The Takedown

I was on a reality show with my A-list brother, and the director told us to name one thing we'd done that no one else in the group had.

When it was my turn, I smiled sweetly and said, I’ve made my brother cry. By punching him.

The live chat exploded.

[LMAO, the tabloids call him a violent monster. You mean the kind that gets beaten to tears by his little sister?]

[Isn't he famous for having the worst temper in the industry?]

But then he saw one comment that scrolled by:

[His sister is so cute! I want to take her home!]

That's when my brother finally lost it.

"Back off!" he snarled at the screen. "Don't you people have your own sisters?!"

1

I was home for the summer, sprawled on our living room couch, half-watching TV while scrolling through my phone. On screen, my brother’s concert was being broadcast live from a sold-out stadium.

The music was electric, a pulsing beat that vibrated through the floor. He moved with a slick, practiced ease, hitting every mark with predatory grace.

Below him, a sea of fans screamed his name.

"LEO! I LOVE YOU!"
"OH MY GOD, HE'S UNREAL!"
"LEO ROTH! THE KING!"

The music crashed to a halt, and the camera zoomed in for a tight close-up. On the massive screen, Leo Roth, my brother, wore an expression of sublime, untouchable arrogance. The impeccable rock god persona. He held the pose, cool and detached, a king surveying his domain.

The next second, the real Leo pushed open the living room door.

He stood there, looking at me with the pleading eyes of a kicked puppy, dressed in a fluffy, bright pink Peppa Pig onesie.

"Maya, please," he whined. "Just come with me. It's only for three days."

"No," I said, not looking up from my phone.

"Every other guest has their sister with them. Even my nemesis, Asher Kane, dug up some long-lost cousin to bring along."

He’d been begging me for days to join him on this reality show.

"Absolutely not," I said firmly.

It's not that I'm heartless. It's that I’ve seen the headlines.

Trending #1: #LeoRothAngerIssues
Trending #2: #LeoRothThreatensPaparazzi
Trending #3: #LeoRothNewSingleSlaps

Two out of three were PR nightmares. I had no desire to get caught in the crossfire of his public persona. Instead of a windfall of fame by association, I’d just get a shitstorm of drama dumped on my head.

Seeing that his puppy-dog act wasn't working, my brother played his trump card.

"If you come, I'll give you three pieces of fresh Hollywood gossip. 100% verified."

My head snapped up.

Gossip? The good kind?

"Deal," I said.

To hesitate for even a second would be a profound disrespect to the art of the spill.

2

Sibling Rivalry was a reality show filmed at a rustic, luxury farmhouse, with every moment of the three-day shoot live-streamed. To boost engagement, a live comment feed scrolled constantly across the screen.

The moment my brother and I stepped out of the black SUV, the feed blew up.

LeoIsMyHusband: LEO'S HERE! AHHHHH!
MusicMaven22: He's hot, but the permanent scowl is a turn-off. I heard he's got a temper.
RothArmy4Ever: That’s just a rumor Asher Kane’s fans started. Get a life.
CutiePie: Is that his sister? She's so adorable!

I saw that one pair of siblings had already arrived and were sitting on a plush sofa in the waiting area. When I recognized the guy’s all-too-familiar face, my smile twitched.

Of course. You have got to be kidding me.

Caleb Hayes. My childhood friend. Nicknamed the "Crown Prince of the Hamptons," he’d stumbled into acting to kill time before he had to take over his father's empire. He’d since become famous for playing handsome, charismatic assholes in a few hit streaming shows—a role that required very little acting on his part.

His eyes lit up when he saw me. "Maya!"

He strode over, his hand instinctively rising to ruffle my hair like he used to when we were kids. The comment feed immediately went into detective mode.

GossipGirlXOXO: Caleb Hayes knows Leo Roth's sister?!
NYCNightlife: Isn't he like, East Coast royalty? Total player. They probably met at some club.
JustSaying: She looks so innocent, but I guess she's a party girl...

I had no intention of getting tangled in manufactured drama before the cameras were even properly rolling. I took a quick step back, creating a clear distance between us.

Caleb noticed my deliberate retreat and let his hand fall, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He coolly slid back onto the sofa, trying to look like he hadn’t just been subtly rebuffed.

The girl beside him offered us a warm smile. "Hi, you must be Maya. It's so nice to meet you. I'm Chloe, Caleb's cousin."

Wow. The little kid who used to follow Caleb around with a perpetually runny nose had grown up into a legitimately beautiful young woman.

She greeted me warmly but gave my brother a look that was decidedly frosty.

Leo leaned over and whispered, "Does she have a problem with me? What did I ever do to her?"

You seriously don't remember?

I decided to jog his memory. "You grilled the two pet chicks she was raising in her backyard when you were twelve."

Comprehension dawned on his face. He rubbed his nose, managing a sheepish, awkward laugh.

Before we could even sit down, another SUV pulled up. A man and a woman stepped out, scanning the area. The guy in the crisp white blazer was Asher Kane, a rising pop star and Leo's designated industry rival. He’d built his entire career on being a budget version of my brother.

The woman with him was Seraphina Belle, a new actress whose entire brand was built around being a sweet, sophisticated heiress. Her fans called her the "Princess of Bel Air."

