Chapter 2

A man burst through the door, immediately asking, “Everything okay?”

He found Rebecca, her gun aimed out of the shattered window, still firing several shots. The deafening noise was jarring to Daniel's ears.

“Daniel! Alex, get father and jump out! They're escaping!” Rebecca shouted in panic as her plan to kill her father failed.

The man hurried to the edge of the shattered window and peered down at the dark cliff below. "It's impossible to survive a jump from this height. It's over 20 meters," he assessed.

Daniel glanced around and noticed a considerable amount of blood on the floor.

"Did you hit both of them?" he asked.

"I tried!" Rebecca shouted back, exasperated. "But Alex keeps throwing his damn body in front of Pop to protect him!"

Daniel hugged the frustrated Rebecca and calmed her down. "Don’t worry, they aren’t going anywhere. I will ask our people to find them."

***

Alex

In the midst of the snow, I was carrying Roberto on my back. Both of our casual clothes were stained with a lot of blood, some of which was beginning to drip along our trail in the snow. He was bleeding, and it caused warmth on my back.

"Don't you dare die on me, Roberto," I said, my face contorted in agony. Each breath turned into warm fog, and my bare feet treaded through the thick snow; it was cold.

“Don’t you think it's funny?” Roberto said weakly, almost whispering. “My own daughter wants to shoot me just so she and my right-hand man can have the company. Yet, you, an outsider, are putting your body on the line to protect my life.”

“You are the only family I have, Roberto.”

‘I have no one except you.’

Roberto chuckled, and blood seeped out of his mouth. “Aren’t you one of my illegitimate sons? I sowed a lot of seeds when I was young. Artists, workers, magazine models…” His tears suddenly fell after a long silence.

“You are right, Alex. This damn company caused my wife to die, and now it's taking my life too, by the hand of my daughter. We shouldn’t touch this company anymore.”

“Stay alive, Roberto,” I urged, quickening my pace. We were both wearing thin clothes, and it was not okay to be exposed under the cold temperature for too long. “We will go into hiding and change our names for a while. Don’t worry about that damn company. It's full of our loyal people. Even presidents of countries don’t dare to touch us. Let alone Daniel and Rebecca. We are still the kings of the underworld. All the head families are still loyal to us; they will not change their hearts before seeing our dead bodies.”

"You are the king, Alex," Roberto sighed. "This morning, I shifted all my shares to you. I've known for a long time that they are only loyal to you since you treat them well. How many bullets did you take this time to protect me?"

"Five damn bullets, old man!" I exclaimed, a mix of anger and pain in my voice. "To hell with your shares, just keep breathing!"

“Will you die?” Roberto asked worriedly.

I gazed at the luminous full moon. "No matter what, I've never died under a full moon."

‘The truth is my wound is starting to heal already.’

Roberto, racked with coughs and spitting blood, his eyes filled with a blend of sorrow and urgency. "Alex, my time feels near. Think of the kindness I've shown. If you survive this, I implore you, have mercy on my daughter. Discipline her if you must, but ensure she leads a good life."

I, trying to reassure him, responded, "You're not going anywhere, old friend."

"Promise me first," Roberto insisted, the desperation clear in his voice. "She's all I have left, Alex."

In a mix of rage and sorrow, I spoke with fierce intensity, "If you hold on until dawn, I'll let her go, I swear it."

Roberto, with a faint chuckle, recalled, "In my younger days, I endured much worse. Such wounds wouldn't have rattled me." But then, his tone shifted to somber, his body weakened, and he whispered, "It's just that... it was my own daughter who shot me..." As his tears mixed with the fallen snow, a profound sadness blanketed the scene.

I believe the pain ran deeper than he could have envisioned.

Struggling through the snow, I sought a faint light in the distance, our potential sanctuary. Roberto's body grew colder with every step. Damn, tears started flowing down my face as I hastened my pace, propelled by desperation and an ever-deepening sense of loss.

‘He is my only family in this lonely world.’

***

Aurora

Oakhaven Town.

"Aurora, time for school!" the voice of an elderly woman echoed from downstairs.

