Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate-Chapter 206

Elodie’s POV~

It seemed like he’d only asked to make small talk.

The moment the elevator doors slid shut, Grandma turned to me with a curious look on her face.

"What property certificates?" She asked.

I kept my eyes on the descending floor numbers, my voice flat. "We’re getting divorced. He gave me a portion of the properties as part of the settlement."

Grandma didn’t even hesitate. "If he gave them to you, then keep them."

"I know."

I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Didn’t want to think about Dante or his lawyers or the cold, transactional way he’d handed over pieces of his life like they were nothing.

When we got home, Paul was already waiting outside. He handed me the documents, we exchanged a few polite words, and then he left. Smart man. He knew better than to stick around.

I took the property certificates upstairs to my room. I didn’t even look at them. Just opened a drawer, tossed them inside, and shut it.

Out of sight. Out of mind.

I went straight to the bathroom after that. The hot water felt good against my skin, washing away the exhaustion that had been sitting on me all day. I didn’t even bother drying my hair properly. Just climbed into bed and let the darkness pull me under.

---

The Next Day.

I woke up early the next morning, laced up my running shoes, and went for a quick jog around the block. The air was cool and crisp, it was a type of air that cleared your head and made you feel like you could breathe again.

After a shower and breakfast, I grabbed my keys and headed out for work.

The city was still waking up. Traffic was light. The sky was a soft, pale blue.

As I approached the building where Cole Technologies was located, I slowed down to make the turn into the underground parking lot.

That’s when I saw Harry.

He was sitting in his car just outside the building, the window rolled down, like he’d been waiting.

I frowned.

Why was he here so early?

I ran through my mental schedule. There wasn’t any meeting between Cole and his company today. Nothing on the books. Nothing Johnny had mentioned.

Before I could figure it out, Harry noticed my car. He got out and started walking toward me.

I slowed to a stop and rolled down my window.

"Mr. Becker."

He stopped just beside my car, hands in his pockets. "Morning."

I nodded. "Morning."

Then, because I couldn’t just sit here staring at him, I asked, "Is there something you need here?"

Harry didn’t answer right away.

He just looked at me with that steady, unreadable expression of his. The kind that made you feel like he was already three steps ahead of whatever conversation you thought you were having.

"Last Saturday evening," he said carefully, "at the restaurant entrance. I saw you, Mr. Gray, and Professor Nolan."

I blinked.

Okay. So?

I waited for him to get to the point.

"You’re also Professor Nolan’s student, aren’t you?"

My entire body went still.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

"You—"

But I didn’t get to finish.

Because Harry was already nodding, like my reaction had told him everything he needed to know.

"So the two major projects Cole launched," he continued, his tone calm but pointed, "they were developed by you and your team, weren’t they?"

My jaw tightened. My hands gripped the steering wheel a little harder.

"What exactly are you—"

"One last question," Harry said, cutting me off gently but firmly. "The CUAP programming language that Cole uses, tell me did you create it?"

My heart slammed against my ribs.

How the hell did he figure that out?

I stared at him, my mind racing. I wanted to deny it. I wanted to brush it off. Wanted to say he was being ridiculous and drive away before this conversation went any further.

But I couldn’t.

Because the truth was written all over my face.

Harry didn’t need me to say a word. He’d already seen the answer.

I pressed my lips together, my chest tight.

"Why are you asking me this?"

My voice came out quieter than I wanted. More controlled. But there was an edge to it now.

Harry didn’t look away.

"Because I want to know the truth."

I let out a slow breath, my mind spinning.

The truth.

The truth was that I had created CUAP. When I was seventeen. When everyone thought I was just some quiet kid who spent too much time on her laptop.

The truth was that those two projects everyone praised Johnny for? They were mine. My ideas. My late nights. My blood, sweat, and frustration poured into lines of code that most people would never even understand.

The truth was that I’d been invisible for so long, people had forgotten I was even capable of being seen.

And now Harry, of all people, was standing here asking me to admit it.

I looked at him for a long moment.