Seraphina was dressed in a pale pink, silk cheongsam-style dress, her heels adorned with delicate pearls. She looked like a fragile, perfect little flower.

SeraBelleFan: SERAPHINA IS HERE! All together now: The Princess has arrived!
PrincessProtectionSquad: The Princess has arrived!!!
AsherIsKing: Asher looks amazing! He could totally pass for a younger Leo Roth!
LeoFan1: Don't even compare that clone to the original. So annoying.
AsherStan: Says the Leo Roth fan. Like idol, like fan. Both toxic.
WaitAMinute: Am I crazy or does Seraphina look kinda… plain next to Maya?
Sera4eva: Are you blind?! Seraphina is a goddess and you're trash!

Seraphina definitely saw that last comment comparing us. A shadow of hostility flickered in her eyes as she looked at me.

3

Asher Kane approached my brother with a cloying, deferential smile, extending his hand. "Leo, it's been a while. Great to be working with you."

Before Leo could even react, the comments were already crucifying him.

See_The_Truth: See? Asher is so polite!
RumorMill: The rumors must be true. Leo Roth is an arrogant jerk who thinks he's above everyone.
Justice4Asher: Look at our poor Asher, he looks so scared. Leo must have bullied him before!

I saw a flash of triumph in Asher’s eyes. Oh, so that’s the game we’re playing.

I stepped in front of my brother, moving close to Asher. I pitched my voice to a soft, innocent whisper. "Hey, can I ask you something? How do you get the bridge of your nose to catch the light like that?"

Asher instinctively clapped a hand over his nose, his face flooding with panic. "What… What are you talking about?"

Leo had told me all about it. To become "the next Leo Roth," Asher had spent a small fortune on plastic surgery to mimic my brother's features.

Asher shot me a furious glare before storming off to the sofa. Seraphina, meanwhile, completely ignored us and made a point of sitting right next to Caleb, acting as if they were old friends.

The comments immediately ran with the narrative she was pushing.

CelebCouples: The Princess of Bel Air and the Prince of the Hamptons! They look so good together!
User987: Some random girl who just showed up isn't even in the same league.
Facts: Exactly. Seraphina is actual old money. They move in different circles.

She started fussing with a teacup, making little clinking noises, clearly trying to get Caleb’s attention. It was a wasted effort. Caleb picked up a magazine and became utterly engrossed in it.

Thwarted, Seraphina turned her attention to Chloe. But just as she was about to speak, Chloe hopped up, ran over to me, and grabbed my hand, pulling me down to sit beside her. My brother followed, taking the last empty spot.

"Maya, I heard you just got back from studying abroad! Was it amazing?" Chloe began, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I've been thinking about applying to Parsons, could you tell me about it? Oh, and can I please come hang out after the show is done?"

Chloe was a whirlwind of excited energy, and I found myself smiling as I answered her questions. Across from us, Seraphina sat awkwardly, her polite smile plastered on, the odd one out.

Watcher123: Wait, are Seraphina and the Hayes cousins not actually friends?
Cringe: This is weird. She's supposed to be this big socialite, but she looks totally out of her depth.
GirlPower: Chloe and Maya seem so genuine together!
SoCute: Two adorable girls, my screen has been blessed!!!

Seraphina watched the comments, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze, filled with resentment, landed on my neck.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, her voice suddenly loud and performative. "You have that necklace too?"

Her outburst drew the director’s attention, and a camera zoomed in on the delicate chain around my neck.

She stepped closer, peering at it with fake curiosity. "That’s a Dubois, isn't it? From her limited collection? There are only five in the entire world. I can't believe you have one too! But… yours looks a little different from the one I have…"

She let the accusation hang in the air. Then, as if realizing her "mistake," she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to imply it's a fake or anything! It's just, Madame Dubois is a designer I deeply admire, so I get a little carried away. Please forgive me."

The comment section immediately turned on me.

LOL: Someone wore a knock-off to a live-streamed show? That's embarrassing.
SeraBelleFan: Our princess is so classy. Not like some people.
TeamAsher: Her brother's a bully and she wears fake jewelry. What a lovely family.

A fake? I blinked, genuinely confused.

The production team, clearly smelling blood in the water, did nothing, waiting for me to apologize and create a dramatic scene.

Instead, I calmly pulled out my phone, opened my messaging app, and tapped on a pinned contact. I sent a quick message.

Five minutes later, a new post appeared on Madame Dubois’s official, verified Instagram account, written in perfect English.

"A joy to see my brilliant student, Maya Roth, wearing the piece I gifted her. A symbol of our shared passion for design! "

The internet exploded.

#MayaRothDuboisStudent
#MayaRothParsons
#SiblingRivalryStyle

Seraphina’s face went from flushed red to a sickly pale.

I casually closed the app, but not before noticing another trending topic just below the ones about me.

#SeraphinaBelleMansion

Was this girl really buying her own trending topics? Curious, I clicked on it.

The post featured a picture of Seraphina in a ballet tutu, striking a contrived pose in a large, opulent living room. But it wasn't her that caught my eye.

The sofa. The coffee table. And on the wall behind her, a framed, childish doodle of a My Little Pony.

My heart skipped a beat.

What the hell? That's our empty villa in Malibu.

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