Hunter arrived at Darylle Kim's house, standing outside the gate, his heart racing as he repeatedly rang the doorbell. No one answered until finally, Darylle emerged and opened the gate.
“Come in, Aleah’s upstairs resting,” Darylle said, motioning for Hunter to follow him. Hunter nodded, staying quiet but determined, his footsteps purposeful as he followed Darylle into the house.Elara was in Aleah's room, sitting at the edge of her daughter's bed. Aleah hadn’t left her room since they arrived—she had been staring blankly at her laptop earlier, and now, she simply gazed at the walls.“Lei, are you sure you're alright? Why don’t we go downstairs for a bit?” Elara asked softly, concern evident in her voice.“I’m fine, Mom. I just need some time alone,” Aleah replied, her voice barely above a whisper.Elara sighed, brushing her daughter’s hair gently. “Alright, but if you get hungry,That night, Hunter couldn't sleep. He wasn't used to not seeing Aleah in their room. Another reason for his sleeplessness was that every time he closed his eyes, memories would flood his mind—memories he couldn’t trace back to their origin. These thoughts were compounded by the necklace he had seen with Kimberly earlier. He felt a strange familiarity with the necklace and the image within it. The unclear images invading his thoughts seemed somehow connected to the necklace he had spotted.Unable to sleep, Hunter decided to sit at his desk and research the necklace. However, he found nothing. He also tried to research Kimberly, the young woman. He had accepted the mission assigned by the President without knowing all the details surrounding it. Yet, despite his efforts, he uncovered nothing that could shed light on his questions.Hunter's phone buzzed unexpectedly, snapping him out of his thoughts. He grabbed it, staring at the unknown number flashing on the scr
You’re here. Need something?" Sebastian asked as his son walked into the mansion. The young man had stepped into his study while Sebastian was engrossed in a book. He couldn’t help but notice the envelope in his son’s hand. "What’s up? Something I can help you with?""Actually, yeah. If it’s okay, I just wanted to ask you something," the young man replied."Go ahead, sit down," Sebastian said, closing his book and setting it aside. "Alright, what’s on your mind?""I got this earlier this morning," the young man said, placing the envelope on the desk in front of him.Sebastian picked it up, opened it, and looked at the contents. His eyes widened, clearly surprised. He looked back at his son."What’s this? Where did you get it?" he asked."Somebody sent it to me. I’ve got no idea who. I just... I need to know why I’m in this picture with those kids. I want to find out if there’s more to where I c
Aleah's heart skipped a beat when she spotted Hunter outside the gate. She had been up all night in the garden, trying to uncover more about Kimberly Stuart, but all she found were achievements and accolades—not the answers she was looking for. She was tired, but seeing Hunter brought a mix of surprise and warmth she couldn’t quite explain.She stood up quickly and walked to the gate, opening it for him. "Zen? You're here so early. Come in," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Are you okay? You look—" Her words faltered as Hunter suddenly pulled her into his arms."Wait, Zen," Aleah whispered, her cheeks turning red. She glanced nervously at their surroundings."Just for five minutes," Hunter murmured against her ear, holding her close. "Let's just stay like this."Aleah hesitated, feeling the weight of his words. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?" she asked gently, her hands resting lightly on his back.Hunter closed his e
On his way home, Hunter got a strange call. The person on the other end asked if he’d received the envelope and if he remembered anything about his past. When Hunter tried to figure out who was calling, the voice just told him to ask Dr. Stuart for answers. Then the call cut off.Not long after, his phone buzzed again—this time, it was Kimberly. She asked to meet up at a restaurant. When Hunter asked if she was alright, she didn’t give a clear answer. Still, her tone made him think she was okay. Curious about the first call and wanting to figure out how Kimberly fit into all this, he agreed to meet her.When Hunter got to the restaurant, he spotted her right away, sitting in the farthest corner. He walked up to her and asked, “How are you feeling? Are you sure you’re okay being out?”“I’m fine. Honestly, I’ve been through worse,” Kimberly said with a small shrug, but her words made Hunter frown.“S
Aleah headed to her house in the Compound after Rafael called her up. He told her that Hunter's wallet, phone, and gun had somehow shown up at their place. They were waiting for Hunter to come by, but as the evening dragged on, he still hadn’t shown up. Nobody had a clue how to reach him, and Kimberly wasn’t around either.“Do you have any idea where he might’ve gone?” Aleah asked Rafael once he arrived. The whole squad from Hunter's task force was there, too. Even Claire had come over to check on Kimberly, but the girl wasn’t home.“No clue,” Carlos chimed in. “But yesterday morning, Hunter got a package. Then he told me he had to go somewhere, but didn’t say where.”“You saw him yesterday?” Rafael asked.“Yeah, he dropped by Director Kim's place to see me. But we didn’t talk for long—he said he’d be back here later,” Aleah replied. She furrowed her brows
After a long flight, Hunter and Kimberly finally touched down in Scotland. They ended up in a remote area, far from civilization. As Hunter looked around, something about the place felt oddly familiar—especially the crumbling remains of a house in front of him. Without saying anything, Kimberly headed straight into the house, and Hunter followed after her.Inside, the place looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. Dust and cobwebs clung to everything.“What is this place?” Hunter asked, glancing at Kimberly.“This? It's the Iron Maiden facility,” she replied, turning to face him. “This is where you were... I don’t know, created? Or woke up? Whatever you want to call it.”“What are you talking about?” Hunter asked, his confusion growing.“Here. Drink this,” Kimberly said, holding out a tablet instead of answering his question directly. Hunter frowned, staring at the pill, then a
"Zen!" Aleah called out, her face lighting up as she spotted him outside. She’d been standing on the terrace, taking in the night sky sprinkled with stars and a bright full moon. There he was, standing in the garden, looking right at her. She didn’t know when he’d returned, but seeing him made her heart race with excitement. Without thinking twice, she dashed downstairs to greet him.As soon as she reached the garden, she ran straight into his arms and hugged him tightly."Zen, what happened to you? Where’ve you been all this time?" she asked, her voice a mix of relief and curiosity. But Zen didn’t say a word; he just stared at her in silence."Why aren’t you talking? Did something happen to you?" Aleah continued, growing more anxious. Instead of answering, Zen gently pushed her away, leaving her confused."Let’s end this," he said flatly."Wait, what?" Aleah asked, completely caught off guard."This whole act,
"Alpha Hunter!" Rafael and the rest of the task force called out in unison as Hunter stepped out of the highest-ranking General's office. It had been nearly a month, and they couldn’t believe he was finally here. They’d searched everywhere for him—even Guiller’s team came up empty-handed."Dude, what happened to you? You were gone for a week! Do you know how worried everyone was? Your family, Aleah especially," Rafael said, walking up to him."I don’t owe you an explanation for anything I do," Hunter replied coldly, catching everyone off guard."What? Are you serious right now?" Rafael asked, baffled. "Did something happen to you while you were away? Why are you acting like this?""Drop it. I’m not explaining myself to you. And for the record, I don’t need you meddling in my life. Have you forgotten I’m the Alpha, and you’re just a Beta? You shouldn’t be questioning my decisions.""But—"
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