LOGINAbby’s POV I barely had time to gasp before strong arms wrapped around my waist and yanked me back to the surface.The next thing I knew, I was coughing against Hayden's shoulder as he lifted me onto the poolside.“Are you okay?” His blue eyes searched mine frantically.I blinked, still trying to catch my breath.“My... phone.”For a second, I expected him to scold me for jumping into the pool when I couldn't even swim.Instead, he turned and dove back into the water.A few moments later, he resurfaced with my phone in his hand.“It's useless now.” He held it up, water dripping from it. “Better to get another one.”My mood dropped instantly.“I'll lose some important things on that phone.”“I think what you should be concerned about right now is yourself.” His gaze moved over me briefly before he looked away. “You'll catch a cold if you don't get out of those wet clothes.”My brain finally caught up.I looked down at myself.The fabric of my clothes had become almost transparent, the
Abby’s POV Just as the maid had told me, I found Hayden shirtless by the pool, looking lost in thought.For a moment, all my anger vanished.I simply stood there watching him, looking so harmless and almost cute that I almost forgot I'd come here to give him a piece of my mind.Then he suddenly stood, as though he'd just remembered something important.He turned.My arms were already crossed, my glare fixed on him.His blue eyes met mine.The dumbfounded look that crossed his face was so satisfying that I almost smiled.Almost.He stared at me for a few seconds before my name finally slipped from his lips, sounding almost like a plea.“Abby…”“I'd been standing there for over two minutes. If it had been an enemy, you wouldn't have noticed?” I shot back. “You'd be finished.”His face softened.“No one could get past my security easily.”I gave him a look. But I didn't bother asking why he'd told the security to let me in whenever I came.“Even at that.” I shrugged. “Aren’t Alphas supp
Abby’s POV I stood there watching Hayden leave after telling Father he wasn't staying tonight.I couldn't help the pang of disappointment, or maybe pain… or whatever it was I felt at that moment, knowing he wouldn't be here.He hadn't even bothered to ask what I thought before making the decision.He'd followed me here. He'd promised to keep my children safe…Of course they were safe. I knew that.But I couldn't just explain why the thought of spending the night here without him suddenly bothered me so much.I hated admitting it, but it was what it was.Maggie was saying something beside me, but I wasn't listening anymore.My feet were already carrying me toward the entrance. I wanted to confront him, but before I could make it outside, his car was already pulling away.Something tightened in my throat, and I quickly blinked away the tears threatening my eyes.“Oh, Abby. Get hold of yourself,” I muttered quickly, surprised by my own reaction.When I got back inside, Father walked up
Hayden’s POV My brow lifted slightly.So he finally decided to make a move.If he'd come looking for a fight, he'd picked the wrong night.“I see you finally decided to stop pretending we're friends,” I said, not bothering to stand.His expression remained unreadable.Mine probably wasn't much different.“Relax, dude.” He raised both hands. “I'm not here to fight you.”“Unfortunately, I wouldn't mind it.”He gave a careless shrug.“Well, considering our history, I didn't expect a warm welcome.” His expression became sober. “But…I really didn't come here to fight.”He sounded genuine.Good for him.I held his gaze for a moment before looking away.“What do you want?”He stepped closer and sat beside me, pulling out a cigarette.“Care for one?”I stared at him“Get to the point.”He looked at the cigarette between his fingers before putting it back into the pack and lighting one for himself.He took a slow drag, then exhaled, the smoke disappearing into the cold night air.Rey's irrita
Hayden’s POV Derek Hawke had been a thorn in my side even before Abby came into the picture. And the feeling had always been mutual.That was why I couldn't understand why he was suddenly acting this way. Friendly and smiling at me like we'd buried the hatchet.I didn't trust that sudden change.He was definitely up to something.I had no intention of creating tension in Alpha Thorn's house, especially now that he was recovering, so I kept my cool.When Thorn asked us to stay, my first instinct was to refuse politely.But the twins were already excited.Alpha Thorn himself also looked genuinely happy.“That's fine.” Derek simply accepted Thorn's request without hesitation.“Yeah,” I found myself saying too.If I left, Derek would still be here regardless. And I wasn't about to leave Abby and my children under the same roof as him without knowing what he was planning.Accepting to stay didn't mean I'd let my guard down.I'd keep my distance.If he crossed the line around Abby or my ch
Abby’s POV The quiet respect I'd always seen whenever Father looked at Hayden returned to his face.“Alpha Hayden, good to see you,” Father said. Even after Hayden became his son-in-law, he never stopped addressing him as "Alpha Hayden.”Hayden bowed again.“Please accept my condolences for Luna Marie's passing. May the Moon Goddess guide her soul safely to the Eternal Moon Realm.”“Thank you,” Father said with a grateful nod. He gestured toward the chair beside his bed.“Please, have a seat, Alpha Hayden.”I squeezed onto the edge of the bed near Father's feet.We didn't keep Father talking for long. His speech was still slurred, and he clearly needed the rest.But simply seeing him awake brought me more relief than I could put into words. The trip from Australia had been worth every second. I didn't regret coming at all.Before long, Father drifted back to sleep.Hayden and I stayed quietly by his bedside until morning.When daylight finally broke, Hayden suggested I return to his
Hayden’s POV I turned and found the little boy from yesterday boldly staring at me. There were no other customers inside, only the uniformed staff arranging tables for the morning rush. I wanted to act petty and scare the little boy off, but instead I heard myself explaining.“Hey, little guy! I'
Hayden's POV I parked at the location Abby had sent and stopped the engine. She wanted to talk. To resolve this. The thought alone made my chest ache.I couldn’t waste another second. I needed to tell her I was sorry for everything. For losing control. For the scene I’d caused in her restaurant. F
Abby’s POVLaughter drifted to my ears and I limped toward the sound, groping through the darkness with my hands. The voices grew clearer, and a sliver of light leaked from beneath a door.“Over there,” Carla whispered urgently.I stumbled forward and pushed the door open. Derek’s hand froze mid-ai
Abby's POV I swallowed hard as I picked up the necklace from the ground. The same necklace Hayden once bought for me, with promises he forgot the moment they left his mouth. A gift I’d held onto like it meant something, while he didn’t even remember buying it.And now, out of nowhere, it’s lying h







