?Chapter 136:


    A frown tugged at Maia’s lips. She had been nning to hack into the media archives to dig up this footage herself, but someone had beaten her to it.


    The question gnawed at her. Who was stepping in to help? Zoey shed across her mind. Still, if it were Zoey, why bother hiding behind an anonymous ount?


    Curious and cautious, Maia tried to trace the number. No luck. It led to a virtual ount with no visible IP address.


    With no other option, Maia saved the video and decided to deal with itter. Arriving back at the hospital room, she handed the sleek new phones to Ethan and Kathie.


    Neither of them had ever touched a smartphone before. They eyed the devices like fragile treasures while Maia patiently walked them through every basic function.


    Ethan caught on quickly, tapping through the apps like he had been born knowing how. Kathie, on the other hand, struggled with the swipes and taps, so Maia tasked Ethan with being her personal tech tutor.


    “I’ve already stored all the important contacts in your phones, so you can get a hold of me easily,” Maia said, ncing at the clock before she stepped out of the room.


    After giving them a few more reminders, she left the hospital behind and returned to Marvelous Garden. Lunch needed prepping — a hearty, nourishing meal — but before diving into cooking, Maia opened Twitter to skim thetestments.


    The online chaos had snowballed overnight and showed no signs of slowing down.


    “Why hasn’t Maia made a statement yet? Feeling guilty, maybe? Scared to show her face?”


    “What’s there to even say? She clearly took something that wasn’t hers! If I were in her shoes, I’d return that bracelet to Rosanna without hesitation or crawl into a hole and nevere out again!”


    “Whoever’s dumb enough to support her must have rocks for brains. If we find out who he is, he’s getting boycotted too.”


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    “The Morgan family must be cursing the day they ever took her in. If I were them, I’d beat her until she begged for mercy!”


    Thank goodness Maia didn’t have a personal ount, or her inbox would have been flooded with hate mail and disgusting photos by now.


    Still, overnight, a few anonymous ounts had emerged. Unlike the mob, these ounts fiercely defended Maia, shing with anyone who dared to badmouth her.


    “Is your brain just for decoration? You’re all falling over yourselves for someone who’s faking innocence. Keep it up — the truth has a way of hitting people hard. You treat a few random things someone you’ve never met says online as gospel truth? Brains are tools, not ornaments — try using them for once!”


    “Rosanna’s fans have been screaming in thements for hours, and half of them can’t even string a sentence together. How about learning some punctuation before embarrassing yourselves more?”


    Fury burned through Rosanna’s supporters like wildfire.


    “What lies are we telling? The video speaks for itself! The Morgan family weed Maia after her prison release, and she spat in their faces! Sandra even fainted from heartbreak!”


    “She’s a thief. in and simple. If people like her get sympathy, what hope is left for real victims?”


    “If Maia didn’t steal the bracelet, then where is it? Are you using Rosanna of making the whole thing up? Rosanna is everything Maia isn’t — kind, smart, and honest. Meanwhile, Maia is nothing but a maniptor.”


    Thement section quickly turned into a full-blown war zone. Reports flew, insults sharpened, and reposts fanned the mes wider, while Rosanna’s fans worked overtime to keep the scandal alive.


    Then came another twist — Rosanna herself posted a second statement on her Twitter.


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