When Noelle saw the photo, she couldn''t help butugh. She noticed the watermark on it—it was clearly from the school''s forum.


    Opening the forum, she immediately found posts about herself.


    "Freshman pretends to detest the rich but secretly hooks up with an old wealthy man, staying out all night!"


    Noelle scanned the content, scoffing. The post used her of looking down on the rich scions in the business school while secretly cozying up to older men at bars, which exined why she hadn''t returned to her dorm all night.


    Some users were stirring the pot:


    "I went to high school with Noelle. She''s always been like this, but the teachers turned a blind eye because she had good grades. I can''t believe she hasn''t changed."


    "Yeah! I heard she hooked up with the school doctor in high school. Now that she''s at Yasnia University, surrounded by the rich and wealthy, she ditched the doctor for an old rich man."


    "I saw it with my own eyes this morning-she got out of that old man''s car. He''s so hideous and old! How desperate is Noelle Liddell to stoop that low for money!"


    Noelle smirked at thements, knowing who the person iming to be her high school ssmate was-it was Xenia.


    It seemed like Xenia was having fun spreading rumors online. But Noelle wasn''t too worried; she could easily track down these trolls.


    Suddenly, the door mmed open with a loud bang. Noelle looked up and saw Samantha walking in with Xenia, apanied by a group of maleckeys.


    The ssroom immediately fell silent. Everyone kept their heads down, not wanting to cross these wealthydies from the business school.


    When Samantha spotted Noelle, she gritted her teeth and said, "Finally showed up, huh? Noelle Liddell. I didn''t think you''d manage to escapest night."


    After Cedric left, Samantha had gone to look for Noelle. But not only had she failed to find Noelle, she couldn''t even locate her own bodyguards.


    Sheter found out that her bodyguards had disturbed Cedric while searching for Noelle, which led to them being dealt with. All of them had been sent away. This situation had caught her family''s attention, and her father scolded her that morning.


    Samantha was fuming, and she wanted nothing more than to tear into Noelle the moment she saw her.


    Noelle rested one arm on her desk, her expression indifferent. "I didn''t like your party, so I left early. What''s the matter?


    "Don''t tell me I''m not allowed to leave freely. It''s against thew to restrict someone''s freedom, you know?"


    "So what? Thew won''t side with peasants like you!" Samantha retorted arrogantly. This was how she had been raised—spoiled and entitled.


    Xenia chimed in, her toneced with irony. "Noelle, you misunderstood Ms. Merlock. We were just worried about you. We heard you didn''te backst night. Where did you go?"


    "Where I went is none of your concern," Noelle replied tly.


    Samantha smirked mockingly. "I heard you got out of some old man''s car this morning. And I thought you despised the rich and wealthy like us. Tums out you''re quick to spread your legs when money''s involved, huh?"


    "Well, not as fast as your mouth runs," Noelle shot back without hesitation.


    Samantha was taken aback by Noelle''s sharp tone, not expecting her to dare insult her.


    "You bitch!" Samantha cursed, her face twisted with rage as she raised her hand to p Nolle. But Noelle grabbed Samantha''s wrist mid-air.


    "Who are you calling a bitch?" Noelle asked, her gaze dark and piercing, exuding an intimidating energy.


    Xenia quickly stepped forward to pry Noelle''s hand away. For a moment, she was unnerved by Noelle''s fierce demeanor, which was something she''d never seen before.


    Humiliated, Samantha turned to herckeys and barked, "Why are you still


    standing there? Drag her out of the ssroom now! I''ll have a little ''talk'' with her."


    Theckeys moved toward Noelle, ready to grab her.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Just then, theputer science professor, Patrick Yade, walked into the ssroom. "ss is starting. Everyone, return to your seats."


    Though Samantha was seething, she didn''t dare cause a scene in front of the professor. If she did, she''d risk getting scolded again when she got home.