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

Chapter 0293

I gasped, grabbing a pillow and chucking it straight at him. "Noah!" The pillow hit him square in the face, and for a moment, I saw a flash of the boy I used to know-an uncharacteristic smirk, a huff of laughter, and reddened cheeks

Dammit, I had to bite back the urge to laugh, too. I was supposed to be mad at him, but seeing that playful side of him, even for a moment, stirred something in me that I thought was long dead. I had to bite the inside of my cheek just to keep myself from smiling. Finally, giving up on trying to push him away, I sighed. "Fine. Let's play Crazy 8s."

As we played, the tension in the room slowly eased-even if only slightly, because I was too distracted to notice my anger,

Suddenly, Noah said, "So, I've been thinking about which room we could use for the nursery."

I froze, the card in my hand hovering midair. I hadn't really thought about it yet, as I had intended to be divorced and living in my ancestral home in Silvermoon by the time the baby was born. The idea of a nursery in this house, of raising a child with Noah... I still didn't intend on it. But Noah continued, either oblivious to my thoughts or choosing to ignore them.

"I think the east-facing side of the house would be good," he said as he placed a card on the pile. "It'll help the baby develop a natural circadian rhythm with the rising sun. And imagine how lovely it would look in the morning, the sun streaming through some nice sheer curtains. Maybe bright yellow walls? Something cheerful."

I stared at him, stunned. When had he put so much thought into this? It was hard to reconcile this Noah, who was thinking about curtains and wall colors, with the cold, distant man I had been living with for years.

The man who had locked me up yesterday.

"What do you think?" he asked, looking at me expectantly.

I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my cold demeanor despite the urge to smile. "I hate yellow," I said flatly and placed a card down. Another lie.

To my surprise, Noah just nodded and drew a card from the deck, seemingly unfazed by my negativity." Well, we can try countless other colors until we find the shade you like the most," he suggested with a shrug. "Maybe green, or blue. Whatever you want."

His eagerness to accommodate my preferences caught me off guard, I found myself actually considering the options, imagining a room bathed in soft morning light, a crib by the window...

No, I told myself. My baby won't live here. 1

We would get divorced before the birth. I'd make sure of it. I would find a way.

We continued playing in silence for a while, the only sound the soft shuffle of cards and the occasional clinking of ice in our glasses. Finally, Noah checked his watch and stood up. The two hours had come to an end, and...

I hated to admit it, even to myself, but it wasn't total torture.

+25 BONUS

Chapter 0293

"You're welcome to pick out the decorations for the nursery," he said as he began to gather our dirty dishes. "I'll pay whatever the cost is. Just let me know what you decide. Or we can go to the store ourselves."

As he turned to leave, he paused, looking back at me. "I know this isn't easy for you, Hannah. But I want you to know that I'm trying. For you, for the baby..." His voice trailed off and his eyes flicked first to my belly, then to my trembling hands, and then landed on my own gaze. "...For us," he finished.

With that, he left, the door closing softly behind him.

I sat there, stunned, my mind reeling.