CHAPTER 22: THE SCANDAL OF A LOWBORN OMEGA KISSING THE NUMBER-ONE HEIR OF LYCAN ACADEMY...

She sighed heavily, then opened the box slowly, expecting to see something precious inside. Her golden jewelries but to her shock, it was completely empty.

"Again?" she whispered in disbelief.

Where did the jewelries disappear to? Victoria thought. She opened the other boxes one by one, searching through each with increasing desperation, but every single one was empty.

Did a thief really barge in here? A shadow thief? she wondered, fury now etching itself clearly across her face.

But then again... she had been the one to open the boxes. She had unwrapped them herself. So how could they possibly be empty?

Callum certainly didn’t send her empty boxes as gifts. In fact, she had personally selected those boxes of jewelry. Could it have been an issue from the company they bought it from? The thought made her pulse quicken.

The realization that neither she nor Callum had been present when the orders were packed sent a chill down her spine.

Did they pack empty boxes? Is that even possible?

A soft sound broke her thoughts.

"Meow~"

The white cat meowed gently, already sitting before her, rubbing its soft fur affectionately against her leg.

Victoria bent down and scooped the feline into her arms, stroking its plush fur thoughtfully.

"Hey, golden eyes," she murmured. "I guess this has to be reported to the family. I don’t understand what’s going on anymore. It’s better to do a thorough investigation before jumping to conclusions."

Knock... knock... knock...

"Young Lady, breakfast is ready, and the family is waiting for you," the head maid’s voice filtered through the door, snapping Victoria from her tangled thoughts.

"I’ll be out soon," she responded, her voice sharp and clear. She gently placed the cat on the floor and made her way toward the bathroom.

Her mind, however, was already elsewhere....racing with thoughts about what was to come. Today marked the beginning fully. The start of her training. The first step into the academy. And more importantly, the beginning of her revenge.

’Everything she did yesterday had simply been to create an opportunity....an opening to get into the academy. That goal, at least, had been achieved.’

Her brothers had warned her, the heirs would make her training brutal. They would push her beyond her limits. That much, she believed. But they would also ensure she got into the academy. That was part of the punishment they wanted her to experience everything from within its walls. Even if she failed the tests, they would drag her in, just to watch her suffer.

Victoria already knew that much.

She couldn’t afford to stay within her family’s home alone if she truly wanted to succeed. No, she needed to walk into the lion’s den.

Once finished bathing, Victoria stepped out of the bathroom, toweling her silver hair, only to freeze mid-step.

The white cat was gone.

Again.

"What the hell..." she muttered, placing her hands on her waist with a deep scoff. "It disappeared... again?!"

Her thoughts began to race once more. The first time she had woken up, her jewelry had vanished and that was also the day the cat had first appeared. Then it had disappeared soon after. And now, the same thing had happened again, the jewelry gone. The cat gone.

"What’s going on here?" she murmured aloud. "Is it spiritual? Why is it that every time the cat shows up, the golden jewelry disappears?"

Her eyes narrowed, mind spinning with suspicion and half-formed theories.

Knock... knock... knock...

"Young Lady, please hurry up. Or do you need the servants to assist you?" the head maid called again, her voice polite but firm.

"I’m coming! I can manage myself," Victoria replied briskly, her tone more clipped than usual.

She quickly slid into a white dress. The color matched her pale silver hair, which she gathered neatly into a bun, pinning it in place with a gleaming silver hairpin. She then stood in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection.

She brushed her hand over her mother’s Jade pendant.

"Everything is gradually falling into place, Mom," she whispered, her voice soft and full of quiet resolve. A tear rolled down her cheek, unbidden, but she wiped it away before it could fall.

Then, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders, Victoria walked out of her room.

---

In the grand dining room of the Ashford mansion, the entire family was seated for breakfast. The long oak table was adorned with a spread of pancakes, honey, and slices of delicately slimed beef...a luxurious yet oddly chosen morning meal.

