"Are you sure this is going to work?" Nat asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.

"It'll work," I reassured her.

It had been almost a week since Harriet's accident, and the Wolf hadn't replied to any of my messages yet. Nevertheless, I hoped the surprise I'd prepared would be able to lure her back to the hunting ground.

I opened Louise's TweetyGram account and sent the Wolf a message.

Hey! Are you there?

Look what I got for you!!!

I sent her a photo of the signed copy of P.S. I Still Hate You that Nat had gotten from her friend.

Thirty seconds hadn't passed before Nat started pacing back and forth in the middle of my living room. "She's not replying." She bit her lower lip and shook her head. "This isn't working. I knew it. This isn't working."

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure the Wolf would read my message. I wasn't even sure if she hadn't deleted the app from her phone. She hadn't deactivated her account, though, which gave me hope that TweetyGram's annoying notifications would do their magic and coax the Wolf to check her DM.

"Relax, Nat. She's probably just busy. Or maybe she's in the bathroom. Or—"

My phone buzzed. There was a new message from the Wolf.

"Is that her?" Nat rushed toward me.

I gestured for her to sit beside me on the sofa. She took a deep breath and lowered herself to the cushion. As my thumb hovered over the notification on my phone, my heart pounded in anticipation. This is it. I swallowed against my dry throat and pressed the notification. It led me to my conversation with the Wolf.

Hey, Louise!

Sorry for the late reply. I've been super busy.

The wolf quoted the photo I'd sent her and commented:

OMG! That book isn't supposed to come out until next week!

How did you get it?

Nat and I shared a look and nodded.

"Here it goes," I said as I typed in my response.

My uncle's friends with Ginny Kim.

Oh, that's awesome!

I'm so jealous rn

LOL don't be!

I got this for you!!!

No, you didn't.

YES, I DID!

My message was marked read and the green dot next to the Wolf's username told me she was still online, but she didn't reply right away.

"Why isn't she replying?" Nat asked, panic creeping into her voice.

I chewed my nails while asking myself the same question. Seconds passed without a response from the Wolf. Maybe she was too astonished to respond. Or maybe she was carefully planning her next move. Or maybe she sensed the trap.

Aww, that's so sweet of you!

I released the breath I'd been holding. Anxiety subsided, replaced with a fresh wave of determination. Alright, Malibu Wolf. Time to stop you once and for all.

Anything for my BFF!!!

So, where should I send the book?

The speech bubble with the flashing ellipses popped up, but it vanished a few seconds after without any new message. The typing ellipses appeared again, telling me she was seriously considering my offer. My stomach twisted into knots in anticipation of her answer. I tightened my grip around my phone and slid to the edge of my seat. Come on, come on, come on—

Actually, I have a better idea.

Would you like to come to the Malibu set?

I'll give you a private tour!

"Oh, my gosh. She's wolfing you. She's wolfing you. She's wolfing you!" Nat gripped my arm so tight I'd have bruises when she let go.

Frowning, I gestured for her to calm down.

"Right. Sorry." She flashed an apologetic grin at me and folded her hands in her lap. "Go on."

I returned my attention to my phone and responded to the Wolf's offer.

*gasp*

R U SERIOUS???

YESSSSSSSSS!!!

WHEN?

The flashing ellipses appeared again, blinking on and off several times.

How about this Friday at Starr Sis. Studios?

At say 5 p.m.?

Something akin to distress or incredulity flashed in Nat's eyes. When I'd told her the Malibu Wolf was someone so close to her—someone she considered a sister—she wouldn't believe me. She only went along with my plan and got the signed copy of P.S. I Still Hate You to prove I was wrong. But right now, something told me she was beginning to doubt herself.

GOT IT

I'LL BE THERE

Perfect!

See you there!

Just as I was about to exit the app, another text arrived from the Wolf. If there were any doubts that this was the same wolf who had wolved Nat's die-hard fans, it vanished when I read the latest messages.

Oh, and one more thing.

I'm currently raising funds for Petz 4 Life.

It's a charity organization dedicated to finding new homes for pets whose owners have passed away.

I was wondering if you'd like to take part in giving those pets new homes.

