Semua Bab Alpha's Regret: Mommy, Daddy, We Want to Be Together!: Bab 241 - Bab 250

SOPHIA'S POVThe silence that followed could’ve shattered glass.Alex and Alexia stood between us, tiny shoulders hunched with confusion and something deeper – worry. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Just stared at Nathan, his jaw tight, eyes darker than I’d seen them in a long time. The weight of what he said still echoed in the room like a bell rang too hard. I could still hear it, even though I was hearing nothing.“Mommy?” Alexia’s voice was barely a whisper. “Why can’t you and Daddy be together?”My mouth opened, but the words refused to form. What was I supposed to say? That sometimes love wasn’t enough? That sometimes people who were meant to find each other still managed to break apart?I looked away, focusing on the tile floor as if it would help ground me.Nathan sighed – low and long. I could feel it more than hear it. I glanced at him again and saw something raw in his expression. Frustration, yes. But beneath that… hurt. A deep, aching kind that mirrored my own.“It’s

SOPHIA'S POVThe morning fog still clung to the edges of the clearing when I stepped out of the safehouse. My coat flared behind me as I walked, crisp and black, my heels slicing into the earth like knives. The air was colder than usual. I liked it. It reminded me to feel nothing.Malachi stood by the edge of the woods, his arms folded, eyes scanning the distance. Always watching. Calculating. Impatient.“We don’t have time for dramatics.” He said without looking at me.“I’m done with dramatics.” I replied, my voice like ice. “Now I’m just efficient.”His gaze flicked to me, assessing. “Efficient, huh? So what’s your move, Queen Without a Crown?”I didn’t rise to the bait. Let him poke. Let him test. He’d see soon enough.“I’ve marked the weekend the twins go to camp,” I said, stepping beside him. “Minimal security. Remote area. Too far from the main pack and their soft little human routines to get help in time. It’s a vulnerability.”“You want to go after the kids again,” he muttered

SOPHIA'S POVThe restaurant hummed with a soft, golden energy – the kind that wrapped itself around your shoulders like a familiar blanket. Strings of warm lights glowed overhead, catching in the crystal glasses and polished silverware, giving Il Cuore a magical charm it hadn’t worn in a long while.I moved through the room like I was ice skating on a current of nerves and adrenaline, greeting familiar faces, offering a smile here and a glass of wine there. My staff was doing beautifully, despite the heightened pressure. Kate gave me a thumbs-up from behind the bar just as she slid a lemon twist into a coupe glass.But my eyes kept drifting to the front door.“He’ll show.” Kate whispered as she passed me with a tray of crostini. “He always does.”I gave her a look, but couldn’t help the flutter in my chest. “He’s not always on time.”“No, but when he is, he makes it count.” She grinned and disappeared again.The twins were parked at a corner table near the kitchen, their little finger

ALEXIA'S POVIt smelled like dirt and smoke.I pressed my face into the scratchy sleeve of my jacket and tried not to cry. I’ve been brave for a long time – I was sure of it – but now my knees are tired and my tummy hurts and it feels like I haven’t seen the sky or Mama in forever. Or anything, really. Just this place.I didn't know what it’s called. It’s not a house. More like a cave… or a broken basement, with dripping walls and weird candles that make the shadows dance too much. It was cold, even with the blanket they gave us. The floor’s hard. And Alex snores. A lot, for someone who should be scared. But he never showed it.He’s sleeping next to me now, all curled up. I kept my hand on his back – like Mama used to do when we were little. When the thunder scared him, or when the night felt too loud. I don’t move it, even when I start to nod off. If he moved, I had to know. I needed to know.But I’m awake now. And he’s still. And something’s wrong.I don’t have a word for it, but it

SOPHIA'S POVThe forest was nothing like the one I remembered from my childhood.It was deeper. Thicker. The air was heavy with the kind of silence that didn’t feel natural – like the world itself was holding its breath. Branches clawed at me as I ran, thorns catching in my sweater. Nathan was just ahead, a moving shadow, fast and silent. He didn’t look back.He didn’t need to.Alexia’s voice still echoed in my head. It hadn’t come again, but I felt her. My blood knew hers. It was a dull thrum, pulled tight in my chest like a fishing line that hadn’t snapped yet, stretched far too thin.The trail had disappeared ten minutes ago. If Nathan hadn't been there, I would've been lost. He moved like the forest bent to him, like the path unfolded under his feet. I couldn’t keep up, but I didn’t stop either.A flicker of motion in the distance made him halt, hand flying up.I skidded to a stop behind him, heart hammering.“What is it?” I whispered.He didn’t answer right away.His head tilted