Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Yasmin stood dead center in the square, her tear-streaked face glowing under the giant screen behind her—where my photo was plastered in HD. "Bella," she cried, "You're a beauty influencer with a million followers. You make tens of thousands from a single video. But that $50,000... that's all my savings. Please, I'm begging you to give it back! "If we weren't best friends... if I hadn't trusted you so much, how else would I have been scammed? "You spend thousands on a single outfit, but that money took me years to save! My parents need it—for medical bills, for retirement. I'll do anything for you—be your servant, your assistant. Just give me back my money!" Then she dropped to her knees. Phones shot up in every direction. People snapped photos, hit the 'go live' button. "What the hell? Bella scammed her friend?""Are influencers seriously this heartless? She makes bank without lifting a finger, and she still scams her own friend out of her savings?""Think about it. If that girl wasn't desperate, why beg like this in public? Bella definitely took that money.""These influencers are the worst. Ban them all. They're a plague. Can't believe I live in the same city as her. Gross.""She's just standing there, watching. No shame, no soul—this is how they get rich." Then a guy marched right up to me, jabbing his finger in my face. "Bella Fleur! You scammer. Pay her back!" The scene descended into chaos, with people all around shouting, "Pay her back!" I stayed calm. Just pulled out my phone and dialed the police. Raising my voice slightly, I spoke. "Yasmin, I sympathize with you. You've been the victim of a face-swapping scam. What you need to do is report it to the police. There's still a chance to recover some of your losses. I've already called them for you." Her eyes widened rage. "That account was yours! It wasn't just your voice and videos — it had details about our personal conversations. You're the one who scammed me out of my money! You just don't want to admit it!" Right on cue, the cops showed up. I gave them a regretful shake of my head. "She's emotional. I'm worried she'll fall for another scam if she doesn't calm down." Yasmin shouted, "You're still lying!" She lunged at me and slapped me hard across the face. "Bella!" she screamed. "You've probably scammed countless people before! I have proof — it was YOU! You make so much money off your followers, so why are you stealing from me? You're shameless!" She swung again, but this time the officers grabbed her. I reached up, touching my cheek where her hand had landed. It stung. Tears welled in my eyes, right on cue. Slowly, I turned to face the cameras, making sure they caught every angle of my expression. And then Zack showed up. Without even looking at me, he started scolding me. "What's wrong with you, Bella? It's just $50k! Just give it back to Yasmin and be done with it. Look at the scene you've caused! Do you even care what this is doing to your image? "Yasmin lives so frugally. She's not like you, making tens of thousands from one sponsorship deal. She's not flashy. She's responsible. You earn money easily. Shouldn't you be more considerate of your friends' struggles?"

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

I stared at Zack, eyes wide. A female officer stepped in. "Sir, get your facts straight. Ms. Smith fell victim to an AI face-swapping scam. Ms. Fleur is a victim too.""Zack, Yasmin just slapped me," I said, voice low but loaded with disappointment. "It hurt." He barely glanced at me, more worried about the crowd recording us. With an impatient wave, he brushed me off. "Come on, Yasmin lost fifty grand. That's way worse than a slap. Can't you show some empathy?" My chest tightened, but I kept my face soft — delicate, wounded, the perfect picture of an influencer blindsided by her own brother. "Am I your sister... or your enemy?" He reached out to grab my arm, but I dodged him. The cameras were still locked on us, so I lifted a hand to my face, pretending to wipe away a tear. Behind my fingers? A smirk. *** We headed to the Cyber Crime Investigation Center together. "Quit sulking," Zack snapped. "Yasmin might've been a little emotional, but losing $50,000? It's understandable. Can't you be a little more generous?" Once we were away from the crowd, I stopped, fixing him with a steady look. He shut up. Online, Zack was seen as my loyal, ride-or-die brother, the guy behind the scenes making my influencer empire look polished and perfect. We even played into the fantasy with couple-themed videos — me and my "boyfriend" who just happened to be my brother. Reality? Zack was a tool. And now, with Yasmin stirring drama, it was time to cut him loose. The question was how to do it without tanking my engagement metrics. At the front desk, I asked the investigators about Yasmin's case. The details came quick: Yasmin got scammed by an AI deepfake through a niche platform called Mirror Glam. Barely 10,000 users, but someone used AI to stitch together my face, voice — the whole package. It