Then I leaned back in my seat and let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

"You really want to know?"

Harry’s expression didn’t change. "Yes."

I held his gaze.

I didn’t say anything.

But Harry had already made up his mind. I could see it in his eyes, the way they shifted, like all the pieces had finally clicked into place.

Even though he’d clearly figured it out before asking, the confirmation still seemed to hit him hard. He just stood there, staring at me like he was seeing me for the first time.

Like he’d never really known me at all.

I pressed my lips together, my patience thinning.

"So you came here early just to tell me this?"

Harry blinked, pulling himself out of whatever thoughts he’d been drowning in.

"I was just... really shocked," he admitted. "I wanted an answer."

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. Like he hadn’t planned any of this. Like seeing me had just made all those questions spill out before he could stop them.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

Before I could even try, Harry looked at me again, his expression suddenly serious.

"Don’t worry," he said quietly. "I won’t tell anyone."

I paused.

There was something in his eyes when he said that. Something sincere. Something honest.

I didn’t respond. Didn’t know if I should believe him or not.

Harry took a step back, putting some distance between us.

"You should go," he said, nodding toward the building. "I won’t keep you."

And just like that, he turned and walked away.

I sat there for a moment, watching him leave, my mind still spinning.

Then I shook my head, let out a slow breath, and drove into the underground parking lot.

---

After that, life became a blur.

Johnny and I threw ourselves into the materials Professor Nolan had given us. We worked early mornings, late nights, weekends, it didn’t matter. We barely slept. Barely ate. We were obsessed.

More than ten days passed like that.

Then one morning, I had to go to the airport to pick up a business partner.

I got there early, parked, and waited near the arrivals gate. The place was packed with families reuniting, businesspeople rushing past with their briefcases, tourists dragging oversized suitcases.

I checked my phone. Mr. Taylor’s flight had landed ten minutes ago.

Finally, after about twenty minutes of waiting, I saw him.

He was walking through the gate with his assistant, scanning the crowd. I was just about to step forward and wave when I saw someone else.

Right behind Mr. Taylor was Logan. My father. Or would I say, my father.

My entire body went rigid.

He hadn’t noticed me yet. He was too busy talking to someone on his phone, his expression focused and unbothered.

Then I heard a male young voice, that was way too cheerful.

"Mom! Sis! Dad and I are here!"

A teenage boy, maybe seventeen or eighteen, was waving excitedly toward the other side of the exit.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

I knew exactly who he was.

Landon Brown. Sienna’s younger brother.

I turned my head, slowly, reluctantly and saw them.

Janice and Sienna. Both of them were smiling as Landon jogged over to them, his arms open for a hug.

My chest tightened.

"Miss Miller?"

I snapped back to reality.

Mr. Taylor was standing right in front of me, smiling warmly, hand extended.

I forced myself to relax. Unclenched my fists. Pulled my gaze away from them.

"Mr. Taylor," I said, shaking his hand with a smile I didn’t feel. "Welcome."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Logan and Janice finally notice me.

Logan’s expression shifted, just slightly. A small frown creased his forehead.

Janice’s smile faded, her face going carefully neutral.

Sienna, on the other hand, didn’t react at all. She just looked at me like I was a stranger. Like I was nothing.

Landon, oblivious to the tension, followed their gazes.

When his eyes landed on me, his jaw practically dropped.

"Whoa," he said, loud enough for half the airport to hear. "She’s beautiful!"

Sienna’s eyes narrowed. She shot him a sharp look.

Logan cleared his throat and put a hand on Landon’s shoulder, steering him away.

"Let’s get in the car," he said firmly.

Landon blinked, still staring at me, then huffed and followed.

But as they walked away, I heard him complaining.

"Where’s my future brother-in-law anyway? Why didn’t he come pick us up? If he can’t even do that, does he really think he deserves to marry my beautiful, amazing sister? Hmph. I’ll be the first to say no."

My stomach twisted.

Future brother-in-law.

He was talking about Dante.

Of course he was.