Chapter 176

Jacob wasted no time, pulling strings with the most reputable entertainment companies in Shoildon.

Before half a day had passed, scandalous reports about Katelyn spread across the internet like a raging fire in dry grass.

"The image of Shoildon's darling,Katelyn Fuller-once praised for her elegance and poise-has left the public reeling. She has been caught frequenting nightclubs and entertainment spots, always surrounded by men!"

Within hours, the story had surged to the very top of Shoildon's trending topics.

Anyone who clicked on the article was met with a barrage of photos and videos.

The first photo showed Katelyn in a nightclub,lounging on a sofa between two men. A row of shirtless, muscular men stood before her.

In the second photo, she straddled one man provocatively, her head tilted back,eyes heavy with intoxication and indulgence, as though savoring forbidden fruit. To any discerning eye, it was clear- her actions spoke of anything but respectability.

Then came a video, more than ten seconds long.Though the bar's corridor was lit by dim, colorful lights, one could still see Katelyn entwined with a bearded man against the wall. As the clip ended, her hand slid slowly from his abdomen downward... The act was brazen, a complete contradiction to the image of a demure lady she had so carefully cultivated.

Next followed a few more photos, each showing her entering hotels with different men. In some,she was even accompanied by more than one at a time.

As soon as the news broke, the comments section erupted into a feast of gossip. To those in Shoildon's social circles-where Katelyn's upright persona had always been the talk of the town-it was like watching a porcelain mask shatter.

"Am I seeing this right? Is this really the gentle and elegant Katelyn?"

"Gentle and elegant? That was just her mask. The moment she left home ground, her true self showed."

"I knew it! She always struck me as pretentious."

"Notice anything? Not one man is the same. She's juggling partners like spinning plates-doesn't she worry about disease?" "If she worried, she wouldn't live so recklessly."

"Unbelievable! She's handling them like a professional entertainer."

"I can't stand hypocrites like her. She always acted like some untouchable saint, sneering at others for a little fun. But behind closed doors, she's no different from those she mocked."

"Right, just look at that second video-she's skilled,like she's done this a hundred times."

"Wasn't she once the picture of purity, throwing herself at lsaac with such persistence that all of Shoildon knew of it?"

"I used to pity her, thinking Isaac was cold. Now I see -it was all an act. She's nothing short of a stage actresS."

The comments section was flooded with ridicule toward Katelyn.

Across group chats too, the buzz about "Katelyn's double face" grew louder, especially among the wealthy youth who had brushed shoulders with her before. Their words cut sharper than knives.

"I thought my friends were outrageous, but compared to Katelyn, they're tame." "Exactly! Just days ago, my mom praised her, telling me I could never match her. Now? I can't stop laughing-I'm definitely not that promiscuous."

"Same here. She was always the 'perfect daughter'parents admired. Who knew she hid such scandal?"

Hearing her phone buzz relentlessly, Kaia assumedit was another storm of insults aimed at Verena.

She grabbed her phone, only to be stunned-every message was about Katelyn.

She logged onto social media and saw the trending post.

Her eyes widened as she clicked and watched,disbelief spilling from herlips.

"No... this can't be Katelyn," she murmured to herself,disbelief filling her eyes.

Her idol had always seemed beyond reach, as though carved from a pedestal of virtue. How could she be painted with such wanton colors? Young men she might have understood-but older men too? It was beyond imagining.

Kaia thought it through and scrolled back in her group chat. The conversation had originally centered on Verena's troubles. Then suddenly, the internet exploded with Katelyn's scandal, burying the previous gossip. Such a drastic shift couldn't have been coincidence. Someone must have deliberately unleashed Katelyn's dirt to drown out talk of Verena's affair with Tobin.

Her thoughts fell neatly into place. To Kaia, there was no doubt-this was Verena's handiwork. Who else would be cunning enough to twist the situation? She must have hired people to smear Katelyn, to shift the spotlight and save herself.

Kaia's impatience boiled over. This had to be handled at once, or the damage to Katelyn's reputation would be irreversible.

She forwarded the trending post to Katelyn, adding,"Katelyn, this must be Verena's scheme. She's pulling strings to smear you. You need to act fast and put an end to this!"

When Katelyn saw the message, her mind went blank.For a heartbeat she stood frozen, overwhelmed.Because deep down, she knew-this was no fabrication. Every photo, every video... had really happened.

Rage swept through her like a storm. She slapped a cup off the table, face flushed scarlet, her voice breaking into a roar. "How? How could this happen?Who did this?" Who had betrayed her? Who dared to expose it?

Yet before her anger had fully taken shape, another blow landed.

On social media, a second story surged to the very top.

"Katelyn favors both young and old-never refusing anyone! Truly the 'pure and seductive' woman of Shoildon!"

A chill crawled through her at the words.

She clicked it open, and what she saw drained the strength from her legs. She slumped heavily onto the sofa.

This time,the gallery contained more intimate photos,with men far older than the rest. Three photos were of the same man, taken from different angles-he looked at least sixty.

The new revelation caused a bigger storm than the first.

Crowds multiplied, even people who had never heard of Katelyn before joined in the ridicule.

"I thought the clip of her reaching into a man's pants was the peak of scandal-but this tops it." "My word! With men this old? It's revolting."

"She's chasing thrills in the most questionable wNays.Imagine the germs."

The insults poured in, sharper and uglier with each refresh.

Then one user noticed something.

"Wait-doesn't this old man look like the director of Cloverland Hospital abroad?"

"Who is he? Is that someone important?" another asked.

"Of course! Every medical student knows him-his textbooks are torture."

"Hold on, I think I saw an old report about him. He's a giant in medicine. Let me dig it up."

Soon enough, someone unearthed an article-an interview with none other than the director of Cloverland Hospital.

"It really is him! Katelyn was entangled with someone that high up in the field?"