From the look in the other woman's eyes, Zuri could sense hostility.
"What do you want?"
An Ruoxi's face was cold. "You're the one, aren't you?"
"How absurd," Zuri replied, her voice calm.
"Leave him, and I can pretend none of this ever happened. If not, don't expect peace while you're here. You should know the power he has behind him. You're not good enough for him," An Ruoxi threatened.
Azura, standing by, burst into laughter. "If Zuri isn't good enough, then who? You?"
An Ruoxi's friends stood nearby, utterly confused, having no idea what they were talking about.
Zuri, encountering such a fan for the first time, found it hard to comprehend. "Rest assured, there will never be anything between me and him."
"You're sure?" An Ruoxi narrowed her eyes, watching her suspiciously.
Azura rolled her eyes dramatically at An Ruoxi. "Every woman in the world could be a possibility, except her. Got it?"
An Ruoxi's sharp gaze shifted between the two, as though weighing the truth of their words.
"If you're so confident, then prove it. Delete his contact info right here, in front of me," An Ruoxi demanded.
Zuri chuckled, "And what gives you the right to make such demands? What authority do you have over me?"
An Ruoxi let out a cold laugh. "If you have nothing to hide, then why don't you delete his number?"
Zuri, exasperated by her twisted logic, was amused by how ridiculous the conversation had become. Continuing to engage with her felt like an insult to her own intelligence.
"Let's go," she said, deciding to walk away before she lost her temper.
Seeing Zuri try to leave, An Ruoxi became even more convinced of her guilt and blocked her path. "Aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"
Zuri's eyes turned cold as she stared her down, her voice calm yet menacing. "If you dare, I'll make sure you regret it."
The power dynamic flipped instantly—An Ruoxi, who had been so dominant, now found herself the one being threatened.
"You're threatening me?"
Zuri walked past her, ignoring her anger and frustration.
Azura took a few steps, then turned back to look at An Ruoxi. "Out of respect for our shared bond as women, here's some advice: if you want to live a long life, learn to keep your mouth shut. Think carefully before speaking, because every word has consequences."
As the two walked away, An Ruoxi's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Ruoxi, what's going on between you and her?"
"Who is she involved with?"
One of An Ruoxi's sharper friends began to piece things together. "Could she be… Owen's rumored girlfriend?"
At this, the other two gasped, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"No way! That can't be true!"
One of the girls quickly pulled out her phone, comparing the photo of Owen's rumored girlfriend with a picture of Zuri. To her shock, the eyes were identical.
"Oh my god! Owen's rumored girlfriend is our school's new campus queen!"
A group of girls passing by overheard the conversation.
"What did you just say? Who's Owen's rumored girlfriend?"
"Who else? The new campus queen."
"You're kidding!"
"Check the photo for yourself."
Within moments, the group of girls had their phones out, and soon, the rumors were spreading like wildfire.
Neither Azura nor Zuri could have imagined how fast the news would spread. It was as if the whole school knew about it as soon as they had left.
The speed was astonishing.
At that moment, the two of them were still blissfully unaware of what was happening.
"Zuri, what if she really does go all out and expose your identity? What will we do then?" Azura asked, her face full of concern.
Zuri replied calmly, "Am I Owen's girlfriend?"
Azura shook her head.
"Then there's nothing to worry about. If I'm not his girlfriend, what is there to be afraid of?" Zuri answered with confidence.
Azura hesitated for a moment. "But… are you really aware of how attractive your third brother is?"
Zuri nodded decisively. "Of course, I know."
"Are you sure?" Azura eyed her doubtfully.
It wasn't that she underestimated Zuri, but given how little Zuri had known about the entertainment industry before meeting her, it was hard to be certain.
"Absolutely," Zuri said, sounding resolute.
Little did she know, those words would come back to bite her a few hours later.
Azura, convinced by Zuri's confidence, let go of her worry.
They continued walking towards the teaching building, but more and more people seemed to be staring at Zuri.
"Something feels off," Azura muttered.
"Yeah," Zuri agreed.
Azura pulled out her phone and logged onto the school's online forum, where a new post was already pinned to the top.
*#Shocking! Owen's rumored girlfriend is our school's new campus queen!*
The post had shot straight to the top of the page.
"Zuri, we've got a problem. That girl exposed you! Damn, how did she do it so fast? She's ruthless!" Azura fumed.
Zuri took the phone and skimmed through the post. It was mostly speculation, with comments split between disbelief and those who thought it was definitely her.
But, ultimately, most people weren't convinced.
"At least most of them don't believe it. As long as we deny it, there's nothing they can do," Azura said, smiling. "That girl thought she could threaten us? She's dreaming!"
Just then, Zuri's phone rang.
"Who is it?"
"It's me," An Ruoxi's voice came from the other end.
"Oh? After going through all that trouble to get my number, what do you want?"
"Just a little reminder. Did you see the post on the school's forum?"
Zuri stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
"This is just the beginning. If you're scared, delete my brother's contact and promise never to talk to him again. I'll delete the post and clear your name," An Ruoxi said, her tone threatening yet tempting.
Zuri chuckled softly. "And if I don't?"
"If you insist on being stubborn, don't blame me for what happens next. I know my brother is incredibly handsome, and it's normal for you to be infatuated with him."
"But the company won't let you ruin him, and neither will I. You're not going to destroy his career."
"This is my final warning. If you continue down this path, don't expect any mercy from me," An Ruoxi growled.
With a snap, the call ended.
An Ruoxi stared at her phone, her face twisted with anger.
Damn it! She's asking for it!
If that's how it's going to be, don't blame me for what comes next.