looked legit. Too legit for someone like Yasmin to question it. She handed over $50,000 without a second thought. And now? She was convinced I had the money. She wanted it back. Zack sighed. "Wow, Yasmin really trusted you. Loaned you fifty grand without hesitation. That's loyalty. And you? She begged on her knees, and you're still holding out? That's cold." I didn't bother responding. Instead, I turned to Yasmin. "If you were scammed yesterday at five, why didn't you come to me directly? I was literally in my room, reviewing products. You were right next door." She scoffed. "Everyone knows how you are. Image is everything to you. You didn't want to ask me for money in person, so you messaged me privately. That's why I sent it. "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have sent the money." "Officer," she added, "I have proof. That account was definitely Bella's." The female officer who knew me shook her head slightly. Zack? He was still eating up Yasmin's sob story. "Yasmin, you're such a good friend. Don't worry — I'll make sure Bella explains everything." I elbowed him, hard. "Ow!" He winced, rubbing his side. "Bella, you've got some responsibility here. You're a public figure. You even did anti-fraud campaigns. Shouldn't you be more accountable?" He wasn't done. "If you'd registered on that platform earlier, no one would've been able to impersonate you. Yasmin wouldn't have gotten scammed." I threw my hands up. 'Oh my God, Zack. You can't be this dumb.' Meanwhile, Yasmin kept up the tears, whining about how much she needed the money. And Zack? Still deep in his white knight phase. "Don't worry, Yasmin. I'll give you Bella's card. You can use it to get whatever you need for the next few days." Later, in a quiet corner away from the cops and cameras, Yasmin's tears vanished, replaced by a satisfied smirk. "Bella, it's your fault for being famous. You make money too easily. I'm going to make sure you pay for this."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

It hit me instantly—Yasmin was doing this on purpose. She knew exactly what had happened. She'd been scammed, but she wasn't about to take the loss herself. No, she was hellbent on making me foot the bill. What puzzled me was why. Yasmin knew me better than anyone. She knew I'd never ask someone for money—not even a close friend. It just wasn't who I was. Besides, when the scam went down, I'd been in the storage room sorting PR packages. I didn't even have my phone on me. Her room faced that storage area directly. She had to have seen me in there. So why would she transfer fifty grand without asking any questions? Something wasn't adding up. As I mulled over the details, Yasmin started sobbing again. Zack returned with a glass of water, all soft concern. "Here, Yasmin." He handed her a tissue. "Don't worry. Since Bella's involved, I'll make sure she takes responsibility. You won't lose that fifty grand for nothing." Yasmin latched onto his arm, eyes wide and hopeful. "Really? I know you two run a million-follower account together. You're not hurting for money. You're so kind, Zack... but Bella—" She hesitated, shooting me a sideways glance. "Can you guarantee she'll pay me back?" My voice cut through her little performance. "Zack." Zack stiffened, pulling his arm free from her grip. He wouldn't even meet my eyes. "Just... stop crying, Yasmin. There's always a solution." But Yasmin's face hardened when he didn't give her the answer she wanted. I pretended not to notice their silent exchange, keeping my expression neutral. Inside, I was already strategizing. This mess? It might be exactly what I needed to push through my brand's transition—and, more importantly, to cut Zack out of my business for good. As we were leaving the station, a familiar voice called out behind me. "Bella." I turned to see Jenny Wayne, a police officer I'd worked with on several anti-fraud campaigns. She offered a tight smile, her expression apologetic. "You've always been a great partner in helping us promote online safety," she said. "I've seen how much effort you've put into those campaigns." Then she hesitated. "But with the scene your friend caused... your image took a hit. The Cybersecurity Ambassador title? It might need to be put on hold." I froze. As one of the top beauty influencers, I'd watched countless peers crash and burn from scandals they never saw coming. One wrong move, and their followers vanished overnight, leaving them scrambling to stay relevant. I wasn't about to let that happen to me. I'd been prepping for this kind of fallout for years — building backup plans, diversifying my brand. Holding the title of Cybersecurity Ambassador had been one of those strategic moves. So yeah, it was impossible not to feel disappointed. I didn't bother hiding my emotions. "Yasmin's too emotional. There's no reasoning with her right now." I paused, choosing my words carefully. "I get that losing that money hurts, but if I pay her back, it sets a bad precedent. It'll look like victims can always demand compensation from someone else—and that's the