Oh, you greedy wolf. The thought of giving my hard-earned money into a TweetyWolf made my head hurt. But I had no other choice. If I said no, then she would get suspicious. And if she did, there was a huge chance she wouldn't show up to our meeting.

Ugh. This better be worth it.

I was about to text the Wolf back when Nat said, "I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure?"

She gave a firm nod, and I let out a tiny sigh of relief.

I'd love to!

How can I help?

Well, you can start by donating!

We're $1,000 short of our goal, but any amount would be appreciated ❤️

Sure!

Does the organization have a TweetyCoin account?

Yep!

The wolf sent me the account number, and Nat quickly wired the money.

Done!

TYSM!

Your help is truly appreciated 😘

See you on Friday!

I locked my phone and leaned back in my seat. See you on Friday, Wolf.

***

Nat really went all out to catch the person who had been terrorizing her fans. When I told her I was going to deliver the book myself—while wearing a disguise, of course—she decided to rent a Porsche for me to drive to our meeting. The Wolf would be waiting and watching me from the dark, and Nat thought it would only make sense that a Maccheronian royal like Louise drive a fancy sports car rather than ride a cab.

I pulled over in front of the studio's gate and texted the Wolf.

Hey! I'm at the studio already.

Should I go in right away or should I wait for you?

She replied almost immediately.

OMG. I'm truly sorry.

Snowbear had a seizure, so I'm taking him to the vet rn 😭

A seizure? I'd expected the Wolf to make up a lame excuse to explain her absence, but the fact that she used such a horrendous excuse about an innocent creature caused anger to churn in my stomach. Nevertheless, I suppressed it and continued playing the game.

OMG, that's awful!

Is he okay?

I hope so. The vet's still treating him.

I'm really sorry. I should've let you know earlier so you wouldn't have to come all the way to the studio.

It's fine. Don't worry about it!

Family comes first

I hope Snowbear is okay!

Thanks! You're the best!

Hey, since you're already there, would you mind leaving the book at the security booth?

I bit back a grin. The Wolf was walking right into the trap I'd set.

Ofc!

TYSM! 😘

I tossed my phone into my Griffin—well, Nat's Griffin—and checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. Between the long blonde wig covering my copper hair, the top-notch makeup Sera had applied to my face, and the preppy outfit Paris lent me for today, I looked five years younger and almost unrecognizable from afar.

Nevertheless, my fingers couldn't stop tapping the steering wheel.

"Okay, Lindsey. You can do this." I took a deep breath, put on my oversized sunglasses, and exited the car.

Walk like a silly rich teenager, act like a silly rich teenager, talk like a silly rich teenager.

I lifted my chin and strutted toward the studio's gate, pretending I was a Maccheronian royal. As I stopped next to the booth, a middle-aged security guard with a thick mustache came out. "May I help you, miss?"

"Hi." I changed my voice into a sugary-sweet, rather squeaky tone, which was, to be honest, an imitation of Charity's. "I want to drop off a gift for Natalie Winters. She told me I should leave this with you." I took the gift-wrapped novel out of my bag and handed it to the guard. "Thanks!"

I strutted back to my car, dropped the silly rich teenager act, and texted the Wolf.

Hey, I've left the book at the security booth!

Her reply came within seconds.

Alright! Tysm!

The hardest part was done. Now, it was time to hide and wait for the Wolf to show herself. I put the car in gear and quickly drove around the studio, pulling into a parking space at the corner of the building. If my calculations were right, the Wolf had to be on her way to get the signed novel at the security booth. And I had to move fast if I wanted to catch her.

I tossed the wig on the passenger seat, hopped off the car, and rushed toward the corner of the building, hiding while keeping an eye on the gate.

Then, I waited.

The sound of cars passing by became an echo as my heart pounded louder and louder in anticipation. Seconds felt like minutes. And minutes felt like hours. Come on, Malibu Wolf. Show yourself. I chewed my nails as if they'd been caramel candy. Doubt was beginning to rear its ugly head. But before it consumed me, I spotted a teenage girl in an aubergine T-shirt and dark pants approaching the security booth. Finally.

I removed my sunglasses and strode toward the studio's gate, ready to catch the Wolf red-handed.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up a package for Natalie," the Wolf said to the security guard, who recognized her as one of Nat's employees and gave her the package.

