Hunter glanced up at Aleah, a bit of curiosity in his voice. “Wait… so they’re not really related by blood?”
“Nope,” Aleah replied, settling beside him on the bed as he flipped through Lea’s case files. “Lea said her mom’s ex-husband isn’t her real dad. Her mom married the guy after her actual dad bailed—like, a year after she was born.”Hunter nodded slowly, processing. “So, this guy… he raised her?”“Yeah. He’s the only dad she’s ever known,” Aleah said. “And he was great to her. Gave her everything she wanted, maybe even too much attention… you know?”Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Too much attention?”Aleah hesitated but pressed on. “They thought it was normal at first. He just seemed like a dad who really cared. But then, when she was eight, things… changed.”Hunter frowned. “What haAleah couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling gnawing at her. She had told Lea to stay safe, but something didn’t sit right. What if Lea didn’t listen? What if she went looking for him? Or worse—what if he came looking for Lea? Now that he was out of jail, anything felt possible, and Aleah couldn’t ignore the knot in her stomach.By the time she reached Lea’s place, Aleah overheard a couple of women chatting at a nearby sari-sari store. “You know,” one of them said, “last night there were loud banging noises coming from their house—middle of the night, too.” She shrugged. “But you know how it is. That house is always noisy. Roman’s usually drunk and fighting with her.”“Yeah,” the other one chimed in. “But it’s weird. The house has been quiet since last night. Not like Roman at all—he usually storms out to work after they fight, but nobody’s seen him.&rdquo
Aleah approached Lea’s mother in the hospital, noticing for the first time the bruises on her face and neck. Back at the house, amidst all the chaos, she hadn’t realized how battered the woman really was. She paused briefly to ask a nearby officer about the situation.“The man’s body was sent to the morgue,” the officer told her. “We’re waiting on the autopsy report to confirm the cause of death. We’ve also alerted multiple precincts to track down the suspect.”Aleah nodded, murmuring her thanks before making her way to Lea’s mother, who seemed lost in thought.“Have you found Lea?” the woman asked the moment she noticed Aleah.“Not yet,” Aleah admitted, her voice steady but soft. “We’re doing everything we can to find her. Please, don’t lose hope.”“Hope?” the woman scoffed bitterly. “That monster barely got punished for what he did.
Dennis burst into the precinct, eyes darting around until he spotted Aleah. She was standing by the corner, her arms folded tightly as if to keep herself together. Lea was sitting quietly on the bench nearby, her head bowed. The air was heavy with tension.“Hey,” Dennis said, his voice softer as he approached. “You alright? You had me worried there.”Aleah glanced up, managing a small smile. “I’m okay. Really. I wasn’t the one in danger.”Dennis followed her gaze to Lea. “How’d you get caught up in all this? You’ve got a habit of finding trouble.”Aleah let out a dry laugh. “Guess it’s my thing. But Dennis, it’s not about me right now. Can you handle her case? Do you think we can nail this guy for good?”He tilted his head, thinking for a moment. “I’ll need to dig into it, but yeah, I’m in. Actually…” He paused, a grin forming on his
Hunter stood confidently in front of the media, giving a short speech about the events that had changed his life. Just like the Alpha King had said, two years ago, he was attacked by a group of unknown rogue. “I know, it sounds ridiculous,” Hunter said with a slight smirk, his voice warm yet full of humor. “Who would’ve thought a couple of petty thugs could mess me up this bad? But they did. They caused the accident that robbed me of my memories.”He paused, his gaze sweeping the room, then softened as he continued. “For a long time, I lived as someone else. And for a while, I didn’t even know what I’d lost. But when my memories came back, I realized—there was no way I could stay away. I had to come back.”He turned slightly, his eyes locking onto Aleah, who wasn’t prepared for the sudden intensity of his gaze. Her breath hitched when he smiled—just for her.“Earlier,” he began, his to
Aleah narrowed her eyes at Hunter as they climbed out of the car. Her heart was still racing from everything that had happened earlier at headquarters, and now he was throwing her into another whirlwind. "Okay, spill it. What's going on this time?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and disbelief.Hunter chuckled and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "You'll see, just trust me," he whispered with a grin that made her stomach flutter. Before she could respond, her mom and Claire appeared, their smiles giving nothing away. Hunter squeezed her hand one last time and said, "I'll catch you soon," before disappearing into the church.As her mom and Claire guided her into the convent, Aleah's jaw dropped. Her eyes landed on the beautiful wedding gown waiting for her, along with a makeup artist prepping tools and brushes. "What is this?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with wonder. Her mom and Claire only smiled, urging her to get ready.Meanwhile,
