Eating alone.
Same thing he had done for the best part of his life. He was supposed to be used to it by now but why did it feel so strange? Angelo played with his food, he wasn't sure he could remember what to do with it. He had barely had an appetite or the ability to think straight since after what he witnessed. He slowly turned to the empty seat across his.

It had been three days since he witnessed Anna's transition. Three days since he last saw her. It was obvious Anna was avoiding him. She wouldn't even know what to say if she saw him that moment, she wouldn't know how to answer the tons of questions he was going to ask. She didn't want to see the look of fear or disgust in his eyes when he saw her. She knew he had a lot of questions to ask. He was still shaken by what he saw but he could only ask those questions if she left her room for a second.

Anna had locked herself in and she barely had anything to eat. Angelo sighed, images of what happened pushing themselves back to his memory again, it was really exhausting and traumatic. He buried his head in his hands when he heard the door bell ring.

The butler came rushing in after three minutes.

"Mr Trusk?"

He looked up. The butler was standing right there.

"I'm sorry to bother you but there are some people here for Mrs Trusk. And they are insisting on seeing her."

Angelo's eyebrows furrowed.

"Really?"

"I'm afraid yes, sir."

"Well did they say who they were?"

"Her parents sir."

"Oh." Angelo said. Anna had parents? He had no idea Anna had any parents? Last he heard, her parents were killed by humans, was he referring to her foster human parents? He got up slowly.

"I'd take it from here. Thank you Sebastian."

The butter nodded and then walked away.

Angelo cleaned his face with his hands quickly, like he could brush off the confusion on it and then took deep breaths. He walked out of the large room, taking his time as he approached the door to the living room.

"I'm sorry but Mrs Trusk can't see anyone right now." He heard whispers and he recognized whose voice it was immediately. It was Shinks.

"What do you mean she can't see anyone? We are her parents."

"Yes I know but she's not well enough. She's sick and has requested that we forbid anyone from bothering her."

"Well you tell Anna to come down here because we aren't leaving without talking to her."

They all turned as soon as they heard his footsteps.

"Is everything alright here?" Angelo walked in, narrowing his gaze Shink.

Shink swallowed hard, trying to talk but the fat woman beside the really skinny man pushed him aside just so she could get Angelo's attention. He almost fell into one of the chairs if not for his strong stamina.

"You must be Anna's husband."
Angelo turned to the woman with a British accent and freckles all over her chubby cheeks. She shone her teeth so brightly as she stretched her hand for a shake.

"We've heard so much about you."

Of course they did, seeing that they never came for her wedding. Angelo slowly reached for her hands and shook them, trying to be as polite as possible.

"I'm Veronica Walter and this is my husband," She gestured her husband to come closer and he did. "Billy."

Angelo turned to the man in a red Trashers t-shirt tucked into his faded jeans. They exchanged handshakes.

"We are Anna's parents." He continued.

"Oh." Angelo was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure he knew if there was much to say.

"I tried to explain to them that Anna wasn't too well to take any visitors right now." Shink told him.

"We just want to check on our baby, see how she's doing. We flew all the way from the UK you see," Angelo turned to the woman as she spoke, her warm hands wrapped around his, still maintaining the smile on her face.

"Sir Angelo, I really think this is a bad idea."

Angelo turned to Shink. He was insisting.

"I don't think Anna would like to see them right now." He whispered for only Angelo to hear.

"It's okay Shink."
They all turned to the door immediately.

Anna was standing right there looking as pale as ever. She was downstairs for the first time in three days? How on earth did she know? She had a blanket wrapped around her skin and had the dullest eyes Angelo had ever seen. It looked like she had been crying for days. She looked so weak as she managed to walk towards them, she wasn't still over all the body pains and cold. They usually lasted a week, would have never happened if she didn't have those damn bracelets on. She walked past Angelo without looking at him, without saying a word to him.

It was almost like she didnt know he was there. For someone who had seen her parents for the first time in a long time, Anna wasn't the least bit excited.

Veronica and Billy werent exactly the best foster parents in the world, obviously.

"Anna," The smile on Veronica's face twitched a bit as she turned to face Anna.

Anna scowled. She tuned back slightly to Angelo and Shink.

"Could you please excuse us?" She asked politely.

