"Why are you frowning?" Dennis asked Aleah as he found her sitting alone in their club room. The list of first-year participants for the mock trial had just been posted, and Aleah was among those selected—a prestigious recognition for a freshman. Dennis knew Aleah had already seen the results, but her downcast expression took him by surprise. He had expected her to be thrilled, knowing how much she'd been looking forward to this moment.
"The results are out for the mock trial participants. Shouldn't you be happy? Why the long face? Aren't you excited?" Dennis questioned as he took a seat nearby."It's not that I'm unhappy. There's just something on my mind," Aleah replied, glancing up at him briefly. The truth was, she was irritated about what had happened at home earlier that day. The room that used to store the wedding gifts Hunter had received had suddenly been converted into a room for Kimberly. One of the other rooms had been assigned to Hunter's staff, who tookAleah barely stepped into her grandfather’s mansion when a sharp slap landed on her cheek. She was stunned, still reeling from the unexpected text from Melissa summoning her there. It was the first time Melissa had ever messaged her, and Aleah knew that if Melissa could avoid seeing her, she would. Her mere presence was enough to dredge up painful memories of Melissa’s husband’s infidelity—and worse, the family’s acceptance of his second family.Aleah clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes darting to the furious woman in front of her. What had she done this time? Why was Melissa so angry? Across the room, Natasha stood with her arms crossed, a smug grin plastered on her face, as if she’d been waiting for this moment.“You have no shame,” Melissa spat. “Are you trying to destroy our family? Seducing the fiancé of your husband’s niece? Really?”Aleah blinked, confused. “Seducing who?” sh
Aleah, you're here! Come have some snacks with us," Carlos called out from the garden, where he was hanging out with Joyril, Trisha, Rafael, and Kimberly. But Leah didn’t even glance their way. She just rushed inside the house, heading straight upstairs without a word. The group exchanged baffled looks, their confusion written all over their faces. Leah wasn’t the type to just brush people off like that."What’s up with her? Did something happen?" Joyril asked, turning to Rafael for answers.Rafael just shrugged. "No idea."The truth was, none of them knew. The Alpha himself wasn’t home—he, along with Michael and Charles, had been called away by the Alpha King, leaving the rest to keep Kimberly company.While they were chatting, Rafael’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Claire, telling him that Leah’s grandfather had been rushed to the hospital and was in critical condition. Rafael’s eyes darted toward the house
What are you doing here? Why are you lying down on the floor?” Hunter asked as he stepped into the basement, his voice tinged with both confusion and concern. The room was dimly lit, the faint hum of the air conditioner the only sound breaking the heavy silence. This basement was his sanctuary, a space he had designed to escape and train in solitude. Yet now, it seemed anything but tranquil.Hunter’s gaze swept across the room until it landed on Aleah. She was sprawled on the floor, her face pale and her eyes distant. But what caught his attention next froze him in place: scattered photographs lay strewn across the floor, fragmented moments of someone’s pain. His chest tightened, and instinctively, he clenched his fists. Without hesitation, he bent down and began picking up the photographs.“Zen,” Aleah whispered, her voice trembling as she looked up and saw him gathering the pictures. She scrambled to her feet, panic flashing in her eyes. &ld
Dennis was stunned when he walked into the restaurant and saw Clarisse sitting at the table. Her call had been urgent, and now he knew why. Clarisse wasted no time and revealed that Aleah and Natasha's elderly grandfather was in the hospital after suffering a sudden heart attack.“You heard me,” Clarisse began sharply, her tone cutting through the air like a blade. “And you’re partly to blame for this mess. If you hadn’t been flirting with a married woman, none of this would’ve happened.”Dennis sat down slowly, his face filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief. Clarisse reached into her bag, pulled out a folder, and placed several photographs on the table. The pictures showed Dennis and Aleah at the baseball field, their body language undeniable. Dennis’s eyes widened as he grabbed the photos.“Whoever took these is impressive!” Dennis remarked, though there was no humor in his voice. He held one of the
What’s that guy doing outside our house?” Hunter asked, his voice sharp as he leaned against the railing of the terrace. His eyes locked onto Dennis, who was standing just outside the gate, unmoving like he had all the time in the world. It was just him and Aleah at home, with Kimberly and the others still stuck at the hospital. The silence of the house amplified his unease.Hunter’s gaze flicked to Aleah, who stood by the terrace door, her face troubled as she watched Dennis. She wasn’t saying anything, but Hunter could read the emotions in her expression like an open book.“I’m going to talk to him,” Hunter announced, pushing himself off the railing and heading for the door with purposeful strides. He barely made it three steps before Aleah reached out and grabbed his hand, her grip firm and desperate. The gesture was so out of character it stopped him cold.Hunter glanced down at her hand and then at her face. Her eyes were
