Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate-Chapter 211

Elodie and Johnny clearly had no intention of engaging with him.

Johnny didn’t waste time being polite about it either.

"Mr. Hardin," he said smoothly, already turning away, "we’ll go greet some old friends. You take your time."

Before Rex could even respond, the two of them had already walked off.

Rex stood there, watching them go, his jaw tight.

He knew. Of course he knew.

They didn’t want to talk to him. Didn’t want to engage. Didn’t want anything to do with him beyond the bare minimum required by professionalism.

And honestly? It bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

He’d been trying to build a better relationship with Johnny for months now. Their companies had worked together before. Multiple times. Had successful projects, several solid partnerships.

But Johnny had never once warmed up to him.

The dislike was so obvious it was almost painful. Johnny didn’t even try to hide it.

Rex pressed his lips together, feeling that familiar sting of frustration settle in his chest.

But he didn’t say anything. He just stood there, watching them disappear into the crowd.

Over the past two or three months, Cole Technologies had been attracting a lot of attention.

And wherever Elodie and Johnny went, people noticed.

Tonight was no different.

Several business partners...CEOs, executives, investors, walked over to greet them the moment they spotted them across the room.

Most of them had worked with Cole recently. And a good number of those collaborations had been handled directly by Elodie.

Which meant they knew.

They knew how sharp she was. How capable. How she could break down complex systems in minutes and offer solutions that most people wouldn’t even think of.

Over the past few months, more than a few of these CEOs had quietly reached out to her. Discreetly, trying to poach her.

Offering her positions. Higher salaries. Better benefits. More freedom.

She’d turned down every single one.

But that didn’t stop them from trying.

And tonight, one of them, President Serena, a woman in her fifties with sharp eyes and an even sharper business sense, decided to take another shot. This time right in front of Johnny.

"Miss Miller," Serena said with a warm smile, stepping closer. "Our company is one of the top manufacturers in the Pack territories. We offer excellent benefits, a high degree of creative freedom, and honestly? Whatever conditions you have, we can negotiate."

Johnny’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Really? Right in front of me?

Elodie smiled politely, her tone was still calm and professional.

"I’m not planning to leave Cole at the moment. But thank you for the offer, President Serena."

Serena let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"Well," she said, shaking her head, "can’t blame a woman for trying."

She walked off a few minutes later, rubbing her chest like she’d just lost something valuable.

---

A little while later, someone noticed her standing off to the side, still looking frustrated.

"Serena, what’s going on with you tonight?" they asked, half-laughing. "If I didn’t know better, I’d think you just lost out on a billion-dollar deal."

Serena let out a dry laugh. "It’s almost the same."

The other person raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Serena glanced around to make sure no one was listening too closely, then leaned in slightly.

"I found a truly rare talent," she said quietly. "But no matter what I offer, she won’t budge."

"Oh? Who?"

"That Miss Miller from Cole."

The other person blinked, clearly surprised. "Her? She looks so young. Is her professional ability really that strong?"

Serena nodded firmly. "She really is."

She paused, then added, "The core technical staff at my company, people who’ve worked with her, they won’t stop talking about her. They say she’s one of the best they’ve ever seen."

The other person let out a low whistle. "Damn."

"Yeah," Serena muttered, rubbing her temple. "Damn is right."

The core technical staff at Serena’s company, people who had worked directly with Elodie, hadn’t stopped praising her since.

And that meant something.

Because these weren’t just any employees. They were some of the brightest young talents in the industry. Handpicked by Serena herself. Sharp. Ambitious. Hard to impress.

If they were singing Elodie’s praises, then her abilities had to be the real deal.

Serena sighed again, shaking her head like she’d just watched a fortune slip through her fingers.

---

Sienna had no idea about any of this.

She was too busy chatting with Leo, her posture relaxed and confident as they discussed her recent progress. She smiled at all the right moments, asked thoughtful questions, and made sure he knew how much she valued his time.

After a while, Rex stepped out of the crowd.

He glanced around, noticed that Sienna wasn’t standing with Dante anymore, and walked over.

Sienna saw him coming and smiled politely. "Mr. Hardin."

Rex nodded, then glanced at Leo. "Who’s this?"

Sienna introduced him smoothly. "This is General Gray. He’s been teaching me recently. I’ve learned so much from him, it’s been incredibly rewarding."

Rex raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly impressed.

He already knew Sienna wanted to become Professor Nolan’s student. She’d mentioned it before. And she’d been working toward it relentlessly, never giving up.

But hearing this, hearing how seriously she was taking her studies, made him respect her even more.

She wasn’t just talk. She was putting in the work.

Rex stepped back a little. "Well, I’ll leave you two to it."

Sienna nodded, already turning her attention back to Leo without missing a beat.

Rex stood there for a moment, watching her.

She was so focused. So driven. So completely absorbed in what she was doing.

It was hard to look away.

But then someone came over to greet him, so Rex excused himself and walked off.

---

A little while later, Rex was heading toward the restroom when he caught sight of something that made him stop in his tracks.