"A-are you sure?" Shink had to ask.

She nodded and then slowly turned to her parents. Angelo exhaled. She was really not going to talk to him? Shink gave him a soft pat on his shoulders, encouraging to leave as Anna had asked them to.
Anna waited, she waited until they both started to retreat back to the door

Anna cleared her throat lightly and gently pulled her hands away from Veronica when she was sure they were gone.

"What are you doing here?"

The smile on Veronica's face faded. Anna held her breath as she watched the woman walk past her, looking around the large room and nodding in satisfaction, more like approval.

"We heard of how much you've accomplished so far, you got engaged to a Trusk and now you're married to one, you're even CEO of Trusk enterprise now and you live in this big house. We have to come see for ourselves, with our eyes. You know, you should have invited us to your wedding. Your husband is really nice and so handsome. Who would have thought? He doesn't know does he?"
She smiled turning back to Anna.

Anna scoffed.
She knew exactly was Veronica trying to do? She knew this woman all her life. Living with Veronica and Billy were one of the worst moments of her life. They weren't exactly the nice parents her brother had hoped for.

As usual, Billy just stood there while Veronica did the talking, while she made the shots just like she had always done, just like she was doing now.

Veronica was practically the breadwinner and acting head of the house. Billy was more like her wife.

Anna exhaled.

"What do you want Veronica?"

Veronica looked at her closely. She smiled.

"You know why we're here."

"I don't have any money."

Veronica sneered.

"Who are you trying to fool child? Look at you. You're living your best life. I wonder how many people you had to kill and how many lives you had to destroy to get here."

Anna held her breath.

Veronica walked closer to her with a wry smile on her face.
"I know you Anna. You know, when I heard you lost your fiancé in a car accident, I had my doubts. But when I heard you inherited that company, I was sure it wasn't a coincidence. You're really a smart child. That's what I always liked about you."

"Are you done?" Anna was the least interested in anything Veronica had to say.  "A-are you finished?" She really couldn't wait for them to just leave.

"Ten million dollars Anna. Ten million dollars to keep our mouths shut."

Anna scoffed. Ten million? What on earth made them think she had half of that money?

"And you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Come on Veronica, ten million really? I already gave you all I had last month. I'm not supposed to pay you till next year."

"Come on Anna. You have to admit that with all you have right now, ten million means nothing to you. It's a small price to pay to keep your secret safe don't you think?"

Anna rubbed her forehead. She was getting a migraine. This was all they ever did, all they were ever good at. This was why they were here, to blackmail her again.

"What do you think is going to happen when I run to the government and tell them one of their little charity projects have gone rogue? What do you think is going to happen when they find out you found a way to deactivate your bracelet and you have your powers back?"

"I didn't deactivate it. It wasn't intentional. "

"Yeah I know that. But they don't. Plus it's my word against yours. " Veronica smiled. Anna was frustrated as always. "So what's it going to be Anna? Us or them? And trust me, if this gets out, Animal control is going to be the least of your problems. Imagine what's going to happen when the world finds out what you can do? When your husband finds out what you really are, a beast. "

"Angelo has nothing to do with this. " Anna whispered.

"Doesn't he now? "
Anna sighed.

"Look even if I wanted to, I don't have that kind of money right now. I'm barely struggling with the board, I don't have the power yet to pull that much money."

Veronica scoffed. She wasn't convinced.

"Veronica I just got that company. " Anna knew she had to convince her. " How on earth am I supposed to raise that much cash on such short notice. "

"Figure something out Anna. "

"I can't. The Board would never approve-"

"You can't or you won't?"

Anna glared at Veronica. Veronica glared back. The room temperature was getting so hot and Anna had never been so confused. Why were these people so hell bent on ruining her life?

This was it. She had taken enough. Now she had to resort to her last option. She had to call Veronica's bluff.

"Fine then. Go ahead and run to the government." She was sick of it. She was sick of the endless blackmails. Anna exhaled. "Tell them everything. Tell them what I am. Tell them my bracelet got deactivated and I can transform into a werewolf. A beast. Also tell them how you treated me, bullied, blackmailed, threatened and took five thousand dollars from a thirteen year old every year just so you could keep her secret. Tell them."

Anna could see how tensed Veronica was. She swallowed hard.

