However, Aiden's eyes seemed glazed over in a daze as if he hadn't noticed Ryder falling unconscious. He kept striking Ryder repeatedly.Eventually, Kate let out a terrified scream. "Aiden, the bomb only has five minutes left! Hurry, save me!"It was only then that Aiden snapped back to his senses and rushed over to disarm the bomb strapped to her. At that very moment, with the last of his strength, Ryder gripped the detonator as a twisted grin spread across his face."Let's go to hell together." At that critical moment, patrol officers burst in from outside and shot Ryder dead on the spot. Several others rushed in to help remove the bomb from Kate's body.Even after they took off the bomb, the timer continued counting down. As soon as Kate was freed, she bolted from the warehouse, terrified of being blown to pieces.Benson grabbed Aiden's arm."Aiden, the bomb's gonna go off in three minutes! Run!"Most of the team quickly evacuated, but Aiden just stood there, staring at t
A year later, Aiden was preparing for the Mate Bond Ceremony with Kate. To be more accurate, it was Kate who was excitedly throwing herself into all the planning.Aiden, on the other hand, buried himself completely in patrol team duties, working himself to the bone.Benson was deeply worried about his state and tried to convince him to rest.However, Aiden refused, lost in piles of paperwork taller than a man. In a way, he seemed more ghost-like than I was, holed up in his office every day, haunting the office.I still followed behind him for the past year, unseen by all.I watched him pretend to be fine during the day, only to collapse into sobs at night as he clutched my photo.Over and over, he whispered that he loved me, and then choked out tearful apologies.But my heart felt nothing, devoid of any feeling, even hate.All I wanted was to leave.I racked my brain, trying everything I could think of to free myself, but nothing worked. Some strange, invisible force kept me t
Upon hearing those words, Aiden stood up—the doubts in his heart suddenly vanished. Everything made sense now. He immediately turned around and went to find Kate.I let out a breath of relief. As long as Aiden uncovered the truth, I would finally be free, right?At that moment, Kate could be heard saying aloud, "I originally just wanted Ryder to blow Lina up to let off some steam. Who knew she was so useless?"Aiden never loved her anyway. He's loved me since we were kids. Even when I chose his brother, he still couldn't forget me. So in the end, Ryder came back to kidnap me instead."Aiden trembled with fury upon hearing this. Just then, Kate and her friends came out of the restroom. When Aiden saw her, he suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Darling, you looked beautiful in that last dress. Why don't we go with that one?"Kate blushed and smiled shyly."Whatever you say, babe. As long as you think I'm beautiful, that's all that matters."After finalizing the dress, Aiden tra
My mate, Aiden Campbell, was the bravest patrol chief of the Sundara Pack. Meanwhile, I was kidnapped by the rogue he once exiled. The rogue strapped a bomb loaded with a massive amount of wolfsbane onto me.He yanked my hair viciously and asked, "You're Aiden's mate, aren't you? Tell him to get over here right now!"I tried to establish a mind-link with him. I tried once, then again… And he blocked me 99 times in total.I was forced to call Aiden on the phone for help, but when he finally answered, he sounded extremely annoyed."How many times do I have to tell you not to call me when I'm on patrol? Are you done yet?"I quickly explained, "Aiden, I've been kidnapped. They want to get revenge on you. Please don't come—"Before I could finish, the rogue snatched the phone from me. On the other end, Aiden's voice roared loudly through the phone. "Lina Rutherford, have you lost your mind? I told you I'm on patrol, and you pull this stunt because you're jealous? Do you know Kate's
My body was like a disassembled doll—bones and flesh twisted and spread apart, broken and scattered all over. Meanwhile, my soul floated directly above the scene, watching what remained of my body.There was none of the fear or sorrow I had imagined. At this moment, only death could truly sever the pain I felt. I drifted aimlessly for an unknown length of time until I finally saw Aiden arrive after receiving the news of the explosion.He came with a patrol group, directing them to take photos, record evidence, and secure the scene.One of the patrol officers said, "We found the remnants of some explosives and traces of wolfsbane at the scene. It looks like someone made a bomb with wolfsbane, but we haven't been able to identify the victim."Aiden's brows furrowed as his eyes flicked toward my twisted corpse. My heart gave a faint, aching tug. I hoped so badly that he'd recognize me. If Aiden realized that the pile of mangled flesh was me, would he feel even a shred of guilt?I sta
My body felt like a disassembled doll—bones twisted and spread apart in a way that defied nature."A female Omega, approximately 23 years old. The attacker seemed to harbor deep hatred toward her. There were signs of brutal physical abuse before she was blown apart."Most importantly… the victim was two months pregnant."At his words, the atmosphere in the room turned heavy and solemn."Abuse… blown up… two lives lost…" Each word cut deep into the hearts of those in the room.I was stunned, staring in disbelief at my dissected abdomen. I… was pregnant?The baby was still so small. I hadn't even felt its presence yet, and it had already been forced to leave this world. Tears blurred my vision, streaming down like a broken dam.Aiden sighed after hearing the forensics report."That's truly tragic. Time is tight. Let's try to solve this case quickly. At least it'll bring some justice to the mother and child. I've wrapped up my other tasks, so I can focus on this one first."I loo
