After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Before she had a chance to react, a voice piped up from nearby. "They're from Bran... the new guy in the R&D department!"

Nora barely blinked. She wasn't surprised. She wasn't particularly moved either.

"Okay, I know,” she said simply, setting the bouquet aside without further comment.

She had work to do.

By noon, she spotted Leo in the corridor and casually asked, "Lunch?"

Leo sighed dramatically. "I wish. My sister is making me go to a couple's restaurant so she can take a million photos for her social media.”

Nora smirked. She had met Leo's sister before... a stylish woman with an effortless charm. "Sounds like a tough life," she teased.

Leo groaned. "You have no idea."

With a small laugh, Nora waved him off and headed toward the cafeteria.

**Meanwhile, at the Couple's Restaurant**

Leo arrived at the restaurant as instructed. It was an elegant place, the ambiance intimate and romantic, with soft lighting and beautifully set tables.

Most of the patrons were couples on dates, leaning in close, whispering to each other.

Leo grimaced. He was already dreading this.

Not long after, his sister finally arrived, her eyes lighting up as she surveyed the aesthetic of the place.

"Perfect," she declared. "This is exactly the kind of vibe I wanted!"

Leo rolled his eyes but said nothing.

That was when someone else walked in.

Charles.

And he wasn't alone.

He entered the restaurant with a woman at his side, their body language unmistakably close.

His arm was draped loosely around her waist, his expression relaxed.

Leo narrowed his eyes slightly, observing them.

Something about the way Charles carried himself seemed calculated, as if he wanted to be seen.

Leo had a bad feeling about this.noveldrama

At a glance, Charles spotted Leo sitting not far from him.

His eyes flickered with curiosity, but Leo had his back turned and didn't seem to notice his presence.

Charles raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed yet attentive.

His female companion, a young woman with delicate features and perfectly styled hair, was saying something, but Charles was only half-listening. His

attention was on Leo.

With a small smirk, he pulled out his phone, tilting it slightly so he could discreetly snap a picture.

The image showed Leo sitting across from an elegantly dressed woman in a cozy, intimate setting.

Charles quickly typed out a message in his group chat with Arnold, Cole, and Linda.

[Guess what happened?]

A moment later, he added another line.

[Warm reminder that this is a "couple's* restaurant.]

He sent the message and waited.

Cole had just finished his own work and was heading out for dinner when his phone buzzed. He clicked on the notification and saw Charles's message along with the attached picture. His expression remained unreadable as he stared at it for a moment.

He read the message but didn't reply.

Linda and Arnold also remained silent.

Charles frowned, tapping his fingers against the table impatiently.

He wanted someone to react, someone to share in his amusement. When no one

did, he grew impatient and sent another message.

[?????????

Still no reply from Cole.

?????? Where is everyone? It's dinner time, aren't you all here?]

Linda was the only one who responded.

[Leo's on a date with a woman?]

Charles chuckled, feeling satisfied that at least Linda was paying attention.

A few days ago, Linda hadn't attended Arnold's grandmother's birthday party, but

she had heard plenty about it.

She knew that Leo's mother had spoken highly of Nora at the event.

In fact, Leo's mother had been so pleased with Nora that she had even mentioned, rather casually, that if Leo and Nora ever considered it, she would happily support a wedding between them.

At the time, Linda had dismissed it as baseless chatter.

*Leo's mom wouldn't really support Nora if she knew everything,* Linda thought.

"If she learned about Nora's past marriage, her real situation... there's no way

she'd agree to her marrying into their family.*

But now, seeing this, she couldn't help but wonder.

**Later That Afternoon**

Nora walked into the R&D department for a scheduled meeting.

The team had gathered around a sleek, polished table, discussing the progress of

an ongoing project.

Bran was among them.

Though he remained silent throughout most of the meeting, his focus was sharp.

As he listened to Nora analyze the design flaws and pinpoint the issue with precise clarity, he couldn't help but be inwardly shaken.

Her ability to diagnose the problem and immediately propose a practical solution was impressive.

Bran had met plenty of skilled designers, but few had the level of efficiency and decisiveness that Nora demonstrated.

Subconsciously, he found himself observing her closely, taking in the way she carried herself, how her voice remained steady and confident, how she never hesitated when offering direction.

By the end of the meeting, as the team packed up their notes, Nora glanced at him and asked routinely, "You just arrived at the company a few days ago. Will you be able to adapt?"

Bran met her gaze and responded simply, "Able to adant Thanks for —

His usual carefree, slightly cynical demeanor was gone. This time, he spoke with sincerity and politeness.

Nora gave a small nod, saying nothing more, and left the conference room, her laptop in hand.

Bran watched her leave, his expression unreadable.

**The Next Few Days**

Nora was busy.

Between overseeing design developments, negotiating with suppliers, and

managing internal operations, her schedule was packed.

But that afternoon, she set aside a moment for something else.

She instructed her secretary to notify Bran to come to her office.

Three minutes later, there was a knock on the door.