The room was still, save for the hum of the air conditioner and the slowing rhythm of two hearts that had just been set ablaze.
Hunter lay flat on his back, chest rising and falling steadily, the scent of Angel’s skin still clinging to his lips. Angel curled beside him, her cheek resting against his bare chest, her fingers trailing lightly across his skin. Their naked bodies were tangled beneath the white blanket, flushed from the intimacy they’d just shared.
Hunter’s hand moved gently through her hair, brushing away the stray strands damp with sweat. Her hair was soft, a little messy, and it made her look even more beautiful—like someone real, not just a memory he used to cling to on sleepless nights.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable—it was full, meaningful, the kind that only comes after something profound.
Then Angel’s voice broke the stillness.
“So… you’re connected to Mondiego?” she asked quietly, not looking up. “I heard them call you Dr. Mondiego back in the hospital.”
Hunter’s hand stilled in her hair for a beat before continuing. His gaze shifted to the ceiling, and the memories he’d tried so hard to contain started to rise again.
He let out a deep breath, his voice low, thoughtful. “Yeah… I guess I owe you an explanation.”
Angel looked up, her eyes searching his. He met her gaze for a moment before returning to the ceiling.
“You remember the time I suddenly disappeared from Southbay? When… you thought I ghosted you?” His jaw clenched slightly. “I didn’t disappear. I was arrested… convicted for a crime I didn’t commit. I guess you knew  that already”
Angel blinked her eyes and look at Hunter
“I was sentenced to five years,” he continued, eyes distant. “It was the darkest time of my life. Everything I built, everything I worked for—it all vanished in a second. I thought that was it for me. No future. No hope.”
She reached for his hand under the blanket and held it gently, urging him to continue.
“Then, two years in, this man showed up. Kian Mondiego,” Hunter said. “I didn’t even know who he was at first. I thought it was some kind of mistake. He claimed to be my older brother. Said I was the lost heir to the Mondiego family—the same family that owns half of Central Island’s businesses.”
Angel’s brows furrowed. “And you believed him?”
Hunter gave a faint, humorless chuckle. “Of course not. Why would I? My whole life, I thought I was just some orphan who got left behind. But Kian… he was persistent. He said he’d been looking for me ever since he took over the family empire. There was a letter found with me when I was a baby, something that matched our mother’s handwriting.”
Angel’s hand tightened around his.
“He paid for a DNA test. And… it was positive. I was a Mondiego.”
Angel’s breath hitched. “That’s why you didn’t come back. You were in prison. And then… everything changed.”
Hunter nodded slowly. “Kian used his influence to have me paroled early. He took me out of there and into a life I didn’t recognize. Suddenly I had a mansion, cars, staff—people calling me sir. I wasn’t just free. I was… expected to live like a Mondiego.”
Angel looked at him in awe, a part of her trying to process just how different his life had become.
“But I didn’t want all that right away,” Hunter said, his voice softer now. “So, I went back to school. Central City Private University—picked up where I left off, studying medicine. Kian also encouraged me to take business classes. He said if I was to be part of the empire, I had to understand it.”
“And the hospital?” Angel asked, quietly.
“Kian bought it. The Southbay branch,” Hunter said, finally turning his gaze to her. “Apparently, it used to be one of the foundations our late mother supported. When the hospital fell into bad management, Kian decided to purchase it and fix things. But he couldn’t handle it from afar.”
“So… he sent you.”
Hunter nodded. “He asked if I could go back to Southbay. Said I knew the place better than anyone. That I could help rebuild it. And I agreed… but under one condition.”
Angel tilted her head.
“I asked to use my old surname again,” Hunter said, his tone laced with emotion. “Reeves. I didn’t want the Mondiego name changing how people saw me—especially here. I wanted to be the same Hunter you once knew, not some stranger wrapped in wealth and titles.”
Angel’s eyes glistened as she looked at him. Her heart swelled with emotion—guilt for ever thinking he abandoned her, pride for the man he’d become, and love… deep, undeniable love that never really left.
She leaned over and kissed his chest, a tear sliding down her cheek.
“I never stopped waiting,” she whispered. “I was angry, confused… but something in me always hoped you’d come back.”
Hunter gently cupped her face, brushing away the tear with his thumb. “I wanted to come back. Every single day. I just… didn’t think I’d be coming back like this.”
“You came back stronger,” she said softly.
He gave a small smile, pulling her close until her head rested on his chest again.
“Do you regret it?” she asked after a long pause. “Learning the truth? Becoming a Mondiego?”
Hunter stared at the ceiling again, his eyes lost in thought. “Some days, yes. It’s overwhelming. I feel like I’m living someone else’s life. But then… I think of the good it brought. The chances I have now. The power to protect those I love. Like you.”
Angel smiled faintly against his skin.
“I’m glad you came back to Southbay,” she whispered.
“So am I,” Hunter replied, holding her tighter.
The blanket shifted slightly as they settled into the quiet once more. Two hearts, long separated by fate, now beating in sync under the same roof—finally finding a way back to each other.
And this time, neither one of them planned to let go.