h4Chapter 165: Was This Love?/h4

    The dull sound of the car filled her ears as her mind drifted away, heavy with thoughts of the changes that had shaken her life. She could not stop thinking. Marcus was her father? The thought did not sit well with her, and it tore at her heart.

    Ang had always dreamed of finding out who her father was, whether he was alive or dead, and if alive, to meet him and his family, to know where she truly came from. But now that she had discovered she was from the Malynster bloodline, all of that longing had vanished. She wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

    "I am so d Marcus had to leave. He said it was urgent," Stales finally broke the silence. He couldn’t stand Marcus any longer. "Who knows what would have happened if he stayed?"

    "I was afraid he and Hiro might fight," Samuel said as his eyes moved to Hiro, who was driving. His face showed how upset he was with the whole situation. "Do you really think he’s Ang’s father?"

    Hiro did not reply. He already knew the truth, but he could also feel how much Ang was struggling with it. When he nced at the rearview mirror, he saw her sitting quietly at the back, her head leaning against the window. The sight of her like that made his chest ache. She didn’t deserve this pain. Neither of her parents deserved her.

    "We need to get to the party on time," Samuel said, changing the subject after Hiro stayed quiet. They had received Taros’ message earlier to meet at a famous restaurant. "He went all out. He booked the entire ce."

    "I still wonder how Miss Valois knew we were gone," Stales hissed, turning away. Then he noticed how unusually quiet Ang had been. "Hey... are you okay?"

    Ang didn’t answer. She was lost in her own thoughts until Stales tapped her, pulling her back. She looked at him with confusion, wondering what was wrong.

    "Have we reached the party already?" she asked, her hand moving toward the seatbelt.

    "No... not yet, buddy," Stales stopped her gently, his voice filled with concern. "I just wanted to know if you’re alright."

    "Oh," she tried to force a small smile, but it did not reach her eyes. "I’m fine, Stales. Thank you foring with me."

    "It’s nothing. And if you ever want to talk about Marcus, don’t hold back. I’ll listen."

    She nodded softly and leaned against the window again, hiding behind her silence. The ridested less than fifteen minutes, and Ang stepped out as soon as the car stopped. Stales and Samuel tried to lighten her mood, throwing small jokes as they walked toward the building, but nothing seemed to reach her.

    Hiro, however, saw through it. He stopped her before they could go in, his eyes searching hers. He could feel her pain, and it weighed on him too. "Do you want us to talk?" he asked quietly, his voice heavy with care.

    "Yes," Ang said as she stood and faced him, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I didn’t know I would feel like this after meeting my father. I actually thought he was dead, and even if I found him, it would only be to know who he was, which pack he came from, and why he never came back for me."

    "I understand, dear," Hiro said softly, watching her. He wanted to reach out and touch her face, but he held back, not when she was trying to open up her heart. "You thought he was gone all your life, and now suddenly this man you don’t even like shows up and ims to be your father. That is a lot to take in, Angel. It’s too much."

    "Exactly. I can’t even bring myself to call him my father because I don’t feel good about him," Ang said, her voice breaking as tears formed in her eyes. She could no longer hold them back.

    "If you don’t feel right about it, then don’t tell him," Hiro said, stepping closer. He lifted her chin gently with his hand, forcing her eyes to meet his.

    "I don’t want him," she whispered, the tears finally rolling down her cheeks.

    "Then that’s fine. Whatever you wish for, my dear," he said, pulling her into his arms. Silence followed as she cried against him, wishing the truth about her father was only a nightmare she could wake up from. Hiro’s voice was low and tender as he tried tofort her. "Please stop crying, Angel. You’re making me sad too."

    "I’m sorry," Ang said as she pulled away from his embrace. She wiped her tears quickly and forced augh. "I won’t cry again... see, I’m stopping already."

    "Good," Hiro said, brushing her cheek with his thumb before letting go. "I want you to know that if you don’t want something, I will never let anyone force you. You’ll have your choice, always."

    "Yes, Hiro," Ang said, holding his hands tightly. His words made her feel lighter, safer. She wondered how he managed to ease her pain so easily when he had suffered so much himself. "Thank you. I’m really d I have you."

    "Are you sure?" His brow lifted as he teased her, and she nodded quickly.

    "Then let’s go inside and celebrate your day," he said.

    Ang took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She held on to his arm as they walked side by side into the building. A thought crossed her mind as she wondered how Taros and his team had managed to secure the ce so quickly. Miss Valois would surely be speechless when she arrived, because this would prove her suspicions wrong.

    "Marcus said something about the principal’s son. Do you have any idea what he meant?" Ang asked as they climbed the stairs together.

    "No, I don’t," Hiro answered.

    "I don’t believe him," she muttered with certainty. "I think he’s lying."

    "No, he is not. I managed to get into Eliza’s mind," Hiro said as he stopped walking. He turned and looked at her shocked face. She was speechless, almost certain he hadn’t done it. "It was brief so that no one would notice. Eliza is afraid of Marcus, and I think we should be too. We must be very careful when dealing with him."

    Ang nodded slowly. That was her father. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, his blood still ran in her veins.

    "What they said about Miss Valois is true, dear. But she was shocked to find out you are Marcus’ daughter. She lied to us from the very beginning. She knew he had a child but wasn’t sure if it was a girl or a boy."

    "So Miss Valois has a son in the academy that she didn’t want anyone to know about," Ang said, her hands tightening on Hiro’s arm as they began to walk again. When they reached the door and stepped inside, her eyes widened at the sight before her.

    Both Alex and Taros were busy arranging things. The room was decorated in pink, almost like a Barbie’s birthday. Ang’s lips parted in surprise.

    "Wow," Hiro muttered, equally taken aback. Taros had gone overboard this time. He could see the delight on Ang’s face, and though she was impressed, Hiro felt a sting of jealousy. Everyone seemed to be doing something special for her—Renn had taken her to a dinner date, Kaito had thrown her a party at the bunkhouse, and now Taros had decorated this ce. All Hiro could think was that he had done nothing like this for her.

    "Hey Ang," Taros dropped what he was doing and walked toward her. "How are you feeling?"

    Hiro watched as Ang let go of his arm and hugged Taros. For a moment, his heart bled, but he stayed silent. He thought tonight might turn into chaos, that Ang might end up angry. He was about to turn away when she broke from the hug and slipped her hand back through his arm.

    A smile tugged at his lips. His heart began to pound so hard he thought it might stop if it slowed down. Ang leaned her head gently against him while Taros returned to his work.

    Hiro wanted to lean into her warmth, but he didn’t. His heart was beating too fast, and he was afraid she would notice and ask why. Was this love? Was this what it felt like?