A day had passed by yet Leonardo Auclair's hatred for Xhemin didn't mitigate. If there's one thing he wanted right now, that was to make Xhemin kneel on her knees begging for forgiveness in front of him. However, he knew he cannot make that happen easily and for once in his life, he had never been this helpless being the Auclair's son. He was always used to getting his way through but being with Xhemin in that tiny shack for few minutes made him so powerless, the girl was something out of ordinary. Aside from that, it seemed that both the Youngest Montreal and the Lagdameo heir had an unexplained knot with the girl, whatever was that—either friendship or romance—he couldn't tell.

"Tell everyone that the girl who tagged me had blisters all over her body that's why I refused her advances!" he instructed his goons randomly while he was in the woods throwing tantrums about what happened.

​​

"But sir nobody would believe this story if they knew you went off with her volunta—"

"Spread the goddam news!" he screamed over his subordinates face "I don't care how you do it. Lie if you want, tell them I didn't went off with her, tell them she kidnapped me and forced her way to me!"

"Sir, but what if no one will believe this story of yours. Some of the elites have witnessed what happened"

"They only witnessed me being tied, they didn't saw how I ended up there. Besides, everyone was drunk that time…" Knowing that somehow he had the chance to flip things over, his once dark face suddenly brightened. He was the Auclair's only son after all, somehow, people will believe his version of things rather than those of the other party—the girl wasn't as famous as he was anyway.

"But the girl had a connection with the youngest Montreal" His subordinate reasoned out "With his influence he can easily discredit your testimony"

"She was just his employee" Leonardo confidently muttered "The youngest Montreal won't go all the way to protect her. He already got what he wanted, so he won't bother making extra effort for her—she had sure been compensated already…fuck that Ziggorioh Montreal!"

"But sir, the girl must have only been following—

"Just spread the goddam news and don't make me repeat myself over and over again!" he screamed in annoyance. He didn't like the way his subordinate threw him the truth that he was nothing compared to Ziggy's influence and that his downfall was beyond redemption.

***

Rumours flew fast like a wildfire.

The talks about a random fan—who out of her obsession kidnapped and detained the Auclair's only son spread through without discernable source. The elites who witnessed the whole thing dismissed the rumours immediately but there were those who believed and swore blindly to its truthfulness even though they haven't seen those that transpired. To make the situation worst, many student commoners believed the lies especially because some of the elites swore onto it—especially those who belong to Leonardo's circle.

"Care to tell me what exactly happened?" Huzey went to confront Ziggy and Xhemin when the rumour reached his ears.

"To sum up the whole thing, Leonardo is a jerk" Xhemin say trying to hide her frustration and making it appear that this whole rumour ordeal was nothing significant to her, that she was not at all affected when in fact, she was, in every way.

"You went to an elite party without telling me?" The diamond prince asked again, suspicious over the whole thing.

"It was a camp party for elite teens, nothing big" Xhemin continued her I'm-not-affected-at-all act.

"It was still an elite party" Huzey pointed out. He had enough with these elite parties and as much as possible he wanted the masquerade ball to be Xhemin's first and last because trouble seemed to have been following them around ever since the Lagdameo heir came to the picture.

"I was there with Xhemin and nothing bad really happened" Ziggy intervened trying to save their asses off from Huzey's instigation.

"Don't bluff me Ziggy" he warned over to the Montreal's young sire "If not for the little talks spreading over the camp I wouldn't know about Xhemin's trouble brought by that tag game of yours"

"It was only a game, you yourself said it—it was only a game" he reasoned trying to sway Huzey's point of view "Leonardo was just over-exaggerating it"

Huzey gave Xhemin and Ziggy an unbelieving look as he shook her head. He knew how the two connive on hiding the whole situation from him and to be honest, if not because of the rumours; he wouldn't have any idea about it.

"We had already talk this through" he reminded the two "We had agreed to stay out of the trouble in this camp since it is our last camp"

"Huzey I just joined the tag game and Xhemin helped me. Our intentions were clear and we followed the rules. We just didn't expect that the Auclair's only son would feel bad about his elimination and that he would make false rumours about Xhemin Lae" Ziggy tried convincing Huzey hoping his questioning will stop and that the Diamond Prince will spare them both.

"Maybe that part is true. But I know you both so I know there's more than to this story that you aren't telling me" Huzey tell off without holding his thoughts " Because of that I want you Ziggy to drop this tag game of yours"

"What the F!" Ziggy exclaimed out of shock "You know I can't just drop the game like that!"

"You can and you will" he said with finality "That's your punishment for dragging Xhemin through it"

"Hey that's not fair!"

"What isn't fair is me calling the Montreals about you joining a forbidden dangerous game" He threatened "You don't want them to send Sam over here, do you?"

Huzey's words made Ziggy shut his mouth in an instant. He'd rather dropped the tag game that have a body guard follow him everywhere in the camp—that would be a taint on his reputation.

Silence filled the camp clinic where the three friends were conversing. Both Ziggy and Xhemin contemplated on what they did and thought how they messed up for nothing. The effort they spent on that tag game went to trash just like that.

"You'd better change and leave now before everyone notices your absence" Huzey spoke breaking the silence with another reminder.

"Huh?" Xhemin, confused over Huzey's words asked with her eyebrows flaring.

"It's a Saturday" The diamond prince added to his previous words "Everyone's in the lake"

Just then and realization sunk into Xhemin. There were no scheduled camp activities on Saturdays so campers flock in the lake to have a good time and bond with each other. With that, officers were usually there to keep watch over campers and so the three of them, Xhemin, Huzey and Ziggy should be there.

"But some will recognize Xhemin and that would do no good" Ziggy worriedly said.

"Hiding off will do no good either" Huzey retorted and went to the door "If the rumours isn't true then why hide and miss all the fun?"

"Huzey is right…" Xhemin concluded and started putting her tidy hair on a bun. She thought that there was no point in hiding in the camp clinic and have everyone mock over her absence "Besides, we've got some officer tasks to do"

"You sure?" Ziggy asked again when he realized Xhemin was getting ready.

"I'm not" She simply said "But I can't stay here hiding away from everyone throughout the camp days"

"Okay, then just stick with me" Ziggy suggested "Everyone thought anyway that you are my subordinate so just stay close"

Xhemin nodded yes at Ziggy's proposition before both of them headed out the door.