I froze, and tears began to stream uncontrollably down my face."Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry. I'll never feel the warmth of your embrace again," I muttered. Aiden hadn't slept for several nights, and at this moment, he was unbearably irritable."Lina is your daughter. She was throwing a tantrum and blocked all her family's links! What a willful woman! Why are you coming to me? You should go look for her yourself! I'm working right now."My father, too worried about my safety to care about Aiden's annoyed tone, pleaded, "Aren't you the patrol chief? I want to file a report—please, help me find Lina!"Aiden's expression grew colder and more agitated."Your daughter messaged me before she vanished. She severed our link and made up a ridiculous excuse to blackmail me into meeting her. She's just being dramatic and hiding somewhere because I didn't give her what she wanted."And if she ever shows up again, I'll agree to her demands and formally sever our Mate Bond. From then on, don't invo
Benson got Ryder's location from the prison liaison and immediately headed over with Aiden. The area was an urban slum. As they turned into a narrow, secluded alley, I suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably. It felt like my memories were being pried open by rusted blades.First, there was the searing pain of Ryder's iron chains digging into my wrists. The constant screams in the dungeon became my lullaby. When he sneered and yanked out three of my molars with pliers, I spat out blood and still managed to laugh."Where's Aiden?" He would ask me that same question after every electric shock. Eventually, he grew bored of the game and took me to an abandoned warehouse.When he strapped the bomb to my body, I counted 107 rusted steel beams on the ceiling—the reverse of Aiden's birthdate.Benson arrived at a dilapidated house. After confirming no one was home, he kicked the door open. I trembled as I drifted into the house. Ryder had already destroyed all evidence of the torture th
Upon hearing those words, Aiden stood up—the doubts in his heart suddenly vanished. Everything made sense now. He immediately turned around and went to find Kate.I let out a breath of relief. As long as Aiden uncovered the truth, I would finally be free, right?At that moment, Kate could be heard saying aloud, "I originally just wanted Ryder to blow Lina up to let off some steam. Who knew she was so useless?"Aiden never loved her anyway. He's loved me since we were kids. Even when I chose his brother, he still couldn't forget me. So in the end, Ryder came back to kidnap me instead."Aiden trembled with fury upon hearing this. Just then, Kate and her friends came out of the restroom. When Aiden saw her, he suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Darling, you looked beautiful in that last dress. Why don't we go with that one?"Kate blushed and smiled shyly."Whatever you say, babe. As long as you think I'm beautiful, that's all that matters."After finalizing the dress, Aiden tra
A year later, Aiden was preparing for the Mate Bond Ceremony with Kate. To be more accurate, it was Kate who was excitedly throwing herself into all the planning.Aiden, on the other hand, buried himself completely in patrol team duties, working himself to the bone.Benson was deeply worried about his state and tried to convince him to rest.However, Aiden refused, lost in piles of paperwork taller than a man. In a way, he seemed more ghost-like than I was, holed up in his office every day, haunting the office.I still followed behind him for the past year, unseen by all.I watched him pretend to be fine during the day, only to collapse into sobs at night as he clutched my photo.Over and over, he whispered that he loved me, and then choked out tearful apologies.But my heart felt nothing, devoid of any feeling, even hate.All I wanted was to leave.I racked my brain, trying everything I could think of to free myself, but nothing worked. Some strange, invisible force kept me t
However, Aiden's eyes seemed glazed over in a daze as if he hadn't noticed Ryder falling unconscious. He kept striking Ryder repeatedly.Eventually, Kate let out a terrified scream. "Aiden, the bomb only has five minutes left! Hurry, save me!"It was only then that Aiden snapped back to his senses and rushed over to disarm the bomb strapped to her. At that very moment, with the last of his strength, Ryder gripped the detonator as a twisted grin spread across his face."Let's go to hell together." At that critical moment, patrol officers burst in from outside and shot Ryder dead on the spot. Several others rushed in to help remove the bomb from Kate's body.Even after they took off the bomb, the timer continued counting down. As soon as Kate was freed, she bolted from the warehouse, terrified of being blown to pieces.Benson grabbed Aiden's arm."Aiden, the bomb's gonna go off in three minutes! Run!"Most of the team quickly evacuated, but Aiden just stood there, staring at t
