CHAPTER 164: PRINCIPAL JANE.

They arrived at the principal’s house, and Renn knocked gently, waiting for an answer. For a long moment, there was no response, and just when Kaito was about to knock again, the door creaked open. A heavyset woman stood there with a stick in her hand, her face stern as though she was ready to strike whoever dared disturb her. But when her eyes landed on two strangers, she froze, lowering the stick just before it could swing, her voice sharp with suspicion as she asked who they were and what they wanted.

"Principal Jane, right?" Renn asked softly, forcing a smile in the hope that she would see they meant no harm.

Her frown deepened, and she crossed her arms. "That depends on who is asking. Who are you?"

"We are Angela’s friends. We came from the academy..." Kaito began, but before he could explain, the woman turned, already moving back inside, clearly not interested in hearing them out. Renn quickly held the door before she could close it. His eyes glowed with a quiet warning, and for a moment she was left speechless.

"We truly come in peace," Renn said in a calm but firm voice. "Please, just give us a chance to talk."

She hesitated, her hand tight on the doorframe, but in the end, she stepped aside. "Come in then," she muttered.

The boys entered the house. The living room was small but every wall seemed alive with memories. There were more framed pictures than they had ever seen in one place, almost like a gallery of moments she could not let go of. Kaito sat down quietly while Renn chose to remain standing, his eyes wandering over the photographs.

"You said you came in peace," she asked again, her voice low and uncertain, her eyes moving from one of them to the other as if searching for a hidden threat.

"Yes, ma. I am Kaito, and this is my brother, Renn," he answered.

"I am Principal Jane... Angela’s former principal," she said as she lowered herself onto the sofa opposite them. Her eyes flicked toward Renn. "Can he sit down? I would feel more comfortable if he did."

"Of course," Kaito replied, and Renn sat beside him at last. From the quiet weight in the house and the photos surrounding them, Renn could already tell she lived alone. Yet in almost every frame, there was a man by her side, smiling with her, holding her hand, standing close as though they were once inseparable. It was easy to guess he had been her husband, though he was no longer here.

Her expression tightened as she looked at them again. "Did she get caught at the academy? Because I know nothing about her admission," she said quickly, the denial spilling from her too fast. Her eyes darted away from theirs, afraid of what they might see if she held their gaze too long.

Kaito was surprised but he shook his head. "No. She is safe, and you can be rest assured that no one will ever find out about it."

"I hope so," she sighed, pressing her hand against her chest as if the weight in her heart was too heavy to hold. Then her voice dropped, filled with bitterness. "Both mother and daughter have done nothing but bring me pain. Sometimes I wish our paths had never crossed."

"You mean Miss Grace?" Renn asked carefully.

"Yes, that evil woman. You already met her?"

"Yes, ma. She is Angela’s mother," Kaito replied. His eyes moved to the woman sitting across from them. The way her expression darkened at the mention of Grace made it clear that she despised her deeply.

"Poor Angela," Principal Jane whispered, almost as though she was mourning the girl. "She is stuck with that woman forever. No one deserves to have such a useless woman as a mother. She could kill that girl someday."

The boys stayed silent, though their parted lips betrayed their shock. It was obvious they had no idea who Grace truly was until now.

"I may sound harsh, but Angela is better off without her mother," Principal Jane went on, her voice rising with anger and sorrow together. "That woman was already filling her head with bad ways, and if Angela had remained with her, it would have destroyed her. I forced myself to send the girl away, but I was left here, stuck with Grace."

"You don’t seem to like Grace at all," Renn said, his tone steady, though he could feel the hatred in every word she spoke, as if it carried years of pain.

"I don’t," Jane snapped. "She is a husband snatcher, a nuisance... and whoever keeps her close only ends up in trouble. If not for her foolish brother who gives her courage, the town would have chased her out long ago."

"This brother of hers... can you tell us more about him?" Kaito asked as he shifted to the edge of the seat. He already disliked the man because of what he did to Angela.

"There’s nothing good to say about him. His name is Toga. He is worse than his sister and has nothing in his life except causing trouble. Lately, I heard he works in the hospital built by Dr. Dylan. If that is true, then I hope they fix his brain, because he surely needs a new one."

Kaito and Renn kept quiet even though they had many questions. The woman was saying a lot and since every word might be useful, they thought it best to just listen.

"You know, Dr. Dylan opened the hospital not long ago and hired many staff. The people here respect him. They say he is blessed by God and does his work very well. I know many who went there and got better."

"Is Dr. Dylan from this town?" Renn asked, his curiosity showing clearly.

"Hell no," Principal Jane laughed. "He only came here recently."

"Just like that?" Kaito asked.

"We always welcome people with warmth. Many who live here now are not from this place, but we accepted them as our own, including Grace and her brother. They came here long ago, before Angela was even born."

Kaito was surprised. So Grace was not originally from this town. "So you knew Angela’s father then?" he asked.

"No. I don’t. It would be difficult to know who her father is. If you really want to find out, then you would have to take the DNA of every man in this town, and maybe even of those who passed through during the time Grace conceived," Principal Jane said with a laugh. She was making a cruel joke, as if Angela was nothing but a bastard child.

Kaito’s chest tightened. He wanted to tell her that it was not funny, but Renn placed a hand on him to stop him. There was no need.

"Back to the hospital," Renn asked calmly, "do you know what Dr. Dylan looks like or where we can find him?"

"Probably at the hospital, but you have to book an appointment. He usually meets with only top people like politicians and others who can afford his personal service," Principal Jane said as she tried to recall. She shook her head as if the thought just struck her. "I have never seen his picture before. I don’t even know what he looks like."

"Can you book an appointment for us with him?" Kaito asked. He knew their time was already up, and it was high time they returned to Mistvale. Kael had refused to follow them inside, saying he felt dizzy, so they left him in the car. "It’s very important."

"Sure. I hope you are not sick?" the principal asked with concern.

"No. Our brother is," Kaito answered. He stood to leave, but something weighed on his mind. He turned back. "Who asked you to wipe Angela’s records from your school? I couldn’t find anything there."

"I didn’t. They should still be there," she replied, looking confused. But then her eyes widened as if she remembered something. "Your principal came by weeks ago... what’s her name again..."

"Miss Valois," Renn said, his heart pounding at the mention of his mother’s name. What did she have to do with this?

"Yes. That’s her. She was curious about Angela and her background. She wanted to know if Angela was a werewolf or not. She also told me that if anyone asked, I should say Angela was expelled and left the country. She demanded Grace’s address as well."

Renn nodded, though inside he was breaking. His mother’s involvement struck him like a blade to the chest. His skin went pale, and he could no longer hide how much it hurt. He forced himself to stay composed. "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Jane," he said softly, his voice unsteady.

"You are welcome." She gave a small smile, but before they left, she added, "Also, she booked an appointment with Doctor Dylan. I don’t know how it went for her. I didn’t check."

Renn’s hand tightened on the doorknob. His body burned with anger, but he swallowed it down. Without a word, he walked out to the car. Kael was already asleep inside. Renn leaned against the door, waiting for Kaito to join him so they could leave.

"Are you okay?" Kaito asked when he got in.

Renn gave a nod, doing his best to look calm though his chest was heavy.

"I got a message from Slade. We have to drive fast to Mistvale. Hopefully we’ll make it in time," Kaito said quickly. "Principal Valois thinks we hosted a private party for Angela. She is heading there to confirm it."

"What?" Renn’s eyes widened in shock. "How are we going to get to Mistvale in time?"