Chapter 37 " I Ignoring Aurelia's pale and stricken face , Valerie leaned close and whispered in her ear , promise the trending post about you will trend so hard that no amount of paid cleanup will bury it . " Aurelia had never feared anything , but Valerie's words sent a chill down her spine . " How do I ensure you won't double - cross me after that ? " she asked , feigning courage . Valerie sneered . " You're in no position to negotiate . " And after checking the time on her phone , she added , " Starting now , you have 50 minutes left . " I Aurelia's mind blanked . She was indeed the one who'd posted the viral photo anonymously on the campus forum . A classmate who knew she disliked Valerie had run into the latter near Azure Bay last night and taken the photo . When Aurelia asked for details about who Valerie had been with , the classmate said it was a man who looked polished and professional , though his face wasn't clear in the dark . Inspired , she wrote a scandalous story , shaming Valerie for being the mistress of some tycoon . The photo was enough to turn it into the truth , and soon , Valerie was trending for all the wrong reasons . Although Aurelia wanted Valerie ruined , the former hadn't expected the truth to be exposed and the plan to backfire so quickly . To appease Valerie , Aurelia posted an apology video at lightning speed . In the video , she tearfully admitted she'd fabricated the rumor out of jealousy . She said that she'd been driven by anger after Valerie was crowned the campus queen this year , and in a rash moment , crossed the line . The reason she'd been so quick to clarify for Valerie was that guilt had hit her . Now , she realized it was wrong to have picked on a classmate like that . Her repentance seemed sincere , as she repeatedly praised Valerie for being a kind and beautiful student inside and out . The apology video instantly caused a sensation on the campus forum . One moment , everyone had been privately debating if Valerie was a kept mistress . In the next , the very person who started the rumor had cleared her name . Aurelia's close friends secretly asked if she'd been threatened into posting an apology video . Chapter 37 2/2 Terrified that the situation might escalate , she earnestly explained to everyone who asked in concern , " No one threatened me . Valerie's the victim here . My jealousy got the best of me and drove me into doing something so foolish in a moment of impulse . " She was far more afraid of the video of her partying with drugs getting leaked than of being shunned by her peers . A scandal on campus was survivable , but legal trouble was not . As Aurelia's apology video went viral , the narrative shifted . Soon , Valerie was labeled as a victim of slander . Aurelia texted her afterward . " Happy now ? " After glancing at the message , Valerie deleted it without replying . The rumor storm blew over almost as quickly as it'd begun . Both Owen and Yvette reached out with sympathetic words , but Valerie brushed them off with curt replies . She'd barely slept the night before , and by afternoon , she was slumped at her desk in the back row , dozing off . When she finally woke up , most of the students had left . Rubbing her eyes , she stretched into a yawn and noticed something in her peripheral vision . On the corner of her desk was a Lone Wolf badge with a note tucked underneath . When she opened it , there was a line written in sharp handwriting . " Meet me at the school's back gate now . " Enjoy Ad - Free Reading >> Go Chapter 38