CHAPTER 273: SOMETHING HAD CHANGED INSIDE HER

Angela stared back at Marcus when he asked the question. Her mind raced, wondering what would happen if he ever found out that Renn, her mate, was Principal Valois’ son. Marcus wouldn’t take it well. No matter how angry or hurt she was because of Renn’s lies, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

"What is it, my dear?" Bellezza asked with worry, lifting her head. Something was clearly wrong, and she could feel it.

"Why don’t we ask Kaito?" Angela said, her eyes shifting toward him. He looked startled, his mouth slightly open. "Tell us, what’s going on?"

Kaito’s brows drew together in confusion. He swallowed hard, glancing at his mate. "I-I don’t understand. What am I supposed to say?"

"You know exactly what I’m saying," Angela replied, rolling her eyes. A small smile touched her lips. She enjoyed watching Kaito and Renn squirm. It was obvious that Kaito knew something about his brother’s secret. She wasn’t planning to expose it, not yet. But she could make them nervous. Maybe next time, they would think twice before hiding things from her.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about," Kaito said, turning to his brothers, who looked just as lost. "Do you guys know what she means?"

"No... why don’t you just say it, Angela?" Taros asked, setting his food aside. He noticed the tension in Kaito’s shoulders, even though his brother was trying to act calm. Something was definitely going on beneath the surface.

"Yes, you should say it," Marcus agreed with a nod, though his tone carried impatience. He tried to stay calm because his daughter was involved, but his patience was running thin.

Angela shrugged, smiling faintly. "It’s nothing serious. I just want Kaito to decide what happens to Miss Valois. How should we deal with the woman who caused us so much pain?"

"Oh, I see what’s going on now," Taros said, nodding as if an idea just came to him. "If you ask me, I would say kill her."

"Finally, you spoke like a man," Marcus smiled for the first time, raising his glass of wine toward Taros before taking a sip.

"I haven’t finished," Taros replied quickly. He wanted Marcus to understand they didn’t see things the same way. "We can’t just make the decision on our own. Angela has to agree with us because she was the one who got hurt the most."

Angela smiled softly at him. Oh, sweet Taros. He never stopped amazing her with his kindness and the way he spoke. She couldn’t help admiring him more each day. It felt like she was falling in love with him again.

"He doesn’t just have a fine face," Bellezza said proudly, looking at Taros. "I’m so envious of you, Angela. Your mates always put you first."

Marcus coughed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. His daughter knew exactly what that meant. She shook her head, knowing her father didn’t like it when the boys were being praised too much.

"I mean it, brother," Bellezza insisted.

"If you say so," Marcus replied with a shrug, then quickly changed the topic. "Let’s talk about real business. The board has called for a meeting to discuss what happened. I’m not afraid of them, but I want to ask you first, Angela. How do you want this situation to be handled?"

Angela was surprised that they were all asking her opinion about everything. It felt strange, almost like they had been charmed or possessed. A few days ago, none of them cared what she thought, not even her mates. They always believed she didn’t make the best decisions. But now, things felt different.

"Are they going to talk about how I got into the academy?" she managed to ask.

"Yes. If you are found guilty, you will be given punishment according to the written laws," Renn replied.

"No one will punish my daughter," Marcus said with a frown, turning to her. "I mean no one will even try it."

"But her mates will be punished," Bellezza reminded him. "It’s the same thing for her. If they are hurt, it will affect her too."

Marcus sighed and leaned back in his seat. He would never allow anyone to lay a finger on his daughter or put her on trial before fools who thought they had the right to question her actions.

"The board is not supposed to know that I’m Marcus’ daughter," Angela said suddenly. The room went silent as everyone turned to look at her in surprise. "I already spoke with..." she paused, not sure if she should call him Marcus or something else.

"Marcus," her father said, finishing it for her. He understood why it was hard for her to call him dad. Being a father wasn’t just about the title—it had to be earned. "She wants to continue schooling at the academy."

"I like the idea of that," Kaito nodded, relieved. He had feared she might want to leave the academy. He couldn’t imagine being there without her.

"I like the idea," Marcus repeated, his tone mocking as he imitated Kaito, clearly unhappy that the boy was so pleased.

Angela wanted to chuckle, but Hiro beat her to it. He was the only one who had finished his meal. She shook her head and continued, "I have goals I want to accomplish before leaving the academy. First, I want to make sure the humans are treated with respect and that there’s no discrimination between them and the wolves. Secondly, I need to find out what really happened to my mother and who was responsible for her death. She deserves justice. And lastly, I want to make the academy a unisex school again."

Her words hung in the air. They all stared at her, clearly surprised by how much she wanted to do. Angela knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but she had no time to waste. Whether anyone helped her or not, she had to make it happen.

The weight of the entire werewolf kingdom rested on her shoulders. As the only Luna, she knew she had to work harder than anyone to bring peace and balance, to fulfill the purpose for which she had been chosen.

"You don’t have to do all of this, my dear," Bellezza said quietly. She was worried about Angela’s safety. They had just gotten her back after so many years of searching for her.

"She’s right, we can handle this," Kaito added, hoping she would listen.

"No... you can support me if you want, but I have to do this. It’s my responsibility," Angela insisted firmly. She wasn’t going to sit back and let them do everything for her anymore. It was time for her to take the lead, to prove she was capable of standing on her own.

"What you’re asking of us is..." Renn began, but she cut him off before he could finish.

"Who told you I’m asking?" Angela shouted suddenly, her palm hitting the table hard. The loud sound made everyone flinch. She stood up, her eyes burning with emotion as she looked at them. "I already made my decision, and if you’re not okay with it, then stay out of my way."

Kaito watched her take the stairs, too shocked to say a word. None of them expected that reaction from her. It left him and his brothers speechless.

"That was so unlike Angela," Taros said, confusion written on his face.

"I don’t understand why she reacted like that," Hiro muttered. "She must have misinterpreted what Renn meant."

"It’s okay. Don’t discuss her too much," Marcus said, rising from his seat. He glanced toward the stairs. "Was that behavior strange to you?"

"Yes... if it was me, maybe I’d understand, but she’s never spoken so harshly to Renn before," Kaito replied quietly.

"Hmmm..." Bellezza said softly, thinking deeply. "Maybe she’s angry at Renn... or maybe something has changed inside her."