MasukLucy tied her brown hair into a messy bun that gave her an effortlessly sultry look. Wearing an oversized t-shirt and micro-shorts, she was getting ready for bed when a knock sounded at her front door. She furrowed her brow and peeked out from her bedroom toward the foyer."Who’s coming over at this hour?!" Lucy grumbled, staying right where she was. When the knocking wasn't enough, the doorbell started ringing repeatedly. Growing even more annoyed, Lucy stomped her feet on the floor."Ugh!" she cursed, marching angrily toward the door, fully prepared to chew out whoever was on the other side. But her red, furious face flushed a soft pink the moment she saw Aidan smiling in front of her. Lucy's mouth hung slightly open at the sight of Aidan, looking a bit disheveled in black tactical gear and a vest."Good evening, Lucy!" Aidan greeted her warmly and politely. Instinctively, Lucy offered a friendly, flirtatious smile."Sorry to disturb you so late, but I need your help!" Aidan added.
"Happy birthday!" Jayden squealed, followed by Joona and Bryan, who were equally enthusiastic about celebrating the birthday of Devon Kazuya—Han and Stevia’s eldest son. Jayden gave the birthday boy endless hugs and kisses on his cheeks and forehead. The members of The Seven Wolves took the opportunity to gather all their children together so the kids could get to know each other and play.Several of the infants were also brought along. There were Ares and Jupiter, who were just learning how to crawl, and little Venus, looking thoroughly feminine in her Cinderella dress—matching her older brother, Rei, who wore a cute vest suit. Arion and Brema looked almost like twins because they were always attached at the hip, alongside the actual twins, Mila and Izzy. Andrew Miller was also busy propping himself up, trying hard to crawl along with Ares.The wives accompanied their children while catching up with one another. James appeared fiercely protective of the pregnant Delilah, while Vanyll
"Is he still refusing to eat anything else?" Jessica whispered to Eva.Eva could only shake her head sadly. "He looks thinner every day," Jessica added.Eva sighed, watching Aidan as he slowly chewed his food, his eyes staring blankly at the table in front of him.After breakfast, Aidan set off for work as usual. Glenn was waiting for him in the Gowanus lobby, greeting him with a morning smile."Good morning, sir!""Morning, Glenn. What’s my schedule for today?" Aidan asked before getting into the car. Glenn briefed him on the meetings scheduled from morning until early afternoon. Aidan simply nodded and slid into the back seat. Glenn would be driving him as usual—Aidan no longer let anyone else drive him to Orcanza.Just like the days before, Aidan spent the ride staring blankly out the window, not uttering a single word. Glenn often glanced at him in the rearview mirror and tried to strike up a conversation, but Aidan only offered brief, polite answers. He rarely smiled anymore and
Nothing was more shocking to Aidan than discovering that one of his best friends had known Malikha’s whereabouts all along. Shawn grinned, raising an eyebrow at Aidan, who was rendered speechless by the revelation. Shawn then looked straight ahead, while Aidan turned to him, his eyes burning with curiosity."Are you serious? You know where she is?" Aidan asked, still in disbelief.Shawn glanced at him, the corner of his lips curling upward. "If I tell you now, you'll stop training and go running after her again, won't you?""Shawn, I need to talk to Malikha!" Aidan insisted, turning his body toward Shawn.Shawn shook his head. "You two are divorced. There’s nothing left to talk about!""What do you mean?! I have to talk to her!" Aidan pressed on, refusing to back down.Shawn leaned in, furrowing his brow. "Where is the Aidan Caesar I know—the man who actually stood by his principles? Why am I looking at a coward right now?"Aidan froze, swallowing hard under Shawn’s intense gaze. Shaw
Meanwhile, back in his office, Aidan smiled after hanging up the phone with Shawn, who had invited him to practice. Aidan sat quietly and closed his eyes for a moment. He then cleared his throat softly to distract himself from the rush of emotion in his chest.Aidan was deeply moved seeing how all his friends—including Shawn, who was extraordinarily busy—were making an effort to set aside time for him. Shawn was now a member of Congress, and his political schedule was so demanding that he usually had to join The Seven Wolves' meetings via online video conference. Yet this time, he had cleared his entire schedule for half a day, just for Aidan.BALDWIN HILLS, LOS ANGELESNews of Aidan’s divorce had now reached Malikha’s front doorstep. The story appeared in the morning paper, which Malikha retrieved from where the delivery person had thrown it onto her lawn. Aidan’s face was splashed across the front page. In the photo, he was seen using one hand to shield his face, trying to block the
"Malikha, I don't want you looking for work anywhere else. There's no harm in coming back to Noxtrot, right? Besides, I've already leased a space for your office, though you'll need to interview a few people to build your team." Malikha chuckled, still not giving him a definite answer."I feel bad for constantly burdening you," Malikha said softly. Bruce immediately shook his head and smiled."You're never a burden, truly. Please come back to work at Noxtrot, even if it's not in the same position. I'm certain you'll adapt perfectly. You're a brilliant woman," Bruce praised her. Malikha responded with a sweet smile.Bruce was playing his cards well. He had been in LA ever since Malikha's divorce was finalized five days ago. He stepped in, starting simply as a friend. With Aidan no longer standing in the way of his feelings, Bruce made his move subtly. Unlike Aidan, who tended to force his way in, Bruce realized that Malikha felt much more comfortable being treated as a close friend fir
Aidan smiled as he listened to Malikha’s reaction on the other end of the phone.He could already picture her expression—wide eyes, trembling lips, that soft, overwhelmed look she always had whenever something touched her heart. The thought alone was enough to satisfy him.“Do you like the surprise?
Malikha froze the moment she heard his voice.“Hey, babydoll!”Her heart skipped as she slowly turned around. Of all people… she hadn’t expected to see him here.Aidan flashed a charming grin, acting warm and friendly, almost like an old friend.He stepped out of his car like he had all the time in
Malikha didn’t sleep that night. After Aidan left, she stared emptily, thinking about his apology—not because of the job offer. Aidan had changed in a click. The way he had looked at her before he left somehow made her blush, and she couldn’t stop. Her conscience told her to leave, but her heart as
Malikha forced a smile as she walked into her mom’s room, steadying her breath before anyone could notice the tension in her shoulders. The moment her eyes landed on the tall, handsome, mature man standing near the bed, her smile stretched wider.“Good afternoon, Mr. Caesar,” she greeted politely,