As she thanked the security guard, I stopped a few feet behind her. "Hi, Almond."

She turned around and froze when she saw me, or rather my clothes.

"Whatcha got there?" I gave her a gotcha smile.

The color drained from her face; it was almost as if she'd seen a ghost. "L-Lindsey. What . . . what are you doing here?"

"You tell me. What are you doing here?"

"I-I'm just getting this package for Nat." Her hands trembled as she held up the book.

"Oh, really? Because I'm pretty sure Nat isn't expecting any packages. Right, Nat?"

"Right." Nat stepped out of the security booth, where she'd been hiding for the past fifteen minutes.

Almond let out a tiny gasp of horror and spun around, almost tripping over her feet. "Nat." Her gaze shifted back and forth between Nat and me. "What . . . what's going on?"

"We know, Almond," Nat said.

Almond swallowed audibly. "Know what?"

"We know you've been scamming Nat's fans on TweetyGram," I answered.

Nervous laughter tumbled from Almond as she took a step backward. "That's ridiculous. I'm not a TweetyWolf."

"So you're telling me if we go to your house right now, we won't find a copy of Moonlight with Trish Nash's handwriting in it?" I slowly moved toward her. As she staggered back, I continued, "Or that if we check your phone right now, we won't find that you're logged in to TweetyGram under the username NatalieWinterss or find messages from Louise Constantine Stéphanie Claudine de Sardines?"

"Wow, Linds," Nat muttered. "That's one very long name."

"Yeah, I've heard that a lot," I muttered back.

"You're Louise?" Almond stuttered, her voice breaking.

"Surprise."

As Almond's eyes drifted to the book she held close to her chest, realization dawned on her face. "You . . . you tricked me," she murmured, her legs wobbling. Defeat swept over her face. Her body went limp, and she fell to her knees.

"Why did you do it?" Nat's voice seethed with anger.

"I . . . I just wanted to get back at Trish for ruining my autographed copy of Moonlight when we were at TweetyFluencer Camp . . . and for the hell she put me through in high school." Tears welled in Almond's eyes. "I knew she's a huge fan of Eleanor Clarke, so . . ."

"So you pretended to be Eleanor and made Trish humiliate herself on TweetyGram?" I finished the sentence for her.

Almond gave a slow nod and sniffled.

I knew firsthand what it was like to be mistreated. To me, high school was a nightmare. If Bree hadn't stopped me, I probably would've gotten even with those people who'd almost driven me to insanity. That was why, even though I knew I shouldn't have sympathized with a criminal, I couldn't help but do.

"I get that," Nat said. "But why did you have to pretend to be me and wolf my fans?"

Guilt flashed in Almond's eyes. "I know it sounds weird, but I've been pretending to be you online for quite some time before all of this. It was roleplay. Just for fun. When I pretend to be you, people love me." She let out a sad laugh. "They worship me. But then . . ."

One by one, the faces of Almond's victims—Kristen, Olivia, and every single one of those innocent teenage girls I'd interviewed—popped into my mind. Whatever sympathy I had for Almond vanished when I remembered the humiliation and distress her victims had experienced.

I gritted my teeth. "You saw how easy it was to fool girls like Trish and make some quick cash."

"I didn't mean to—you have to believe me. I swear. I just . . . I needed the money. I only needed a few thousand dollars, and those girls on TweetyGram . . . losing a thousand dollars won't matter to them. They're filthy rich!"

"That doesn't make it right, Almond." Nat's tone was so sharp Almond flinched. "What do you need the money for anyway? You could've asked me for it if you really need it."

I'd spent the past few days wondering the same thing as Nat. I found some plausible motives behind Almond's actions, but one stood out.

"Does it by any chance have something to do with your visit to Doctor Fisk's office?" I asked. Shame flickered in Almond's eyes before she lowered her gaze, telling me I hit the bull's-eye. "You need the money to go under the knife, do you?"

