After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

"Aunt Nora!" Abby squealed, running straight into her arms.

Nora chuckled and lifted her, spinning her around slightly. "You're going to take off

if you keep wasting

that wand so fast!"

Abby giggled. "Maybe I'll fly like a fairy!"

The warmth in Nora's chest deepened as she held the little girl close.

Cole stood a few steps away, his expression calm but observant. I thought you were busy with family plans," he commented.

Nora hesitated, adjusting Abby in her arms. "Elisa wanted to come here. I just came along to drop her off"

Cole hummed, as if he didn't entirely believe her. "Well, since you're here, why don't you join us?"

Before Nora could answer, Abby pulled back slightly and pointed toward the sky. "The fireworks are starting!"

A loud boom echoed, followed by an explosion of gold and red across the night sky.

The crowd gasped in awe, and for a moment, Nora was caught in the magic of it. The colors reflected in Abby's wide, delighted eyes as she clapped her hands together.

"This is the best night ever!" Abby declared.

Nora felt her tension ease, her lips curving into a genuine smile.

As the festival wound down, Elisa returned to Nora's side, bidding her friends goodbye.

Nora glanced at the time-it wasn't too late. "Why are we heading home so soon?" she asked.

Elisa shrugged. "Aren't we visiting aunt Laura at the Jaria sanitarium tomorrow?" The words left her lips before she realized Cole was standing right next to her.

A second too late, she clamped her mouth shut, eyes darting to Nora.

The air around them grew heavy.

Cole's entire body tensed, though outwardly, he remained composed.

*Jaria Sanitarium...*

It was well-known-a secluded facility on the outskirts of the city, designed to care

for long-term mental health patients. It was not the type of place someone would end up in by accident.

*Why would Nora's mother be there?*

A storm of questions brewed inside him, but he suppressed them. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the night sky, feigning indifference. The fireworks continued to explode in dazzling patterns-brilliant reds, blues, and golds illuminating the festival grounds.

Beside him, Nora watched his reaction carefully. But when she saw no change in his expression, no flicker of acknowledgment, she assumed the noise had drowned out Elisa's words.

*Thank goodness.*

A part of her had dreaded this moment-Cole finding out about her mother. And for now, at least, it

seemed she had avoided that confrontation.

She let out a quiet breath and turned to Abby, ruffling her hair. "It's getting late. I should take Elisa

home."

Abby pouted. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

Cole glanced at her. "Let her go, Abby. We'll see her soon."

Abby sighed dramatically but nodded. "Okay... but promise we'll see each other again soon!"

Nora smiled and nodded. "Promise."

With that, she took Elisa's hand, bidding Cole and Abby goodnight before driving home.

The next morning, the air was crisp, the sky a dull gray as if reflecting the somber mood of the day.

Nora sat in the backseat of the car, staring out the window as the trees blurred past. Elisa sat beside her, uncharacteristically quiet, while Alexander focused on driving. Their grandmother sat in the front seat, her hands clasped in her lap.

They were on their way to the Jaria Sanitarium.noveldrama

As they pulled up to the facility, Nora swallowed the lump in her throat. The building loomed before them—a sterile white structure surrounded by an iron fence, its garden carefully maintained but devoid

ther and son went craz

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of any warmth.

Inside, the convalescent ward smelled of antiseptic and faintly of damp linen. The soft hum of distant voices and the occasional shuffle of footsteps filled the air.

And then, there she was.

Laura,

Thin. Pale. A ghost of the woman she once was.

She sat by the window, her expression vacant, hands clasped in her lap as if lost

in thought.

"Mom," Nora called softly.

There was no response.

She stepped closer, kneeling beside her mother's chair. "Mom, it's me. Nora."

Laura's dull eyes flickered slightly, but there was no recognition. Instead, when Nora reached out to place a container of supplements in her lap, Laura suddenly slapped it away, the bottles clattering onto the floor.

Nora flinched.

The caretaker nearby sighed, shaking her head. "She's been like this for years. Some days she responds a little. Some days, not at all."

Nora clenched her fists. It was unbearable-seeing her mother like this, knowing that she had done nothing to deserve this fate.

Memories of the past came rushing back.

The betrayal. The lies. The way Clark had thrown her mother away as if she were nothing more than an

inconvenience.

*And now, while her mother rotted away in this cold place... Clark, Jenna, and Linda were living their lives without a care in the world.*

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