hapter 19
Tessa’s plan for the morning was simple: she wanted to go out and explore.
After all, she was in Naples–if she didn’t make the most of it, wouldn’t it be a waste? As she
finished getting ready and turned around, she caught sight of Aaron.
Today, Aaron had made an effort with his hairstyle, which only enhanced his already handsome
features.
Tessa didn’t ask any questions, offering a soft greeting as she turned to leave.
Perhaps because he noticed the elegant long dress she was wearing, Aaron spoke up first.
“Are you going out?” he asked.
“I am,” she replied, “Would you like to join me?”
He was unusually forward, as if he had been waiting for this moment for quite a while.
Tessa paused. Had he been waiting for her all this time?
She didn’t ask, but she thought to herself that it might not be bad to have someone to share the same beautiful sights with.
She didn’t refuse, and they walked through the streets of Naples together.
Aaron couldn’t help but admire Tessa’s smile–the pure kindness and innocence she radiated.
Despite her outward coldness, there was something about Tessa’s smile that seemed to warm him from the inside out.
As they passed a street, they spotted a homeless child.
Aaron immediately set down the things he was holding and approached the child.
He spoke to the boy in fluent Italian, asking a few questions before reaching into his pocket to pull out a wad of cash and some food, which he handed to the child.
Tessa watched in stunned silence before asking, “Did you give him money and food because you felt sorry for him?”
Aaron smiled softly, coming back to himself. “I guess you could say that. When I was young, wasn’t easy for me either.”
life
Aaron wore a million–dollar watch and high–end, custom–made clothing. He was the Alpha King, someone who was far removed from the struggles of ordinary life.
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Tessa found it hard to imagine that he had ever known hardship.
His comment, however, made her think about her own past in the orphanage,
Every time she saw a homeless child on the streets, it tugged at her heart.
She almost spoke up about her own childhood, but when the words reached her lips, she held back.
It was as if the suffering she’d experienced wasn’t limited to just her early years,
There was also the time she spent with the cold and indifferent Bloodmoon Pack
Aaron seemed to sense her shift in mood, and when Tessa wasn’t paying attention, he bought her a
bouquet of flowers from a nearby vendor,
“For you,” he said, handing them to her. “They suit you,”
Tessa smiled, feeling a joy she hadn’t felt in a long time. Surprises like this were rare in her life.
They continued walking along the path beside the river. Aaron casually mentioned his own childhood, revealing that he too had spent some time in an orphanage.
Before that, he had been a rogue–without parents, without a pack–wandering the streets for
years,
He told her how hard it was just to get food.
People assumed he was lying, thinking he was capable of working, but the truth was, he had nothing. He would even have to steal apples from trees to survive.
When Tessa heard this, a sudden realization hit her.
“You wouldn’t happen to be… that chubby kid, would you?” she asked, surprised.
Aaron froze, his eyes widening.
“How did you know I was fat as a child?”
“Wait… were you in that orphanage?” Tessa asked, excitement building. “The one with the apple
tree outside?”
They stared at each other in disbelief, both shocked by the coincidence.
No wonder Tessa had found him so familiar.
It turned out that the first time she had met him was in that very orphanage.
He was the chubby boy who had shared his apples with her when she was being bullied by the other
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kids, left hungry for days.
She never could have guessed that he, now standing before her as the Alpha King, was the same
boy.
Back then, he wasn’t called Aaron Brooks. After being taken in by his mother, they had lost touch and never saw each other again.
Neither of them had ever imagined that, years later, they would meet again in a foreign land—and,
even more shockingly, as fated mates.
Tessa looked at the man in front of her, feeling a sense of new companionship.
“You think this is fate?” she asked, her voice soft.
He shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “Actually, when I bought the cruise, I saw you.”
“I don’t know why, but when I saw you buying the ship, I knew I had to buy it too. You reminded me of the girl I used to share apples with.”
“I’ve been searching for you ever since.”
“And I never imagined that you would be my fated mate.”
Chapter 19
