CHAPTER 268: HE CALLED IT A WARNING.

Her lashes fluttered and her eyes snapped open as she tried to make sense of where she was. Everything felt strange, even the air she breathed. The bed was soft, big, and far too comfortable compared to the one she shared with Kaito back in school.

Angela pressed both palms on the bed, trying to sit up despite the dull ache in her head. She needed to know where she was and how she got here. A thought hit her suddenly and her heart skipped. Did the Patriarch bring her here?

No. She didn’t want to believe that he won that fight. What if he had, and brought her back to the castle? What about her mates? Were they safe? Tears filled her eyes at the thought, but then she felt something deep inside her — their presence. They were close.

She was about to push the blanket off when she saw Hiro. He was sitting in a chair beside the bed, his head and hands resting on the edge near her. Angela froze, surprise softening into relief. This wasn’t what she expected, but seeing him here meant they were safe...all of them.

She leaned forward and kissed his head softly, running her fingers through his hair, hoping not to wake him. But he stirred. His head lifted, eyes half-open until he saw her. Then they widened.

"You... you finally woke up?" Hiro’s voice cracked as he threw his arms around her. Angela was confused about how long she had been out, but she didn’t ask. She could feel his worry in the way he held her.

"I got scared," he said quietly, his voice trembling a little. "Even though they said you’d be fine."

"Really?" Angela asked, kissing his lips when they broke from the hug. They leaned their foreheads together for a few minutes before she whispered softly, "I miss you."

"You don’t have to say that because we missed you more," Hiro said, kissing her lips again. Just then, a knock came on the door. It was Taros. Angela’s heart skipped when she saw him. Seeing him felt like healing; it brought a bigger smile to her face and she couldn’t hide her excitement.

He climbed onto the bed and pulled her into a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes before he let her go. She looked at him closely, almost thinking it was a dream, but no—it was real. She was here, with them, alive.

She leaned against him while he stroked her hair gently. "I was scared that you’d wake up and not find anyone," he said softly. "But Hiro refused to leave your side, so I had to go downstairs and take a bath."

"Downstairs?" Angela blinked and looked around the room. This wasn’t the academy dormitory. It looked different...classy and calm. The walls were painted white, and the furniture had a soft carton color that gave the place a quiet warmth.

"Yes. You won’t believe what’s going on down there," Taros said with a small laugh as he continued to stroke her hair, unable to stop touching her as if afraid she would vanish again.

Angela frowned a little. "I want to know, but what happened, guys?" she asked. The last thing she remembered was the fight in the thick forest with the Patriarch. After that, nothing. She didn’t know how she got here or what happened after she fell.

"Let me tell you," Hiro said, eager to explain everything. He looked at her for a few seconds before continuing. "We found you in the forest just in time. The Patriarch wasn’t willing to let go of you. When that bastard said he was going to marry you after killing us, everyone lost it. Kaito couldn’t hold back his anger and attacked him, but the Patriarch isn’t ordinary. He fought back, and in the middle of everything, you got scared and weak, then passed out."

"I had to take you away and try to revive you, but it seemed impossible," Taros added quietly.

"While that was happening, the Patriarch’s army came after us. There were hundreds of them, and we had to fight for a long time," Hiro said with a sad look. "Renn got hurt, but he’s much better now, so don’t worry."

Angela nodded slowly. Her heart ached at their words. "I’m sorry you all had to go through that because of me," she whispered.

"It’s not your fault. It’s theirs, my love," Taros said, holding her hand firmly. He would never let her blame herself. "Those who came after you will get what they deserve."

Angela felt a rush of warmth in her chest hearing him say that. Then she remembered the guard who had been with her. "What about the guy I was with?" she asked softly.

"Your cousin?" Hiro asked, his voice turning quiet because even saying it felt strange to him.

"Yes... that’s what the Patriarch said," she replied, her eyes filled with hope.

"He survived, unlike you. He healed after a few hours even though he was shot with moon-etched bullets," Hiro told her. He looked at his brother, who nodded. "That’s the advantage of being a Malynster. We didn’t take the bullet out, he did it himself and healed completely."

"That’s good to hear," Angela said quietly, realizing she was the only weak one among the Malynsters. Her so-called family seemed stronger than she ever imagined. "What about the Patriarch?"

"Trust the man who calls himself your father," Taros said as he got down from the bed. He took the jug from the drawer beside her and poured some water into a glass, handing it to her. "He made sure it was all blood that night."

Angela looked confused. She knew they were talking about Marcus, but she didn’t understand what exactly he did.

"He tore the Patriarch apart and sent his body pieces to the five kingdoms," Hiro said. "He called it a warning. No one should ever mess with his daughter."

"Before you say anything, no one knows it’s you," Taros added quickly. "He doesn’t know if you want to reveal your identity or not."

A wave of relief passed through Angela as she leaned back. But then a thought hit her. Did Marcus really do all that for her? Did he value her as his daughter, or was there something else behind his actions? Fear and curiosity filled her heart. She wanted to know the truth, no matter what it was.

***

Hello my loves,

There was no Chapter upload yesterday because I wanted to take a day off. Sorry about that but daily update is back on.