Later That Day – At School... It was closing time, and Maria walked out of the classroom with her friends, heading toward the waiting cars.
Cassandra left first, sprinting toward her car as her driver sped off.
Maria turned to leave when Laura gently grabbed her hand. Her eyes were filled with concern.
"Please, be careful. Don’t trust too easily or go anywhere alone. I have a bad feeling... like the man who tried to attack us this morning was actually after you. I don’t know why, but something just feels off," Laura warned her.
Maria gave a small smile, appreciating the concern. "Alright. Thank you so much. See you tomorrow."
She watched Laura enter her car before getting into her own. As the car drove off, her heart sank. She was scared. Really scared.
’Who wants me dead? Why? What could they possibly want from me?’ she thought, worry clouding her mind.
After about fifteen minutes, the car pulled up at the house. Maria stepped out and walked inside, only to find the house quiet. None of the family members were around—just the guards she’d seen outside.
Curious, she stepped back out and approached one of them.
"Good afternoon, miss. How may I assist you?" the guard asked with a polite smile.
"Do you know where everyone went?" she asked gently, keeping her tone casual.
"Everyone left for different reasons. But the boss and Mr. Bernard went out this morning in separate cars. Mrs. Victoria left about fifty minutes ago," he explained respectfully.
Maria nodded and thanked him before returning inside. She picked up her bag and climbed the stairs to her room. She paused by Bernard’s door—it was locked.
Loneliness pressed down on her. The house felt too empty.
She sank onto her bed, overwhelmed by fatigue and solitude. Memories of her parents crept into her mind, haunting and vivid.
**Flashback** Maria had walked toward her parents’ room one evening when she overheard them speaking softly.
"Catherine, these are all the files to everything we own—as a family and individually. Keep them safe for Maria," her father said, handing the documents to her mother.
Her mother looked surprised. "Why are you giving me all this?"
noveldrama "Because I trust you more than anyone. You’ve never failed me. I’m entrusting you with our life’s work—and Maria’s future. If anything happens to us, these files are all she’ll have."
From the doorway, Maria watched as her mother got up and walked over to the safe hidden beneath the bed—something Maria had never known about. Her mother carefully placed the files inside and covered it again. Her father fell quiet. Her mother noticed the shift in his mood.
"Jackson, you look worried. What’s wrong?" she asked, her eyes searching his.
"I’m scared for you and Maria. We have too many enemies. I don’t care what happens to me—I just want both of you safe."
"I know, but worrying won’t fix it. Maybe it’s time Maria knows the truth about herself," her mother replied, squeezing his hand.
"I’m thinking of a solution in the middle of my worry," her father said. "When the time is right, she’ll know everything."
"But why hasn’t Maria transformed into her werewolf form yet?" her mother asked quietly.
"She’s special. Not like others. I believe she’ll bring blessings to us someday."
Maria stood there, her heart pounding.
’What are they hiding from me? What makes me special?’ she wondered, as their voices echoed in her mind.
Moments later, she made herself visible, pretending she’d just come out of her room and calling out to them from the hallway...