Heather, visibly irritated by the silence, turned her head to stare out of the car


    window, vowing never to drag this dimwit into any public event again. What should have been a smooth variety show livestream had turned into a personal branding disaster, all thanks to this blockhead.


    Michelle, freshly chewed out, was understandably flustered. Seeking distraction, she mindlessly scrolled through Twitter. Her direct messages were flooded with dozens of encouraging notes from her followers. The words lifted her spirits, albeit slightly. Though there were some haters, they were far fewer than after previous episodes.


    Closing her inbox, Michelle habitually clicked on the trending topics page. One particr headline immediately caught her eye: ''City Official''s Scandal with High School Student Severely Damages Public Image.'' It was the top trending story, with views skyrocketing past the million mark.


    The headline alone made Michelle think of Mirabe. With a scoff, she tapped into the post. The content was brief, predominantly images. Despite the distance and slight blur of the photographs, there was no denying the striking beauty of the girl pictured. As Michelle zoomed in on the picture, a sense of familiarity washed over her; she couldn''t shake the feeling that she knew the girl in the photo. The man standing beside the girl was masked, revealing only the merest hint of his features.


    Curiosity piqued, Michelle dove into thements section and was stunned by the topment, which had amassed hundreds of thousands of likes. She had expected the girl''s identity to be exposed, but instead, it was the masked man who was identified. And not just any man, but Owen-the highest-ranking official in their city.


    Overwhelmed by the implications, Michelle quickly flipped back to review the post once more, then opened the images again. After a long, careful look, she finally realized why the girl seemed so familiar—it was Mirabe, the country cousin.


    Clutching her phone with newfound purpose, she turned to her cousin sitting beside her. Scooting closer, she thrust the phone towards Heather. "Cousin, check this out."


    Heather, still seething inside, responded without warmth, "What now?"


    "Look at this picture on my phone. This girl. Look closely," Michelle urged, a hint of excitement in her voice.


    Heather shot her a nce before reluctantly taking the phone. After a moment''s scrutiny, she tossed it back to Michelle impatiently. "If you have something to say, just spit it out. Don''t make me look at these doctored photos."


    Seeing that Heather hadn''t recognized the person, Michelle hastily exined, "Don''t you think this girl looks a lot like Juztin''s sister?" She even swiped her finger across the phone screen to obscure the lower half of the girl''s face. "Just look."


    Taking the hint, Heather gave the screen another look and froze. The eyes and brows were not just simr; they were an unmistakable match. Regaining herposure, Heather pointed at the phone. "What''s the deal with this picture?"


    Michelle, who had only shown her the photo and not the backstory, quickly pulled up the post again, showing it to Heather while almost gleefully adding, "Looks like Juztin''s sister is about to have her reputation trashed!"