~ SELENA“It’s him; he’s the one,” I had a voice call out from my head as I felt dizzy all of a sudden.One moment, I felt on top of the world and now I was almost on my knees. Thanks to Droost and Lionel, who noticed and held me before any wandering eyes could come in my direction.I had seen a man, and his entourage had lots of paparazzi following him.He seemed to command a lot of respect as the crowd followed behind him. But I wasn’t someone who was concerned about another person’s clout or how others saw them. I was a bird in my own nest, a monk in my monastery.“Who is he?” I thought to myself before the voice in my head rang out once again, this time louder.“It is him, Hunter,”Alpha Hunter, the man who I had loved deeply but who had turned my life into pieces.I felt a wave and a sudden burst in my head. It felt like a circuit in my brain had been reconnected and the torrent was too much for me to bear in one piece.My whole body had been jolted into a wild shock and it thre
~SELENAIt's been over three hours since I came across Hunter and regained a chunk of my memories. Still, I couldn't shake off the pang from it.It was as if the sight of him reopened wounds in my heart that I had once been familiar with. The wounds I thought I had buried with the memories after that accident.Yes, I remembered everything: his betrayal, marking another woman, and making me live in a cloud of lies disguised as love.Right now, I wished I had never seen him. I wished I had never attended the gala altogether because the sting in my chest was too painful to ignore. My eyes had turned teary, and I was fighting back the tears, yet the pain spread like wildfire, consuming every shred of joy I had found over the past nine years.I had thought the father of my kids was someone endearing. I had thought my past was better than my present—that’s before Killian succumbed to our bond.“Are you okay, Luna?" Jared asked, glancing at the rearview mirror. He probably noticed the tears
~HUNTERA muscle in my jaw twitched as I came across a snippet from the Alpha's gala event, held last night. That bastard finally had something to prove about his worthless pack.I'm not surprised he got the award, though. He's been building a lot of shitty enterprises over the last few years, and they somehow blew up in a short span. For some time now, that hospital of his has been the talk of the country. It's been pulling in investors like moths to a flame.I couldn't help but click my tongue in annoyance as I watched his Beta come up on stage to accept the award. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't jealous. Hell, I'm better than him in every aspect he could think of. My pack is still topping the charts, even after his lame attempt years back to bring me down and take my place. It still amuses me that he hasn't struck back all these years. He probably learned his lesson; he was no match for me.The corner of my lips curled at the thought. “You will always be a weakling, Killian," I huffed
~SELENASuddenly, my mind went into total disarray, making me lose the ability to form a word. Killian's voice abruptly became distant the moment I spotted Hunter's name on the file before me."Laura?" Killian's voice managed to pull me out of my shock.Taking a measured breath, I finally replied, "I’ll call you back, babe.""Are you okay? Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly."I'm fine, Killian. I just remembered I have a pending surgery," I answered and bit my lower lip, feeling bad for lying to him."Okay, I’ll call you later. But if you're tired, just go home and get some rest. Let the other doctors take over," the worry in his voice was unmistakable, and my heart fluttered from it.I could picture him watching me closely if he were here, insisting on taking me home even if I said I was fine. He never took my well-being lightly; I knew that from the start."Okay, I will," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips.As I ended the call, the shock still lingered. I picked up the fi
~HUNTERThe sound of the engine died down as I slowly wheeled my car to a halt in front of the mansion.At my arrival, the guard stationed at the door hurried over. I handed him my keys as I stepped out and headed for the front door.“Daddy!” Olivia’s squeal filled the living room as soon as I stepped inside, bringing a smile to my tired face.She rushed over, and I scooped her up by the waist, spinning her around as she giggled loudly.When I set her back down, her chubby cheeks were already flushed. “I missed you, Daddy,” she said with a grin.Oh goddess.She looked so cute—too cute not to kiss those rosy cheeks. So I did.She scrunched her nose in response, making me chuckle as I scooped her back up into my arms and started up the stairs.“Where’s your mom, by the way?” I asked, the thought crossing my mind.Not that I really cared, but I didn’t want Olivia to think I didn’t care about Nadia. Kids can be very perceptive.“I dunno,” she replied with a shrug as we entered my room. I
~SELENAI had an engaging time on the podium, holding the audience's attention as I discussed common health issues that children face daily, sharing reports and patient cases from my years of service in the health sector.I also provided tips on preventing these ailments and urged immediate medical help if they occur, advising against self-treatment or self-prescribed drugs for their children.It was more than just exciting because I wasn't doing all the talking. The session was interactive, with parents asking questions, kids participating, and even some parents who are also medical personnel contributing tips.Overall, the session was so engaging that I forgot my initial worry about Hunter showing up, as I kept glancing at the front door when I first took the stage.I accepted the school's invitation, hoping Hunter wouldn't attend since some men often aren't interested in gatherings like this. And I didn't want to dampen Megan's excitement to see me speak at her school.When she fou
~HUNTERSitting in the back seat of my car, I couldn’t shake the tension building inside me. My eyes kept darting to my wristwatch, and I found myself urging the driver to speed up whenever we hit a slow patch.I was supposed to be at Megan's school three hours ago, hoping to convince Mrs. Salvador to accept my appointment. But here I was, still stuck on the road. It wasn’t the driver’s fault, though. Something urgent came up at the office, eating away most of my time.This might be my only chance to meet with her, and it felt like it was slipping away with every minute we spent caught in traffic. My restlessness grew, and all I could do was hope we’d reach the school before the event ended.Finally, a sigh of relief escaped my lips as the car pulled into the school's compound. I jumped out the moment it stopped in the parking lot and hurried toward the building, wondering why so many students were milling around if the event was still going on.Has the event already ended? I wondered
~KILLIANThe sharp scent of tobacco filled the air, swirling around in ghostly wisps through the dim light. The den was alive with low murmurs, the soft shuffle of cards, and the occasional clink of glasses as drinks were raised and emptied. A cool jazz tune played softly in the background, the saxophone’s smooth notes slicing through the smoky air. Laughter bubbled up here and there, but it was the kind that didn’t reach the eyes—too forced, too cautious, much like the way the stout bald man across from me was laughing at my proposal.“I don't think I said anything funny, Marco," I said calmly."Of course you didn't. It's just that what you're asking of me is almost impossible,” he replied, taking a slow drag from his pipe as the half-naked girls on his lap caressed his plump body.“Almost impossible?” I scoffed. "Come on, Marco. I know you can do it. I didn't come all the way from America, wait a week for you to get back from vacation, just to hear this.” I locked eyes with him, no