In my bedroom, I still nestled in my bed, groggily furrowed my brow and shouted back, "Not going to school today!"

‘I hate school.’

I was extremely tired and willing to do anything to get an extra 10 minutes of sleep.

"But you're the teacher, not a student!" the old woman retorted. "It's your responsibility."

I mustered the strength to glance at my smartphone, my eyes heavy from lack of sleep. Last night, I got caught in the endless scroll of social media, repeatedly telling myself, "Just 10 more minutes, and I'll go to sleep," until it was past 3 AM.

‘Regret always comes too late. If only I had gone to bed at 10:00 PM, I could have woken up feeling refreshed. My beauty sleep would have made my skin glow.’

‘Damn, I was so foolish.’

I couldn't help but repeat those same sentiments of regret. Always like this since my college years, nothing changing, old habits not dying hard, but never dying.

“The handsome neighbor you mentioned is already outside," my grandma teased from downstairs. "Don't make him wait too long."

I replied dismissively, "He's just the school janitor," as I started preparing for school.

‘Taming my hair had never been easy.’

'Why does putting on makeup have to take so long?' I mused, applying it delicately.

'Simple looks shouldn't be this time-consuming.'

'Does my makeup look okay? I did watch those tutorials multiple times last night.'

‘How did she do it again?’

Gazing into the mirror, I allowed myself a small, confident smile.

‘Surely, I'm one of the most captivating people here.’

Gathering my teaching materials and bag in hurry, I made my way downstairs for my breakfast, my mind wandering with thoughts.

‘Okay, so I'm definitely the hottest single in the vicinity, but where's the cool guy? Why do all the good-looking ones flock elsewhere?’

‘They're clearly clueless about what's top-tier. Missing out on a kind, pure, and single girl like me for 24 years. Maybe I should send a quick wish to the universe, get them to wake up, stop being blind, and see they're missing out on someone awesome like me.’

I stepped out through the door, my eyes immediately drawn to the scene in the garden. There, under the shadow of the old oak tree, sat my grandmother and the neighborhood's grandpa. They were nestled—lovely dovely, together at a quaint garden table, with a pot of steaming tea between them, its gentle aroma mingling with the fresh morning air. Beside the pot lay a few slices of bread, lightly buttered and golden.

‘It truly makes someone like me, who's single, feel envious.’

Moving closer, I leaned down to plant a soft kiss on my grandmother's cheek. Her skin felt warm and rough. "Good morning, Grandpa," I greeted with a teasing lilt in my voice, my eyes twinkling with mischief. "Grandmother really missed you a lot. If you had just come here 30 years earlier, perhaps I could have had another aunt."

At my words, Grandma's face bloomed into a rosy shade of red, a mix of embarrassment and affection. "You brat, just go!" she exclaimed.

Grandpa, his eyes crinkling at the corners, let out a hearty laugh.

I continued my journey towards the gate.

‘Wait, I can't be greedy, Dear Moon Goddess. How about sending me just one mate, regardless of his qualities, Alpha, Beta, Omega, Hybrid even human? As long as he loves me, I'll be content with that. However, if he happens to be rich, handsome, kind, and a gentleman, I wouldn't mind either.’

I stepped outside the gate to find Lucas waiting, a tall figure with brown hair, dark eyes, and a pronounced jawline. He was dressed in evidently high-end casual attire, standing next to an impressive-looking car.

"Good morning, Luke," I called out to him.

‘He's incredibly attractive; stay strong, my heart!’

"Morning," he replied, courteously holding the car door open for me. Such a gentleman. I swiftly got in, and as Lucas drove toward the school, I double-checked my makeup in the reflection of my phone, ensuring it was flawless.

‘Sitting beside this cool guy is never easy.’

I couldn't resist finding something to talk about, "Luke, it's quite unusual for a janitor to drive such a fancy car to school, don't you think?" The luxurious interior of the car had really caught my eye.

Luke looked at me, his smile broadening. "Oh, this is my grandfather's car, remember?"

Driven by curiosity, I inquired again, "But what brought you and your grandfather to our little neighborhood?"