Victoria sat quietly at the far end of the table, just before Mirabel, who was eating her breakfast with tight, angry motions. Her expression was etched with visible irritation, her every glance in Victoria’s direction sharp and full of contempt. It was as if Victoria’s very presence in the room offended her. And of course it did.

After all, she hadn’t come willingly. She had been forced.

Callum, Theo, and Lucian sat together on one side of the table, speaking in hushed tones. Mr. Ashford and Mrs. Ashford were seated at opposite ends, facing each other with serene, if strained, civility. Only one family member was missing.

Damien.

But that wasn’t unusual. He was always absent, too busy with affairs at the Lycan Academy.

"Victoria," Mr. Ashford suddenly spoke, his voice deep but gentle, carrying a note of concern. "How are you feeling now? Are you well?"

Victoria turned to him, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Yes, Father. Much better now. All thanks to the doctor you invited last night. Honestly, it doesn’t even feel like I was ill at all."

Across the table, Mirabel scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, if anyone asked me, I’d say you got exactly what you deserved after throwing yourself at Darius like some desperate street girl. Kissing him at the academy, really? Didn’t know you made a habit of seducing every man you came across. Is that how you survived out there? Selling your body to powerful men night after night?"

The room fell into a stunned silence.

"Mirabel!" Callum finally snapped, his voice rising with fury. "How could you say something so vile about your own sister? What is wrong with you?"

"I should be asking all of you that question!" Mirabel shot back, her tone venomous. "You’re all acting like strangers. Since when did we start fawning over a filthy stray? One moment she’s a nobody off the streets, and now everyone treats her like royalty. What happened to the love you used to show me? Where did it all go?"

"Nothing is wrong with the family, Mirabel. The only thing that’s changed is you," Theo interjected calmly, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "What’s so wrong about showing a little kindness to your own sister? You act like she’s your enemy just because we didn’t leave her to rot. Honestly, sister... you’ve lost your mind."

"You....!" Mirabel began, rising from her seat in a sudden burst of rage.

"Enough, Mirabel!" Mr. Ashford’s voice boomed across the table, silencing her at once.

She froze but didn’t sit. Her eyes remained locked on Victoria, burning with raw, undisguised hatred.

’Victoria returned her gaze coolly, inwardly amused. She dares accuse me of selling my body," she thought, ’when she’s the one sneaking around at the academy like some common harlot. Should I expose her little secret and see how fast her mask falls off?

"Don’t pay her any mind," Mrs. Ashford said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Mirabel has always had trouble knowing when to hold her tongue." Then she arched a well-groomed brow at Victoria. "So... you kissed Darius?"

"No, Mother," Victoria replied quickly, forcing another polite smile. "It was a mistake. I didn’t even know he was one of the heirs. Everything happened so fast."

"A mistake, hmm?" Mirabel sneered, laughing coldly. "You can fool the rest of them, but not me. And let me tell you something....mistake or not, you’ve already dug your own grave."

She laughed again, high and cruel, but no one joined her. In fact, no one even looked in her direction. Every eye was focused on Victoria instead, making Mirabel seem more like a madwoman ranting in the corner than the once-favored daughter of the house.

"Well, I heard about your punishment from your brothers," Mr. Ashford said, returning the conversation to a calmer tone. "There’s no avoiding it...you will attend the Academy. Not when it was the three heirs who requested it."

Victoria nodded slowly, trying not to let her unease show.

"But I’ve already arranged for the best tutors in the city," Mr. Ashford continued with conviction. "If you dedicate yourself and listen to their guidance, I believe you’ll pass your upcoming test. You only have a week left to prepare, but I have faith in you."

"You need to clear your name not just at the Academy, but in the eyes of the citizens of this entire country. The scandal of a lowborn Omega kissing the number-one heir of Lycan Academy... it’s everywhere. Everyone is talking about it."

"The citizens?" Victoria’s eyes widened in disbelief. "This is... public?"

Mr. Ashford sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes. The news spread like wildfire. It’s already been plastered across the media."