Alpha's Regret Too Late to Love Me novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171

Sarah’s POV

The Alpha said something–short, clipped, and commanding–but the restaurant noise drowned it out completely. I caught only fragments, like a name or a warning, but nothing clear.

“I’m sorry, could you please speak up? I can’t hear you,” I said, pressing the phone tighter against my ear.

Suddenly, the call disconnected.

I stared at my phone, puzzled. The number was domestic, not international.

“Sarah, who was calling?” Elena asked, taking a sip of her wine.

“No idea. Wrong number, probably.” I shrugged, trying to brush it off.

Just as I finished speaking, my phone vibrated again—this time with a text message: “Ms. Winters, is my niece

with you?”

Niece? His niece? Is that what he was referring to on the phone?

Who was this person, and why would he think I had his niece?

Another text quickly followed: “Please go somewhere quiet and call me back, Ms. Winters.”

The formal way they kept addressing me suggested this wasn’t a case of mistaken identity.

For some reason, little Pudding’s face flashed through my mind.

Could she be missing? Had her uncle found my business card and assumed she might have sought me out?

I stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over my water glass.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Aria asked, concern evident in her eyes.

“Keep eating. I need to make a quick call outside. I’ll be right back,” I said, already hurrying toward the stairs.

The entrance was still bustling with activity, so I moved to a quieter spot near the side of the building. My heart

pounding wildly, I returned the call.

“Hello?” I said tentatively.

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Chapter 171

“Sister!” The sweet, high–pitched greeting hit my eardrums unexpectedly, striking straight to my heart.

I looked up sharply toward the sound.

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A few steps away stood Pudding, wearing a small backpack and a baseball cap turned backward, excitedly waving her little hands and bouncing on her toes. “Sister!”

“Pudding!” I called out, instinctively moving toward her. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced the back of my

My entire body went limp. The phone slipped from my hand, crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

My eyelids grew heavy, darkness encroaching on my vision. In the final moment before unconsciousness claimed me, my mind screamed silently: “Pudding, don’t come closer!”

neck.

Author’s POV

Elena and Aria had spent nearly half an hour enjoying their food and drinks, but Sarah still hadn’t returned

from her phone call.

Aria glanced at her watch, concern creeping into her voice. “It’s been almost thirty minutes now. Mom’s call is taking forever.”

Elena felt a strange uneasiness settle in her stomach–that instinctive warning that something wasn’t right.

“Let’s go downstairs and see what’s happening.”

Without wasting another moment, she grabbed Aria’s hand and hurried toward the exit.

The restaurant was still bustling with activity, people waiting on chairs for available tables, but Sarah was

nowhere to be seen.

Elena’s heart rate quickened as she pulled out her phone and dialed Sarah’s number.

After a few rings, the mechanical voice on the other end sent a chill down her spine: “Sorry, the number you

have called is switched off.”

Despite being in a crowded, seemingly safe public place, Elena felt her skin prickle with goosebumps. Her wolf senses heightened with alarm.

Sarah would never turn off her phone without reason–not when she was with them, not when she had a four-

year–old daughter to look after.

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Chapter 171

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“Sarah! Sarah!” Elena called out, clutching her phone tightly as she searched the area. “Sarah, where are you?”

People around them cast curious glances their way, mouths moving in words Elena couldn’t process.

The background noise blurred into a chaotic hum as panic took hold. “Sarah! SARAH!”

Tears welled in Aria’s eyes as the gravity of the situation hit her. “Aunt Elena, what’s happening? Has Mom

disappeared?”

“Security footage–we need to check the cameras.” Elena muttered, almost to herself, ignoring Aria’s question

as she sprinted back toward the mall’s upper level.

“Aunt Elena, wait for me!” Aria called, racing after her as Elena approached the mall security office.

Within minutes, they had convinced the staff to pull up the footage from downstairs.

“Look, Aunt Elena! There’s Mom!” Aria exclaimed with relief when Sarah’s familiar figure appeared on screen.

Elena leaned forward, her heart in her throat, watching intently as Sarah moved across the frame.

But their relief was short–lived. The footage showed Sarah heading toward a quieter section of the mall,

eventually disappearing into a blind spot where the cameras couldn’t reach.

“Mom’s gone!” Aria cried out, panic lacing her voice.

Elena’s brow furrowed deeply. “Are there any other camera angles?”

The security officer shook his head dismissively. “None in that area.”

He added with casual indifference, “She’s a grown woman–probably just had an emergency to deal with and

forgot to tell you. Why don’t you head home and wait? She’ll probably turn up soon enough.”

His cavalier attitude pushed Elena over the edge.

Her eyes flashed with barely contained fury as she snapped, “That’s easy for you to say! It’s not YOUR friend who’s missing!”

The security officer recoiled, stunned by her outburst. Even Aria looked shocked at the normally composed

Elena’s reaction.

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