Luke's expression turned thoughtful. "My grandfather was caught in a robbery gone wrong — wrong place, wrong time. The police were involved, shots were fired, and unfortunately, he got hit. He made it through, luckily, but he's been recovering since. We thought this quiet town, with its natural charm, would be ideal for his recuperation." He recited this story with a practiced ease. "Have I quenched your curiosity now, little detective? No need to scrutinize my story. Just ask what you really want to know."

I observed Luke closely. He appeared to be in his thirties, exuding sophistication that suggested a big-city upbringing. There was even an air about him that hinted he could be a CEO in disguise. His watch, although I don't know much about watches, I believed it was expensive, given its luxurious appearance. His choice of cologne was distinctive too, rich and complex, the kind that probably cost upwards of $5,000 per ounce. I remembered smelling something like this from a really wealthy guy during my college years.

‘A guy who wears a $5,000 perfume working as a janitor on a $1,200 salary? That's a story even ghosts would scoff at.’

"Why did you have to choose the house right beside ours, forcing our beloved science teacher to leave his own home?"

Lucas let out a light chuckle. "Turns out, your grandma and that old man had a bit of a romantic history. We made a generous offer to your science teacher, and he couldn't have been happier. He was all thanks and bows, talking about needing money for some high-end research equipment. He practically leapt at the chance to sell. We even pitched in a bit extra for his research."

I muttered to myself, ‘That turncoat, obsessed with his science. He's not off the hook yet. He just moved without telling me anything even though we were supposed to be best friends forever.’

‘Even my 60-year-old grandma has a boyfriend. Oh my God, what will happen to me? I'm still a virgin at 24 years old. It's not that I'm intentionally keeping my virginity for marriage, but it does provide a good reason as a shield when people ask. It makes me seem pure like an angel. Real reason, It's just that no one has made a move on me. I want to experience sex too. Damn, I'm craving it. Somebody, please...’

Looking at Luke, I pondered, 'Could this handsome guy have bought the house next door just to get close to me? Maybe my prayers for the last decade have been heard by Our Creator?'

‘Could Luke be a secret CEO or billionaire who's fallen in love with me? Because if this handsome guy asks me to be his girlfriend, I might just say 'maybe.' I won't undervalue myself, even though I'm tempted to say 'yes, yes, yes, yes... hell yes.'

Suddenly, the car stopped forcefully, jolting me. "What happened?"

Luke scanned the surroundings and noted, "Looks like there's a motorbike gang out front."

I observed several Harley motorcycles come to a stop in front of the car, while others continued to speed toward us, abruptly halting as well. The riders, all burly individuals with tattoos and long mustaches, wore menacing expressions as they dismounted their motorcycles, each holding a shotgun in hand.

With swift movements, Lucas reached into the car's dashboard, retrieved a sleek black handgun, and deftly holstered it in his waistband. “Looks like one of their guys is approaching. Do you recognize him?”

I watched in disbelief as Luke armed himself so casually.

‘He is dangerous.’

"That's Ethan," I said, my voice tinged with unease. "He's the Alpha."

‘The worst guy in the city.’

"Alpha?" Luke raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"The gang leader," I clarified.

‘I forget Lucas is human, not like us.’

Ethan tapped on the car window with his handgun on Luke's side, gesturing for Luke to roll it down, and peered inside.

"You the new guy around here?" Ethan's tone was threatening. He glanced at me but didn't comment further. "And what's your deal with Aurora?"

Meanwhile, Ethan's gang quickly formed a tight circle around the car, cutting off any escape route. They were a formidable sight – clad in jeans, covered in tattoos, and brandishing an array of handguns and shotguns, their faces exuding arrogance.

I surveyed the tense scene and sighed internally, 'All it would take is one small spark for this to erupt into chaos, each of them ready to hand out a one-way ticket to hell. Typical men and their oversized egos.'

I pondered, 'People like them couldn't possibly make it to heaven, could they? Or am I wrong in thinking that? Maybe they're just good people, tough on the outside like Voldemort but with hearts as gentle as Hello Kitty inside.'