"I'm really sorry about what happened," Dennis said to Alfredo, his voice steady but sincere. He stood by the hospital bed, his hands awkwardly clasped in front of him. "I came here to clear things up—to explain that what you saw in those pictures isn’t true. Yeah, I have feelings for Aleah. I won’t lie about that. But she doesn’t feel the same way about me. And I know she’s married. I’m not the type to mess up someone else’s life. Aleah’s a good person, and I would never wreck her life or her marriage with Hunter.""Why are you telling us this?" Melissa asked, her tone sharp and suspicious."Because I don’t want you to think badly of Aleah," Dennis replied, looking her in the eye. "I also heard about Don Damian’s heart attack. I can’t stand the thought of you blaming Aleah for that. She didn’t do anything wrong—she’s just caught up in a misunderstanding.""But you just said you have f
Alpha Hunter!” Kimberly called out excitedly as soon as she spotted the young man stepping out of Alejandro’s room. The familiar voice made Hunter glance her way, where he saw Kimberly in a crisp white coat. It clicked—of course, she worked here at the hospital.This hospital wasn’t just any facility, either. It housed government-funded research labs where Kimberly was continuing her work on a drug to restore lost memories. Hunter remembered the briefing he’d received—it explained that Kimberly had been a researcher in Russia, leading a team that was developing medication to reverse memory loss. Their focus had been on treating Alzheimer’s patients. But everything changed when their facility was attacked. She was the only survivor, and she’d fled to her godfather for safety.“Kim—Dr. Stuart,” Hunter said, nodding in acknowledgment.“You don’t have to be so stiff. Don’t forget, I told y
"No way?!” Aleah exclaimed, bolting upright from her chair as she spotted her mom and the director sitting together. They had brought her to a restaurant, saying they had something important to tell her. But what they revealed had her so shocked, she shot to her feet, drawing everyone’s attention in the room.“Sit down. People are staring,” Elara whispered, gently pulling Aleah back into her seat. The girl obeyed but couldn’t tear her gaze away from the young director.“Hey, stop looking at him like that,” Elara muttered, visibly embarrassed by her daughter’s piercing stare.“Hold on, I’m so dizzy from everything you’ve said. I can’t make sense of it.” Aleah grabbed her glass of water, took a sip, sighed, and slammed it back down on the table. Her eyes darted right back to the director.“Leah, seriously, stop looking at him like that,” Elara warned, this time grabbing her da
Aleah had been dropping by the hospital every day to see her sister, Natasha. And every single time, it bugged her how Natasha didn’t even bother visiting her baby in the nursery. One day, when Aleah came to check on her, she noticed a man walking out of Natasha’s room. As she got closer, Natasha’s face said it all—she was scared out of her mind. “What’s going on? Who was that guy?” Aleah asked, but Natasha just shut down, refusing to say a word. The thing was, Aleah kept seeing the same guy hanging around the hospital. Something wasn’t right. One day, she overheard Natasha arguing with him in her room. She didn’t plan on listening in, but her sister sounded so shaken she couldn’t help it. “You need to give me that video!” Natasha pleaded, her voice trembling. The guy chuckled. “Why would I? That video’s making me a ton of money,” he said, completely unbothered. Aleah’s gut twisted. What was this guy talking about? She couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Then sh
Aleah and Natasha got to the hospital, and right away, Claire came up to them. Her eyes went wide as she stared. “Aleah? Natasha?” she gasped. Seeing Natasha’s round belly made her freeze for a moment. Nobody was expecting this—least of all Claire.“What’s going on?” Claire asked, still staring at Natasha, who avoided her gaze.Aleah didn’t miss a beat. “Her water broke. She needs attention,” she said firmly.Claire blinked, catching up with the situation. “Oh, right! Hold on.” She waved down a nurse and gestured for Natasha to follow them to the delivery room.When Natasha was out of sight, Claire rounded on Aleah. “What happened?” she demanded.“I saw her outside the mall. There was a hostage situation,” Aleah said, keeping her voice steady.“No, I mean… she’s pregnant!” Claire exclaimed. “How come no one knew?”Ale
For a week, Aleah stayed in Italy to accompany her mother in taking care of her grandfather, Antonio. Fortunately, he had passed the critical stage. According to the doctors, he just needed rest and would soon recover. In the meantime, Guiller temporarily took over his responsibilities. Since Aleah had to return to her country for work, her mother stayed behind in Italy to look after her grandfather, along with her husband.Currently, Aleah has been accepted into Dennis's law firm while waiting for her bar exam results. Dennis mentioned that it would be beneficial for her to be there, as he could assist her and she could gain valuable experience. She could decide later whether to continue working there or leave. Aleah didn’t turn down the opportunity, and Hunter agreed as well. However, he warned her not to trust Dennis too much, as the latter still had feelings for her. Aleah assured Hunter that he had nothing to worry about.On her way home in a taxi, Aleah noticed
