The Kingmaker Reclaims Her Power

At the family dinner, my stepsister Lexi couldnt stop glowing. She had just announced her biggest get yet: shed managed to hire Dante, the internets most coveted livestreamer, for her personal brand launch.

I sat across from them, nursing a glass of Pinot Noir, watching the man I had spent nearly a million dollars supporting over the last three years. To his millions of fans, he was a god. To me, he was supposed to be a partner. But tonight, I was invisible.

Dante was busy peeling shrimp for Lexi, his movements practiced and tender. He laughed as he shared "insider" tips on product selection, and even made a show of pouring a special artisanal herbal blend for my father, playing the part of the perfect, dutiful guest. He even went as far as adding our housekeeper on Snapchat, charming everyone in the room.

Everyone except me.

When I finally raised my glass, intending to offer a professional greeting, the warmth vanished from his face. He leaned in, turning his head so only I could hear his venom.

"No amount of money can buy back your youth, Jade," he whispered. "Stop trying."

Lexi smirked, pulling out her phone to show off her chat logs with him. There were photos of Danteshirtless, wearing nothing but an aproncooking dinner for her. She bragged that he had driven across the entire tri-state area just to deliver a home-cooked meal to her doorstep.

"Jade, did you know?" Lexi asked, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Dante told me his top donor is some pathetic, middle-aged woman going through a mid-life crisis. He says she uses every order as an excuse to harass him. Just because she has a little cash, she thinks she owns him."

I felt a coldness settle in my chest. For three years, I had been his silent engine. I bought every product he endorsed, cleared his inventory, and pushed his metrics to the moon. Yet, he never once accepted my friend requests. His only communication was through the platform's cold, automated system: New drop live. Go buy. Even at industry events, he looked through me like I was made of glass.

I realized then that he wasnt a cold person. He was just cold to me.

I offered a thin, effortless smile and looked down at my phone.

With a few taps, I pulled up the dashboard for the man who had been stuck in second place behind Dante for three yearsa creator named Kit. I pushed him to the top of the featured homepage. Then, I sent a single message to a private group chat. Within seconds, three hundred major brand reps responded. The pivot was instantaneous.

If Dante found me so embarrassing, I saw no reason to keep his throne warm.

After Lexi finished her little taunt, I didnt bother replying.

I kept my head down, typing into the group chat: Cancel Dantes ten-million-dollar contract. Reallocate the budget.

The chat went silent for three seconds. Then: Whos the replacement?

I scrolled through the platform until I found a familiar face. Kit.

Hed been in the industry for a decade. For the first seven years, he and Dante had been neck-and-neck. Then, three years ago, Dante met me. Kit had spent the last three years being suffocated by Dantes shadowa shadow I had cast.

I had met Kit once. It was at a gala where someone had accidentally spilled red wine down my dress. I had instinctively looked to Dante for help, but he had jerked his head away, pretending to be deep in conversation with a CEO.

It was Kit who had stepped in. He politely asked if I needed assistance, led me to a private suite to change, and then stood guard outside the door for twenty minutes to ensure my privacy. That night, I rewarded him by fast-tracking a contract for him.

When Dante found out, he blocked my number for two weeks.

Thinking of that now, I typed: Give it to Kit.

The chat exploded. Notifications blurred past, but I put the phone away.

The dinner continued. Dante, who was always stoic and unreadable with me, was currently making my father roar with laughter. Lexi playfully tugged at his sleeve, and he caught her hand, giving her a look so full of adoration it turned my stomach.

Lexi shot me a triumphant look. "I heard you and Dante were acquainted, Jade. Why are you so quiet?"

Dantes expression turned to stone. He didnt even glance my way. "I dont know her," he said flatly.

Three years. A million dollars. And I didn't even warrant a "hello."

I said nothing, stood up, and walked to the restroom. When I came out, Dante was waiting in the hallway. His brow was furrowed in disgust.

"If you continue to stalk me like this, Im calling the police," he snapped.

I almost laughed. "This is my house, Dante."

"Its Lexis house," he countered, cutting me off. "She told me everything. How your mother stole another womans husband and occupied the position of 'Mrs. Summer' for twenty years. If she hadn't died early, Lexi wouldn't have even been allowed to reclaim her rightful name."

He stepped closer, his eyes threatening. "Ill let it slide this time. But if theres a next time..."

He brushed past me, his pace quick, as if he were afraid my "desperation" might be contagious. I watched him go, offering no explanation.

That evening, Dante posted a status: Saw someone I love today. Feeling great. Going live at 7 PM.