Just then, Aiden's phone rang again. He answered in a daze, "Hello?"A piercing scream came from the other end, a woman's voice shrill with terror."Aiden, I'm so scared, help me! Someone kidnapped me! He says you have to come alone right now! He's tied a bomb to me. Please, come save me!"It was Kate's voice. Aiden froze, then abruptly turned and rushed out of the morgue."Get a team together! Ryder's shown up! We need to go and save the hostage!"But Kate, hearing his commands, screamed again in protest, "No! Don't do it, Aiden! You have to come alone. If you bring anyone else, he'll blow me up on the spot! Please, I'm scared!"Aiden had no choice but to get into the car by himself and head for the location Kate had given. The patrol team followed from a distance in case of any emergency.I sat silently in Aiden's car as he drove on. Perhaps he still hadn't processed everything that had happened and was just going through the motions. He seemed to be numb and merely acting out
Tears streamed down my face. At that moment, I truly regretted everything. I regretted ever meeting Aiden and everything that had happened. Most of all, I regretted the terrible fight I had with my father before I died.It was all because, after years of meeting Aiden, he still refused to come home with me to formally meet my parents. My father advised me not to keep compromising like this, but instead of listening, I lashed out at them and had a huge argument.They only ever wanted the best for me. I was a fool. Watching their hunched figures leaning on each other as they walked away, I felt nothing but searing hatred.My hatred for Aiden, Kate, and Ryder burned strong, but the one I hated the most was myself.Aiden closed the door and stood there, frowning for a moment. Then, he picked up his phone and called me. It was still unreachable and went straight to voicemail."Lina, can you stop this already? Your parents are old, and they're still worrying about you. Don't you have
Benson got Ryder's location from the prison liaison and immediately headed over with Aiden. The area was an urban slum. As they turned into a narrow, secluded alley, I suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably. It felt like my memories were being pried open by rusted blades.First, there was the searing pain of Ryder's iron chains digging into my wrists. The constant screams in the dungeon became my lullaby. When he sneered and yanked out three of my molars with pliers, I spat out blood and still managed to laugh."Where's Aiden?" He would ask me that same question after every electric shock. Eventually, he grew bored of the game and took me to an abandoned warehouse.When he strapped the bomb to my body, I counted 107 rusted steel beams on the ceiling—the reverse of Aiden's birthdate.Benson arrived at a dilapidated house. After confirming no one was home, he kicked the door open. I trembled as I drifted into the house. Ryder had already destroyed all evidence of the torture th
I froze, and tears began to stream uncontrollably down my face."Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry. I'll never feel the warmth of your embrace again," I muttered. Aiden hadn't slept for several nights, and at this moment, he was unbearably irritable."Lina is your daughter. She was throwing a tantrum and blocked all her family's links! What a willful woman! Why are you coming to me? You should go look for her yourself! I'm working right now."My father, too worried about my safety to care about Aiden's annoyed tone, pleaded, "Aren't you the patrol chief? I want to file a report—please, help me find Lina!"Aiden's expression grew colder and more agitated."Your daughter messaged me before she vanished. She severed our link and made up a ridiculous excuse to blackmail me into meeting her. She's just being dramatic and hiding somewhere because I didn't give her what she wanted."And if she ever shows up again, I'll agree to her demands and formally sever our Mate Bond. From then on, don't invo
My body felt like a disassembled doll—bones twisted and spread apart in a way that defied nature."A female Omega, approximately 23 years old. The attacker seemed to harbor deep hatred toward her. There were signs of brutal physical abuse before she was blown apart."Most importantly… the victim was two months pregnant."At his words, the atmosphere in the room turned heavy and solemn."Abuse… blown up… two lives lost…" Each word cut deep into the hearts of those in the room.I was stunned, staring in disbelief at my dissected abdomen. I… was pregnant?The baby was still so small. I hadn't even felt its presence yet, and it had already been forced to leave this world. Tears blurred my vision, streaming down like a broken dam.Aiden sighed after hearing the forensics report."That's truly tragic. Time is tight. Let's try to solve this case quickly. At least it'll bring some justice to the mother and child. I've wrapped up my other tasks, so I can focus on this one first."I loo
My body was like a disassembled doll—bones and flesh twisted and spread apart, broken and scattered all over. Meanwhile, my soul floated directly above the scene, watching what remained of my body.There was none of the fear or sorrow I had imagined. At this moment, only death could truly sever the pain I felt. I drifted aimlessly for an unknown length of time until I finally saw Aiden arrive after receiving the news of the explosion.He came with a patrol group, directing them to take photos, record evidence, and secure the scene.One of the patrol officers said, "We found the remnants of some explosives and traces of wolfsbane at the scene. It looks like someone made a bomb with wolfsbane, but we haven't been able to identify the victim."Aiden's brows furrowed as his eyes flicked toward my twisted corpse. My heart gave a faint, aching tug. I hoped so badly that he'd recognize me. If Aiden realized that the pile of mangled flesh was me, would he feel even a shred of guilt?I sta