On TV, I Exposed the Fake Heiress in My Own House.
It wasn't until one comment flashed across the screen that my brother finally lost his cool.
"The sister is so cute, I wanna take her home!"
Ryder snapped.
"Get lost! Don't you people have your own sisters?"
I was lounging on the sofa at home, enjoying my summer break, watching my brother s concert on TV.
The music was electric, the dancing flawless.
He hit every beat with effortless precision.
The fans below the stage were screaming his name like their lives depended on it.
"Ryder! I love you!"
"He s killing it! AHHHHHH!!"
"Ryder Stone, the industry's ultimate charmer! You own my heart!"
The music stopped, and the camera zoomed in for a close-up.
Ryder shot the camera a look of utter disdain, a god looking down on mortals.
Worthy of the industry s "Ice King." That pose was ice-cold perfection.
The next second, my brother pushed the door open and walked in.
He looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.
He was wearing a pair of bright pink piggy-patterned pajamas.
"Lexie, please, just come with me. It s only for three days."
"All the other guests have their sisters with them. Even my rival managed to dig up some long-lost cousin to bring along."
My brother had been begging me for days to go on this reality show with him.
"Not a chance!" I refused flatly.
It wasn't that I was heartless, but&
Trending Topic #1: #RyderStoneTheTyrant
Trending Topic #2: #RyderStoneThreatensReporter
Trending Topic #3: #RyderStone sNewStagePerformanceIsFire
Two out of the three trending topics were scandals.
I really didn't want to go on a reality show and be publicly humiliated with him.
Instead of fame and fortune, I d just get buried in his scandals.
Seeing that his pitiful act wasn't working, my brother played his trump card.
"You come with me, and I'll give you three new pieces of industry gossip. 100% verified."
What?
Gossip!
"Deal!" I said.
Any hesitation would have been a sign of disrespect to the gossip gods.
"Sibling Face-Off" was a reality show filmed in a rural countryside setting. Each episode was filmed over three days and streamed live.
To better engage with the audience, the live chat was updated in real time.
When my brother and I stepped out of the van, the live chat blew up.
"Ahhh, Ryder's here! My man!"
"He's hot, but he always has that sour look on his face. I heard he's a total tyrant."
"The person above must be a hater from Mason Ford's camp. Shut up if you don't have proof!"
"Is that Ryder's sister? She's so adorable!"
I noticed one pair of guests was already sitting on the sofa in the waiting area.
When I saw that all-too-familiar face, the corner of my mouth twitched.
Talk about a small world.
Caden Shaw, my childhood friend.
Known as the elite circle's golden boy, he only got into acting to kill time.
He rose to fame by playing handsome, rich playboys in a few hit dramas basically, he played himself.
His eyes lit up when he saw me.
"Lexie!"
He walked over and reached out to ruffle my hair like we were kids.
The live chat immediately grew suspicious.
"Caden Shaw knows Ryder Stone's sister?!"
"Isn't he the golden boy of the LA elite? He's always at the clubs. They probably met at some party."
"She looks so innocent, but I guess she's a party girl too& "
I didn't want to attract haters before the show even started.
I quickly stepped back, putting some distance between us.
He noticed my deliberate avoidance and dropped his hand.
He sat back down on the sofa, acting casual.
The girl next to him greeted us with a gentle smile.
"Hi, Lexie! I'm Caden's cousin, Sierra Shaw!"
Wow. The little girl who used to follow Caden around with a snotty nose&
She had grown up to be gorgeous.
But she only greeted me, giving my brother the cold shoulder.
My brother looked completely baffled and whispered in my ear.
"Why does she look like she hates me? What did I ever do to her?"
What did you do to her? You really don't remember?
So, I kindly reminded him.
"You roasted the two pet chickens she was raising in her yard when you were kids."
The lightbulb went on in his head.
He rubbed his nose and gave an embarrassed laugh.
Before my brother and I could even sit down, another van pulled up.
A man and a woman got out and surveyed the scene.
The guy in the white suit was the pop idol Mason Ford.
He was my brother's main rival and spent a fortune on trending topics to slander him.
The woman was a rising starlet named Serena Croft. She had built a persona as the beloved daughter of a wealthy family, and her fans called her "the Beverly Hills princess."
