CHAPTER 76: EXPOSED AGAIN!

"So what do I do now?" Angela asked, her voice low and shaky. She already knew it was a silly question, but her mind was spinning with fear. Before the coach reached her, she suddenly let out a loud cry and dropped to the ground, gripping both hands between her legs.

She stayed there, pretending to be in pain, hoping she could fix her mistake. Alex stood frozen for a second, too stunned by her act to say anything. But then he dropped to his knees and shouted, "We need a medic over here!"

He leaned closer and whispered, "You were a little late, but let’s see if they believe it."

Angela kept her eyes shut and forced herself to look like she was hurting. She stayed still as the medic team arrived with the coach and the referee. They all gathered around her, checking and asking questions.

As she lay on the grass, her senses began to play tricks on her. She could smell them—her mates. All four of them. But that wasn’t possible, right? It had to be in her head. Two of them were supposed to be busy with other girls. There was no way they had come because of her.

Then she opened her eyes, ready to tell the coach she was feeling better.

What she saw shocked her.

They were there. All four of them. Standing right in front of her, their faces full of worry. She almost closed her eyes again, pretending to still be hurt, but Renn caught her. He winked at her with a knowing smile that said he understood she was faking the whole thing.

Angela rolled her eyes and looked away, embarrassed. But their voices soon filled the air.

"If you’re not feeling well, then leave the pitch and rest," Kaito said. He sounded calm but serious. He had always been the quiet one, and since he knew what she had been through, maybe it made sense that he was this worried.

But Hiro?

"You shouldn’t play anymore. This isn’t good for you," he said as he bent down, trying to help her up.

Then came Taros, soft and concerned. "Are you hurting that much? Do you want me to do anything?" His voice was gentle and sweet, almost too sweet.

"I think he should man up and play with the rest of us," Renn added, still smiling as if the whole thing was funny. He looked down at her and added, "Right, Angel? You’re fine, aren’t you? Or do you want a replacement?"

"I think he’s hurt," Taros insisted, not backing down.

"No, I’m fine," Angela said quickly as she jumped to her feet. She didn’t want them hovering anymore. The way they all surrounded her like she had broken a leg made her nervous. It had never been like this before. But lately, the closer she got to her birthday, the stronger the bond seemed to grow. It was getting harder to hide.

"Are you sure?" Mr. Zack asked, eyeing the small boy in front of him with doubt.

"Yes, Mr. Coach," Angela replied with a firm nod.

A few people around her chuckled at the way she called him "Mr. Coach," but she didn’t care. She just wanted the moment to end.

The medic team moved away, followed by the Alphas. The referee raised his whistle and blew it, restarting the game.

This time, Angela decided to play with more care. She paid close attention to her body, every movement, every breath. It had been a fair game so far, and toward the end, a penalty was awarded. Her name was called.

She stepped forward, her heart racing. She took a deep breath, focused, and kicked.

The force that burst from her leg wasn’t normal. It felt just like it had during the obstacle test—the same strange energy rushing through her, almost like it didn’t belong to her.

The ball flew straight into the net, smooth and fast, while the goalkeeper dove in the opposite direction.

Then came the explosion of sound.

"Goallllll!" the audience roared.

Angela stood there, stunned. She knew she was good at football, but not like this. Not this powerful. Her teammates rushed to her, shouting, laughing, hugging her in excitement.

But Alex stepped back, raising his hands.

"No hugs. It’s not good for your health," he said.

Angela smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. He was protecting her, in his own quiet way.

After that goal, something in her shifted. She became faster, sharper. She moved like lightning across the pitch. It was almost impossible to dribble past her. She didn’t just hold the line—she owned it.

And she didn’t stop at one goal. She scored four more before the final whistle blew.

Even after the match, the energy stayed with her. It didn’t fade away like before. She still felt it during the celebration, still felt it in her bones. It was strange, but she liked it.

"You did so well out there," Stales said as he rushed into her arms, barely hiding his joy. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, buddy," Angela said, laughing as she patted his back. For the first time since she entered the Academy, she was in the spotlight for something good. It felt like a dream.

"Congratulations, Alex," Stales added, pulling away from her and giving Alex a quick hug before they both walked over to where the coach stood.

Angela was about to join the rest of the team when a student came to her with a message.

"The principal is asking for you."

Angela stopped, surprised. She nodded slowly, her heart already picking up speed. Even though it was just the principal, something about it sent a cold shiver down her spine. She turned—and there they were. Miss Valois standing beside Mr. Slade.

Angela took a deep breath.

If this had anything to do with Evan Thatcher’s case, then Mr. Slade was clearly back to playing the villain. He had taken the case so personally that she was beginning to wonder if there was something deeper going on. Was he involved somehow?

No. That couldn’t be. Alex had said the reason he was acting like this was because of his hatred for Kaito and Taros.

.

Miss Valois stood tall in her usual black suit, though today she wore trousers instead of a skirt. The outfit clung to her curves in a way that couldn’t go unnoticed. Angela couldn’t help but wonder if Renn had ever been involved with someone like her.

She wouldn’t even blame him if he had. Miss Valois was beautiful. Too beautiful. Her presence was strong, and there was something about her that pulled attention. Any man would want her. But that would be breaking the rules. Relationships between students and staff were strictly forbidden.

"Angel, how are you?" Principal Valois asked softly, her small smile graceful, her shoulders straight, standing like a model ready for a photo.

"I... I’m fine. Good afternoon, Principal," Angela answered quickly, forcing her voice to stay deep and steady, like a boy’s. She didn’t want the principal to notice anything strange. But what if she already knew?

No. That wasn’t possible. Not unless her old principal had exposed her.

"How are you finding the Academy? I hope the Alphas aren’t giving you too much trouble?" Miss Valois asked, her tone still gentle.

Before Angela could speak, Mr. Slade cut in, cold and sharp. "I think it’s the other way around. She’s the one terrorizing the junior students."

Miss Valois turned to him with a frown. "Why are you speaking for her?" Her tone made it clear she didn’t want his interruption. She looked back at Angela. "I want to speak with you privately. Can we walk for a moment?"

Angela’s heart skipped. Something about her tone didn’t feel casual. She nodded and followed quietly as they walked away from the others. Her eyes drifted back and met the bitter frown on Mr. Slade’s face.

She didn’t understand him. He was young and handsome, yet he always looked angry, like the world had done him wrong. Why couldn’t he smile for once?

"You play football very well," Miss Valois said as they walked. "Are you also good at combat? Or swimming?"

Angela blinked, unsure of what to say. Swimming too? That was new. "No. I’m terrible at everything else except football and racing."

"I see," the woman replied. Then she stopped walking and turned around slowly. The warm smile on her face faded away. Her eyes locked on Angela with a sharpness that made her feel exposed. "You’re also good at lying."

Angela froze. Her chest tightened. Her heart thumped wildly. Blood rushed to her ears. She could barely breathe.

"What?" she whispered, barely able to form the word.

"Why did you lie and pretend to be a boy to get into this Academy?" Miss Valois asked, her voice no longer soft.

Angela took a step back. Her head spun. Her secret... it was out.

How? When did the principal find out?

She couldn’t speak. Her whole body shook. She could feel her knees weaken, and her thoughts scattered like pieces of broken glass.

"Do you know the punishment for something like that, girl?" Miss Valois snapped, her voice now raised and filled with authority.