending lectures.

What she didn’t know, what none of them knew, was that Nolan was in this very restaurant right now.

Just a few rooms down.

Harry had seen him earlier when he’d pulled into the parking lot. Seen him walk in with Elodie and Johnny, laughing about something, completely at ease.

He could’ve mentioned it. Could’ve told Sienna. Could’ve given her the opportunity to "accidentally" run into him.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he sat there quietly, his mind turning over something else entirely.

Something that had been nagging at him since the moment he’d seen Elodie downstairs.

She’d been standing next to Nolan. Not Johnny. Nolan.

Johnny had been on Nolan’s other side, sure. But Elodie had been the one closest to him. The one he’d been talking to. The one he’d been listening to.

Harry had assumed, like everyone else, that Elodie was only there because of Johnny. That Johnny had invited her along as a colleague, maybe even as... something more.

But if that were true, wouldn’t she have been standing next to Johnny?

Elodie wasn’t the type to schmooze. Wasn’t the type to work a room or butter people up. She was polite, professional, but she didn’t go out of her way to make connections.

And yet, when Harry had seen her earlier, she’d looked completely comfortable with Nolan. Like they were old friends. Like they’d known each other for years.

Harry’s mind started piecing things together.

Cole Technologies had only launched two major projects in the past few months. Both of them had been wildly successful. Both of them had come out of nowhere.

Elodie had left the Wilson companies and joined Cole around three or four months ago.

Leo had said, just the other day, that Elodie’s abilities surpassed his own. That she was on another level entirely.

And then there was the thing with Sienna.

When Sienna had wanted to join Cole, Johnny had turned her down. Flat-out refused her. And Sienna wasn’t just anyone, she was talented, well-connected, driven. She would’ve been an asset to any company.

But Johnny had chosen Elodie instead.

At the time, both Harry and Levi had assumed it was because Johnny had feelings for her. That maybe there was something going on between them.

But now...

Harry’s gaze shifted.

He looked at Sienna, who was flipping through her book with that same focused expression she always wore. Every few minutes, she’d lean over and ask Dante a quiet question, and he’d answer without hesitation, his tone patient and indulgent.

It hit Harry all at once.

A realization so sudden, so sharp, it felt like the floor had just dropped out from under him.

He stood up.

The chair scraped loudly against the floor.

Everyone stopped.

Dante looked up. Levi froze mid-sentence. Even Sienna glanced over, her brows lifting slightly in surprise.

"Harry?" Dante’s voice was calm, but there was a question in it. "Did something happen?"

Harry blinked.

He looked at Dante. Then at Sienna. Then back at Dante.

For a second, he didn’t say anything.

Then he slowly shook his head.

"Nothing," he said quietly.

And he sat back down.

But his mind was racing.