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It was the birthday of the wife of an Astral Guardian official, who lived in the compound. Everyone was invited to a small celebration, held outdoors near the cooking school in the compound. The gathering was attended by the wives of the officers and members of Hunter's Astral Guardians. Kimberly also came along to avoid being bored at home, since it was her day off from the hospital.The officer's wives quickly warmed up to Kimberly, especially impressed by her cooking skills. She even brought Russian cuisine to the celebration, which earned her extra praise from the ladies. They didn't recognize the dishes she brought, but the fancy sound of them left the women enchanted. Kimberly also won them over with her conversation skills, showing confidence despite having lived abroad for quite a while."I hope you can teach that girl how to cook," said the major's wife, glancing toward Aleah, who sat at a table sulking and nibbling on her food. Aleah overheard the comment"Let’s get out of here," Hunter said to Mikha, extending his hand. The little girl, still wrapped in the blanket, stood up and approached him. Despite the pain in his back from the falling ceiling earlier, Hunter crouched down and let Mikha climb onto his back."Hang on tight," he told her as she clung to him. He adjusted his grip on Aleah, who was still unconscious, and carried her outside. By the time they got out, firefighters had arrived and were working to control the flames."Mikha!" the officer and his wife called out as they ran over. The woman quickly took Mikha from Hunter’s back, hugging her tightly as the child cried. They pulled off the blanket wrapped around her, checking for injuries. Luckily, she didn’t have a scratch—just tears and fear after everything she had been through."Hunter, what about Aleah?" Rafael asked as he approached, his concern obvious. Several Astral Guardians joined them, Kimberly included. Hunter gently laid
"Ican't let you in," Kimberly said firmly as she stepped out of Hunter's hospital room, blocking Aleah's way."Doctor, I think you're crossing the line," Aleah shot back, her hands balling into fists."Clearly, you don't get it. And no, I'm not crossing any lines. Between the two of us, I'm the one who has the real connection to Hunter. I know him better than you. You're just his wife on paper. But me? I'm his soulmate. The real deal. I won't let someone like you mess things up for him. You've done enough damage," Kimberly replied, her tone sharp. Aleah bit her lip and clenched her fists harder, feeling Kimberly's words hit a nerve. Her mind was too clouded with worry for Hunter to fully process what was being said. But one thing was painfully clear—Kimberly had a point. Trouble seemed to follow Hunter because of her, and it stung to hear it out loud."You don’t have to come here. I can take care of him," Kimberly added with conviction. "While I&rsqu
As Aleah wandered aimlessly along the street, she had no idea where she was going. Lost in thought, she didn’t realize her feet had carried her back to a place from her past—their old flower shop. When she saw it, she froze. The shop she and her mom once called their own was no longer there; in its place stood a sleek coffee shop. She stood outside the door, staring, memories flooding back. Her chest tightened as she thought, If I hadn’t met Hunter, if I hadn’t married him...would Mom and I still be here, running this place together?“Aleah?” A familiar voice broke through her thoughts, startling her. She turned and saw Director Kim, her mom’s boyfriend, walking toward her with a curious look.“What are you doing here?” he asked gently. His eyes shifted to the coffee shop. “Did you miss your old flower shop? It looks like the new owner turned it into a café,” he added with a soft smile, trying to read
As Hunter lay asleep on the hospital bed, vivid and chaotic images filled his mind like a dream he couldn’t quite piece together. There was a young boy, bruised and scared, sitting in a corner. Then more kids—some fighting brutally, others working with computer tech and strange formulas. The scenes overwhelmed him, leaving him feeling heavy, hot, and drenched in sweat. He struggled for breath, feeling trapped.“Zen.” A familiar voice broke through the chaos, along with a smile he recognized. Just like that, the haunting images faded away, and reality pulled him back. He jolted awake, sitting upright in the hospital bed. His eyes scanned the room—bandages on his body and sweat clinging to his skin. It took him a moment to piece together where he was.“What the hell was that about?” he muttered under his breath.The door creaked open, and Rafael walked in with some of their crew in tow.“Hey, you're up! We brought foo
Aleah woke up in a room she didn’t recognize. Sitting up, she took in her surroundings with a puzzled look. The last thing she remembered was going home with Director Kim—and seeing her mom there. She felt a wave of shame and frustration sweep over her as memories resurfaced. With a deep breath, she got out of bed and made her way out of the room.On her way down the stairs, she caught sight of her mom and Director Kim through the glass wall. They were in the garden, grilling food and laughing. Aleah froze mid-step, her gaze locked on her mom. She’d never seen her look this happy before—not even back when they lived in her grandfather’s mansion. That smile? It was rare, and it made Aleah hesitate for a moment.Clearing her throat, Aleah stepped outside. “Morning,” she said casually as she approached them. The pair stopped chatting and looked up, her mom’s face lighting up.“Lei, you’re awake! Hungry? We&rsquo
