LOGIN“Then what am I supposed to do?” Aidan asked softly, his voice carrying equal parts surrender and hopelessness.
“In a relationship, love and hate always exist in the same space,” Raphael answered calmly. “A person can love someone deeply, then suddenly hate them just as much, and sometimes the opposite happens, too. What matters is understanding exactly where your heart stands and being honest with your partner about it. The two of you need to talk, alone,
Aidan had already left LA, though Malikha had yet to realize it. This was now the third time in a single week that she had called Raphael to her home. She had grown increasingly restless lately, haunted by recurring dreams of Aidan.She even dreamed of kissing and making love to him in her bed. On top of that, Malikha was frequently overwhelmed by sudden surges of anxiety, feeling unsafe whenever she was left alone—even though she had been perfectly fine before."Since when have you been feeling this anxious?" Raphael asked after working through a series of preliminary questions."For about two months now. Ever since my fourth month of pregnancy," Malikha answered, her tone laced with worry. She dreaded the thought that something bad might happen again because of these dreams.Raphael, who had brought an obstetrician along, conferred with the doctor regarding her recent assessment. He paused to think for a moment before asking Malikha to describe he
There was nothing Aidan could do except hone his marksmanship. One by one, he tackled various targets, distances, and challenges. While his friends took breaks, he chose to keep practicing. Nearly a month after separating from Malikha once again, Aidan had grown noticeably calmer. He no longer lost his temper and had gained far better self-control.He stopped snapping at Lucy or raising his voice at her. Aidan finally had everything under control. Perhaps accepting a reality that was never on his side was what transformed him into a completely different man."Time to take a break, Boss," interjected Glenn, who had just finished bladed weapons training with Han Kazuya. He sat down next to Aidan and wiped away his sweat. Aidan secured his firearm and turned to Glenn, his brows furrowing."Where are your clothes?" Aidan asked, noticing that Glenn was shirtless, wearing only trousers. Sweat still doused his body, dripping from his somewhat long hair."I’ve changed my shirt twice already.
Originally, the Seven Wolves were supposed to return using a luxury SUV, with a separate sedan assigned to Aidan. Instead, Aidan chose to ride in the same car as all his friends on the way back to the apartment.He sat in the middle row, sandwiched between Mars and Jayden. Arjoona was at the wheel, with Shawn in the front passenger seat to his right, while Bryan sat alone in the back row. Throughout the journey, Aidan remained dead silent—until he suddenly spoke up."I’m going back to New York with you guys!" Aidan blurted out.Everyone turned to look at him, including Arjoona, who nearly lost control of the vehicle at Aidan’s words."Why?" Jayden was the first to ask. Shawn had already taken off his cap and was rubbing his temples."What am I staying here for anyway?""But aren't you supposed to win Malikha back?!" Mars protested, his voice rising.Aidan lowered his head and sighed. "I think I was being too pushy. Maybe she really doesn't want to be with me anymore. What's the point
“Ugh... damn it!” Bruce cursed from behind the sink. He washed his hands while clutching his stomach with his other arm.“Oh, no!” Bruce was forced to retreat straight back into the stall.Outside, Jayden smiled as he stood guard over the door before locking it from the outside. He leaned back against the exterior wall and checked in.“Restroom is locked down!” Jayden reported, glancing over at the bathroom door with a smirk.Meanwhile, driven by curiosity, Malikha made her way toward the spinning Ferris wheel. The ride was uniquely designed, featuring two giant wheels that carried passenger gondolas and rotated simultaneously in opposite directions. Beyond capacity, this design allowed riders to catch glimpses of passengers on the other wheel as they passed.At the entrance, a fair-skinned Japanese man wearing a flat cap opened the gate—acting as the ride attendant. He gestured for Malikha to step forward. Though she hesitated at first, something compelled her to accept when he opene
The clown handed Malikha a balloon and pointed to her pregnant belly.“For me? For my baby?” Malikha asked, and the clown nodded, continuing to dance around playfully.“Thank you!” Malikha exclaimed, her face beaming.The clown nodded again. Suddenly remembering something, he turned around, snatched a stick of cotton candy from his dog-clown friend, and handed it to Malikha. Malikha gasped, her face lighting up even more—the kindhearted clown had given her the exact treat she was craving.“Wow, thank you!” Malikha responded joyfully, giving the sweet clown a bright, beautiful smile.With a wave of his hand, the clown said his goodbyes. Malikha smiled back and waved goodbye as well. Shortly after, Bruce returned holding two sticks of cotton candy. His face instantly fell into a pout when he saw Malikha with a clown who had just given her the same thing.The clown strolled away casually with the marching band and his buddy, the funny dog clown. The crowd of kids had dispersed after rece
The next day, as usual, Aidan was already standing outside Malikha’s house, waiting for her to step out for their trip to Palisade. Before long, Bruce pulled up in his car to pick her up.“The rat has arrived!” Aidan reported, pressing the earbud in his right ear as soon as he saw Bruce get out of the car and walk inside Malikha’s house.“You’re calling him a rat? I thought we agreed not to use animal names,” Arjoona replied through the comms.“I changed my mind. 'Rat' fits him!” Aidan answered coldly.Jayden let out a loud laugh, deliberately cranking up the volume on his speaker. And just like that, a stream of pointless banter among grown men was officially underway.“Alright, guys, target names are officially changing from Caldwell and Malikha to The Rat and Sleeping Beauty,” James chimed in, trying to play along playfully while keeping a deadpan tone. The mission was rapidly turning into a comedy hour.“Why Sleeping Beauty?” Mars asked, dragging out the unnecessary discussion eve
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,







