Ch.69
Lizzy's breathing was uneven. The restroom suddenly felt too small, to loud with emotions that didn't belong in a public gala.
Selene lowered her hands slowly.
"You're drawing attention." she said quietly.
As if on cue, the restroom door opened again. A guest stepped in, then hesitated at the tense atmosphere before awkwardly retreating. Selene glanced at the mirror.
"This isn't the place for this." she continued. Her tone wasn't cold just controlled.
"If you truly believe I ruined your life, then at least give me the chance to understand what I supposedly did."
"Why would you care?" Lizzy let out a shaky laugh.
"Because I don't enjoy being accused of things I didn't do." Silence stretched.
The girl in the silver gown tightened her hold on Lizzy's arm.
"Maybe...maybe we really should just go."
"No," Selene interrupted gently.
"There are private suites upstairs. I'll book one. We can talk there."
Both girls stiffened.
"You're booking a room?" the silver-gowned girl repeated cautiously.
"Yes." Selene replied. "Not to intimidate you or buy your silence but to remove the audience."
Her eyes flicked briefly to the faint bruise on Lizzy's neck.
"And to avoid more misunderstandings."
"You think throwing money around fixes everything?" Lizzy's jaw tightened.
"No," Selene said evenly. "But privacy helps."
For a moment, the only sound was Lizzy's uneven breathing.
Then—
"...Fine." Lizzy answered.
Before anyone could say another word, Selene quietly reached into her clutch and pulled out her phone. She stepped a little to the side, lowering her voice as she made a call.
"Hello," she said calmly. "I need a favor. Can you book a private suite here at Hotel 888? Yes—now."
There was a brief pause.
"...Yes. I'll wait."
She ended the call and turned back to the two girls, who were watching her with visible suspicion. A few minutes later, the restroom door opened again.
A familiar face appeared—her grandfather's assistant, accompanied by a hotel staff member. The assistant scanned the room quickly, relief flashing across his face when he saw Selene standing unharmed.
"Miss Selene," he said respectfully.
Selene nodded. "Everything's fine," she assured him.
"We're just going to have a private discussion."
The hotel manager stepped forward, posture professional.
"If you'll follow me, the suite is ready."
They exited the restroom together.
The elevator ride up had been quiet.
Too quiet.
The hotel manager stood near the panel, eyes forward, professional to the core.
Selene stood straight, hands relaxed at her sides, gaze calm.
Lizzy's arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her breathing still uneven.
The girl in the silver gown kept shifting her weight, tension visible in the way her jaw clenched.
Halfway up, Selene turned slightly.
"I didn't catch your name," she said politely, her tone neutral.
The girl in silver blinked, clearly not expecting the question.
"...Aria," she answered after a beat.
"Nice to meet you, Aria," Selene replied simply.
The elevator dinged softly as it reached their floor. Selene turned to the assistant.
"You can go back to my grandfather," she said gently. "Please tell him I'm fine. I'll stay here for a bit—it's just a friendly meeting with my schoolmates."
The assistant hesitated for half a second, then nodded.
"Understood." He bowed politely before leaving.
The door closed.
The suite was dimly lit, soundproof, expensive in the way only people who never asked for prices could recognize. Selene stepped in first and placed her clutch on the console table before turning to face them.
"Now," she said calmly. "Tell me."
Lizzy didn't sit. Instead, she folded her arms tighter and looked straight at Selene.
"Aren't you the one who spread the rumor," she asked sharply, "that Caleb splashed water on Liana in the gym?"
Selene blinked once—but didn't flinch.
"That post went around anonymously on the school forum," Lizzy continued. "And everyone knows you and Liana know each other."
"I'm not active on the school forum," Selene replied evenly. "Yes, I've used it. But only as a reader. I'm not a content creator."
Her voice was factual.
Inside her head, a memory surfaced—she remembered how she met Liana that day.
Meeting Liana was just a coincidence.
Why did they think they were close even before Liana was dumped by that Rivas guy?
Aria crossed her arms.
"Then why did you look at Caleb like that that day?" she asked. "Someone saw you. There was even a photo posted on the forum."
"What look?"
"You giving Caleb a death stare while handing him the ball."
"Ah? I wasn't giving him a death stare. It's just my normal reaction. It's my curious face," Selene answered truthfully.
"I was there to confirm who Caleb Rivas was. Nothing more."
It was true, though. She was curious about what kind of guy Caleb was—but she admitted she was also irritated that day.
She felt a bit bad about it. She forgot that Selene's face looked villainous no matter what expression she made.
Lizzy opened her mouth—but Selene interrupted her.
"And for the record," Selene added, cutting in smoothly, "yes, I do know Liana. But we weren't close that day. We became friends after."
Friends... She never thought she'd admit that she felt Liana was her friend in this novel world. It was kind of refreshing to finally admit something she had been overthinking for the past few months.
The air grew heavy and awkward.
Selene didn't want to drag Liana into this—she knew Liana was already in a bad state. But if this was the core of Lizzy's anger, then it needed to be addressed properly.
"Later or not, do you even know what your so called friend did to Caleb?" Lizzy let out a harsh laugh.
"What do you mean?" Selene's brows knit slightly.
"She threatened him," Lizzy snapped. "That Liana—she's a psycho."
The word landed hard.
Selene didn't raise her voice. She didn't react the way Lizzy expected.
Instead, she looked at her carefully.
"...Are you sure about that?" Selene asked.
The question wasn't mocking.
It was serious.
And for the first time, uncertainty flickered across Lizzy's face.
Because Selene knew Liana.
"Liana is not like that," Selene defended.