Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah)

My eyes widened, and I opened my mouth to tell him that he had no reason to blame himself; he was only trying to do what he thought was right at the time. But he held up one hand to stop me, his eyes glistening with unshed tears in the dim light. "I failed you, Hannah. As your father, I should have known better. I should have protected you."

His words hung heavily in the air between us, and for a moment, the sounds of the party seemed to fade. I felt myself soften at the sight of my father like this, and I reached up to touch his stubbled cheek. "I don't blame you, Dad."

He gave a small, broken laugh. "Still, you're my daughter. I should have done more. I should have been there for you over the years." His arms enveloped me, pulling me into a tight hug, and for a moment, I felt- like a little girl again as I buried my face in his chest. When we finally pulled apart, I wiped my eyes quickly, hoping no one had noticed the stray tears that had escaped. As I scanned the room, my gaze found Noah. He was now standing by the buffet table with Viona and Drake, laughing about something as they all sipped from flutes of champagne.

I made my way over just as Drake said, "So when's the wedding? And more importantly, am I the best man?"

Noah chuckled, clapping Drake on the shoulder. "I never thought I'd say this, Drake... but who else would it be?"

"And obviously, I'm the maid of honor," Viona declared shooting me a glare as if silently daring me to contradict her. "After everything we've been through, it's basically a requirement."

I grinned and pulled her into a hug. "Obviously. Although you might have to wrestle Lily for it."

Viona just chuckled. "She may be taller, but I'm scrappier."

"Definitely scrappier," Drake emphasized.

The rest of the night passed in a blur after that. As the hours slipped by, guests began to trickle out, offering one last round of congratulations, hugs, and well wishes. By the time the final car pulled away, my feet were aching from the heels, and my cheeks hurt from all the smiling.

I sighed, leaning against Noah as we watched the last vehicle disappear into the distance. "What a night."

He pressed a kiss to my temple, his arm wrapping securely around my waist. "Worth it though, right?"

I held up my hand, letting the light catch the pink diamond on my finger. "Definitely worth it."

After cleaning up, Noah headed upstairs to check on Melody. I remained downstairs for a little while, nervously checking doors and windows as if Marcus might return-but of course, there was no need.

By the time I made my way up to the nursery, most of the guards had been dismissed now that Marcus was safely out of the house. All except for one guard, who was standing at attention near the nursery door.

But as I approached, she placed a finger on her lips and shot me a silent smile.

I furrowed my brow, quietly creeping forward and peering through the cracked door.