"Tell them how you abused me and let your husband and his friends rape me and hit and hurt me and then threatened to kill me if I told anyone, while you watched. "

Anna turned to look at Billy. He was so uncomfortable all of a sudden. He buried his gaze in the ground.

"Yes." Anna smirked as tears up welled up in her eyes. Thinking about the past she really fought hard to forget made her so weak again. "You remember, don't you? How you'd always hit me and stop me from going to school if the dishes weren't done properly or if I didn't give you money. How you spend the cash the government gave you for my upkeep on drinks and new clothes."

"Lies." Veronica rose her voice "All lies."

"You didn't even care when I ran away. You didn't look for me till you heard I was getting married to a rich man. You could have been happy if I died and then suddenly you show up at my doorstep asking for ten million? "

Anna scoffed.

"You destroyed my life!" Veronica yelled and slapped her.

"Veronica." Billy called her.

She was so mad. Anna could hear her breathing so fast. Anna pushed the tears in her eyes back.

Hell no.

There was no way she was going to let that woman bring a tear from her eyes ever again. She wasn't the scared little Atian girl from years ago anymore.

Veronica scoffed.

"You've really learnt to talk haven't you?"
Anna slowly rose her head as she heard Veronica ask her.

"How dare you? After all I did for you? Did you know how difficult it was taking care of you? After what you are? You think it was easy living under the same roof with a monster?"

Anna scoffed.

"I tried the best I could Anna. You can't really blame me. You're not human."

"Yeah. That explains the two times you and your husband locked me in chains and forced me to change after you found out what I was. You'd poke me with a hot iron and your husband would shoot me in the leg over and over again so you can watch me heal because you needed some entertainment and when I did, when I transformed, you let me out and called animal control after me. You treated me like as if I was an animal."

"Don't sweat about it. I always knew you were going to come out eventually. You had that cute Atian lawyer of yours to always help you. The smart one with good connections?"

Anna rolled her eyes.

"I tried for you Anna. I was the best you'd have ever been with. I was your best chance. I'm giving you a chance to liberate yourself right now. You don't need to be so stubborn about it. Do you actually think the government is ever going to believe you? To take your side? Wake up Anna. It's your word against ours and guess what, you won't stand a chance. What government would believe an Atian before their own kind?"

Anna sniffed.

"How on earth can you prove all you just said? All these accusations? Do you really think you'd win against us?" Veronica grabbed her arm forcefully. "Now look here you cheap filthy little whore," She tightened her grip on Anna's arm, piercing her fingers in. Anna tried to pull it out.

"Veronica," Billy called her attention. "Don't do that. Someone might see."

Veronica wasn't listening. She didn't care.
Anna was too weak to fight back, too sick.

"I have all it takes to destroy you. And I can do all that with just a snap of my fingers. Do you think you can outsmart me just because of all you've gained? You'd never be anything until I say you will. You're going to give me that money and you're going to give me all of it by tomorrow or I'm going to tell the world just how much of a monster you are. I'm going to tell them you killed your fiancé and his father just so you could get to where you are now because that's what you did. Because I know you." She tightened her grip on Anna's hand.

"And I have proof. Proof about who you are-" She paused and then gulped as she felt a cold hand on hers.

"Let her go. "Angelo's grip on Veronica's hand was so tight and it made her so scared. Anna held her breath looking away as fast as she could, buying herself time to clean her eyes the moment she noticed Angelo's presence beside her.

"Haven't you done enough already?"
Angelo glared at Veronica. He had been standing outside the room all along and had heard everything they said. All those hurtful words they told Anna.

Veronica was so speechless. Billy rushed to her quickly as Angelo pulled Veronica's hand away from Anna's.

"We are really sorry Angelo."

"It's Mr Trusk." Angelo turned to him, his gaze boring an invincible hole on his forehead.

Billy nodded slightly.

Angelo swallowed hard and pulled up the sleeves of his t-shirt. This was frustrating. He exhaled.

"I'm sorry I have to take my wife in now. She needs some rest. I'd see to it that the butler sees you both out when you're ready to leave."

Angelo grabbed Anna's hand.

Anna turned to look at him. She was so surprised. What on earth did he think he was doing?

He didn't look at her.
He turned and then pulled her away.