CHAPTER 40: MEETING THE RICH BRATS.

The next day arrived swiftly, the morning sun casting golden rays across Victoria’s face. A deep frown formed on her brows as she stirred awake, her expression quickly twisting into one of irritation. She could feel a heavy weight pressing down on her stomach.

It was Mirabel, sprawled out in the worst sleeping posture imaginable. One of her legs was draped over Victoria’s stomach, pinning her in place, while her head had somehow slipped off the pillow and now dangled downward off the bed. A small line of drool glistened at the corner of her mouth.

"What an ungodly posture for a lady," Victoria muttered to herself with a scoff, her voice thick with sleep and disapproval. Without the slightest concern for where it would land, she pushed Mirabel’s leg away and sat up, brushing imaginary dust off her silk nightwear.

She swung her feet onto the floor and stood, stretching briefly before making her way toward the bathroom to begin her morning routine. As she stepped inside...

"Meow~"

A familiar sound echoed from within.

Victoria paused and blinked. Sitting ever so regally on the edge of the bathtub was the white cat she had started seeing recently.

"Oh my goodness. You’re here again, Golden?" she whispered in exasperation as she slipped into the bathroom and immediately locked the door behind her...just in case Mirabel barged in. She advanced toward the feline, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Without hesitation, she picked up the cat, cradling it in her arms as she stared directly into its eyes.

"Just how do you keep getting in here? Where on earth are you sneaking in from, huh?" she demanded, her tone half-playful, half-accusatory.

"Meow~"

"You’re driving me absolutely mad, Golden. Do you know that?" she said, narrowing her gaze again. But something in the cat’s eyes suddenly gave her pause.

They gleamed...hypnotic, almost magnetic. Like small glass orbs reflecting more than just her own face. No... there was something embedded inside them.

Her eyes widened.

"Wait a second... aren’t those my missing pieces of jewelry?" she gasped, leaning closer. "Are you....have you been stealing them?"

"Meow~"

The sound came again, eerily nonchalant.

Before Victoria could react further...

Knock knock knock!

"Victoria? What are you doing in there? Hurry up and come out already!" came Mirabel’s voice from the other side of the door, sounding impatient. "We need to start getting ready. One of my friends is having a party at their house today. We’ll attend that instead of going shopping. So don’t take all morning in there!"

Victoria blinked as the voice snapped her back into reality.

"I’m coming. I’m just having my bath," she called out quickly.

But as she turned back to the cat...

It vanished.

No...it didn’t just disappear. It sank into the locket around her neck. Her heart dropped as she instinctively grabbed at the necklace, trembling fingers unclasping it. She held it up, staring into the pendant with dread swirling in her chest.

Inside the locket, a strange miniature scene unfolded. There, beside what looked like a tiny replica of her house, sat Golden the cat. Piled next to it were all the missing items..rings, necklaces, bracelets...all the gold jewelry she had believed lost. And then, as she watched in stunned silence, the cat opened its mouth and spat out a few more gleaming items before slinking off into a shadowed corner... a second chamber she hadn’t noticed before.

"No way..." Victoria breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "That second storage space... I never saw it. Because it’s inside the cat. Inside Golden’s stomach?!"

Her voice trembled now, a mixture of disbelief and awe painted across her face.

Knock knock knock!

"Come on, Victoria! I’m already dressed!" Mirabel’s voice came again, louder and more insistent this time.

Victoria quickly snapped out of her daze and, without thinking, clasped the locket back around her neck.

"I’m coming," Victoria replied to Mirabel, her voice sharp yet calm, before stepping into the tub to have her bath. As she lowered herself into the warm water, her thoughts drifted.

"Since the cat came from my mother’s locket, then it must have a purpose," she muttered under her breath, staring up at the ceiling. "I’ll deal with that mystery when I return."

****

Victoria soon stepped out of her room, fully dressed. She wore a blue floral knee-length gown that hugged her figure just right, paired with sleek black heels that clicked softly against the floor. Her hair was pulled back into a neat, elegant bun, fastened with a jeweled hairpin that shimmered subtly under the morning light.

