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Chapter 172
~Valerie’s POV~
My breath tightened as my mind circled back to the people possibly around that ti and my mind locked on Solstice.
No. She wouldn’t, I imdiately dismissed. She might be reckless, but not careless, not with and definitely with sothing this sensitive.
Solstice knew better than to involve in a scandal that could lead Principal Whitmore, which would involve Uncle Zade and expose Solstice.
She was ruled out completely.
Still... I had no proof. And the not knowing only gnawed deeper.
I thought about those who hated ... Titania ca to mind next. But she was a front-line attacker. Loud. Obnoxious. She liked destruction, she could claim, not sneak attacks. She would want the world to know she was behind a hit, right?
I needed to confirm, though.
I know Kieran got the proof of her sending those videos to create a scandal... but I was pretty sure she would have been in class.
Solstice told later of how the heirs left the class at the ntion of my sickness; she made no ntion of Titania. I was pretty sure my mates wouldn’t as well.
So who else did it? Brielle?
She had motive. She had connections.
But still—sothing didn’t add up. The leak ca out too clean. The editing, the timing, the audio cut. That was professional-level sabotage, even with and Dristan’s kiss.
I crossed to the window and opened the curtains just enough to peek outside again, scanning rooftops, trees, even the statue of Saint Halgar near the west quad, just behind the old security outpost—a perfect line of sight—a direct angle into my dorm window.
Bingo.
A perfect spot.
From there, soone could easily mount a lens, a mini cam maybe enchant it to filter through spells or disguise as part of a pipe or even a bird’s nest.
That’s how they got it. The scandal, the clip, the timing. It wasn’t luck. It was preditated.
The thought made my stomach twist as the realisation struck harder than I expected, like the cold air that kissed my bare skin the mont I stepped away from the window.
I shut the window with more force than I ant to and yanked the curtains closed, watching the soft fabric fall back into place and swallow the view of the world outside.
Tsk... I let my guard down.
Whoever did it—set that cara—knew exactly what they were doing. That wasn’t just petty school drama. That was planned sabotage.
I gritted my teeth, exhaling slowly.
I undressed the rest of the way, tossing my clothes into the basket without much care. My limbs moved automatically, but my mind was still racing. Wrapped in my towel, I padded barefoot into the bathroom, the cold tiles stinging my feet.
I turned on the shower and let the steam rise while adjusting the temperature. It didn’t take long before the water reached that perfect balance between hot enough to sting and warm enough to soothe. I hung my towel on the hook and stepped in, pulling the shower cap over my hair, then finally stepped under the water before letting the water rush over .
The first splash was always the hardest. Cold, sharp, shocking. But it only lasted a second.
Soon, warmth spread across my back, rolling down my arms, my legs, easing so of the tension lodged deep in my bones.
It felt good. Almost too good.
Still, even with the heat licking across my shoulders and chest, I couldn’t relax. Not fully.
My thoughts circled. The way Axel’s voice had cracked when he spoke about Sapphire. The way Xade’s eyes dimd as he recalled the screams of children he couldn’t save.
I always thought knowledge gave you power. But no one warns you how heavy that power feels when it’s soaked in soone else’s sorrow.
I had seen a piece of both of them that wasn’t supposed to be mine. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
I’d hurt them both. Not on purpose—but hurt was hurt, regardless of the intent behind it.
And even if they didn’t hate for it, I hated the version of myself that had done it. I didn’t ask questions to reopen old wounds. I just... wanted to understand them.
A heavy sigh slipped from my lips, curling with the steam around .
I stood under the water longer than I needed to. Long enough for my fingertips to wrinkle. Long enough for the world to go quiet except for the steady patter of drops on porcelain.
Then, slowly, I reached up, tugged the shower cap free, and tossed it aside.
And finally, I peeled the wig off.
It slipped away like silk, revealing the truth beneath it—my truth. My hair spilled out in a wet, silver cascade, falling down my back and past my hips like moonlight.
And at the end... There they were, two colours, faded but still visible. Silver fading into streaks of deep blue and violet like twilight trapped in strands.
I stared at them—the remnants of a plan Solstice and I never finished.
We were supposed to dye it together before I travelled to PSA to hide my identity, just like my contacts.
I recalled the mistake I had made before I left ho. It was war before I finally agreed to let Solstice dye my hair.
I had prepared to do it the night before my departure, just to enjoy the shine of my real hair... But when Uncle Zade caught wind of my plan to leave early, he refused to let go two days before my birthday, so I ran away instead.
Our dye plan was forgotten. So I stuck with the wig I had on. And the dye stayed behind in a glass bottle on my dresser. Until now, I hadn’t done justice to my hair.
I thought of visiting the market with Solstice and having her buy the dye for , bicker over vendors and ingredients, and pretend, just for a few hours, that we were still normal, then she could help apply it as per our original plan.
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