?Chapter 24:


    Paige was the one calling. “Morning, Elliana! Hope you’re up and shining!”


    Paige sounded like sunshine, as if she hadn’t been embroiled in scandal just days ago. Either she’d done some deep self-reflection or was simply better at bouncing back than anyone gave her credit for. Elliana had expected Paige toy low for a while after the recent upheaval, but she was surprised at how quickly Paige had made aeback.


    After the scandal exploded, the entire inte was waiting for Paige’s response. Her massive following—eighty million strong—swarmed her profiles, demanding answers.


    Silence wasn’t an option if Paige nned to keep her crown as Ublento’s top socialite. That same night, she dropped a statement that set everything aze again: “I’m truly sorry for stirring up public tension like this. I never meant to upset anyone. All I’ll say is, my mother is a good woman—decent and honest. Someone framed her. I know who it was, but I can’t name names. Maybe I’m just too softhearted to fight back.”


    Once that post was live, Paige vanished. No replies. No further rifications. No matter how wild the gossip got, she kept her mouth shut.


    While Paige’s social media stayed quiet, she was anything but idle. Behind closed doors, she fed her inner circle with scripted stories and nted “leaks” in fanmunities. One name kept surfacing—Elliana’s.


    That was when Paige’s fans lit the inte on fire with fresh usations.


    “Elliana’s nothing but trash. She wrecked Paige’s engagement and dragged Paige’s mother into it. How can someone be so vile?”


    “Poor Paige is kind to the core. Even after being harmed by Elliana, she still values their sisterly bond and can’t bear to expose Elliana’s wrongdoings.”


    “Word is, Paige and her mom pity Elliana because she was this poor, in girl who’d lost her mother young. They treated her nicely, but she stabbed them in the back.”


    “Elliana’s just jealous—Paige is beautiful, smart, everything she’s not. Elliana wanted to pull Paige down out of spite. Such twisted people make you lose faith in humanity!”


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    Paige had spent years polishing her reputation, turning herself into Ublento’s undisputed icon. And she’d gotten really good at spinning any story her way.


    After this wave of strategic moves, the harsh remarks aimed at her dropped noticeably. Still, she wasn’t all-powerful and had no way to shape every mind. A few fans had started to see beyond the surface.


    “You all tear down Elliana for being in and unremarkable while lifting Paige up as some stunning prodigy. But if that’s really true, then how on earth did Elliana manage to outsmart both Paige and her mother?”


    “Exactly. None of it adds up. I’m starting to think the truth might flip the whole story upside down.”


    Most fans stayed loyal to Paige, but a small handful started asking questions—and that was enough to keep the tide from tippingpletely. Neither Elliana nor Paige had imed full victory yet. Elliana hadn’t been crushed, and Paige hadn’t fallen.


    With the focus on Elliana and Paige, the Evans family was removed from the center of the discussion, transforming what began as a debate over a family alliance into a fierce showdown between two women. Despite Paige’s lighthearted tone, Elliana caught the edge behind Paige’s words. That cheerful act didn’t fool her—Paige was hiding something beneath the surface. With a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, Elliana asked, “So, Paige—what’s this call really about?”


    “I wanted to let you know,” Paige said brightly, “my engagement party with Ran is tomorrow. You and Cole are invited, of course. The official invite should’ve reached the Evans family’s estate by now.”


    This caught Elliana off guard for a second.


    Ran Hudson had once been Elliana’s fiancé, a union brokered by Rita and Lenard Hudson, Ran’s grandfather, during their youth. After Rita’s death, Lenard had tried to honor the old promise. But Ran wanted no part of it. He’d called Elliana ugly to her face and directed all his affection to Paige without shame. But Paige had never returned his interest—not genuinely, at least. The Hudson family had a decent reputation in Ublento, but their power didn’te close to what the Evans family held. And with Cole avable then, she saw no reason to settle for Ran.


    Even though Paige had no real interest in Ran, she had continued to string him along solely because he was Elliana’s fiancé. Whenever Ran stopped by the Jones family’s home to visit her, she would purposely summon Elliana, forcing Elliana to watch as Ran tried to charm her. Once Ran was gone, she would brag and ridicule Elliana. Elliana had yed along with the act, pretending to be heartbroken and jealous. Once, she’d even staged ate-night river scene…


    Threatening to throw herself in. The whole world bought into the idea that she loved Ran more than life. Now that Paige had finally epted Ran, it was obvious she wasn’t after love—it was payback. The thought made Elliana chuckle inwardly, and a yful impulse stirred within her. She put on a show of anguish and cried out, “Paige, how could you marry Ran? Ran is mine!”


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