Chapter 85

"Is your head really that empty, or are you just playing dumb on purpose? Maybe I need to spell it out for you," Emilia snapped, shooting a sharp look at Emory.

Melina couldn't help herself. While Emory fixed her with a cold glare, Melina leaned in, eager for details."What actually happened back then?"

Emory chimed in before Emilia could answer, "There's nothing to tell. People should learn to keep their noses out of trouble. She ought to worry about not getting herself kicked out."

"Getting expelled isn't something I'll have to worry about," Emilia answered smoothly, her tone brimming with certainty.

"Even if you came in through the independent track and enjoy more freedom, if the rumors online turn out true, the school can still expel you," MAelina said with a careful note of caution.

Students who earned admission through independent exams enjoyed wider choices, but they still had to respect certain boundaries.

Emilia lived differently from the rest. She had no need for instructors hovering over her, and there were no strict schedules tying her down. She moved in and out of the campus as she wished.

Yet while others took advantage of the full range of resources, her chosen freedom left her with little more than unrestricted access to the dance studio.

"I know the rules. I'm here to clear my name," Emilia said with steady conviction.

"Really? Then what's your plan for proving it?" Melina pressed, her curiosity stirring at the thought of Emilia's defense.

Emory let out a derisive laugh. "What a joke. The evidence is everywhere. The video shows you hitting someone for no reason at all. It's undeniable. Still going to act like nothing happened?" "I'm not running from the truth. I'll let the evidence speak on my behalf," Emilia replied, sliding her phone from her pocket.

Just as she prepared to show the video, Melina's phone started to ring.

"I need a minute. I've got to answer this," said Melina as she stepped aside, lifting her phone to her ear.

While the voice on the other end spoke, her expression shifted into startled disbelief.

"Alright, I understand," Melina murmured, ending the call before immediately scrolling through the latest news about Emilia.

Moments later, she lowered her phone and fixed her gaze on Emilia.

"There's no reason for you to defend yourself anymore, Emilia. A new video just went public. It shows the other student/picking a fight with you first-you were only trying to protect yourself. Everyone's talking about it now. At first, the school leaned toward expelling you, but now that everything is clear, you're no longer in danger," Melina explained, her eyes lingering on Emilia with both respect and envy.

She couldn't deny that Emilia's headstrong boldness was strangely appealing. Youth gave her the freedom to act recklessly, to fight whenever she pleased.

Unlike Emilia, she herself had spent her life caged by expectations, bending herself into what others demanded instead of embracing who she really was.

Emilia blinked in shock and quickly pulled up the same news. To her surprise, the video clearing her name matched the one she had planned to show Melina. Yet she hadn't releasedit. Who had stepped in on her behalf?

Emory scrolled through the updates, her mood souring with every headline she read. It seemed impossible that Emilia could stumble into such fortune, with the cameras catching every detail of her being wrongly accused.

Out of spite, Emilia shoved the woman aside and then tossed out a mocking apology. Emory could not make sense of her reasoning, but the sheer boldness and lack of shame made her blood boil.

Meanwhile, Melina kept darting glances at Emilia, as if something weighed heavy on her mind but she just couldn't say it out loud.

"Go ahead and say it. I can tell you want to," said Emilia, watching Melina struggle to find the words.