Elodie and Dante. They were standing off to the side, away from the crowd. Just the two of them.

Rex’s mind flashed back to a month or two ago, when he’d seen them at that event. When Dante had caught Elodie as she stumbled. When they’d been so close, for just a moment, that it looked like something more.

Rex had wondered then if maybe there was still something between them.

And now, watching them again, he couldn’t help but wonder the same thing.

Dante was holding a small plate with a slice of cake on it. He was offering it to Elodie, his expression was unreadable.

Rex pressed his lips together and started walking toward them.

Elodie didn’t reach for the cake.

She just stood there, her arms folded loosely in front of her, her face blank.

As Rex got closer, Dante noticed him and turned.

"Mr. Hardin," he said smoothly, nodding in greeting.

Rex forced a polite smile. "What are you two talking about?"

Dante let out a quiet chuckle. "We haven’t had the chance to talk yet."

Before Rex could respond, Elodie moved.

Without a word. Without even glancing at Rex. She just turned and walked away. Bypassed him completely. Like he wasn’t even there.

Rex stood there, watching her go, his jaw tightening slightly.

Dante didn’t seem fazed. He just set the plate down on a nearby table and adjusted his cufflinks like nothing had happened.

Rex looked at him. Then back at where Elodie had disappeared into the crowd.

And he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very, very off.

Just as Rex watched Elodie walk away, then his gaze shifted back to Dante, who was still holding two drinks in his hands.

"What’s this?" Rex asked, nodding toward the glasses.

Dante glanced down. "Specially made cocktails. Would you like to try one, Mr. Hardin?"

Rex hesitated. "Is the other one for Miss Brown?"

"Yes."

Rex opened his mouth, about to say something, when Dante cut him off.

"I’ll be over there for a moment, Mr. Hardin. Feel free to do as you wish."

And just like that, he was already walking away.

Rex frowned, watching him go.

That’s when he noticed, Sienna had somehow ended up talking to Johnny. And Elodie was heading straight toward them.

Rex froze.

Oh.

Dante was rushing over because he was worried. Worried that Sienna might get cornered. Maybe even humiliated by Elodie and Johnny.

Rex’s frown deepened, and he started walking in that direction too.

Sienna had only just gotten there. She hadn’t even had time to say much to Johnny when Elodie appeared beside him.

But Sienna didn’t let it faze her. She acted like Elodie wasn’t even standing there and turned to Johnny with a polite, professional smile.

"Mr. Gray—"

"Back already?" Johnny didn’t even glance at her. He turned to Elodie instead, his tone immediately warmer. "You okay?"

He’d seen Dante walking toward her earlier. He’d wanted to go over and intervene, but Sienna had intercepted him on the way. Convenient timing.

Elodie shook her head. "I’m fine."

And she was. Like Dante had said, they hadn’t even had the chance to speak before Rex showed up and interrupted.

So nothing had happened.

At that moment, Dante and Rex walked over.

Dante handed the second drink to Sienna without a word. She took it with a soft smile, her fingers brushing his briefly as she did.

"What were you talking about?" Dante asked, his tone calm.

Sienna’s eyes softened when she looked at him. "I was hoping to ask Mr. Gray for some advice, but I haven’t had the chance yet."

Dante nodded, then turned his attention to Johnny.

"I was wondering," he said smoothly, "when you might be free to have a meal together, Mr. Gray?"

It sounded polite. Casual, even.

But everyone standing there knew what it really was.

Dante was trying to arrange a private meeting between Sienna and Johnny. Trying to smooth things over. Build connections. Get her closer to the people who mattered.

Elodie’s expression went cold.

Johnny, on the other hand, let out a short, sharp laugh.

"Sorry," he said flatly. "I’m not free. Ever."

Before Dante could say anything else, Johnny turned to Elodie.

"Elodie, let’s go."

Elodie nodded without sparing any of them a second glance and turned to leave.

—————

Rex stood there, watching the whole exchange unfold.

He’d been worried, maybe even a little suspicious, that there might still be something going on between Dante and Elodie.

But now he realized he’d completely misread the situation.

Dante wasn’t concerned about Elodie at all. He was focused entirely on Sienna. Trying to help her. Trying to get her in with Johnny so she could build her own reputation. Her own network.

Rex finally understood.

There had never been any real bad blood between Johnny and Sienna. Right now, Johnny was Elodie’s greatest support. Her ally. Her friend.

If Dante managed to break the ice between Sienna and Johnny, then Elodie would lose that advantage. That sense of security.

And for Sienna? That would be a major win.

Rex’s jaw tightened as he watched Elodie and Johnny walk away together.

---

After they’d put some distance between themselves and the others, Johnny let out a long breath and glanced sideways at Elodie.

"You alright?" he asked, his tone lighter now but still concerned.

Elodie shook her head. "It’s nothing."

And she meant it.

Compared to everything she’d endured over the past few years, Dante’s little power plays didn’t even register anymore.

They were just... noise.

She’d learned to tune it out.