With a flirtatious smile, Angelia approached the group, knowing exactly how to catch their attention. ‘Hey there, boys. Mind if I join the party?’ she purred, her voice dripping with honey.The soldiers turned to her, some with appreciative glances and others with shy smiles.Angelia relished the attention and quickly struck up conversations with them.She learned their names, cracked jokes, and even listened to their stories about life at Valour Ridge Military Academy.In the midst of the laughter and camaraderie, she subtly brought up Elias, acting nonchalant as she asked, ‘So, what’s the deal with Major General Westwood? Is he always this distant?’The soldiers exchanged glances, some looking uneasy, but one brave soul spoke up. ‘We don’t really know much about him. He’s new, you see. But from what we do know, the major general is focused on his duties. He’s not one for small talk or socialising.’Angelia feigned disappointment. ‘Oh, really? I was hoping to get to know him better,’

A rush of warmth coursed through her at his words. ‘Fine, maybe those behaviours weren’t flirting,’ Callie said. ‘But what about the way you kissed me? You were so... proficient at it.’Elias couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride at her words, feeling smug and satisfied.He leaned in, his lips close to her ear, and said in a low voice, ‘Does that mean you liked it?’Callie turned away, her face flushed. ‘I, um... well, maybe,’ she mumbled, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement.Elias couldn’t resist any longer.He drew her close and kissed her passionately, their lips melding together in a dance of desire and affection.Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in each other, their longing finally finding expression in this tender moment.As they finally pulled apart from the electrifying kiss, Callie’s heart was pounding in her chest, and her breath came out in ragged pants.She was glad she was sitting down, as the intensity of the moment left her weak-kneed and o

Elias shrugged. ‘It’s gone. If you want a taste, go catch another one yourself.’Lemuel’s heart sank. ‘You finished the entire pheasant all by yourself? That’s not fair! We both worked hard to catch it!’‘You took a shot and missed,’ Elias corrected his aide. ‘I took a shot and killed the bird. Ergo, it belonged to me.’Lemuel huffed. ‘But I was the one who plucked the feathers and gutted the bird. Don’t I at least deserve a thigh or a wing for that?’‘You should’ve said so sooner.’ Elias climbed into the jeep. ‘All right, let’s head to the training ground.’Lemuel sighed, then mumbled something to himself before climbing into the driver’s seat.***While Elias was supervising another training session, Callie was also up and ready for the day ahead.She gently nudged Wendy. ‘Come on, you said you wanted to get up early to watch the soldiers train. It’s already six o’clock.’Wendy groaned, refusing to budge at such an early hour. ‘It’s only six o’clock!’Callie chuckled softly, knowing

Elias couldn’t concentrate on his work either, his mind preoccupied with the lovely woman on his lap.Unable to resist any longer, Elias wrapped his arms around Callie, pulling her close to him.She gasped in surprise, but the warmth of his embrace soon eased her nerves.In that tender moment, Elias’s voice softened. ‘Callie, my birthday is coming up.’Callie’s eyes lit up, and she smiled warmly. ‘Really? That’s wonderful! We should celebrate. When is it?’Elias grinned. ‘I was hoping you’d say that. The party’s tomorrow. Well, not so much a party as a small gathering. I’d love for you to be there.’‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ Callie replied, her heart swelling with affection.‘Good,’ Elias said.Then Callie’s face fell. ‘But I don’t even have a gift prepared.’‘Don’t worry about it. You being there is more than enough for me.’Callie’s face reddened again. ‘But... I still want to give you something special.’‘Well, you could always wrap yourself up as a present,’ Elias sugges

Callie smiled warmly. ‘That’s all anyone can ask for, Angelia. We’re here to serve. And I’d love for us to get along.’With the tension eased, the three roommates decided to have breakfast together.They chatted and laughed like old times, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.However, while Wendy and Callie enjoyed their meal, Angelia was only pretending to do so.It had been difficult to hide her resentment towards Callie and apologising to her was a bitter pill to swallow.But Angelia had done what she felt was necessary to regain the woman’s trust before she could plot the next step.Her grudge against Callie for stealing Elias’s heart had only grown stronger with time.While Callie was deep in thought about what to give Elias for his birthday, Angelia was scheming in her mind.She couldn’t let Callie win Elias without a fight, even if she had to pretend to be friendly on the surface.Callie, meanwhile, wasn’t as naïve as Angelia believed.Having grown up