My Repentant Brothers (Madeline Larson)

Madeline couldn't help but chuckle. She realized not everyone knows everything, especially since everyone excels in different arcas. It's best to avoid making comments on things you're not familiar with, so she simply ignored Chloe.

Rose noticed Madeline's calm demeanor and thought it made sense she'd caught Eugene's interest; she must have some tricks up her sleeve. "Alright, Chloe, she's got nothing to do. You've got a livestream coming up, so get ready and don't let your fans down. "Tonight's all about chatting with fans, no gaming required. Get in the zone. As actors, who's really making it big just from gaming? It's just a way to gain fans."

"Exactly. We're popular stars; we're not the same as those starting out," Chloe scoffed. "Some people don't need to stream- envy their free time." The two intended to market their close friendship, sitting together for the livestream and occasionally making snide comments about Madeline. Madeline picked up her phone and stopped the recording. She'd captured all their snarky remarks.

Waving her phone slightly, Madeline said, "If you're bored enough to drag me into your mess again, I won't hesitate to post your words online for your fans to see just how catty their idols are behind the scenes. Might even get some of that star power myself." Rose's smile faltered; she hadn't expected Madeline to have such audacity-rising from an extra with such cunning methods.

"You wouldn't dare!" Chloe snapped harshly. "We know you're from a small-time outfit with barely any staff. You think you can handle our PR power? If you try anything foolish, I'll make sure our friends in the industry blackball you."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

"Oh, whatever." Madeline shrugged, holding her phone. "I'll post it right now, and I've already backed it up to the cloud, so no worries about accidentally deleting the original."

Chloe's hands clenched tightly, her expression turning sour. She breathed heavily for a moment, glaring at Madeline as if she could tear her apart. "Fine. What do you want?"

Chloe was frustrated, knowing that if Madeline really lost it and posted the recording, Her "straight-talking spicy girl' image would be ruined. She regretted handing this kind of leverage to someone else. Usually, she'd bullied newcomers without any backlash like this. "Apologize," Madeline replied, turning back to her computer screen with a calm demeanor.

"Me, apologize to you?" Chloe frowned. "If I do, will you delete the recording?"

"No," Madeline smirked. "This isn't the time for you to set terms with me. And it's not just you who needs to apologize; it's both of you." With a tap on her keyboard, she sent off her revised paper.

Chloe was about to explode.

Rose was also upset but realized they had less than ten minutes until their livestream started. If Madeline released the recording, her serene public image would be at stake.

Forcing a smile, Rose said, "Madeline, we're sorry for what we said. Hope you won't hold it against us. How about this? I'll treat you to lunch tomorrow, and we can properly apologize then. Would that work?"

"Rosie, are you crazy? Treat her to lunch?" Chloe protested,

Rose stopped Chloe's outburst. "Chloe, hurry up and apologize. We were wrong and need to own up to it." Rose's tone turned genuinely contrite.

Though Chloe wasn't happy, she slightly bowed and grudgingly said, "Madeline, I'm sorry for being disrespectful because of my popularity."

Madeline observed them; they weren't incapable of speaking properly-they just tended to look down on others. Tilting her head slightly, she replied, "Alright." She said no more niceties.

Chloe thought that after humbling herself so much, Madeline would at least pretend to be gracious. But Madeline just went

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back to typing as if nothing happened. She thought, 'How annoying!"

Suddenly, Chloe felt someone grab her hand. She turned to see Rose. "Chloe, the livestream starts in a few minutes. Let's get ready," said Rose. Regaining her composure, Chloe remembered it was her livestream and she lacked experience. She needed to prepare and into the right mindset. Although she deeply resented Madeline, Chloe managed to hold her tongue. She thought, 'But, I will have plenty of ways to trip up Madeline in the future! Chloe and Rose sat at a table together, using the extra lighting provided by the production team. On camera, they looked vibrant and striking.

Rose practiced her smile in front of the camera, aiming for a warm persona. "Chloe, how do I look?"

"I think your blush looks a bit light. Maybe add a bit more, Chloe suggested.

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Rose checked the mirror and shook her head. "No, I'm going for a more natural look-something that feels slightly makeup-

free."

Chloe's voice suddenly got louder. "Rosie, look! The show puts your link right at the top of the page. You really are their favorite-the director must really like you."

Rose couldn't help but feel proud; with so many fans, it made sense that the director would show her some favoritism. "What's there to exaggerate? Isn't that just normal?"

The two of them chatted animatedly, while Madeline's side was much quieter.

As they finished their preparations, a pop-up appeared on Madeline's screen from the production team. Each contestant had a designated computer, and Madeline was using one provided by them. [Good evening, Contestant Madeline! Please log into your game account within three minutes. Your livestream room is prepped and ready to start.]

Madeline frowned and glanced at Chloe and Rose. They also had pop-ups, but theirs seemed much shorter. She didn't much attention to them.

pay

"Weird. I thought I wasn't eligible. Why..." Madeline puzzled over it, suspecting a potential system bug that might accidentally

start her livestream.

She quickly messaged the staff handling the event to sort out the mishap promptly.

A message came back swiftly: [Hello Madeline, here's your livestream link. There's no bug-just a little surprise from the production team. Have a delightful night!]