Chapter 60 Serena

I take out my phone and dial a number.

“Miss Jones,” Father’s henchman says on the other side of the phone, “What an honor! How can I help you?”

What a hypocritical kiss-ass.

“I was just roaming around the streets today. You know, shopping with my friend.” I get back inside the car with Kate. “I just noticed that there is a cafe, called the Moonlit Cafe?”

“Oh yes, I know that one. What’s the matter with it?”

“It’s just, they illegally hired a werewolf girl. And the food is just awful. I even went into their kitchen and I saw rats. I may need you to shut this place down. You are in charge of managing the businesses in town, right?” Kate giggles beside me.

“Yes… yes, Miss Jones, I’m in charge of the business… stuff in town, and my superior works directly under your father.”

“It just worries me so much that the townspeople are eating in a filthy environment like that. One of my friends suggested I go there, and guess what?”

“Wh-what?” His voice is getting nervous.

“It disgusted me!” I shout into the phone, “Imagine if I bought a cake, and gave it to my father? What if he got food poisoning? Do you think you’d be able to keep your position then?”

“I’m terribly sorry about this. No one reported this to me! Alright, Miss Jones, I’ll look into it and see what I can do.”

I hang up the phone and feel a great deal of satisfaction. There is no way that the princess of the werewolves can be allowed to work there. In fact, I’ll let every shop owner know that it’s against my will to allow her to work anywhere!

We arrive at the fancy upper side of the town, near the Mayor’s Residence, in the suburb where Kate and I grew up. No werewolves in their right mind would dare to come here. We enter a lavish restaurant and start to order.

“What is it with your hatred towards that wolf girl anyway?” Kate curiously asks me, “Come on. You’ve never told me! You aren't this extreme with other werewolves.”

“I prefer not to say.” Kate and I are close friends. But we aren’t close enough to share this kind of stuff. I prefer not to share what I truly feel with anyone.

“Oh my gosh Serena! I even forgave you for not letting me have Ethan! And I still gave you the key to the Burton House!”

Kate isn’t angry, she’s never shown me that side of herself. She’s always been a good and useful friend, so far.

“Alright. But you won’t tell anyone else.”

She gestures zipping her mouth closed.

“I have reason to believe that my father has a special feeling towards that royal family.”

“What do you mean?” Kate widens her eyes.

“I’m not quite sure. But I think the hatred my father feels towards me has something to do with that wolf girl. Maybe he hates me because I’m not a werewolf. You know, since he’s such a big fan of them.” This embarrassing fact annoys me even more when I visit my friends in the City of Morrow. They secretly think my father is a coward.

“That’s total nonsense! Your father doesn’t hate you! And how could he hate you simply because you’re a human?”

“I don’t want to believe it either!” I cry, “But look what I just found.” I take the locket out and open it up. “I have a theory that this necklace belonged to a woman my father loved. I’m not sure if it belonged to my mom. I’ll pay her a visit in the city soon and ask her.”

The strange man in the picture in the locket is smiling beautifully. And he seems to be looking over at someone. Who’s lover could he be? Only the other half of the old photo has the answer. But my instinct tells me that my mom won’t know either. My mom and dad got divorced a long time ago. And my mother nearly died when she gave birth to me. That’s another good reason for dad to hate me. It’s nice to stay with my mom once in while. But she’s too busy as well, even busier than Dad. Their careers are the most important things in their lives. I’ve known that since I was little.

“What do you intend to do with the key anyway?”

“I don’t know. That house terrifies me. The Burtons are a group of dangerous people.” I haven’t seen one, but the description of them already frightens me. They apparently have a habit of drinking werewolf blood. I mean, what on earth is up with that?

“Did you hear about the event?”

“What event?’

“The ball! My mom and dad both went.”

“I have no idea. My dad tells me nothing.”

“The ball was for celebrating the first-ever killing of a Burton. The Authority tried three methods on one of them, called Henry Burton. For the normal kill, I heard they demanded an imprisoned werewolf to carry out the attack, then a Gem Burn, and the final attempt killed him. They hired an assassin and cut his heart out. He was dead in an hour.”

“So they can be killed.” They aren’t so untouchable after all.

Then I realize, “Where did they kill him? Not in the mansion?”

“It was precisely in the mansion.”

“So the body is still there?”

“Maybe. You could pay them a visit if you are curious. You have the key anyway.”

“I don’t know. I’ll think it over.”

My driver enters in the restaurant. He says he has something urgent to tell me and requests privacy. “We can talk here. Kate is not an outsider.” But the driver insists.

I stand up and leave the table displaying with a whole bunch of fine food and drinks.

I follow him outside the restaurant, “What is so urgent? Why can’t it wait until after I finish my dinner?’

“It’s the guard. The one securing the basement.”

My body suddenly stiffens. Did he find out that I took the gem?

“He says he needs to talk to you, immediately.” He gives me his phone.

“Hello?” I find that my voice begins to waver.

“Miss Jones. I know you took the gem.”

“I…” My mind goes blank.

“Now is not the time to feel sorry. The gem is gone.”

“It’s not gone. It’s in my bedroom,” I embarrassingly acknowledge my guilt.

“I know. It was in your bedroom. But it’s gone now. The safe in the room is empty now. Someone has stolen it.”