"What?" Nat furrowed her brow. "Almond? Why? You're beautiful—"

"No, I'm not." Almond snapped her gaze to meet Nat's, her eyes watering. "I'm not beautiful. As much as I wanted to be you, I'm not. I'm not you, Nat." Tears began rolling down her cheek as she shifted her gaze to me. "Or you, Lindsey. Or those pretty influencers like Cher Quinn. I'm ugly. Everyone at school says so. But on TweetyGram, whenever I post a TweetyTuned photo of me, I get tons of likes. People actually like me! Some even called me pretty! And I . . ." She flattened her mouth, lowered her gaze, and sobbed. "I just want to be that girl people want."

Nat's face softened. "Oh, Almond . . ."

Although I wasn't one to care whether others liked me or not, I understood why Almond felt the need to change her appearance. For most people, being a teenager meant dealing with a bunch of insecurities, and seeing influencers' perfect faces at the palm of their hands twenty-four-seven must've made it a thousand times harder. Nevertheless, it still didn't justify committing a crime. Especially attempted murder.

"And Riri Richards? Where does she fit in?"

Nat frowned. "Linds, you don't think—"

Almond sighed. "Riri accidentally filmed me taking the package Trish left for Eleanor at the AAA office. She was making a video for her TweetyTube show; the one where she and Cher toured around the AAA office. When she visited Trish in rehab, that idiot told her about her friendship with Eleanor Clarke and how she'd left an autographed book for Eleanor at the AAA office. Riri put two and two together, and . . ."

"She blackmailed you, didn't she?" I asked.

Almond gave a slow nod. "She said if I didn't give her money, she'd tell Trish that I was the one who wolved her. That idiot's dad has connections everywhere, and if she ever finds out about it, I will no doubt lose my scholarship."

Almond had forfeited the ticket to her bright future the minute she donned the mantle of the Malibu Wolf. But I supposed she was too blinded by her anger—and insecurities—to realize it.

"Riri, she . . . At first, she just asked me for a thousand dollars. But then, she started asking for more, and more, and more . . . At one point, I just . . . I didn't want to do it anymore." Almond sobbed and shook her head. "I didn't want to be a wolf anymore, so that night I begged her to stop. I'd already given her twenty-five thousand dollars, for crying out loud! But she said I was her golden goose now, and there was no way she'd let a golden goose go."

Nat gulped. "But . . . you didn't . . ." She gulped again. "You didn't try to kill Harr—I mean, Riri, did you?"

"No, no, of course not!" Almond shook her head, truth shining in her eyes. "It was an accident. I swear. I got on my knees and begged her to stop blackmailing me. She laughed at me, you know, called me pathetic. But I didn't care about that. I just wanted her to stop. When she was about to leave the bathroom, I grabbed her legs to stop her. I must've startled her because she dropped her champagne. She cursed at me, kicked me, and walked away. That was when she slipped on the champagne and hit her head on the sink. I tried to help her, but there was just so much blood. I was so afraid, so . . ." Guilt darkened her eyes, and she lowered her head. "I ran away."

If Almond's story checked out—and I hoped it would—then she wouldn't have to serve time for it. If any, Harriet would be the one in trouble since blackmail is a crime. Nevertheless, Almond would have to answer for the crime she'd committed.

The teenage girl buried her face and sobbed, "I'm sorry, Nat. I'm really sorry . . ."

Nat got on her knees, hugged her, and promised to find her a good attorney. Later that day, Almond turned herself in, hoping the authorities might take it into consideration and give her a lighter sentence. My hunt for the Malibu Wolf was finally over, though it didn't exactly end the way I'd expected it. I thought I'd be thrilled to close this case, but all I felt was . . . sympathy.

If I could turn back time and stop Almond from being a TweetyWolf, I would. But I couldn't. All I could do right now was get her the help she needed and try to prevent others from making the same mistake as her.

That night, I stayed up to finish my article, which was less about the crime Almond had committed and more about what drove her to commit the crime as well as ways to combat the crippling TweetyGram fever she suffered from. I had a feeling Mr. Grant wouldn't like my article as much as Wyatt's. In fact, he might even hate it. But that didn't matter anymore. I became a journalist to shine the spotlight on important matters people overlooked—and TweetyGram fever was one of them.

As I sent the article to the Gazette, I'd never felt more accomplished. The article might not lead me to where I wanted to be, but somehow, I knew it would lead me to where I was supposed to be.

Author's Note:

So, Almond is the Malibu Wolf! Did you guess it correctly?

Thanks for reading! ❤️