Serena was wearing a pale pink couture dress, her high heels adorned with pearls.
A perfect picture of a gentle, delicate flower.
"Serena's here! Everybody, say it with me: Princess, welcome."
"Princess, welcome!!!"
"Mason is so handsome. With a face like that, no wonder they call him the 'next Ryder Stone'!"
"Don't you dare compare him to our Ryder. So annoying!"
"Heh, Ryder's fans are just as classless as their idol."
"Am I the only one who thinks Serena looks kinda plain next to Lexie& ?"
"Is the person above blind?! Our Serena is the most beautiful, no arguments! Idiot!"
Serena obviously noticed the comments comparing the two of us.
A hint of hostility flickered in her eyes as she looked at me.
Mason lowered his gaze and held out his hand to my brother in a fawning manner. "Senior Ryder, long time no see. Please, guide me during the show."
Before my brother could even reply, the live chat was already in an uproar.
"See? Mason is so polite!"
"So the rumors about Ryder being arrogant and disrespectful in the industry are true."
"Look at our poor Mason, he looks so scared. Ryder must have bullied him before!"
I could clearly see a flash of triumph in Mason's eyes.
So that's his game.
I pulled my brother behind me.
I leaned in close to Mason and asked in a syrupy-sweet voice.
"Hey there, handsome. Is your nose supposed to glow like that?"
Mason frantically covered his nose.
"What& What nonsense are you talking about!"
I'd already heard from my brother.
This Mason guy, in order to ride on his coattails, had undergone quite a bit of plastic surgery to become the "next Ryder Stone."
Mason shot me a mortified, angry glare and stomped over to the sofa.
Serena completely ignored my brother and me, deliberately sitting down next to Caden as if they were old friends.
The live chat, of course, went in the direction she wanted.
"The Beverly Hills princess and the elite circle's golden boy, they look so good together!"
"Some random girl who popped out of nowhere doesn't even deserve to say hi to our princess."
"They're not in the same league, after all. Serena is a true heiress."
She deliberately fidgeted with her teacup, making little noises.
She was clearly trying to get Caden to start a conversation with her.
Unfortunately for her, Caden wasn't buying it. He picked up a magazine and started reading with great interest.
Serena then tried to approach Sierra.
But just as she was about to speak, Sierra stood up and ran over.
She took my hand and pulled me to sit next to her.
My brother naturally followed and sat down with me.
"Lexie, I heard you just got back from studying abroad. Was it fun?"
"I want to study in the UK too, just like you. Can you tell me about it?"
"Oh, and Lexie, can I come over to your place to hang out after the show is done?"
Sierra was like a walking encyclopedia of questions, chattering away excitedly.
Serena sat awkwardly to the side, forcing a smile.
"What's going on? Aren't Serena and the Shaw siblings close?"
"Something's weird. Isn't she a socialite? Why does she seem so out of place?"
"Sierra and Lexie seem to get along so well!"
"Two cute girls, so easy on the eyes!!!"
Serena stared at the live chat, biting her lip.
She glared at me with envy, until her eyes landed on my neck.
"Oh? You have this necklace too?"
Serena feigned surprise, her voice loud.
Her voice caught the production team's attention, and a camera zoomed in on my collarbone.
She walked closer for a better look.
"This is one of Jenna's designs, isn't it? There are only five in the entire world. I can't believe you have one too!"
"But& it looks a little different from mine& "
Serena's words hung in the air.
Then, as if she realized she had misspoken, she quickly added.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to imply you're wearing a fake!"
"Jenna is an international jewelry designer I deeply respect, so I just spoke out of turn. I'm truly sorry."
The tide in the live chat turned instantly.
"Someone actually wore a fake to a TV show? Hilarious!"
"Look at how classy our princess is. Not like some people."
"The brother is a tyrant, the sister wears fakes. Haha, what a pair of toxic siblings!"
A fake?
My small face was a mask of utter confusion.
The production team clearly wasn't going to let this juicy bit of drama go, waiting for me to apologize.
So, right there in front of the cameras, I opened my messenger app and tapped on a pinned chat.
I sent a message in English.
Five minutes later, Jenna posted a new status on her social media in English.
