"What are you two doing here?" Melissa snapped as she found Aleah and Elara in the living room. She noticed the flowers and fruits they brought. "Who let you in? You have the nerve to come here. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Aunt Melissa, we heard that Grandpa Damian is sick, so----""Don't call me Aunt!" the woman shouted. "We are not related. I allowed you into this house before because of my husband. But now, seeing you both is something I can't tolerate, especially since you are the reason my daughter is marrying a man she doesn't love," she said. "Are you happy to see my daughter's life ruined?""It's not like that. I had no intention----""Stop it," she said, slapping Aleah. "How dare you talk back to me?" She then turned to Elara. "Is this how you raised your daughter? No manners. Then again, what can she learn from a mistress?" She was about to slap Elara, but Aleah caught her hand, causing the woman to look at her in astonishment."EnougThey arrived at the site where the incident was happening. SWAT and police were stationed outside the building, along with rescue trucks and ambulances, which they had seen earlier. Yellow police lines surrounded the entire building, preventing civilians and reporters from getting close. As Aleah and Hunter got out of the car, Rafael and the seven other members of the Astral Guardians immediately approached them."Sir," all eight said simultaneously, saluting the young man. Hunter also saluted them."Fill me in," said Hunter, taking off his shirt before accepting the black vest Rafael handed him."There are several suspected terrorists inside the apartment. They are heavily armed with high-powered firearms. No one has come out of the apartment; everyone is held captive inside," Rafael said while helping Hunter put on his vest and earpiece. "It looks like rogues are behind this," Rafael whispered to the young Alpha. Hunter nodded upon hearing his friend's words.
He also instructed them to be the ones to operate it.“Sir, we should enter the building to disable the bombs around it,” Carlos suggested to the young man.“No, we can't,” Aleah interjected suddenly, drawing Hunter's attention to her. “I mean, it’s too dangerous. They’ve installed improvised explosive devices which are remote-controlled. They’re also monitoring the whole building. If they detect anyone besides them, they might detonate the explosives,” she explained. Aleah paused when she noticed Hunter and his team looking at her with puzzled expressions, as if they couldn't believe what she was saying.“Here, see this?” Aleah pointed to a man on the monitor holding a laptop, which was the reason Hunter's team couldn’t connect to the CCTV earlier.“Who are you, really?” Trish asked abruptly.“Huh?” Aleah responded, confused by the Captain's question.“Alpha Hunter, aren’t we doing anything? The longer we wait, the more the hostages' lives
"Mama!” exclaimed Aleah as she arrived at their unit and saw her mother being forcibly evicted by some men. She also noticed some of their belongings outside the unit. She saw one of the men push her mother, causing her to fall. Upon seeing this, Aleah immediately ran towards them.She approached her mother and helped her stand up. "What's happening here? Who are these men?" Aleah asked her mother. But she received no response, as her mother was still in shock from the incident. Aleah decided to approach one of the men who were taking out their belongings."Wait a minute. You can't do this. We own this unit," Aleah said, grabbing the man's arm."You?" said a familiar voice. Aleah turned to see a woman inside the condo. She let go of the man's arm when she saw the woman walking out of their unit."Daniella," Aleah whispered, recognizing the woman. She wasn't surprised to see her sister there. If anyone would do something like this, she knew it would
Aleah exclaimed, "Dalia! Tom---- Ah!" as a man bumped into her while running out of the siblings' house. The impact caused her to drop the grocery bag she was carrying, scattering canned goods and vegetables at the doorway."What was that? Why is he in such a rush, like he's being chased?" Aleah muttered in frustration as she bent down to pick up the scattered groceries. That day, she had visited the two children who had become her close friends. Since she and her mother moved to the flower shop, she befriended the two kids. She often saw them outside the shop, staring longingly. She noticed how frail they looked, as if they hadn't been eating properly.When she got to know them, she learned that their father was an alcoholic who spent all their money on drinking and gambling, leaving them with little to no food. She also found out that their older sibling were often beaten when they couldn't provide money. Feeling deeply sorry for the siblings, Aleah decided to buy them food that day.
