Chapter 60

The instant Marilee's name popped up in the stream, the whole chat caught on-tonight's entertainment would be all about the showdown between the true and the fake daughters.

Alexia, midway through prepping her ring light for a makeup stream, froze as she caught sight ofthe message. Eyebrows drawn together, she replied, "You think I look like Marilee?"

With a loud snap, her compact case hit the table. "Honey, maybe it's time to getyour vision checked. My face doesn't need to match anyone else's. And if I did copy her? Please, I would be downgrading."

Marilee's loyalists were waiting for a fight. Like clockwork, they flooded the chat, unleashing a barrage of angry comments.

"Who do you even think you are, acting all superior around Marilee? She's the queen of the four rising starlets, and you're nothing but a wannabe!"

"Stop pretending you're some kind of socialite. The Jenkins family tossed you out!"

"And now you're just a knockoff influencer? Are things so bad you're renting some dump and begging for coins from your followers?"

A sly smile crept onto Alexia's lips as she leaned into the camera, chin resting on her hand, lashes fluttering for effect. "Did the sour grapes taste especially bitter tonight? Ever heard the phrase-the crumbs of the rich still feed the poor. Even if I was stuck renting..."

Drawing out her pause for dramatic effect, she casually lifted her phone and swept it around the room.Gilded carvings glimmered along the Baroque ceiling, the penthouse's glow bathing everything in soft gold.She let the silence linger. "I'd still be living in a duplex penthouse."

Viewers zoomed in, instantly spotting the wall of designer bags stacked in the corner. The live chat went eerily quiet.

Anyone watching could tell-she wasn't rushing for tip money.

Yet Marilee'sfans wouldn't let it rest.

"Still Jenkins cash! You stole Marilee's life for two decades!"

"Do you even hear yourself? You're nothing but a fraud!"

"Thief! Once a thief, always a thief!"

Alexia's smile sharpened."Oh, I was waiting for that. How about a little appetizer before the real main course?"

A few taps and she switched to screen sharing, flashing years of bank records from her time with the Jenkins family.

Every tuition payment, every livingexpense was laid bare-tiny deposits, embarrassingly small,lined up year after year.

"Are my eyes working? You mean to tell me she got lessspending money than me? A thousand a month? In this city? That's a joke."

"This is plain neglect. In a city like Afoross, the Jenkins family could have offered Alexia a palace, yet she was left to bunk in school dorms. Every other wealthy kid had drivers or keys to penthouses."

"And all of this happened even before the entire fiasco about her being the fake daughter came to light.What reason did they have for being so miserly with her right from the very beginning?"

"The Jenkins family is nothing short of a complete disgrace. How could they possibly justify treating Alexia in such a manner? Everyone in her social circle would undoubtedly sneer at her because of this."

Packing up her makeup tools, Alexia tossed in a casual remark. "You know, the gossip blogs loved saying the Jenkins family froze my assets, but if anyone had checked, they'd see every car and apartment was always in the company's name. My actual share of the assets? Zero. No way that family would ever give me a real home like this."

A laugh escaped her. "Honestly, I used to ask myself why I was always left out. My brothers ended up with luxury cars and big houses, and the family poured resources into sending them to elite schooIs.Me? I got the leftovers. Everyone keeps insisting I lived like a princess for twenty years, but honestly, it was just normal. It's not the jackpot they make it out to be. If I could trade, I would."

Across the internet, users started piecing together the Jenkins family's blatant favoritism. Daughters? They didn't seem to count for much.

"No way! Alexia's resume is just as good, maybe better, than her brother's. She finished both a bachelor's and a master's in biology at Afoross University. That's a real accomplishment! Meanwhile,her brothers only made it through school thanks to Daddy's wallet."

Instantly, a Marilee fan tried to defend their idol. "Hley, Marilee went to a media college! Why act like that's not good enough?"

Sarcasm filled the replies. "Are you joking? Marilee's 'media college' is just a pretty label-no real admissions process, nowhere near the top universities in the country. The bio program at Afoross University is world-famous. Comparing the two is like putting a supermarket coupon up against a Michelin chef."

Actual students chimed in, exasperated, "As someone from Afoross University, I can't believe how clueless some of you sound. Please, stop embarrassing yourselves."

While the arguments boiled over in the chat, Alexia set a large package on the table. "Let's hit pause on the drama, before we start with the makeup, time for an unboxing. Full disclosure: I didn't buy anything recently,so your guess is as good as mine. If I'm going to freak out, might as well do it on camera. Let's see what's inside."

All eyes went to the battered box. But as the camera zoomed in, sharp-eyed viewers began to notice somethingsinister, dark, dried stains clinging to the corners of the cardboard.