After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Silence stretched between them.

Alex's face crumpled as the weight of Abby's words hit him.

He had said those things. He had ignored his mother's care, pushed her away, and taken her for granted. And now, seeing someone else cherish what he had dismissed, he felt something break inside him.

His lips trembled as he turned to Nora, his voice small and lost. "Mom... I didn't mean it..."

Nora closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply. She had always hoped Alex would realize, would see her... not as someone who simply existed to care for him, but as a person with feelings, someone who had given and given until she had nothing left.

But right now, she was too tired.

She let out a slow breath before looking at him with exhaustion in her gaze. "I need time, Alex."

Alex's eyes widened in fear. "No! Please, I'll be good, I promise! I'll listen to you from now on... just don't push me away!"

Nora shook her head. "This isn't about punishing you. It's about me needing space. You don't get to suddenly change your mind when you realize I won't always be waiting for you."

Tears spilled down Alex's cheeks as he clenched his fists, his small body shaking. Cole, sensing that things wouldn't get any better tonight, placed a hand on Abby's shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

Abby hesitated, glancing at Nora. "Will you be okay?"

Nora mustered a small smile. "I'll be fine, sweetheart."

Abby nodded reluctantly before allowing Cole to lead her out. As they stepped into the hallway, they ran into Arnold.

The two men locked eyes, tension crackling between them. Neither spoke, but a silent chall between them before they gave each other curt nods and moved on.

Arnold stepped inside, his gaze immediately falling on Alex, who was still crying in the hallway. He knelt down, wiping his son's tears with a firm but gentle hand.

"What happened?" Arnold asked, his tone even.

Alex hiccupped, his voice cracking. "Mom doesn't want me anymore..."

Arnold's expression flickered, but he remained steady. "She needs time, Alex. And you need to understand why."

Alex looked at him desperately. "You know what I just heard?"

And then he narrated the entire story in one go..

Arnold wasn't too surprised when he heard it. He had sensed Cole's different attitude toward Nora over the past few days... the way he hovered around her, the urgency in his actions when she was poisoned, and the sheer intensity of his presence at her bedside.

What did surprise him was that Cole had actually confessed.

It seemed that Cole truly liked Nora.

Arnold had already spoken about divorce, had even been the one to bring it up first, but that didn't mean he was completely unaffected by the situation.

There was a strange discomfort gnawing at him, an unfamiliar tightness in his chest that he wasn't ready to examine.

Alex, still clinging to his neck,

sobbed harder, his little hands

gripping Arnold's shirt tightly. "I'm so sad, Bad! Mom doesn't care about me anymore... she said she doesn't want to see me."

His small body shook with the force of his cries. "Oooh, Mommy... does Mommy not love me anymore?"

Arnold was quiet for a long moment, his hand gently stroking his son's back in an attempt to calm him down. His mind was racing, piecing together everything that had happened.

Finally, he asked in a steady voice, "Did your mom say anything else?" Alex's crying slowed.

He stiffened slightly, and for the first time, hesitated. His fingers tightened around Arnold's shirt as if he could hide in his father's embrace. But he didn't answer.

Arnold sighed. He had his answer.

He carefully pried Alex's arms from around his neck and set him down gently. "Wait here," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I need to talk to your mom."noveldrama

Alex wiped his face, still looking miserable, but he nodded.

Arnold straightened and walked toward the hospital room, pushing the door open without hesitation.

Inside, Nora was propped up slightly on the hospital bed, looking at him with an unreadable expression. The soft lighting cast shadows on her face, making her appear both tired and distant.

She spoke first, her tone cool and controlled. "You should have seen the video I sent you, right?"

Arnold met her gaze. "I did."

A few days ago, Nora had installed a small security camera at home. She had never intended it for anything other than safeguarding confidential documents she had brought back from the studio.

But it had captured something far more significant.

The footage had been clear. Alex, standing on the balcony with a phone pressed

to his ear, his young voice filled with excitement and hesitation.

"Aunt Linda, you finally called me!"

"I wanted to go to the parent-teacher conference with you, but I already promised Mom..."

A pause.

"Put sleeping pills in Mom's water? That's not good..."

Another pause.

"Well... let's keep Mom home for a while then!"