opposite of what we've been preaching with anti-fraud." The last thing I wanted was for every scam victim to think they could pin their losses on someone with a bigger bank account. Jenny nodded. "You're right. Legally, no one can force you to pay her back.""Thanks." I managed a small smile. "Actually, I've been thinking... if someone starts a fundraiser for her, I wouldn't mind throwing in some extra money to help." People kept trying to guilt-trip me into covering that $50K. Fine. Let's see how generous they are when it's their turn to pitch in. Jenny blinked, surprised. "Bella, that's... really kind of you." I accepted the compliment with a polite smile. It wasn't kindness—it was strategy. My entire rise from small-town nobody to million-follower influencer was built on playing the long game. Back at my apartment, I dropped onto the couch and opened my phone, bracing for the storm. The video of Yasmin kneeling? Viral. Like, mega viral. And because I was an influencer, it only made things worse. My latest post? Completely overrun. Thousands of people flooding the comments with hate. [Why won't you pay her back?] [How can you watch your best friend kneel like that? Heartless.] I scrolled through beauty forums, social platforms—everywhere, people were calling for my cancellation. [We should all unfollow her. If you agree, hit like!] The bandwagon was picking up speed, fast. A few voices of reason poked through the noise: [Guys, it was an AI scam. Bella didn't take her money. Why is everyone ignoring that?] Didn't matter. Most people weren't interested in facts. They wanted blood. Then, the police issued a statement. It spread like wildfire across influencer groups and forums: [Beauty influencer B's friend Y was scammed out of $50K through an "AI face-swapping impersonation." At the time of the incident, both were in their shared apartment. Y failed to verify the identity of the scammer and willingly transferred the money. Police urge caution with online interactions.] Both the police and platforms shared it. You'd think that would settle things down, right? Nope. Yasmin went off the rails. She stormed to the rooftop of our building, screaming that I'd driven her to the edge, threatening to jump. Firefighters had to pull her down. Drama maxed out. She caused the mess. And yet, somehow, I was still the villain.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Yasmin's rooftop stunt immediately hit the trending topics. My comment section? A dumpster fire. [Are all influencers this heartless? Just look at Bella's face—you can tell she's trouble. She totally set this up to scam her friend.] [A woman kneeling and threatening to jump off a building? That's not fake. There's more to this story. Watch—Bella's gonna get exposed.] [The police can say whatever, but we all know AI scam money is gone for good. Yasmin only got scammed because of Bella. She needs to own up.] [Didn't Bella claim she donates to charity every year? Funny how she ghosts her "best friend" when she actually needs help.] [You really believe influencer personas? It's all scripted for clout. Bella used Yasmin to boost her image and then tossed her aside. Gross.] [LOL, Bella finally got what's coming. She always made Yasmin look like the sidekick in her videos. Hope everyone sees her for what she is now.] I'd been in this game long enough to spot the bots and paid trolls. This wasn't organic hate—it was engineered. Yasmin wasn't just after cash. She wanted me canceled. I wasn't going down without a plan. *** Two major beauty brands had already suspended their partnerships. When Zack heard, he lost it. "You're such an idiot! It's just fifty grand. Why didn't you pay Yasmin right away? Now you've wrecked everything! The account's in shambles. If you can't fix this, hand it over to me. I'll manage it." I smirked. "Zack, what the hell are you talking about?" I'd started building my social media presence back in freshman year. At the time, I barely had 50,000 followers. To boost engagement, I convinced Zack to film fake couple videos with me. Those vids? Viral gold. Zack's looks pulled in a whole new crowd. By then, my beauty content had hit a plateau. I knew pivoting to the "sweet couple" angle would keep me relevant. Zack was a pain to work with, always acting like he was doing me a favor. But for the sake of my career? I kept him around. Every video we made was carefully planned. And from day one, I knew I'd eventually split from him when the timing was right. Now, thanks to this scandal, fans would be begging for me to go solo. As Zack continued spewing insults, I stayed quiet. His behavior? Perfect fuel for my next move. After he stormed out, I picked up my phone and called Jenny. "Jenny, here's a personal donation of $10,000 for Yasmin. Please hand it to her discreetly. I don't want to hurt her pride." The internet could call me cold all they wanted. Once I took the moral high ground, no one would be able to guilt-trip me again. Meanwhile, Yasmin wasn't wasting time. She'd fully leaned into her victim arc, livestreaming her sob story to rake in sympathy—and cash.