Chapter 49

A.S.'s fans erupted with righteous fury at Khloe's brazen provocation.

"This is absolute garbage! Anyone with eyes can see A.S. destroys Koko!"

"God, I'm broke or l'd send more. Don't worry,A.S.-you'll always reign supreme in our hearts!"

"I literally sent next month's pocket money, but it's still a drop in the bucket..."

Arabella scrolled through the comments, her chest tightening with unexpected emotion.

She understood that most of her supporters were students scraping together allowances,with a few struggling artists thrown into the mix.Managing to raise over two million demonstrated incredible dedication from people who had so little to give.

Khloe had only reached five million thanks to her agency's financial backing-essentially corporate manipulation disguised as grassroots

support.

Khloe's smirk widened as her mask of false modesty finally slipped away. "Clock's ticking.Five seconds left. Why not bow out gracefully and spare everyone the embarrassment?"

The words had barely left her lips when she erupted into laughter. But her triumph lasted exactly one heartbeat before the screen exploded with an avalanche of virtual gifts.

A.S.'s tip counter rocketed to twelve million in an instant.

One mysterious benefactor had just dropped ten million without hesitation.

The final tally blazed across the screen: A.S. at twelve million, Koko limping behind at just over five million.

A.S. had crushed her competition.

Khloe's expression transformed into a grotesque mask of disbelief.

After a moment of stunned silence, the chat erupted into chaos.

"10 million?! I need someone to pinch me!"

"Holy hell, A.S. just landed herself a whale!What kind of billionaire did she hook?"

"This has to be rigged! A.S. obviously bought fake tips!"

"Oh, like Koko's 5 million was totally organic?Please."

"A.S. is untouchable!"

Arabella stared at the screen in genuine shock.She had been preparing to tip herself from her alternate account when someone had beaten her to the punch.

Ten million dollars from a single supporter. Who possessed that kind of casual wealth?

"Well," she said, her voice cutting through the digital pandemonium like ice, "I believe we have our answer."

Khloe's face contorted with rage before she remembered the thousands of eyes watching her every move. "I... I underestimated you. You got me. What's my punishment?"

"I've heard some interesting stories about you occupying your cousin's family mansion. Her

parents died, and after you and your family moved in, your parents sold off everything valuable inside. Your family made promises about compensation." Arabella's tone carried the sharp edge of barely contained fury. "Since we're here competing, why don't you honor those promises right now? Let everyone witness your family's integrity."

"Wait, is this actually true?" someone typed frantically.

"You must be new to Koko's drama. This story's been circulating for months."

"Dear God, are her parents really that heartless?"

Terror and humiliation warred across Khloe's features, but she managed to force out a wveak response. "My parents are... they'restill gathering the funds."

"Really? Over $10 million is taking this long to collect? You've been streaming for years.You can't scrape together a few hundred thousand?"Arabella's voice dripped with contempt.

Khloe's teeth worried her lower lip. "I've

contributed what I could, butit's not enough yet. Once I raise the rest, my parents will pay her back completely!"

"How convenient." Arabella's laugh held no warmth. "I'm starting to think your famnily targets your cousin precisely because she's alone and defenseless. With all the properties your family owns, you could sell a few to raise the money instantly. You simply choose not to."

The accusation ignited a firestorm in the comments.

"A.S. nailed it. Koko just earned $2 million from this competition. How is $10 million suddenly impossible?"

"It's not about capability-it's about willingness.We're talking about $10 million!"

"Koko claims ignorance? She's lived in that house for years! Who's she trying to fool?"

"I've followed Koko forever. She wouldn't do something this cruel. Give her a chance to explain herself properly!"

Khloe felt the walls closing in around her. She recognized the trap-refuse, and her influencer career would crumble to dust before her eyes.

"I'll gather the money! I swear I'll pay my cousin back as soon as possible!" Khloe's voice cracked with barely restrained fury.

"And exactly when might that be?"

"Within a week!" The words escaped her lips before she could stop them-a desperate promise born from having no alternatives left.

The comment section shifted toward cautious optimism. Arabella released a quiet laugh and severed the audio connection from her live stream.

She gave advice to another couple of fans after they sang before finally ending the broadcast, then immediately attempted to contact the mysterious benefactor who had dropped ten million without hesitation. The username displayed only as a generic system-generated identifier.

A.S. typed a direct message through the platform. "I'll return the money to you."

Silence stretched across the digital void.

Arabella logged off shortly after, her mind already calculating the next moves.

She understood that pursuing legal channels would consume precious time-months that the Tuckers might use to declare bankruptcy and vanish with whatever assets remained.

But now, with a ton of fans scrutinizing Khloe's every move, the pressure would force action far more quickly than any lawyer could manage.

She gazed down at Daisy with tender determination. "Everything stolen from us will find its way home,Daisy."

Satisfaction settled in Arabella's chest like warm honey, but across town, Khloe was drowning in an avalanche of private messages, each one demanding immediate payment.

A scream tore from her throat as she hurled her

phone across the room. "Damn you,A.S.!"

"What's all this shrieking about?" Elissa burst through the door with Meagan trailing behind,both wearing expressions of irritation.

The memory of her public promise crashed over Khloe like ice water, and she swallowed hard against the rising panic in her throat. "Mom,Elissa...we need to pay Arabella back. Soon."