"Lexie Stone is my student. I gave her this piece, which I made with my own hands, as a symbol of our mentor-student bond!"
The internet exploded.
#LexieStoneJenna'sStudent
#LexieStoneRoyalCollegeOfArt
#SiblingFaceOffMysteryGuestStuns
Serena's face went from red to green. It was a sight to behold.
I calmly closed the app.
But then I noticed another trending topic below mine. #SerenaCroftMansion
Is this girl really buying her own trending topics?
Out of curiosity, I clicked on it.
It was a picture of Serena in a tutu, striking a contrived pose.
But that wasn't the main point.
That sofa, that coffee table, and that My Little Pony crayon drawing on the wall behind her&
My heart skipped a beat.
Wasn't this my family's empty villa?
On social media, the topics with Serena s name shot up in popularity.
Soon, they had pushed all the topics related to me down the list.
#SerenaCroftMansion
#SerenaCroftGoddessVibes
#BeverlyHillsPrincessSerena
In just a few minutes, she had taken over the top three trending spots, and the comment sections were flooded with paid commenters.
"OMG, my Serena truly is a princess!"
"Is this what you call a class divide? I'm so envious."
"I'm a fan of Serena's looks. My baby girl is so beautiful!"
"Serena is definitely the beauty queen of 'Sibling Face-Off'!"
But there were plenty of sharp-eyed people in the live chat who started to get sarcastic.
"Serena's paid commenters are so obvious& "
"How much for a comment? Let's all get rich together!"
"Lexie and Sierra are both prettier than her. How dare these bots claim she outshines them?"
"Thanks, but my toes are already curling from second-hand embarrassment for Serena."
Clearly, the direction of the live chat wasn't what Serena had expected.
Not only did her attempt at self-promotion fail, but it also backfired on her.
So she tried to save face in front of the camera.
"The filming location isn't far from my family's villa. When we're done here, I'll invite everyone over for dinner. You can all try my cooking."
Mason quickly chimed in, nodding enthusiastically.
"Of course! I'm sure everyone is excited to see Serena in the kitchen."
Caden: &
Sierra: &
My brother just scowled, looking like someone owed him a million dollars, and said nothing.
I saw Mason shoot a malicious glance at my brother.
I knew he was up to no good.
He was probably about to stir up more trouble and create another scandal for my brother.
So I quickly cut in before he could.
"Great! We'd love to see your mansion, right, Ryder?"
I secretly pinched Ryder's waist.
He grimaced but nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes! Whatever my sister says is right."
Only then did Serena flash a triumphant smile.
She wanted to use this to solidify her "heiress" persona.
I smiled too.
Hah. I couldn't wait to see.
Was that multi-million-dollar mansion really hers, or was it mine?
After the brief introductions.
The production team announced a little ice-breaker game.
"The rules are simple. Each person has to say something they've done that no one else has. Anyone who hasn't done it loses a point."
"If you lose three points, you're out."
A small scoreboard was placed in front of each of us, displaying our scores.
Sierra went first, saying excitedly.
"I'll start! I won a gold medal at an international dance competition!"
Serena immediately took the microphone.
"What a coincidence! I'm also a three-time winner of a national ballet competition."
Besides her, the rest of us lost a point.
Next was Mason.
"I starred in a TV drama that was number one on the monthly charts of a major streaming platform."
Caden lifted an eyelid. "Hmm, so did I."
My brother was concise. "Same."
At the end of that round, my scoreboard showed 2 points.
Which meant if I lost one more point, I was out.
Serena looked at my score and a small smirk played on her lips.
She smiled condescendingly, confident of her victory. "I have a private stable."
A few of her fans in the live chat started sucking up.
"Boom! Our queen has spoken!"
"As expected of Princess Serena. A private stable, just like that."
"Is that really expensive?"
"What do you peasants know? A single purebred racehorse can cost over a million dollars!"
"Wow, princess, I love you~"
My brother and I exchanged a look.
We could read the same two words in each other's eyes.
"That's it?"
First, search for and download the Novellia app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "261656" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
Novellia
Bookworm« Previous Post
She Begged Through Tears, But I Refuse to Be His Shadow
Next Post »
Midnight First Aid