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Yasmin basically lived in the living room now, livestreaming every second. "Bella, I don't even have money for food. My parents are gone, and the only way I can survive is by livestreaming. You don't mind, right?" She then turned to her audience, giving them that pitiful look. "Guys, I know I'm not a big influencer like Bella, making tens of thousands from a single post. But if I work hard enough, I believe I can make a living. Hard work is all I've got to make up for my losses." The comments rolled in fast: [We've got your back! Hard work beats fame any day. Bella totally forgot where she came from.] [You're so pitiful. Just unfollowed Bella—supporting you now, Yasmin!] [Bella's living it up while the real victim has to grind just to get by. What kind of world is this?] Off-camera, Yasmin flashed me a smug, taunting glance. "Bella, wasn't your whole brand built on the 'hardworking girl' thing? Funny how tables turn. Now I'm the one grinding." I lazily flipped through a magazine without bothering to look up. "Good luck with that." A few days later, news of my $10,000 donation to Yasmin leaked online—"accidentally," of course. She was livestreaming when she found out, and her face went stiff. For days, she'd been milking her sob story—playing the victim card, soaking up sympathy, and boosting her follower count. But the second her audience learned she'd already pocketed ten grand without saying a word? They lost it. The fragile little victim image she'd crafted? Gone. I couldn't resist. "Yasmin, hope you've got that ten grand stashed somewhere safe," I said with a sweet smile. "Wouldn't want you to get scammed again." She clenched her jaw. "If you didn't scam me, why'd you give me money?" Zack, who'd been brooding quietly, finally blew up. "Only ten grand? Yasmin lost fifty grand! Bella, you're not broke—just pay her the rest! Quit being so stingy!" I snorted. "Let me spell it out for you one last time: it's a donation. Not compensation." After the donation story spread, people clung to one question: 'If Bella didn't scam Yasmin, why did she pay her?' That narrative snowballed—until someone dropped a scathing comment online: [Y'all dragged Bella for not paying, now you're dragging her for donating? Mad she only gave $10K? Why don't you donate? There's a fundraiser in Yasmin's comments—go ahead, pitch in!] Yep, a fundraiser had popped up for Yasmin. And the organizer? They weren't holding back. They went around calling out every hater who had trashed me, straight up asking them how much they'd donated. It was hilarious. The loudest keyboard warriors? Poof. Vanished. I shot the fundraiser organizer a DM: [Thank you.] Didn't expect an answer so fast. Turns out, I knew who he was—a content creator with a solid following. His reputation, though? Messy. Dude was infamous for having a temper and acting like he was too good for everyone. It's why I'd never considered working with him. His reply came quick: [I'm not doing it for you. I just can't stand those self-righteous trolls trying to guilt-trip you. Honestly? You're way too soft. It pisses me off.] This wasn't the first time someone called me too soft. Every time I opened my DMs, there it was — fans telling me to toughen up, to stop playing nice. But timing was everything. I wasn't about to blow my brand on a random clapback. I needed the perfect moment to flip the script. After news broke about my $10K donation to Yasmin, my name shot back into the trending charts. The narrative was shifting. More people were realizing I didn't owe Yasmin a thing. My traffic? Skyrocketing. Meanwhile, Yasmin's dramatic "kneeling in the square" video made a comeback — but this time, people weren't buying it. Her whole victim act? Exposed. Her sob story fell apart, and before she even got her influencer start, her career went down in flames. Honestly? That $10K was the best money I'd ever spent. Then there was Zack. His clueless comments didn't go unnoticed, either. My fans were pissed: [Zack's out of line! How could he treat his own sister like that?] Still, his fangirls were loyal to the grave: [Zack's right. Bella's the problem!] [She should be helping him, not holding him back! We'll protect Zack no matter what!] Zack's looks and that cocky, devil-may-care vibe? Catnip for a certain type of naive fan. The ride-or-die kind who'd defend him no matter what. Even on my account, the second Zack popped up in a post, the comments would spiral into chaos. Cutting ties with Zack had been on my to-do list for a while. I just needed a way to spin it so that when I dropped him, his fans would stick around — or better yet, switch over to me. But timing was everything. I needed the right moment to drop the hammer. Something big enough to reveal his little backroom deal with Yasmin. The drama wasn't juicy enough yet. I wanted a real plot twist for my grand comeback. And then Yasmin handed me exactly what I needed. Out of nowhere, she dropped a bombshell: she claimed she had proof that I was the scammer all along.