Aleah let out a sigh before walking into the hospital. She stopped in front of Hunter's door, hesitating for a moment before finally pushing it open. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and froze when she saw Hunter staring straight at the door.“Took you long enough,” Hunter said with a slight smirk.“Sorry, I was with Mom and Director Kim,” Aleah replied, walking closer. “You don’t look so great. Are you okay?” she asked as her eyes scanned him. She couldn’t miss the dark circles under his eyes and the exhausted look on his face. He was supposed to be resting, but he looked worse than before. Sure, he had a back injury, but could that really be why he looked this bad?“I’m fine,” Hunter said sharply, narrowing his eyes at her. “But what about you? Your eyes are all puffy. Were you crying?”Aleah blinked, caught off guard. Was it that obvious?“Uh, no. I overslept, that
"What’s going on here?" Kimberly blurted out as she stepped into Hunter’s room, her eyes landing on him and Aleah, who was busy tidying up. Hunter was already on his feet, dressed, and looking surprisingly well."You were sick last night! Why are you up already? You need rest," Kimberly said, rushing over to him and placing her hand on his forehead. Aleah glanced at Kimberly briefly, then quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere.Bold of her, Aleah thought, a hint of amusement in her mind. She didn’t even hesitate to step in and fuss over him while I’m here. Treating him like he’s fragile."I’m fine," Hunter said, flashing a small smile. "My fever’s gone, and I slept great last night." His gaze shifted to Kimberly, who met his eyes. Aleah felt her heart skip as Kimberly looked her way, catching her off guard. Memories of last night flashed through Aleah’s mind—falling asleep in each other's arms—and her cheeks turn
"Glad you’re here together," Rafael said as they walked into the house. Rafael, Charles, and Trisha were at home, catching up after dinner with Damian and Sebastian. They had all headed back to their place in the compound, and everyone seemed happy to see them together."Finally out and about, Alpha Hunter! Good for you," Trisha said with a grin."Totally agree. Another day there and I’d have gone stir-crazy," Hunter said, shaking his head. "Where’s everyone else?" he asked."Joyril and Carlos are finishing stuff up at the base," Trisha replied. "Michael, Jeremy, and Joyril are at the hospital. They’re playing bodyguards for Dr. Stuart right now," she added."Great, good to know," Hunter said. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. When he answered, Michael's voice came through the line, telling him Kimberly was missing. She’d been taken by strangers, and despite following them, they’d lost track of her.&ldqu
Hunter spoke to Francis, urging him to make time for his child and explaining why his child had been acting out. At first, Francis was reluctant to listen, arguing that it wasn’t Hunter’s place to interfere in their family issues, especially since Hunter wasn’t a "true Bryant." But Hunter didn’t let that stop him from making Francis understand his shortcomings as a father.Francis eventually promised to make time for his child. He said he would bring Isaac along on their next outing with Aurora, Bernard, Clarisse, and Bernard’s children for a chance to bond. However, this being the family's first vacation together, Francis struggled from the very first day due to the emotional distance between him and his son. Fortunately, Aurora stepped in to mediate, and Bernard and Clarisse also helped bridge the gap. Perhaps due to their experience with Aleah and her family, they found it easier to adapt to the situation.Francis felt unsure of what to say
“Why aren’t you and Dad more alike? He’s so harsh with me,” Isaac muttered, frustration clear in his voice. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder—did his dad even love him? All he wanted was to be the kind of son his father could proudly acknowledge, someone he could hold up like his other children.Hunter leaned against the bars with a small smile. “Trust me, your dad’s a lot kinder than I am. People don’t call me the Demon Alpha for nothing, you know?” He smirked. “I mean, let’s face it—I’m the family rebel. I went off on my own path, completely ignoring what they wanted for me. Your dad, though? He’s the golden child. He’s spent his whole life trying to protect our family’s reputation and live up to being the eldest. You’ve got to cut him some slack, kid.”Isaac stayed quiet, though the faint growl from his stomach betrayed him. Aleah, standing nearby, look
"Feeling any better?" Claire asked as she walked over to Aleah, who was lying on the hospital bed. Hunter had rushed her to the hospital when she passed out, but he'd stepped out for a bit to take a call from the Alpha King. He said he'd be back soon, though.When Claire walked into the room, she noticed Aleah was awake, staring quietly out of the window."A little dizzy, but I think I can handle it," Aleah replied, smiling faintly. "Where’s Zen?" she asked."He just stepped out. Rafael came to get him—something about the Alpha King wanting to talk to him," Claire explained, her eyes scanning Aleah’s face. Aleah caught the look and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?""I don’t know whether you’re totally clueless about what’s happening to you or if you’ve got this daredevil streak—but seriously, with that angelic face? Who’d guess?" Claire teased, smirking."What are you talking about?" Aleah asked, frowning
