Part 2Blood is Thicker than the Spotlight

"What’s up?" the voice asked.

"Hey... big brother," Sierra said, her voice dropping into a sugary, coquettish pout. "What are you doing? Can I... borrow a hundred thousand dollars?"

She followed it up with a shy, breathless giggle.

She looked exactly like a girl talking to a guy she was head-over-heels for. Her face was flushed, her voice was soft.

The live chat exploded.

[NO WAY. I know that voice anywhere. LEO BROOKS?!]

[Omg my heart just stopped. He sounds so hot even over the phone.]

[To the people under a rock: Sierra and Leo have been close for a long time. They’re basically the industry’s power couple. Unlike certain people who just stage car-raids, Sierra is the real deal.]

Wait. Brother?

Since when did I have a sister I didn't know about?

The transfer went through instantly. Sierra showed the confirmation on her screen, and the crowd went wild.

The other guests were practically bowing to her. Leo Brooks was notoriously cold and unapproachable. People spent years trying to get a "follow back" from him, yet Sierra could call him and get six figures in seconds.

"Oh, it’s nothing," Sierra said, blushing as everyone teased her. "Leo’s mom actually told him he needed to take better care of me..."

The chat: [MEET THE PARENTS?!]

[The ship has officially sailed!]

In the middle of all the "aww-ing," I raised my hand. I couldn't help it.

"Why did you call him 'big brother'?" I asked.

The chat went silent for a microsecond.

[...]

[...]

[Don't mind her, she’s just a child. Go play in the sandbox.]

[I call my boyfriend 'Daddy' or 'Big Brother' all the time. Is this girl literally living in the 1800s?]

[LMAO, what a dumb question.]

Sierra saw the comments defending her and looked at me with a gaze that said, You poor, pathetic thing.

I sighed. Fine.

I dialed Leo’s number.

The second he picked up, he sounded annoyed. "What now?"

I remembered there were millions of people watching, so I tried to be polite. I pitched my voice high and sweet. "Big brother, can I borrow a hundred thousand dollars?"

"..."

Leo’s voice turned suspicious. "I know scammers use AI to mimic voices now. Is this a prank? Or is this another scammer trying to hit the same target twice?"

I was speechless. "It’s really for a hundred thousand."

Leo: "Don't believe you. Get lost."

He hung up.

Great. I tried to be nice, and he treated me like a telemarketer.

In my head, I was already planning the ten different ways I was going to roast him when I got home.

The chat was a riot.

[Help! Who does she think she is, calling the King and expecting a handout?]

[I’ve never heard Leo sound that annoyed. She must have been harassing him privately for months.]

[Savage! Leo is a legend!]