Noah's POV
The house felt strangely empty.
Not physically empty.
There were security guards stationed around the property. Diamant had practically surrounded the mansion with enough protection to defend a small country before leaving for Country B.
But despite all that, it still felt empty.
Because Diamant wasn't here.
I sat behind my desk in his office, staring blankly at the documents in front of me.
For the past three days, my routine had become painfully repetitive.
Wake up.
Eat breakfast.
Go to work.
Return home.
Video call Diamant.
Sleep.
Repeat.
It shouldn't have bothered me this much.
Diamant wasn't gone forever.
He was only handling business overseas.
A new hotel project.
Investor meetings.
Construction inspections.
The usual business tycoon things that made my head hurt whenever he tried explaining them.
Yet somehow...
The house felt colder.
The bed felt bigger.
And meals tasted less exciting without someone across the table criticizing my cooking skills.
A smile unconsciously appeared on my face.
That jerk.
My phone vibrated.
I immediately picked it up.
The smile on my face widened.
Diamant ❤️
I accepted the call instantly.
The screen flickered before revealing Diamant's handsome face.
Even through the phone he still looked intimidating.
Sharp jawline.
Cold eyes.
Perfect posture.
Expensive suit.
The complete package of a terrifying mafia boss.
"Miss me already?" I asked.
Diamant raised a brow.
"Your imagination is impressive."
"That's a yes."
"No."
"That's definitely a yes."
"Noah."
I laughed.
His expression remained serious.
For approximately two seconds.
Then the corner of his lips twitched.
Victory.
I pointed at the screen.
"Aha! You smiled!"
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I'll hang up."
I immediately shut my mouth.
Diamant stared at me for a moment before shaking his head.
"Eat properly."
"I am."
"Sleep properly."
"I am."
"Don't wander around alone."
"I have security."
"Good."
The concern hidden beneath his words warmed my chest.
Diamant wasn't good at expressing affection.
But he always showed it through actions.
Always.
The conversation continued for another twenty minutes before he was called away by one of his assistants.
Business never slept.
Unfortunately.
"I have to go."
"Okay."
The screen remained silent.
Neither of us disconnected.
Eventually Diamant spoke first.
"I'll be back soon."
The simple sentenc made me smile.
"I'll wait."
Something softened in his gaze.
Then the call ended.
The office suddenly felt quiet again.
I sighed.
Only then noticing how much I missed him.
Pathetic.
Three days apart and I was already acting like this.
A knock sounded on my office door.
"Come in."
One of the company assistants entered carrying a medium-sized package.
"Mr. Noah, this was delivered for you."
I frowned.
"For me?"
"Yes."
The assistant placed it on the desk.
"There was no sender information."
"Okay."
The assistant left.
The package wasn't particularly large.
Brown wrapping.
No markings.
No company logo.
No return address.
Strange.
Curiosity got the better of me.
I grabbed a letter opener and carefully cut through the tape.
Inside was a black envelope.
My brows furrowed.
Now that was definitely suspicious.
I pulled the envelope out.
A single note slipped onto the desk.
My heart suddenly skipped.
The words were typed.
No handwriting.
No name.
No signature.
Just one sentence.
Do you really know where your alpha is?
My smile disappeared.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
I opened the envelope.
Several photographs slid out.
At first my brain didn't process what I was seeing.
Then it did.
And everything froze.
Diamant.
The photos were of Diamant.
My fingers tightened around the pictures.
One photo.
Two photos.
Three photos.
Four.
Five.
Every single one showed Diamant.
And a woman.
A beautiful woman.
Tall.
Elegant.
Long dark hair.
She looked like a model.
The photos appeared to have been taken recently.
Very recently.
Country B.
The same suit Diamant had been wearing during yesterday's video call.
The same watch.
The same hotel construction site visible in the background.
My chest tightened.
No.
No.
That wasn't possible.
I looked closer.
The woman stood beside him.
Another photo showed them talking.
Another showed them entering a building together.
One photo captured her laughing while Diamant looked down at something she was showing him.
The angle made them appear strangely close.
Too close.
For a moment...
An unpleasant feeling clawed its way into my chest.
Then I immediately crushed it.
No.
Absolutely not.
Diamant wasn't like that.
I knew him.
Didn't I?
I stared at the photos again.
The woman was undeniably beautiful.
Refined.
Elegant.
Confident.
The type who looked perfectly suited to stand beside someone like Diamant Reed.
A ridiculous thought crossed my mind.
I hated it immediately.
My fingers curled.
I looked down at myself.
Compared to her...
I looked ordinary.
The thought made me angry.
Not at Diamant.
At myself.
Why was I even comparing?
Why was I allowing some anonymous package to affect me?
I took a deep breath.
Then another.
Then another.
The logical side of my brain slowly returned.
This was stupid.
Anyone could take photographs.
Anyone could create misleading situations.
For all I knew she could be a business partner.
An investor.
A designer.
A consultant.
A secretary.
Anything.
And yet...
My eyes drifted back to the note.
Do you really know where your alpha is?
The words lingered unpleasantly.
I hated how effective they were.
Who sent this?
Why send it to me?
What did they gain from it?
I looked at the photos again.
The uncomfortable feeling remained.
Not because I believed Diamant was cheating.
I didn't.
I trusted him.
Completely.
But because whoever sent this clearly wanted me to doubt him.
Wanted me to question him.
Wanted me to feel exactly what I was feeling right now.
Uneasy.
Confused.
Hurt.
I closed my eyes.
When I opened them again, I gathered all the photographs.
Without hesitation, I shoved them back into the envelope.
Then I tossed the entire package into a drawer.
Out of sight.
Out of mind.
Or at least that was the plan.
Unfortunately...
Even after the drawer closed...
The images remained stuck inside my head.
Especially the one where the woman stood smiling beside Diamant.
And for the first time since he left for Country B...
I found myself staring at my phone.
Wondering whether I should call him.
Not because I didn't trust him.
I did.
I truly did.
But a tiny voice deep inside my mind kept whispering.
Then why didn't he tell you about her?
I immediately silenced the thought.
Because I trusted him.
Because Diamant Reed would never betray me.
Because he wasn't that kind of man.
...Right?
For some reason, that night felt colder than the previous ones.
And for the first time since Diamant left...
Sleep refused to come easily.