I checked the time. It was 6:30. Usually, Id be in the digital waiting room by now, ready to drop ninety-nine "Grand Finale" gifts to prime the algorithm for him. Dante would always act like he didn't see the screen-filling effects, never saying a word of thanks. If I commented, he would intentionally reply to the person right above or below me, never me.

My assistant sent a text: The deal with Kit is inked. He wants to add you to say thank you personally.

I replied 'Sure' and went to sleep.

A while later, someone started pounding on my bedroom door. Lexis voice was shrill. "Jade! What are you doing? Dante is live! Why aren't you in there supporting him? If he gets angry, don't come crying to me!"

I pulled the door open. "Why should I support him? I don't even know the man."

She choked on her next word, then sneered. "Fine. Be petty. But don't regret it later. Dante has a high pride. If you offend him now, itll be more than a two-week block."

My heart sanknot for Dante, but at the realization. My history with Dante... she knew everything. When did they start conspiring together?

Lexi isn't blood-related to me or my father. Five years ago, after my mother passed, my father remarried. Lydia brought Lexi into our lives, changed her last name to Summer, and Lexi started playing the part of the "perfect, helpful daughter." They had tried to wiggle into the family company multiple times, but my father never relented.

They thought it was my father holding them back. They didn't realize the company was founded by my mother, and her shares passed entirely to me. My father didn't refuse them; he simply didn't have the authority to say yes.

Lexi must have been feeding Dante lies, making him believe the Summer empire belonged to her.

I closed the door and checked my phone. I tried to enter Dantes stream just to see the wreckage, only to find I was blocked again.

This time, I didn't send an apology. I blocked him back.

Dantes fan forums were already tagging me. Where is the Queen Patron today? Is something wrong?

A familiar avatar popped up in the comments. It was Lexi. We dont need her. Lets show him we can carry the room ourselves!

The fans tried to rally, but the energy was limp. When Dante finally ended his stream, the hashtag #DantesBust started trending. Without my massive opening donations, the major brands hadn't bothered to show up. He was used to being the king, but he had neglected his community management.

Now that I was gone, the house of cards was folding. His peak viewership wasn't even hitting the numbers of a C-list influencer.

While Dantes fans were begging for my return, I was looking at a message from Kit. He had sent over an exhaustive list of brand partners. His 8 PM "Mega-Drop" was going live with discounts even lower than Dantes best days.

The internet caught fire. Everyone was speculating on who Kits new "Angel Investor" was. Meanwhile, Dantes camp was silent. His team hadn't even announced a lineup for the night.

At 8:00 sharp, I entered Kits room and dropped gifts for ten minutes straight. Dantes team officially canceled his broadcast for the night.

I didn't look back. I watched Kits numbers climb to an eye-watering 500,000 concurrent viewers.

Kit was different from Dante. Dante used to sit there, bored, letting his assistants do the talking. If he got annoyed, hed just walk off-camera, and his fans would call it "authentic." Kit, however, was in the trenches.

Before the stream, he had sent me a twenty-seven-thousand-word strategy brief, timed to the minute.

The sales ticker started rolling. Thirty million. Fifty million. Eighty million. The moment it crossed a hundred million, the chat went feral.

Kits eyes turned red. His voice trembled. "Thank you, Jade. Thank you so much..."

Three hours later, the stream ended. He was the number one trending topic in the country.

I exited the app only to find my DMs exploding. Dantes fans had invaded.

You shameless bitch. You leave Dante to go hook up with another guy? Wheres your loyalty?

You were Dantes top fan. You owe him a handwritten apology on video, or were coming for you.

Disgusting. How many times did you have to sleep with Kit for this?

Someone asked Dante for his take. He posted a brief, chilly response: Some fans spend a little money and think they own the creator. Honestly, its terrifying.

That was the spark. The fans went rabid.

So that woman, Jade Summer, tried to force Dante into a relationship just because she bought some stuff?!

Gross. Shes giving all women a bad name.

Within an hour, my photos were leaked. They were edited to look like funeral portraits, captioned with slurs like "Old Whore" and "Sugar Mommy."

My phone started ringing incessantly. "I heard your mom is dead. Good. She deserved to die for raising a snake like you!"

I gripped the phone, my knuckles white. Despite the harassment, Dante said nothing. He watched the world burn my reputation and didn't lift a finger.

The last flicker of warmth I felt for him died right then. I wasn't going to play nice anymore.

