Aleah 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?” shAleah, 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
IIt was the birthday of the wife of an Astral Guardian official, who lived in the compound. Everyone was invited to a small celebration, held outdoors near the cooking school in the compound. The gathering was attended by the wives of the officers and members of Hunter's Astral Guardians. Kimberly also came along to avoid being bored at home, since it was her day off from the hospital.The officer's wives quickly warmed up to Kimberly, especially impressed by her cooking skills. She even brought Russian cuisine to the celebration, which earned her extra praise from the ladies. They didn't recognize the dishes she brought, but the fancy sound of them left the women enchanted. Kimberly also won them over with her conversation skills, showing confidence despite having lived abroad for quite a while."I hope you can teach that girl how to cook," said the major's wife, glancing toward Aleah, who sat at a table sulking and nibbling on her food. Aleah overheard the comment
Aleah woke up in a room she didn’t recognize. Sitting up, she took in her surroundings with a puzzled look. The last thing she remembered was going home with Director Kim—and seeing her mom there. She felt a wave of shame and frustration sweep over her as memories resurfaced. With a deep breath, she got out of bed and made her way out of the room.On her way down the stairs, she caught sight of her mom and Director Kim through the glass wall. They were in the garden, grilling food and laughing. Aleah froze mid-step, her gaze locked on her mom. She’d never seen her look this happy before—not even back when they lived in her grandfather’s mansion. That smile? It was rare, and it made Aleah hesitate for a moment.Clearing her throat, Aleah stepped outside. “Morning,” she said casually as she approached them. The pair stopped chatting and looked up, her mom’s face lighting up.“Lei, you’re awake! Hungry? We&rsquo
As Hunter lay asleep on the hospital bed, vivid and chaotic images filled his mind like a dream he couldn’t quite piece together. There was a young boy, bruised and scared, sitting in a corner. Then more kids—some fighting brutally, others working with computer tech and strange formulas. The scenes overwhelmed him, leaving him feeling heavy, hot, and drenched in sweat. He struggled for breath, feeling trapped.“Zen.” A familiar voice broke through the chaos, along with a smile he recognized. Just like that, the haunting images faded away, and reality pulled him back. He jolted awake, sitting upright in the hospital bed. His eyes scanned the room—bandages on his body and sweat clinging to his skin. It took him a moment to piece together where he was.“What the hell was that about?” he muttered under his breath.The door creaked open, and Rafael walked in with some of their crew in tow.“Hey, you're up! We brought foo
As Aleah wandered aimlessly along the street, she had no idea where she was going. Lost in thought, she didn’t realize her feet had carried her back to a place from her past—their old flower shop. When she saw it, she froze. The shop she and her mom once called their own was no longer there; in its place stood a sleek coffee shop. She stood outside the door, staring, memories flooding back. Her chest tightened as she thought, If I hadn’t met Hunter, if I hadn’t married him...would Mom and I still be here, running this place together?“Aleah?” A familiar voice broke through her thoughts, startling her. She turned and saw Director Kim, her mom’s boyfriend, walking toward her with a curious look.“What are you doing here?” he asked gently. His eyes shifted to the coffee shop. “Did you miss your old flower shop? It looks like the new owner turned it into a café,” he added with a soft smile, trying to read
"Ican't let you in," Kimberly said firmly as she stepped out of Hunter's hospital room, blocking Aleah's way."Doctor, I think you're crossing the line," Aleah shot back, her hands balling into fists."Clearly, you don't get it. And no, I'm not crossing any lines. Between the two of us, I'm the one who has the real connection to Hunter. I know him better than you. You're just his wife on paper. But me? I'm his soulmate. The real deal. I won't let someone like you mess things up for him. You've done enough damage," Kimberly replied, her tone sharp. Aleah bit her lip and clenched her fists harder, feeling Kimberly's words hit a nerve. Her mind was too clouded with worry for Hunter to fully process what was being said. But one thing was painfully clear—Kimberly had a point. Trouble seemed to follow Hunter because of her, and it stung to hear it out loud."You don’t have to come here. I can take care of him," Kimberly added with conviction. "While I&rsqu
"Let’s get out of here," Hunter said to Mikha, extending his hand. The little girl, still wrapped in the blanket, stood up and approached him. Despite the pain in his back from the falling ceiling earlier, Hunter crouched down and let Mikha climb onto his back."Hang on tight," he told her as she clung to him. He adjusted his grip on Aleah, who was still unconscious, and carried her outside. By the time they got out, firefighters had arrived and were working to control the flames."Mikha!" the officer and his wife called out as they ran over. The woman quickly took Mikha from Hunter’s back, hugging her tightly as the child cried. They pulled off the blanket wrapped around her, checking for injuries. Luckily, she didn’t have a scratch—just tears and fear after everything she had been through."Hunter, what about Aleah?" Rafael asked as he approached, his concern obvious. Several Astral Guardians joined them, Kimberly included. Hunter gently laid
IIt was the birthday of the wife of an Astral Guardian official, who lived in the compound. Everyone was invited to a small celebration, held outdoors near the cooking school in the compound. The gathering was attended by the wives of the officers and members of Hunter's Astral Guardians. Kimberly also came along to avoid being bored at home, since it was her day off from the hospital.The officer's wives quickly warmed up to Kimberly, especially impressed by her cooking skills. She even brought Russian cuisine to the celebration, which earned her extra praise from the ladies. They didn't recognize the dishes she brought, but the fancy sound of them left the women enchanted. Kimberly also won them over with her conversation skills, showing confidence despite having lived abroad for quite a while."I hope you can teach that girl how to cook," said the major's wife, glancing toward Aleah, who sat at a table sulking and nibbling on her food. Aleah overheard the comment
"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
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
"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