She had been informed that Mirabel was already waiting in the car, so without further delay, she made her way outside and climbed into the sleek black vehicle. The door clicked shut just as the engine purred to life, and the car began moving.

"What took you so long?" Mirabel asked after a few moments of silence. Although her tone was measured, the underlying irritation was clear...thinly veiled behind an attempt at calm.

Victoria offered a warm smile, choosing to ignore the sharpness in Mirabel’s voice. "I had to dress appropriately. You mentioned we’re now attending a birthday party instead of just going shopping."

Mirabel rolled her eyes but returned a tight smile....one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Yes, but we’re still going shopping after the party," she said with forced cheerfulness.

"Okay then." Victoria nodded, letting out a small sigh as she turned her gaze to the window, watching the streets blur past.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of a massive mansion. The building stood tall and elegant, painted in shades of white and rich chocolate brown. Its towering structure gave it a commanding presence, almost as though it reached for the sky. From outside the gates, the thump of bass-heavy music, overlapping chatter, and bursts of laughter echoed outward.

It’s a pool party, Victoria realized as she caught sight of the sparkling blue water, partygoers splashing around and sipping drinks under umbrella-covered lounges.

"Let’s go inside now," Mirabel said, grabbing Victoria’s hand and pulling her forward with urgency. "We’ll get dressed into swimwear or you can just head inside and grab a drink if you’d prefer."

"Oh, I’ll love that," Victoria replied gratefully. A quiet space with a drink sounded much better than parading around in a swimsuit.

Mirabel nodded approvingly and continued forward with confident steps. Victoria followed closely behind. As the front doors of the mansion swung open, a rush of noise greeted them...throbbing music, laughter, and the unmistakable energy of a party in full swing.

Victoria took a deep breath.

Now that she was here, she wasn’t so sure stepping into the house was a good idea. Something about it made her skin prickle. Maybe it was the crowd, or maybe... something else. But she wanted to be alone. Perhaps she could find an empty room to retreat to and gather her thoughts. Besides, the fact that Mirabel hadn’t objected to her going inside seemed odd. Suspicious, even.

She probably has something planned. Victoria mused as she stepped through the threshold.

Her eyes scanned the space quickly, and she made her way over to the bar area where an empty seat beckoned. She sat down, adjusting her dress gracefully, her eyes still scanning the room for anything unusual.

"What would you like to drink, ma’am?" came a smooth male voice.

Victoria looked up to see a guy standing behind the bar, dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored black trousers. A neat black tie was knotted at his throat, and his black curly hair framed his youthful face. When he smiled, deep dimples appeared on both cheeks, giving him a friendly...almost boyish charm.

"Just a soft drink, please. Fanta. I don’t like alcohol," Victoria said with a warm but polite smile.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, chuckling lightly. "Oh, that’s new. A soon-to-be student of the Lycan Academy who doesn’t drink? Interesting." He smiled wider. "I’m Joe, by the way."

Victoria narrowed her eyes.

’No one asked for your name.’ she thought to herself.

She let out a small scoff under her breath.

"And who said I’m a soon-to-be student of the academy?" she asked with subtle suspicion.

Joe merely shrugged, casually reaching for a glass. "Well, only students of the Lycan Academy were invited to this party. And the whole internet is buzzing about you kissing Alpha Darius. Word spreads fast, especially with bold moves like that. I’d already decided I’d talk to you any day I see you."

As he spoke, he dropped ice cubes into a clean glass, then poured in the orange soda before handing it to her.

Victoria accepted the drink, her expression unreadable. "I see..." she murmured, letting out a quiet scoff.

But just as she lifted the glass to her lips...

CRACK!

A hand shot out of nowhere and slapped the drink from her hand, sending the glass crashing to the ground in a burst of orange liquid and shattered pieces.

Gasps echoed.

"And what is this bitch doing at my birthday party?!" came a loud, venomous female voice from behind her.

The room seemed to go still, the energy shifting instantly as every eye turned toward the source of the outburst.