The members of the Astral Guardian carefully infiltrated a cargo vessel as part of a joint mission with the Navy. They moved cautiously, ensuring that they made no noise that might alert the kidnappers inside. Within the cargo vessel, three male hostages were being held. The Navy members located a container where the captives were confined.Since the container was locked, one member had to shoot the lock to open it. Once the lock was broken, another Navy member forcefully kicked the door open. The hostages were visibly shocked to see the Navy members standing before them.One of the hostages blinked in disbelief as the Navy members appeared in the doorway."We're getting you out of here," one of the Navy officers said firmly, already moving to help the nearest man to his feet.“We need to move. Now,” another hissed, scanning the area. “They’ll know we’re here any second.”Without hesitation, their leader barked, “Hel
"He's not gonna make it, is he?" Elara asked Aleah, watching the families on the school grounds snapping pictures. Today was Aleah's graduation day, but something felt missing.Aleah glanced at the scene, her gaze lingering on the happy faces. "I don't know, Mom," she said softly, biting her lip as she scanned the crowd.“Don’t tell me your husband’s off saving the world again?” Dennis said as he walked toward them, his suit crisp and a bouquet of flowers in hand.Aleah’s eyes met his. "Dennis," she greeted quietly."For you," Dennis said, offering the bouquet with a grin. "Seriously, though. I heard he just got out of the hospital. Is he really off on another mission already? Seems like he’d rather save strangers than be here for you."Before Aleah could reply, Rafael joined them with Claire and their child in tow. "Hey, he’ll be here soon," Rafael said confidently, giving Aleah a warm smile.Seeing them, Aleah
The birthday party for Daniella and Zane’s child came to an abrupt end when a frantic call from the hospital informed them that Hunter was in the operating room. Without wasting a second, they raced to the hospital, where the Vice Admiral and two of his men were waiting.Aleah froze the moment her eyes landed on the Vice Admiral. The world around her seemed to stop, her body going icy cold—especially when she noticed the blood staining the hands and uniforms of his men.“What happened to Hunter?” Daniella and Zane demanded, their voices sharp with worry. The Vice Admiral shook his head, refusing to share any details. “The doctors have been working for almost six hours now. His injuries are... serious. Even though he should’ve been able to heal himself, the wounds are too severe this time.”He continued, his voice grim, “He was shot. One hit his body, but the worst—we think—might’ve hit his head.”
A young man was running frantically, dodging gunfire from men on motorcycles and a pickup-style jeep. Explosions erupted behind him as he sprinted, forcing him to quicken his pace to evade his relentless pursuers. The chase led to a beach, where the explosions continued to trail him. One of the men in a car aimed a rocket launcher at him, causing the young man to dive just as the rocket exploded behind him. He landed on the ground, unconscious and bleeding from a head wound.The pursuers stopped a short distance away, and one of them ordered two men to check if the young man was still alive. They approached him, turned him over with their feet, and saw blood streaming from his head, along with wounds on his side and shoulder. Noticing his faint breathing, one of them cocked his gun, ready to end the young man's life.Just as the trigger was about to be pulled, the sound of a helicopter filled the air, followed by gunfire targeting the men on motorcycles and in the car. One
Before they headed back home, Hunter and Aleah made the most of their time together on their honeymoon. After three long years apart, Hunter wanted to make sure Aleah never felt insecure, even with the new mission looming ahead. She would always be his number one—he promised her that in a letter three years ago."Morning, love," Hunter greeted with a bright smile as he walked into their room. Aleah couldn't help but beam when she saw him carrying a breakfast tray with a single white rose resting on top. When she woke up and found his side of the bed empty, she thought he’d left for his mission—gone without a word, as his top-secret missions usually demanded. The Vice Admiral’s visit had left her half-expecting it. She had even braced herself to go home alone. But there he was.Hunter set the tray on the bed, picking up the rose with a grin. "Breakfast in bed, madam."Aleah raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "What’s th
Ahem." The throat-clearing sliced through the sweet moment between the couple. Hunter and Aleah both turned to find its source. Aleah’s eyes rounded when she saw a man she didn’t recognize. He wore a spotless white uniform—the kind Navy officers wore, if Aleah had to guess. Her eyes caught on the insignia on his shoulder. Two younger men stood behind him, their stances stiff, their outfits screaming “military.”"Alpha Hunter," the man in white said as he saluted, sharp and precise. The two men behind him followed suit. Hunter helped Aleah up gently before returning the gesture."Vice Admiral Salvacion," Hunter replied, his tone calm but alert."Sorry to crash your vacation," Salvacion said, extending his hand to Hunter.Hunter hesitated, glancing at Aleah. She didn’t say anything, just quietly watched the exchange, her expression unreadable. Hunter’s gut churned—whatever the Vice Admiral was here for, it wasn’