Suddenly, Kit posted to his Twitter and Instagram. Jade is my most important partner. Anyone who insults her insults me. My success belongs to her, and I wont tolerate this harassment. If you want to talk shit, come for me.

His fanbase immediately clashed with Dantes. My legal team already had the cease-and-desist orders ready. I retweeted them and shut off my phone.

The moment I walked into the house, Lexis voice cut through the air.

"Jade! Are you insane? Youre trying to make Dante jealous by doing this? Youve lost it!" She practically shoved her phone into my face. "Who gave you permission to send Dante a legal threat? Do you have any idea what this does to his reputation?"

"Withdraw it now. Publicly apologize to him. Say you were out of your mind and promise to triple your donations next time he goes live!"

I didn't hesitate. I slapped her hand away from my face.

"Are you done telling me how to run my business?"

A flash of pure hatred crossed Lexis face, but she shrank back.

I went upstairs and checked the metrics. It had been a good night. Kit had gained 400,000 followers, and the engagement was off the charts. A Tier-1 luxury brand had already reached outthey wanted to host their new product launch exclusively in Kits studio.

As the owner of the media firm, I scheduled a meeting for both parties to sign the contracts at my office the next morning.

The next day, I arrived to find two uninvited guests in my lobby.

Lexi smirked at me. "Jade, I brought Dante here. Just apologize to him. For my sake, hell forgive you, and we can put this ugly mess behind us."

Dante didn't look at me. He was sipping a coffee, chin tilted up, waiting for me to come crawling over.

I was exhausted by the delusion. Before I could speak, Lexis eyes snagged the folder in my hand. She snatched it. Her eyes lit up.

"Oh, I see! You were playing the long game. Using Kit to create a buzz, just so you could hand this luxury contract to Dante as a 'peace offering.' Clever."

Dantes expression softened. He took the contract and signed his name in a sweeping, arrogant scrawl before I could even process the theft.

Then, he tossed the folder at my chest. He chuckled darkly.

"Im taking this contract because Im the best, not because you gave it to me," he said. "Don't get it twisted. And don't try this pathetic 'jealousy' stunt again. Its beneath you."

I frowned. "That contract wasn't for you."

Dante looked at me with pure condescension. "Jade, you got my attention. You won. But don't push your luck."

Lexi chimed in, "Seriously, Jade, stop the act. Youre obsessed with him. You cant breathe without Dante. If he actually walked away, youd crumble. Just be grateful hes giving you another chance."

I had once liked Dante. I had built him up because I admired his talent, and yes, his market value was high. But "couldn't breathe"? Please.

Dante stood up to leave. "I dont need an apology from someone who doesnt matter," he said over his shoulder.

Lexi shot me a smug look. "Ill talk him down for you, Jade. He listens to me."

After they left, I called my legal team to void the signature and draft a fresh copy.

As the broadcast time approached, Kit messaged me, sounding panicked. Jade, I... am I supposed to be co-hosting the launch with Dante?

I went to Dantes page. He had posted a promotional poster: Exclusive Luxury Launch. Tonight at 8 PM.

I sighed and sent him a private message: That contract wasn't for you. Its a legal violation. Take the post down now.

He didn't reply privately. He screenshotted my message and posted it to his millions of followers, tagging me.

Just because I chose your sister over you, youre trying to sabotage my career? Youre the daughter of a mistress, Jade. You owe Lexi everything. Have some dignity.

The internet exploded.

A mistresss daughter? That explains everything.

Spending the familys money on a man who hates her. Pathetic.

Lexi followed up with a post of her own: The past is the past. My mother and I just want peace. Please don't dig into the family drama. Thank you for the love.

She attached a "family" photo: her, my father, and her mother. I was nowhere to be seen.

The comments hailed her as a saint. Lexi called me, gloating. "Jade, you should probably go into hiding for a few days. People are looking for you. Dante is going to address everything tonight on his stream. Don't watchitll only hurt your feelings."

I hung up without a word.

Shortly after, Kits official account announced the luxury pre-sale.

The public was confused. Whos doing the drop? Kit or Dante?

Are they co-streaming? No way, theyre rivals.

Who actually signed the deal?

The brands official account settled it.

They tagged Kit: Thrilled to announce our exclusive partner for the new collection, @Kit. See you at 8 PM.

Then, a second post, tagging Dante: Regarding the unauthorized use of our brand name for promotion: this is a formal notice of trademark infringement. Remove all related materials immediately or face legal action.

My phone began to vibrate violently. It was Dante. When I picked up, his voice was a low, vibrating growl of suppressed rage.

"Jade Summer. Have you had enough yet?"