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Shani was genuinely amazed to realize just how much space Nyx needed to burn off her energy. Her dorm room was actually larger than the apartment room, but it was filled with furniture.

’Jeryon already moved to the tenth floor. He mentioned that the rooms up there are huge...’

Shani turned to look at Nyx, who was meowing in protest. ”Do you want to move into your father’s room?”

But then Shani shook her head. ’Not yet. The Ashbournes know about my beast gene now, but I’m still not sure what their move will be. Until then, Nyx has to stay with me.’

Just as Shani was wondering what steps the Ashbournes would take to claim her, she spotted a familiar middle-aged woman standing near the academy gates: Emilia Falkner.

Shani pulled out her student badge and hurried toward the side gate, but the woman recognized her instantly and stepped into her path.

”Shani, can we talk?” she asked, her voice dripping with artificial warmth, a tone that felt entirely unnatural coming from her.

”Who are you?” Shani asked in a distant, guarded tone.

Emilia didn’t scoff or fly into a rage like her daughter. Instead, she maintained a soft, practiced smile.

”I am Emilia Falkner, Matriarch of House Ashbourne, and mother to Vivienne, whom you turned away yesterday morning.”

Emilia waited for a response, but Shani remained silent, fixing her with an impatient stare.

”It seems you harbor some misunderstandings about the Ashbournes because of Nora. I can assure you that we have no intention of helping to bail Nora out, so there is no need to be so defensive.”

”What I wish to discuss is an entirely different matter. Perhaps Vivienne mentioned something to you this morning...”

”You are one of us, Shani. You are an Ashbourne. And the Family Head is more than willing to welcome you officially into House Ashbourne.”

Emilia offered a beaming smile, trying her absolute best to appear enthusiastic.

Shani’s expression relaxed slightly, but she didn’t return the smile. Instead, she stared back with complete indifference. ”And?”

”And?” Emilia echoed reflexively, her tone laced with confusion.

Naturally, she was baffled by Shani’s utter lack of interest. Still, as the matriarch of a prestigious house, she was far more composed than her daughter.

She quickly smoothed her features back into a warm smile.

”So, I would like to invite you to the mansion. There, you can meet the Family Head and the rest of your relatives. Though Vivienne may seem cold on the outside, she is actually very—”

”None of that has anything to do with me,” Shani interrupted, scratching her ear as if trying to wipe away an unpleasant noise.

Emilia’s lips twitched, her fake smile nearly cracking under the strain.

”It seems you didn’t hear me clearly, Shani—”

”My hearing is fine. I heard every word clearly,” Shani cut in again. ”If anyone here is deaf, it’s you.”

Without waiting for a response, Shani turned on her heel and strode into the academy grounds.

Emilia stood frozen in disbelief. ”That wretched brat needs to be taught a lesson,” she hissed under her breath.

Vivienne stepped out of the luxury car. ”Mom, did she just blow you off? I told you, she’s insufferably arrogant!”

Emilia was already nursing a headache, and hearing Vivienne’s whining only made her head throb harder.

”Spend this weekend in the dorms. I’ll report everything to your father first,” Emilia said, stepping back into the car.

”Mom, are you leaving me behind?” Vivienne grabbed the car door.

”It’s already Sunday. Classes resume tomorrow anyway. You can come home next weekend,” Emilia replied, pulling the door shut.

The hovercar sped away, leaving Vivienne behind, seething with rage.

...

Throughout the weekend, Dominic Ashbourne had stayed at the mansion awaiting Shani’s arrival.

While Vivienne’s attempt had failed, he had been confident that Emilia’s silver tongue would successfully bring the girl back.

Unfortunately, Emilia returned home completely alone, a crestfallen expression on her face.

”My Lord, it seems House Kestrel got to her first and whispered poison in her ear about us,” Emilia blurted out quickly, desperate to head off her husband’s wrath.

Dominic slammed his fist onto the desk with a deafening THUD that echoed across the second floor.

He slumped back in his chair, suppressing the urge to berate Emilia as he pondered the likelihood of her claim.

”The wretched girl refused to yield?” he demanded.

Emilia nodded her head. ”She was utterly arrogant and openly looked down on House Ashbourne. She likely already knows about her inheritance. The Kestrels must have persuaded her to ignore us.”

Dominic nodded slowly. There was no reason for a penniless orphan to reject a noble house unless another powerful family had tipped her off.

”I never expected their feud with House Corvus to deteriorate so badly that they’d stoop to chasing a child’s inheritance,” Dominic sneered, blissfully hypocritical to the fact that he was attempting the exact same thing.

”But how did the Kestrels find out about Shani? Was it back when she was still in Zephyria?” Emilia asked in confusion. She had merely thrown out an excuse on the fly, never expecting Dominic to buy into it so readily.

”There is a member of the Kestrel family in Feline Tower, a first-year as well,” Dominic answered calmly.

Emilia gasped. She had completely forgotten about that.

”Then what should we do? We can’t possibly let Shani’s inheritance fall into the hands of the Kestrels,” Emilia pressed, steering the conversation back to the core issue.

”Of course not. Shani is a Night Panther. Like it or not, she remains part of the Ashbourne bloodline,” Dominic said, a sinister glint in his eyes.

Emilia’s eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly. ”Right. Even the Grand Academy cannot intervene in private family matters.”

A moment later, a venomous smile curled on her lips. She hadn’t forgotten Shani’s brazen insolence. Once the girl was within their grasp, she would tear her down piece by piece.

Emilia was about to head to her bedroom to change when a knock sounded at the door of Dominic’s study.

Since she was standing right by the door on her way out, Emilia pulled it open.

She froze instantly. Kneeling on the floor directly outside was a middle-aged woman wearing a maid’s uniform.

”Lady Emilia, please save my Nora!”

...