Alanna rejected the call right away. She freshened up in the bathroom before leaving the apartment.Tara's private nurse, Jane Snyder, was elated to see her once she reached the hospital."Happy New Year, Ms. Jacinto."Alanna returned the greeting smilingly. Then, she passed the fruit basket that she had bought on the way to the hospital to Jane."Happy New Year to you too, Jane. Thank you for working hard last year."Jane was happy to have received such a wonderful gift."It's nothing. I work hard to earn a living, after all."Then, Jane turned to look at Tara, who was still lying in the ward. She couldn't help but sigh dejectedly.Yet another year had passed. This marked Tara's fourth year as a comatose patient.Jane had no idea when Tara would regain consciousness. She knew that Alanna was the one suffering the most.She decided to leave silently with the thermos flask. That way, Alanna would get some private time with Tara.Alana sat by Tara's bed and started massaging h
Tucker had been itching to get acquainted with the Florentine family for a very long time.This desire of his stemmed from the time he had Melanie impersonate Alanna and get reunited with Hades ten years ago.He never thought that Melanie was so willful to the point that she wanted to make Hades hers, be it physically or emotionally.Not only did Melanie fail in doing so, but she also gave Alanna a chance to become Hades' mistress.Alanna just chuckled in response. "If Hades truly wanted to marry Melanie, do you really think I'd be able to sabotage their relationship?"That question stabbed Tucker right where it hurt the most.He thought Hades would patch up his relationship with Melanie after his return. After all, the fact that Hades had given Melanie one of Brilliance Jewels' endorsement gigs was proof that he cared about her.The Smiths were already prepared to marry Melanie into the Florentines. But they didn't expect to see things heading in a different direction.Hades h
Alanna thought she'd reach her apartment first. She didn't expect to see Travis waiting outside for her right after getting out of the cab."How did you get here so fast, Travis?"The truth was that Travis was already in the area when he called Alanna earlier."I happen to be dealing with something in this area."After that, he handed Alanna a cup of hot cappuccino. "I remember you liking this beverage."Alanna's eyes lit up instantly. "I never thought you'd remember my preferences after all these years."Travis flashed her a gentle smile. "I was worried that your taste in beverages might have changed."Alanna just giggled without continuing the topic. She asked, "Aren't you going home for the holidays?""I did. I rushed back here without any prior notice."Truth be told, Travis didn't have to attend the conference. The minister's right-hand man was the one attending the conference.Although Travis was considered a rising star in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his qualifica
Alanna let out a frightened shriek. The next thing she knew, her assailant covered her mouth immediately.A familiar voice drifted into her ear at the same time."What are you screaming for?"Alanna's body almost went limp for a moment. She patted her chest. She still felt the tendrils of fright snaking around her heart. Then, she turned around to glare at Hades."What the hell is wrong with you, Hades? Why are you standing in the corridor instead of entering my apartment?"Hades chuckled coldly while giving Alanna's waist a hard pinch."You think I want to stay outside as well? How am I going to get into your apartment, huh? Am I supposed to break in?"Alanna froze momentarily. Only then did she remember that she didn't give Hades a copy of her apartment keys."Sorry, I forgot about the keys."Hades shot her a look before dragging her into her apartment. The moment the lights in the apartment were turned on, he trained his gaze on the cappuccino cup Alanna was holding. His
Alanna chuckled bitterly without saying another word. She sat behind her desk quietly and started preparing her files for the conference.Of course, Hades would never stop Melanie from pursuing her dreams. Not only would he not stop her, but he'd also give her his full-fledged support.Otherwise, he wouldn't have given Melanie Brilliance Jewels' endorsement gig when she had first returned to the country.To Hades, Alanna could never match up to Melanie.Perhaps it was like what Melanie had said to Alanna. Hades must have thought that Alanna didn't deserve to have her own dreams.Hades' expression was still dark as ever. Alanna's words left a bad taste in his mouth.The truth was, he never thought about Alanna's preferences in life. From the way he saw it, she should stay by his side, seeing as she was his woman and all.But Alanna made it sound like he had done something wrong.The room was eerily silent afterward. It didn't take Alanna much time to immerse herself in her studi
The conference lasted for three hours.The moment Alanna walked out of the interpretation booth, Travis walked over to join her immediately."I told you you could handle it, didn't I? Mr. Jyles sang praises about you the whole morning!"Alanna laughed in response. "Truthfully speaking, I was tense throughout the conference. I was so worried that something bad might happen.""You suspended your studies for far too long, Ally. Your talent has gone to waste because of that."Alanna looked down at her feet, and a low chuckle left her lips."It's true that I've suspended them for way too long. Thank goodness I'm resuming them now. It's never too late for me as long as I can start studying again."Then, they proceeded to walk toward the exit side by side.Once they reached the main exit, they bumped into the conference members who had just left the hall at the same time.Alanna moved to the side out of courtesy. Suddenly, she saw someone standing before her. Shocked, she raised her
Hades frowned immediately. "Are you sure?"Alanna's complexion was still a little pale. "Yes."If she wasn't certain the first two times she got stalked, then she was very sure that whatever happened today wasn't just her imagination playing tricks on her."When did you find out about this?""About two days ago."Hades narrowed his eyes slightly before tilting Alanna's chin with a finger. "Is the stalker someone who has bad blood with your mother?"Alanna hesitated for a moment."Probably," she replied.The truth was, she wasn't certain about who the potential perpetrator was. But she couldn't think of anyone else other than Tucker and Esther."Justin will follow you around from now on."Justin Charnas was the name of Hades' personal bodyguard who followed him around.Alanna pursed her lips, though she nodded soon enough.Hades pinched her cheek gently. "Don't think too much. Nothing will happen to you and your mother."Still, Alanna couldn't help but feel uneasy. In the e
Hades grabbed Alanna's wrist. "What's wrong?""My mom's life is in danger," she replied in a seemingly calm manner, but her tone kept quivering the whole time.Hades' expression darkened immediately."I'll drive you to the hospital."Alanna nodded with a grunt.Tara was still in the emergency room when Alanna and Hades reached the hospital. The primary doctor passed Alanna a critical illness notice right away.Her hand kept trembling when she signed the notice. Having noticed her plight, Hades took her hand and guided her through the signing process.Once the document was signed, Alanna sank down on a bench with red-rimmed eyes. Hades joined her on the bench. He gripped her hand tightly."Don't worry. Your mother will be fine."Alanna nodded, though her mind was still blank.Suddenly, Hades' phone started ringing. The familiar ringtone made Alanna freeze.Hades shot her a look before getting up and walking away to answer the call. A moment later, he returned to her side with