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Chapter 165
~Valerie’s POV~
If I had thought for even a second that the scandal circling my na would die down by morning, I was dead wrong.
I barely stepped past the front gates when the buzz hit —hushed voices, wide eyes, phones being shoved in faces, girls whispering in corners and guys either gawking or pretending not to care.
Except... they weren’t looking at anymore.
They were looking at her.
Titania Estrella Sage.
The Fae princess. High-cheekboned, perfect-skinned, silver-tongued royal who walked through PSA like she was too sacred to breathe the sa air as the rest of us.
However, today, she looked like she’d been slapped by the gods.
Her eyes were glassy. Her stride uneven. And the mont they saw her, students leaned in to whisper just loud enough for her to hear.
"Did you see the video?"
"I heard she paid soone to leak Valerie’s clip."
"She called herself noble blood and look—caught trying to sabotage a matebond case?"
"Disgraceful."
"She’s gonna be expelled, right?"
"I heard she tried to sleep with one of the Heirs and got rejected. Twice."
"She also tried approaching the Killain Hier but he too did not pay her any heed. She’s been vengeful since I bet."
"I heard it’s been longer than that. She’s just jealous."
Each word sharpened like tiny arrows. I didn’t need to ask what happened. The guilt and venom on Titania’s face told soone had just thrown her off her perfect pedestal—and hard.
And it had nothing to do with .
But she didn’t care about logic. As soon as she saw , that was all it took.
"You bitch!" Titania snapped, marching straight toward like a storm with glitter. "You vile, scheming, insecure piece of nothing—this is your doing, isn’t it?!"
I blinked. "Excuse ?"
"You leaked that fake video! You humiliated !"
Behind , another round of whisper went on.
"She deserves it."
"She once called Valerie a mutt."
"Didn’t she say Valerie slept her way to the top?"
"She insulted Valerie yesterday before everyone knew she was mated to the alphas."
"Aish, lucky bitch. I wish I was the one," another girl saod, making eye contact with .
"tto. God, I want Alpha Kai."
"I want both Alpha Xade and Alpha Dristan then maybe Alpha Axel. Gosh, she is so lucky it makes mad."
I shook my head internally. They could wish all they wanted, but actually living it... was hell.
I turned back to Titania just in ti to see her eyes glisten with rage.
"You were upset the attention was on you," she seethed, "and now you’re trying to make the villain—"
I took a slow and calm breath. "Newsflash, darling. You did that all by yourself."
"You little—" Her hand flew through the air, but I was already done playing.
I caught her wrist mid-swing and held it tight and let the murmurs around us sharpen like razors.
"Have so grace and class, princess," I said coolly, pushing her hand away like she was beneath even the effort to restrain. "You’ve already disgraced your kingdom enough."
The burn landed before my actual slap did. It cracked across her cheek cleanly and swiftly.
The crowd gasped. So even clapped as Titania stumbled back, hand flying to her face. Her lip trembled. "You... you hit ."
"I did," I said. "And the next ti you co at with your tantrums, rember this—I don’t waste energy on insects unless they crawl too close. Then I’ll lift my leg to squash their royal ass under my feet, got that?"
Titania stood frozen, face red, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. But I didn’t wait for her coback.
I spun on my heel and walked away, leaving her to stew in her royal wreckage because I had more important things to do—like training.
Or trying to feel normal again for five minutes.
The locker room was quiet when I stepped inside. Thank the stars.
I changed fast—sliding into black joggers and a fitted tank, tying my hair back in a high ponytail. I splashed cold water on my face and stared into the mirror.
For a second, I didn’t see the girl from the gossip threads. I saw .
Then I heard the door creak open behind .
I stepped out, half-expecting it to be Solstice or one of the Heirs. But before I could get two feet outside, a hand caught my arm—gently, firmly—and pulled off the path, into the shadowed gap between the locker room and the gym wall.
My back hit brick hard enough to make tense. My heart jumped as I looked up.
"Kieran?!" My voice was laced with more irritation than shock.
He was leaning casually against the wall, like this wasn’t weird or unsettling at all. Tousled blond hair. Ice-blue eyes. A smirk played at the corner of his mouth that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
"Sorry for the surprise," he said in a low tone. "I figured we could talk without an audience."
I blinked at him. "You nearly gave a heart attack. What the fuck do you want?"
"What I want is you, Valerie."
I held back teh need to scoof, laugh or curse and just shook my head. "You know what... you’re sick."
Without waiting for him to say more, I attempoted to leave but kieran’s hand rested on my left shoulder, pushing back.
As easily as it would have been to twist his hand and pin it at his back was so tempting I had to restrain that urge.
"Fuck off."
"No, I ant what I said."
"As does having six mates. And as cute and tireso that is, I do not need another rich wannabe trying his luck. So if you do not have sothing better to say, move the fuck out of my bloody way!"
I glared daggers straight at Kieran’s eyes, daring him to do much as disobey when suddenly he fished out his phone from his pocket and held it up in my face.
The screen showed Titania.
Red-faced, screaming. A clip cut and spliced perfectly, ending with a blurred voice admitting she orchestrated a scandal.
My eyes widened a bit. "That’s... that’s what they posted?"
Kieran tucked the phone away and leaned in, his smirk widening. "What I posted. Now, was your earlier speech any way to thank your savior?"
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