"Why are there so many cars parked outside your shop? Are you and Aunt Elara expecting any visitors?" Hunter asked Aleah as they arrived from the hospital. After successfully arranging for Ramil's transfer to a private hospital room, Hunter decided to drop Aleah off at their family shop so she could get some rest. He left Rafael to look after the two children, ensuring someone was there to care for them.As they approached the shop, the first thing they noticed was the unusual number of cars outside, along with several men in suits standing by the entrance. Aleah glanced at Hunter, puzzled. They weren’t expecting any visitors, and her mother hadn’t been in contact with her old colleagues from the entertainment industry in years. The Guevarra family wouldn't dare come either; her father’s side of the family had kept their distance from them for a long time. But a sinking feeling crossed her mind—it could be her Aunt Melissa causing trouble for her mother again."Maybe someone’s harassi
They were taken in by the elderly man in a grand mansion that resembled a palace. There, Aleah noticed numerous men in suits surrounding the estate. She discovered that her grandfather was no ordinary businessman—he was the leader of a powerful mafia group in Italy. His real name was Antonio De Luna.At the mansion, Antonio recounted the reason he hadn't been with Aleah's mother for 20 years. He was once the Alpha of a pack, but an unexpected tragedy struck, leading to the death of most of his pack members. He was blamed for failing to protect them from a deadly epidemic. The only ones he had managed to save were his own family. This incident was why he never formed another wolf pack, nor was he accepted by any other. Left with no choice, he lived with only his family, became a businessman, and established a powerful mafia group.As for what happened between Antonio and Elara, it was a different story. Antonio couldn’t accept that his daughter wanted to become an actre
"M-marriage?!" exclaimed Aleah in shock when her grandfather told her that before they returned to Italy, he planned for her to marry Giovanni. She looked at the man her grandfather mentioned. She had no complaints about him and saw that her grandfather trusted him completely, but she couldn't understand why the old man wanted her to marry a man she barely knew. She had just met him, and now her grandfather had decided on their marriage. She had avoided one arranged marriage, and now here came another one she needed to escape."Why?" Rafael asked Hunter as the latter suddenly froze at the door and looked at the table where Aleah, Elara, her grandfather, and a young man, whom Rafael had never seen before, were seated. He also heard what Aleah said, which made him stop in his tracks. Hunter's eyes narrowed at what he overheard. Did he hear it correctly? Were they discussing marriage? His gaze shifted to the young man with them. Hunter couldn't understand, but he felt an energy
As her grandfather exited the restaurant, Aleah let go of the young man's hand and sighed deeply. Thankfully, her grandfather believed her and didn’t ask further questions. She wasn’t surprised though—after all, her grandfather wouldn’t object. Hunter was, undoubtedly, an excellent choice: not only did he come from a reputable family, but he was also an Alpha leader.“That was close. Thank you,” Aleah said, turning to the young man.“So now you’re using me to reject a marriage proposal?” Hunter said, his gaze shifting back to her.“I didn’t know you were that bold,” Claire’s friend remarked. “You’ve accepted his rejection, and now you—”“I know I was impulsive,” Aleah cut in, admitting, “I didn’t think things through. All I know is—I don’t want to be trapped in another messy arranged marriage.” She turned to Hunte
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’
The casual gesture made her feel warm and safe as they strolled toward the hotel restaurant. As they sat down to eat, the relaxed atmosphere was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a woman.“Hi! You’re the guy from the beach earlier, right?” the woman asked, her voice far too enthusiastic. Aleah and Hunter both turned toward her, startled by her abruptness.“I know this might sound weird, but... can I sit with you guys?” the woman asked directly, not even attempting subtlety.Seriously? Aleah’s brows twitched, and she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. The woman’s boldness was almost laughable.“S-sure,” Hunter stammered, clearly caught off guard. The woman didn’t hesitate, slipping into the empty chair at their table as though she belonged there.Aleah’s eyes narrowed, her gaze boring into Hunter like lasers. Hunter gulped, clearly realizing his mistake. Yep, he’d definitely ma
When Hunter came back to their room after handling the unruly guest, he spotted Aleah already asleep on the bed. He quietly placed the wine and glass on the table, a small gift from the hotel manager for his efforts earlier. Hunter moved closer, sitting beside his wife. He carefully brushed her hair off her face, smiling softly as he adjusted her blanket."Sleep well, my love," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek before standing again. He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of wine, and stepped onto the terrace."How am I supposed to sleep?" he muttered under his breath, leaning back in his chair. The wine glass and bottle sat untouched on the side table. Opening the bottle, he poured a little wine, swirled it around, and took a sip."A honeymoon under the stars, yet here I am drinking wine on my own," Hunter said, frustration coloring his voice. His thoughts drifted to the commotion earlier and the guest's horrible timing—interrupting the
"Wow!" Aleah gasped, eyes wide as they stepped into Hunter's hotel room. The soft glow of scented candles flickered around the room, casting a warm light over the trail of rose petals leading to the massive bed. The bed was sprinkled with more petals, and the room felt alive with a dreamy, romantic atmosphere that made her heart skip.She turned to Hunter, her brows furrowing. "How... How did you pull this off? We’ve been together all day!"Hunter grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Magic, babe. You like it?""Like it? I love it. It’s amazing." Aleah whispered, her voice filled with awe.Hunter stepped closer, brushing a finger along her hand. "Glad you do. Now, I’m calling dibs on the shower first." He leaned in just enough to make her breath hitch, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Don’t go anywhere."Aleah froze as he disappeared into the bathroom, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. Her gaze d