The next day, Hunter and Aleah went to the hospital to visit Missy and her mother. The atmosphere was heavy with concern as they entered the building. They met with the doctor attending to the family, who greeted them with a reassuring yet serious demeanor. He informed them that Mario was now out of danger after the incident and only needed rest to recover fully. Missy and her mother were also showing signs of improvement. However, Missy's mother, Donna, remained in a fragile state. She often appeared lost in thought, and the nurses reported episodes of hysteria. The doctor suggested they consult a psychiatrist to address her mental health.
“We had to separate her from her daughter,” the doctor explained gravely. “She once attacked the child and tried to harm her. She kept saying she wanted to end their suffering as mother and daughter.” His voice softened as they approached Donna's room. She was sitting by the window, her gaze fixed on the world outside, her expression vacant.Aleah was utterly shocked when Donna's body suddenly fell in front of her. Blood splattered across the cement, with some droplets landing on her feet. She stood frozen, unable to move, paralyzed by the overwhelming shock. Her eyes remained fixed on Donna's lifeless body lying on the ground. For a few moments, Aleah stared blankly, her mind struggling to process the reality of what had just happened. As the realization sank in, she opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, someone suddenly pulled her away from the scene, turning her away from the body and wrapping her in an embrace. Her face pressed against a broad chest, and she felt strong arms encircle her protectively. “Don’t look,” a voice said softly. Hearing the familiar voice, Aleah tilted her head upward to see who was holding her. It was Dennis. This was the scene Hunter witnessed as he looked down from the rooftop to check on Donna. Seeing Aleah in Dennis’s arms, a surge of irritation coursed through
"Alpha?" Dennis muttered in confusion upon hearing what Claire said as they greeted the young man. It was the first time he’d heard such a term. Could 'Alpha' be a rank in the armed forces? He observed Hunter’s men and thought they seemed unusually skilled, far more than just regular soldiers."It looks like her husband is already awake and searching for both the girl and his wife," Claire remarked."Missy? She isn't safe with him," Aleah suddenly exclaimed. "We need to act—he can't see Missy," she added urgently, her voice trembling as she grabbed Hunter's arm. Dennis noticed the young woman’s reaction."You’re shaking and yet, you’re still worrying about someone else," the young man said to her."I’m not trembling," Aleah protested."Yeah, sure," Dennis replied skeptically, ruffling Aleah’s hair teasingly, though she quickly brushed his hand away in annoyance. Dennis felt irritated by the scene unfolding befo
"I hope you don’t mind, but I don't think it’s a good idea for you to visit Grandpa’s house dressed like that," Hunter remarked as they arrived at his home on the campgrounds. Instead of taking Aleah to the Guevarra family's house as originally planned, he decided to bring her to his place instead."I don’t feel like going there either," Aleah replied softly, turning her gaze out the window. She could already imagine Aunt Melissa's scolding remarks, and frankly, she wasn’t in the mood to face that.While staring out the window, Aleah noticed something unusual—a woman was standing outside their gate accompanied by a soldier."Are you expecting someone?" she asked, glancing curiously at Hunter."No," Hunter replied, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean?""Someone is waiting by the gate," Aleah clarified, nodding toward the figure outside.Hunter followed her gaze and immediately looked toward the gate. His expression
"Aren’t you happy that we still have family? I’m happy staying with Ate Aleah and Kuya Hunter, but it’s different when we’re with our own family, isn’t it?" Dahlia said softly, her words striking a chord in the room. Aleah bit her lip, struggling to contain her emotions after hearing Dahlia's heartfelt words."You have to decide, Ramil. Your siblings will follow whatever you choose," Hunter said calmly. "Whatever decision you make, we’ll support you. But make a decision that you’ll have fewer regrets about.""If we go with you," Ramil began, his voice steady but firm, "can you promise me that my siblings won’t cry or be sad anymore? After everything they’ve been through, I won’t allow anyone to hurt them again.""Why else would I go through all this effort to find you?" Marisol responded, her voice filled with sincerity. "Of course, you’re my family. I will do everything I can to make sure you’re
When they arrived at her grandfather's mansion, the first thing they noticed was the presence of police officers in the grand living room. Daniella, Melissa, Albert, and even her grandfather were there, and his expression was unmistakably filled with anger. It was the first time police officers had ever set foot inside the mansion, making his fury palpable.As Aleah and Hunter stepped into the lavish room, Aleah immediately sensed the intense gazes of everyone in attendance turning toward her. Instinctively, her hand sought the sleeve of Hunter's jacket, gripping it tightly as if seeking comfort or stability in that moment of unease.“Captain, Sir,” said one of the two officers, standing straight and saluting Hunter. Hunter immediately recognized them—they were the same officers from the precinct on the day of the incident. They were also the ones Dennis had entrusted with the knife used in the crime. Hunter returned their salute, his expression calm but
"Alpha Hunter!" Claire exclaimed in surprise as Hunter entered Missy's private room. Rafael was present at the time, having taken over for Trisha. Claire was there to check the child's vitals and ensure she had fallen asleep. The child had been crying endlessly because of what happened to her mother, and no one could comfort her."How is she?" Hunter asked, his gaze shifting to the sleeping child."She's finally asleep now. It's good that she could rest, but she still refuses to speak. As for Mario, he's close to being discharged. He's regained his strength after the operation," Claire replied."I’ve already asked Trisha and Joyril to investigate the two policemen you mentioned. I’ve also ordered an investigation into the missing evidence," Hunter said firmly."If this child won't speak and the knife remains missing, Aleah will surely be in danger," Rafael said, his voice full of concern. "By the way, how is she?" he asked."She’s not doing
I'm glad to hear that man has finally been caught," Dennis said as he visited the hospital where Missy was staying. In just a few more days, the child would be discharged. She seemed happy, especially with the attention and care they were giving her. Dahlia had been visiting as well, and it seemed she was slowly recovering, even though they all knew she was still grieving the loss of her mother."I'm sorry I couldn’t do much for you," Dennis admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "Even though people call me a genius and my father is a judge, I wasn’t able to do anything to help you.""Don't think like that," Aleah said with a reassuring smile. That smile—so warm and radiant—made Dennis pause. Why couldn’t he take his eyes off her face?"Ah, by the way, have I mentioned that Dahlia’s aunt is planning to adopt Missy? They’re already working on the paperwork so she can bring Missy into their family. Isn't that wonderful—"
"Aleah," Claire gasped, her voice a mix of surprise and concern as she caught sight of Aleah in the emergency room. She had been engrossed in her rounds, her focus fully on her patients, when the sight of Aleah stopped her in her tracks. Without hesitation, she hurried toward her cousin, her mind racing with worry."Aleah!" Claire called out, her tone edged with panic. "Why are you here? Did you get into trouble again? Are you okay? Should I call Alpha Hunter?" Her words tumbled out in quick succession as she reached into the pocket of her crisp white coat to retrieve her phone. Her fingers fumbled for a moment, a reflection of the concern etched on her face.Before Claire could make the call, Aleah gently took her hand, stopping her. Her expression was calm but reassuring, a stark contrast to Claire's evident alarm. "It's okay. I'm fine," Aleah said softly. Her voice carried a steadiness that immediately caught Claire's attention. "I was just helping a pregnant woman I sa
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