In high society, gossip was a double-edged sword. It was one thing to whisper in shadows, but if anyone found out, especially men of power, it could destroy a woman's prospects.
No one wanted a wife who schemed and backstabbed. And these girls, still on the hunt for eligible suitors, knew all too well how easily their reputation could be ruined if the recording circulated around campus.
Their reputations would be shattered, and the other women harboring grudges against them would seize the opportunity to blow the situation out of proportion, using it to elevate themselves.
With Guinevere's well-known status as a school bully, it wasn't just me she had made enemies with—there were plenty of others waiting for a chance to take her down.
"Eve! You dare!" Guinevere shouted, fury trembling in her voice.
I smiled, cold and unyielding. "Yes, I
dare
." With that, I turned on my heel and walked out, leaving them speechless, their mouths hanging open in stunned silence.
I stormed out of the room, my pulse still pounding from the confrontation, but barely seconds passed before I heard hurried footsteps behind me.
"Wait! Eve—Lady Eve!" Sophie called out, breathless as she caught up to me.
I stopped but didn't turn around. "What?"
She swallowed hard, trying to catch her breath before speaking again. "D-do you really have proof about that dance with Cole?"
I glanced over my shoulder, a sweet yet chilling smile playing on my lips. "Oh, yes. Would you like me to send it to Guinevere and the others? I'm sure they'd love to find out you've been lying to their faces this whole time. You know what'll happen to you once they realize, right?"
She might be the true lady of the Rosette but right now, she was only a maid.
Sophie's face paled, and she sucked in a deep breath. Her voice wavered as she stammered, "My lady, I'm really sorry for what I said. But . . . I only did it because of you."
I turned fully toward her, my eyebrow arching. "Oh? Is that so?" My voice was sharp with sarcasm. "Leave it to you to destroy my reputation and act like you're doing me a favor. Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Sophie clenched her fists, desperation flashing in her eyes. "You don't believe me, but I swear, I did it to protect you, my lady."
I crossed my arms, my patience wearing thin. "Go on, then. Enlighten me." I want to hear what story she made up this time.
"Guinevere and the others . . . they're planning something, something
worse
. They hate you, Lady Eve. Especially Guinevere—she's obsessed with Cole, and she's furious that he even glanced in your direction. They were going to sabotage you, humiliate you in front of everyone, to make sure you never stood a chance with him. I—I only spread those rumors to keep their attention on me. If they knew that Cole wasn't interested in you, you wouldn't become their target."
Wow. She could really be a writer with how she could weaves stories.
doing here? Shouldn't he be at Harvard?
Then I noticed the man standing beside him, equally tall and handsome, with darker skin and mischievous amethyst eyes. A flirtatious grin played on his lips, and I immediately recognized him—Zachary Johnson.
Of course. The Johnsons and Fays were practically family, two of the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. They were cousins. Zachary's sister, Ella, attended this school too, so naturally, they must be here for her.
But my blood boiled when my gaze landed on Cole again. Without a second glance, I flipped my hair as the wind caught it and walked right past him, as if he didn't exist.
I could practically feel the shock ripple through the crowd, their mouths dropping open in disbelief. They'd expected me to throw myself into his arms like before, but they were dead wrong.
I hated Cole. I wasn't that girl anymore.
And as far as I was concerned, he was just another stranger in the crowd.
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|| A/N ||
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