They really thought everything would be fine after the CEO got arrested and the data mine shut down. But nope—they were way off. The guy wasn’t done messing with Natasha. He found out all the video data sources were destroyed, and because of that, his company shut down and he lost his job. He blamed Natasha for all of it. He even showed up at the hospital, telling her that if she didn’t do what he wanted, he’d post the video from his cellphone online—and make sure her family saw it.“And you’re seriously just gonna believe him like that?” Aleah said to Natasha during her hospital visit. She walked into Natasha’s room just as the guy was heading out. He didn’t say a word to her, just stormed off. But Aleah heard every single thing he said—every nasty, threatening word.“Can you just leave me alone? I don’t need your lecture,” Natasha muttered, refusing to look at her sister. Aleah clenched h
Moments later, the screen lit up with a pop-up—it was the location of the data mine."Alpha Hunter," Joyril said, his voice steady through the earpiece connecting them to Hunter. "We found it.""Good," Hunter replied with a smirk. Without hesitation, he snapped the chains binding his hands. They were no match for his strength, which far exceeded that of an average Alpha. Even the specially designed chains meant to restrain his kind couldn’t hold him any longer."Why, Alpha Hunter? Lost your mind already, talking to yourself like that? If you want, I can hand you the first copy of your wife's video," the man taunted, his smile oozing arrogance as he stepped closer. "She’s young, beautiful... Heck, I might even start liking her myself," he added with a smirk that made Hunter's blood boil."Save your breath," Hunter said coldly, his piercing glare stopping the man in his tracks. "She’d never look twice at scum like you." His words cut deep, m
As Hunter dug deeper into the case, he uncovered that the website was owned by a company spreading explicit videos. Natasha wasn’t the only victim—there were countless others. Although they managed to shut down some sites, new ones kept appearing every day.Aleah and Hunter tried to shield Natasha from what had happened, but the truth got out. Daniella, furious after piecing everything together, stormed into their home with Melissa and Alfredo. They dragged Natasha and her baby back to the mansion against her will.Aleah wasn’t spared from the fallout. Her father gave her an earful, berating her for hiding the truth—especially the fact that Natasha had given birth to a child with no known father. No matter how hard they tried, Natasha wouldn’t reveal who the father was.“You want this family to accept you?” Daniella spat at Aleah. “Then stay out of our business. We’ll take care of Natasha and her baby ourselves,&rd
Aleah had been dropping by the hospital every day to see her sister, Natasha. And every single time, it bugged her how Natasha didn’t even bother visiting her baby in the nursery. One day, when Aleah came to check on her, she noticed a man walking out of Natasha’s room. As she got closer, Natasha’s face said it all—she was scared out of her mind. “What’s going on? Who was that guy?” Aleah asked, but Natasha just shut down, refusing to say a word. The thing was, Aleah kept seeing the same guy hanging around the hospital. Something wasn’t right. One day, she overheard Natasha arguing with him in her room. She didn’t plan on listening in, but her sister sounded so shaken she couldn’t help it. “You need to give me that video!” Natasha pleaded, her voice trembling. The guy chuckled. “Why would I? That video’s making me a ton of money,” he said, completely unbothered. Aleah’s gut twisted. What was this guy talking about? She couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Then sh
Aleah and Natasha got to the hospital, and right away, Claire came up to them. Her eyes went wide as she stared. “Aleah? Natasha?” she gasped. Seeing Natasha’s round belly made her freeze for a moment. Nobody was expecting this—least of all Claire.“What’s going on?” Claire asked, still staring at Natasha, who avoided her gaze.Aleah didn’t miss a beat. “Her water broke. She needs attention,” she said firmly.Claire blinked, catching up with the situation. “Oh, right! Hold on.” She waved down a nurse and gestured for Natasha to follow them to the delivery room.When Natasha was out of sight, Claire rounded on Aleah. “What happened?” she demanded.“I saw her outside the mall. There was a hostage situation,” Aleah said, keeping her voice steady.“No, I mean… she’s pregnant!” Claire exclaimed. “How come no one knew?”Ale
For a week, Aleah stayed in Italy to accompany her mother in taking care of her grandfather, Antonio. Fortunately, he had passed the critical stage. According to the doctors, he just needed rest and would soon recover. In the meantime, Guiller temporarily took over his responsibilities. Since Aleah had to return to her country for work, her mother stayed behind in Italy to look after her grandfather, along with her husband.Currently, Aleah has been accepted into Dennis's law firm while waiting for her bar exam results. Dennis mentioned that it would be beneficial for her to be there, as he could assist her and she could gain valuable experience. She could decide later whether to continue working there or leave. Aleah didn’t turn down the opportunity, and Hunter agreed as well. However, he warned her not to trust Dennis too much, as the latter still had feelings for her. Aleah assured Hunter that he had nothing to worry about.On her way home in a taxi, Aleah noticed