After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

"My head hurts a little," he admitted, his voice hoarse.

"I know." She brushed a hand gently through his hair. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

Alex squeezed her fingers. "It's okay... I just fell."

His words should have reassured her, but they only deepened the ache in her chest. He had tried to call her earlier, and she had ignored it. If Arnold hadn't reached out through the mind-link, would she have only found out later? What if things had been worse?

The thought made her throat tighten.

She could feel Arnold watching her, but she didn't lift her head. She didn't want to face him, not now.

Still, she couldn't escape his presence. When Alex drifted back into sleep, the room grew unbearably

silent. The air between them was thick with all the words left unsaid.

After a moment, Arnold stood up and pulled out his phone. Without a word, he stepped outside the room, his deep voice muffled as he made a call.

Nora remained in her chair, her hand resting protectively on Alex's. The gentle rise and fall of his chest, the peaceful expression on his face... it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open. Arnold stepped back inside, his sharp eyes scanning her

before he walked to the couch across from her and took a seat.

It was clear he wanted to talk. His gaze was steady, unreadable, his posture composed but firm. But

Nora? She wasn't interested.

Without a word, she lowered her gaze to her phone, scrolling through messages she had no intention of

reading.

Silence stretched between them like an invisible wall.

Arnold exhaled through his nose, his patience wearing thin. "You could at least acknowledge me, you

know."

She didn't look up. "I don't have anything to say."

His jaw tightened. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, clasping

his hands together. "Fine. Then just listen."

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Nora didn't respond, but her grip on her phone tightened.

Arnold studied her for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. Then, in a low, steady voice, he said, "I don't care what's going on between us. But Alex is your son, and that won't change."

Nora's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.

He leaned forward. "You don't have to answer every call I make, but when it comes to Alex... at the very least... answer." His voice was firm, but beneath the strength, there was something else. Something heavier. "If something worse had happened today, and you had ignored the call..." He let his words hangnoveldrama

in the air.

Nora's fingers twitched again, a quiet turmoil swelling inside her.

Did Arnold know? Had he figured out that she had been deliberately avoiding him?

She wasn't proud of it. She just... hadn't wanted to deal with him.

But hearing about Alex's accident... Realizing she could have missed that call...

She inhaled sharply. Her mind swirled with worry, guilt, and something deeper... something she didn't

want to acknowledge.

She had fought so hard to move on, to build her own path away from the past. But no matter how much she tried, Alex would always bind her to Arnold. And that realization terrified her.

Arnold's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he glanced at the caller ID. Linda. He exhaled sharply before answering, stepping out of the hospital room to avoid disturbing Alex and Nora.

"Linda." His voice was calm, controlled.

"Arnold, what's going on? You left in such a hurry." There was a slight edge to Linda's tone, but it was laced more with curiosity than genuine concern.

"It's nothing serious," Arnold reassured her, "Alex wasn't feeling well, so I brought him in for a checkup. He's resting now."

Linda hesitated for a moment before responding. "I see... Do you need me to come over?"

"No," Arnold replied almost instantly. "It's under control. I'll call you later."

Before she could say more, he ended the call and exhaled, pressing a hand against his forehead. When he stepped back into the hospital room, Alex was stirring in the bed. His small fingers twitched against the blanket, and his eyelids fluttered open.

"Daddy... Mommy..." he mumbled in a drowsy haze, his voice barely above a whisper.

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Both Arnold and Nora responded instinctively. "I'm here." Their voices overlapped,

neither expecting the other to speak at the same time.

A fleeting moment of silence stretched between them.

Alex blinked sleepily, his little face scrunching in confusion, but the exhaustion

soon pulled him back under, and he drifted off again.

Arnold and Nora exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke. There was an unspoken agreement between them... they wouldn't discuss it. Not now. Not when Alex needed rest.

The night passed quietly.

Arnold watched over Alex for a while, ensuring that he was sleeping soundly, before finally settling onto the couch. The room was dimly lit, the faint hum of hospital machinery the only sound breaking the stillness. He stretched out slightly, resting his head against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes.

Nora, seated beside the hospital bed, tried to stay awake, but exhaustion weighed heavily on her. She had meant to remain vigilant, but at some point, sleep overtook her.

When she opened her eyes, the soft glow of dawn was seeping through the window. But something felt off. The sterile scent of the hospital remained the same, and Alex's peaceful breathing was still steady... but Nora was no longer in the chair.

She was lying in Alex's hospital bed.

For a moment, her mind scrambled for an explanation. Had she moved in her sleep? No. That was

impossible.

Then, the answer is self-evident-

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