Chapter 31 30
Soraya’s POV
“Aunt Ronnie is dead,” Dante said.
My eyes widened instantly. The room went silent for a minute. Everyone froze in disbelief.
Darius turned to him. “What rubbish are you talking about?”
Dante exhaled shakily. “Yes, that’s why I came here. But with all the commotion, I couldn’t say anything earlier. Aunt Ronnie passed away this morning.”
“What?” Mrs. Opaline's voice cracked. Her knees trembled as she sank into a nearby chair, placing one hand on her chest.
Sam quickly rushed to her side. “How? What happened?”
Dante swallowed. “According to what I heard… she had a heart attack.”
“A heart attack?” Mrs. Opaline echoed.
“Yes,” Dante said quietly, "Aunt Ronnie is gone.”
“What rubbish is this?!” Darius roared suddenly, his fangs already extending. “How can Aunt Ronnie be dead all of a sudden? And a heart attack? Has she ever had a heart attack before?”
“Well… she has…Once.” Mrs. Opaline's voice trembled.
Darius groaned loudly, running a hand through his hair. “Urgh!”
The sound of his growl made my skin crawl. I could feel his anger and grief too.
“We’ll go to the hospital later,” he said. “We’ll speak with the doctor, and get the full details. But for now…”
He turned slowly, his gaze landing on Emily.
“We still have something to handle.” His tone darkened. “Aunt Ronnie is dead, Emily. She raised you. And she’s gone.”
Emily’s lips parted, her eyes filled with tears.
Darius’ expression hardened. “I was supposed to send you back to her place… but she’s not there anymore.” He took a step closer. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to stay here.”
Emily froze, trembling. “D–Darius, please…”
“Look,” he snapped, “I don’t care what you say. You’re leaving this instant. You can’t be a poison in my household.”
“Darius,” Darius said, tears filling her eyes. “I really think you should calm down. I know what Emily did is despicable, and I am not on her side. But she just got the news about Aunt Ronnie. Aunt Ronnie was the one who raised Emily from when she was little. She’s like a mother to her. Please, just don’t be so harsh on her. She’s grieving.”
Then Mrs. Opaline turned to Irene. “Irene, take her back to her room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Irene replied softly, stepping forward to help Emily up.
I watched silently. Emily looked like someone who had been beaten up badly. Her skin was pale, her body shaking, her eyes empty. She looked nothing like the evil witch I knew.
As Irene guided her away, I swallowed hard.
I didn’t know who Aunt Ronnie was.
But judging from how everyone suddenly went quiet and how Darius’s anger seemed to crumble into silence, I understood she was dear to them.
Darius finally turned toward me. His voice was quieter now, “You should go upstairs and get some rest. Don’t think about what happened.”
He paused, rubbing his forehead. “School starts in two weeks,” he added, as if trying to shift his mind away from everything that had just happened.
I nodded slowly, watching him walk off. He looked exhausted. I didn’t say anything else. I just went back to my room.
Two weeks passed…
And today was my first day of school.
After the incident, the house had been gloomy. The first few days were the hardest; everyone moved like they were walking through fog. But little by little, the grief began to ease. Everyone started getting lively again.
I had already received my department list and handouts. Mondays meant black shirts and white skirts. It was a strict dress code—but the rest of the week, we could wear whatever we liked.
I was already dressed. The uniform looked so neat and expensive, it almost didn’t feel like it belonged to me. I smoothed down the fabric again, admiring how clean it looked in the mirror.
Combing my hair carefully, I took one last look at myself.
Then I picked up my bag, hung it over my shoulder, and made my way downstairs.
After breakfast, I was about to step out when Irene walked towards. “Miss, the Alpha has already left for work, so he can't drop you off.”
“You can’t go alone, Miss,” one of the maids said. “The driver will take you.”
I just nodded, relieved. Honestly, I didn’t mind. If Darius had been sitting beside me in the car, I probably would’ve been too conscious to breathe properly. Going with the driver was preferable.
Outside, the morning air was cool, with the scent of wet earth still fresh from the rain. The driver, a man with dark hair streaked with grey, maybe in his forties, stood in front of the car.
“Good morning, sir,” I greeted softly.
“Good morning, Miss,” he replied, smiling as he opened the car door. “Please get in. I’ll drop you off at school today.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly and got into the seat.
Sometimes, it still felt surreal being treated this way. Like I was living in someone else’s dream.
The car ride felt shorter than when Darius had driven me before. Maybe because this time, there was no awkward silence, stolen glances, and me blushing like an idiot.
When we finally arrived, I thanked him and stepped out. The school looked almost the same as before. I remembered the entrance, the tall pillars, and the scent of polished floors. It wasn’t hard to find my way in but I had no idea where my class was yet.
As I walked through the hallway, adjusting my bag strap, I suddenly heard a voice.
“Soraya!”
I froze and turned, my brows furrowing. Who knew my name here? Turning around, I saw no one. “Strange,” I muttered, then continued to walk into the hall.
But my name came again, clearer this time. “Soraya!”
I was so confused, wondering who it was. Just then, I felt a hand tapping my shoulder, causing me to turn and look at the person.
My eyes widened when I saw it was Carl.