Aleah felt a tender touch brush against her cheek, pulling her slowly out of sleep. She stirred softly, a shy smile lighting up her face as her sleepy eyes focused on the man beside her. It was comforting to see Hunter there, his hand gently stroking her face while she dozed off. They were still on the plane, flying to their honeymoon destination, and the whirlwind of the day had left her completely drained. The exhaustion must have gotten the better of her, but knowing Hunter was close made everything feel safe and right.But something felt...off. Her vision cleared, and her heart suddenly raced in fear—this wasn’t Hunter. The man gazing at her with a hesitant smile was someone else entirely. Panic surged through Aleah, and she jolted upright, her breath catching. Who was this stranger? How long had she been asleep? Where was Hunter? Uneasy questions flooded her mind.The stranger leaned closer, his voice calm but gentle. "Hey, don't be scared. Everything's ok
Hunter turned back to Aleah, cupping her face briefly in his hand. “Let’s get you back to your seat first,” he said softly, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.His touch, warm and steady, made her feel safe despite the chaos around them. Guiding her back to her seat, he buckled her seatbelt with care. “Just stay here for now,” he said, his voice low but comforting, before walking back toward the restrained man, his shoulders squared and resolute.When the plane landed, Aleah noticed the flashing lights of police vehicles waiting on the tarmac. To keep the passengers from panicking, Hunter personally escorted the man off the plane, his movements calm and assured. Shortly after, an officer boarded the plane to address the passengers.“We received a report of a potential hijacker on this flight,” the officer explained, his tone steady. “Thanks to the actions of this gentleman, the suspect was apprehended before he
Aleah woke with a start, her heart racing. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim light and felt the weight of Hunter's jacket draped over her like a soft shield. Her gaze shifted, and there he was—peacefully asleep beside her. A deep breath escaped her lips, the relief washing over her.“Hi!” a cheery voice piped up from the seat in front of her, yanking Aleah out of her trance. The woman leaned forward, kneeling on her seat as if she couldn’t contain herself. When she suddenly sat upright, Aleah flinched, caught off guard.“Oh! Sorry, did I scare you?” the woman asked, her face lighting up with amusement. Aleah forced a smile, but her attention involuntarily drifted back to Hunter. The woman’s gaze followed, and Aleah couldn’t miss the way her eyes lingered on him. Her stomach twisted.“I heard he’s an Alpha,” the woman said, her voice carrying an excited hush. “I looked him up—he&rsq
During a conference, Hunter announced that a warrant of arrest had already been issued against the senator, along with solid evidence to prove the senator's crimes. Hunter also revealed that they would not only file charges for rape with murder, but would also include kidnapping in the list of cases stacked against the senator. However, the senator vehemently denied the allegations against him.The senator claimed that the prosecutor was merely doing this for attention. He also accused Hunter of aiming to make a name for himself. Furthermore, the senator denied the accusation that he abducted the family of Hunter's older brother.“Why did you bring us here?” Aleah asked in confusion when the senator and his men took them to the wilderness.“Your husband is too stubborn. He doesn’t care even though we told him we have you; he still pursued the case against me,” the senator snapped angrily.“He’s not a weak soldier, Mr. Sen
"Miss Aleah, there’s a client outside,” the paralegal said as she peeked into Aleah’s office. “He’s asking to meet you here.”“Alright, let him in,” Aleah replied without glancing up. Because of this, she didn’t notice the armed men quietly standing behind the paralegal, guns pointed at her. Moments later, the "client" entered her office.“Mrs. Bryant. Finally, we meet. And they weren’t exaggerating—Hunter’s one lucky guy to have such a stunning wife.” Aleah looked up, her eyes widening in shock. She hadn’t expected to see the senator in her office, of all places. With Dennis out handling a case, she was completely on her own.“Don’t even think about doing anything stupid, Mrs. Bryant,” the senator warned as she started to move. “See these men? They’re armed. One wrong move, and today might just be your last.”“What do you want from
"Zen!" Aleah called out, practically running to Hunter as they arrived at the Bryant mansion. She threw her arms around him, holding on tight. "What’s going on? Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice full of worry. Hunter let out a sigh and began explaining the mess they were in—how Isaac, Aurora, and Francis had been kidnapped. He added that Bernard, his kids, and Clarisse managed to escape, with Clarisse leaving the island earlier. The kidnappers were demanding Hunter drop the case in exchange for their safety."You’re not seriously thinking about dropping the charges, right?" Aleah asked, her tone a mix of concern and disbelief."And what’s that supposed to mean?" Michelle chimed in, rolling her eyes. "You think it’s okay to just leave Francis, Aurora, and Isaac with those scumbags? Come on, Aleah, you of all people know what it's like to be in the hands of kidnappers!" Her words were sharp, cutting through the tense air."Guys, sto
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