CHAPTER 285: BOARD ISSUES.

Angela sat with her elbows on the table, her palm holding her chin. She was tired of waiting without getting any result or message. There was no call or text from any of her mates or from Marcus. She didn’t even get the chance to talk with Taros and his brothers before they left, but Marcus had promised to keep them updated.

"I can’t keep sitting here doing nothing," she said, standing up from the seat. "I’ll go and see what’s going on."

"That’s not a good idea, buddy," Stales said, watching her closely. He had been worried too but tried to stay calm. He wished Marcus would at least send a message to ease Angela’s worry.

"But it’s also not a good idea to sit here and do nothing," Angela said, grabbing her phone as she headed for the door. "I can’t just wait."

"I thought you wanted to hide your identity," Hailey said, throwing popcorn into her mouth like she didn’t care.

"Yes, but the silence means something is wrong," Angela replied sharply.

"Marcus left an hour ago. If something happened, he would have told us, right?" Seraphina asked, glancing at Stales and Hailey. They both nodded in agreement. "Why don’t you just wait a few more minutes?"

"I don’t have that kind of patience," Angela said, opening the door. But before she could step out, Hailey’s voice stopped her.

"Then forget about going back to the academy after today. You’ll be separated from your mates," Hailey said coldly. "Stop being stubborn for no reason."

Angela turned around, anger flashing in her eyes. Hailey’s words pierced through her like a blade. Before she could lash out, Bellezza came down from upstairs, just in time to stop the fight.

"My sweet girl, why are you getting so angry and anxious?" Bellezza said gently, walking toward her. "It’s been just an hour since your father left."

"Exactly what we’ve been saying," Hailey added with a shrug.

"You don’t understand how I feel, so keep quiet, Hailey. It’s better you shut your mouth," Angela shouted suddenly, making everyone fall silent.

"It’s okay, my dear," Bellezza said softly, though surprised by her outburst. She wrapped her arms around Angela and pulled her close. "Your father will call soon. I know he will."

"I want to know what’s going on," Angela said as she leaned against her aunt. She closed her eyes and tried to calm the anger boiling inside her. What was wrong with her? Why did Hailey’s words upset her so much?

"We feel the same way, Angela. We are also worried, but we don’t want to panic and scare each other," Seraphina said, sitting upright. "Why don’t we do something to keep busy while we wait for an update?"

"I’m not in the mood for anything," Angela said quietly. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her mates. Were they safe? Had Principal Valois betrayed them? Just thinking about that woman’s betrayal made her chest ache. What would happen to Renn when he found out his mother had betrayed them again? It would hurt him deeply, even if he pretended not to care.

Speaking of Renn, she suddenly realized he was nowhere to be found. Angela’s eyes opened wide, and she looked around the room. "Who knows where Renn went to?" she asked.

"He went to my place to get his phone," Bellezza replied softly. "A few minutes and he’ll be back. The house isn’t far."

"Okay," Angela said, pulling away from her aunt and turning to Stales. "Can we go upstairs and talk?"

"Yes. I’ve been dying for a conversation with you," Stales said, smiling as he walked over and took her arm. They went up the stairs together and entered her room.

"Is this yours now?" he asked, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked around. The room was neatly arranged, the colors calm and gentle. He liked it—it was simple, yet it had a quiet beauty that reminded him of her.

"Yes, but I haven’t agreed to settle in here with Marcus," Angela told him as they sat on the bed. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes lifting as she thought about what to say next. "This is just my temporary space."

"You don’t like it here?" Stales asked, watching her closely as they sat facing each other.

"So far, I like it. Marcus isn’t acting as bad as I expected, and Bellezza has been very helpful. But I’m not sure if I want to stay with them."

"Okay, dear. I understand."

"Do you think I should stay?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with uncertainty. His opinion mattered to her more than she wanted to admit.

Stales shrugged, thinking for a while before answering. "You’re eighteen now and have the right to live on your own. But you just got back to your real family, Angela. You haven’t fully understood your powers yet or learned to control them. You also don’t know which pack you’re truly meant to rule."

"I learned about my mother’s pack. She was from the Central Pack," Angela said quietly. His eyes widened in surprise. "Yes. My father is from the Malynster family. They don’t mix with other packs. They prefer to stay on their own and protect themselves."

"But you’re different," Stales said. "You’re meant to rule, defend, and protect the entire werewolf kingdom. Your grandmother knew what she was doing. Have you met her yet?"

"I haven’t met anyone except Marcus and Bellezza," Angela replied. Then she remembered the guard who had saved her life. "I met my cousin, but I never got to see his face."

"Really?" Stales asked, surprised. "Well, yesterday on our way here, we passed a house before Marcus’s. There was a couple unloading groceries from their truck. Do you think they might be part of your family?"

"Yes maybe. I was told that any house within the villa belongs to the Malynster family, so yes, those couples could be part of my family," she said softly. "Again, the main mansion is ahead, according to what Renn told me."

"Wow," Stales chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "If someone had told me at the beginning of the semester that I would be sitting in Marcus Malynster’s house, I would have doubted it."

"Me too," Angela laughed a little. Fate really had its own way of working. Her life had changed in the blink of an eye. She found out her father was alive, and that he truly loved her. Even though she lost her mother tragically, she was still grateful that it wasn’t Grace who turned out to be her mother.

"So what about Grace?" Stales asked.

"It’s like you read my mind. I was just thinking about her," Angela said as she stood from the bed. "I’m not going to let her go unpunished. I will deal with her and her brother once this board issue is over. I can’t just forgive and forget the pain they caused me. If I do, they’ll only hurt another innocent child."

"You’re right," he said, nodding in agreement.

"Also, I will find out from Grace how I ended up being her daughter."

Before Stales could reply, a noise came from downstairs, interrupting their conversation. Angela looked at him without saying a word. Their hearts began to pound faster, each beat echoing in the tense silence. She tried not to think too much about it, but fear crept in. What if it was about the board? What if the principal had betrayed them?

"I can hear Kaito’s voice," Stales said as he got up so they could go downstairs.

"I know. I can feel them all," Angela whispered, her voice trembling with fear.