Rise of the Zillionaire Star

Chapter 11: Reversal Trap (Part 1)

The video opened with a quiet sob.

Karma Del Rey sat before the camera. She was dressed in a soft beige silk. Her makeup smudged just enough to seem like it was an accident. Behind her, light poured in from an ornate window, making her look like a saint.

“He told me... I was nothing without him,” she whispered, with a trembling voice. “He said if I ever left, he would make sure I never sang again.”

There came a video cut. It was a low-quality audio file and it played next. Jaylen’s voice was sharp and commanding. 

"If you ever walk away from me, Karma? You’re dead in this industry."

The internet were filled with comments and fierce hate hashtags like, “#JaylenMonster #ProtectKarma #CancelCruze.”

Millions watched the livestream within minutes. Media outlets picked it up as quick as the could. Even though the audio clip glitched slightly, no one cared about that. Her tears were the truth now.

And Jaylen Cruz? He was the headline villain.

……..

Zee buzzed in, “System Alert: Sub-Quest Unlocked: Decode and Reverse Media Narrative. Objective: Prove Karma’s voice notes are fabricated. Reward: +5 Talent, +3 Rep, and Strategic Narrative Control Buff.”

Jaylen stood frozen in his apartment. The light from his tablet casted harsh shadows across his clenched jaw.

“She doctored it,” he muttered. “I never said that. Zee, pull up every interaction I’ve ever had with Karma. Start with studio takes.”

Zee chimed in response, on it was a running Vocal Pattern Analyzer. “Analyzing waveform inconsistencies...”

Jaylen's fingers tapped rhythmically against the windowsill. It was a habit from years on beat loops. But now, it was more like a drum of war. 

Zee chimed in. “Match found. The quote in Karma’s video was spliced from a 2022 studio session. You were quoting a movie line as a joke. Timestamp verified.”

Jaylen’s eyes sharpened. “She’s cutting fiction from my life. Gosh! She's so despicable.”

He rushed to his laptop, plugging in the master files from his personal archives. Thank God he hadn't deleted anything.

Zee chimed in, “With metadata, we can confirm audio tampering. Would you like me to generate the comparison reel?” 

“Do it.” Jaylen responded without giving it a second thought.

Meanwhile, across town, Karma’s PR team huddled in a luxury suite.

“She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger,” one assistant whispered, glancing nervously at Karma.

“She’s brilliant,” the manager said. “Even if he disproves it, the emotional damage is done. That’s what sticks. Not facts.”

Karma took a sip of champagne.

“He underestimated the power of perception,” she said. “Now he drowns in it.”

…….

Back in Jaylen’s apartment, the video file was successfully compiled. 

The original footage from a studio hangout in 2022. The clip where Jaylen quoted the movie line during a joke rap cipher.

The recent twisted clip Karma uploaded. She had reworked on it with emotional sobbing in the background.

Jaylen leaned in.

“There’s no way mainstream media will touch this raw. They want clicks and not the truth.”

Zee chimed in, “Then we go underground. Activating list of decentralized creator hubs Found: TRUTHSYNC. Popular with whistleblowers and anti-industry creators. You have a verified invite.”

“Upload the comparison reel anonymously. Let them spread it.” Jaylen said. 

Zee chimed in,  “Upload complete. Anonymous tag active. Network moderators are already pushing it. The audience is 72,000 and still climbing.”

……….

One Hour Later

On TRUTHSYNC, Jaylen’s original footage went viral. Hardcore fans began dissecting it instantly.

“He quoted Scarface, not threatening her!”

“This was a hangout session, not abuse!”

“Bro, look at the metadata. It’s obviously chopped!”

Influencers began posting their own breakdowns, stitching reactions to Karma’s fake voicenotes.

One TikTok exploded in minutes, “Karma got caught 4K. She’s cooked.”

But even as the tide turned underground, the mainstream still ran with the fire Karma started. Brand commentators weighed in. One celebrity even tweeted, “Always believe women. Jaylen Cruz needs to go.”

Jaylen slammed the table. “They don’t want the truth. All they want is drama.” His face hardened. 

Zee replied, “Then give them both the drama and truth. You have to go live immediately. Not as a victim, but as the person that will bring Karma down.”

Jaylen goes live afterwards. The screen flickered showing just Jaylen in a dim-lit room with no filter or any enhancement.

“You’ve seen the voicenotes,” he began. “Let me show you how they were made.”

He played the original footage. Then the TRUTHSYNC viral breakdown.

“I’ve said stupid things in the past. But I’ve never abused anyone.” He paused with a deep sigh. 

“Karma Del Rey was part of a fake industry relationship. The same label that told us to act like we were dating told her to bury me. And now, because I exposed that label… she did this.”

The comments started increasing in real time,

“This is wild.”

“I knew he was real.”

“#JaylenUnfiltered again?”

Then Jaylen dropped a bomb. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness. I’m asking for your eyes. Stop letting emotion replace evidence.”

Zee pinged in, “System Alert: Partial Quest Completion: Narrative Reversal in Motion. +3 Talent, +2 Rep Buff (Temporary)”

But just as the tide began to shift again, Zee buzzed in his ear.

“Incoming viral new video. Karma’s ex-bodyguard just posted a clip supporting her claims.”

“What?”  Jaylen froze as his jaw dropped.

The screen played automatically. A former security guard, rugged and stiff, looked directly into the camera.

“I worked for Karma Del Rey for two years. I saw the fear in her eyes every time Jaylen showed up.”

He paused.

“She used to cry in the back of the car. She told me he manipulated her music, her image and her life.”

Zee buzzed in, “System Alert! Reputation Bomb Detected. Public Sentiment: -12%”

Jaylen stared at the screen with his fists tightening and his face turning into red. 

“She’s escalating it. This didn't happen.” Jaylen murmured. 

Zee’s voice dropped.  “This isn’t just her. This has Roman Vale’s fingerprints all over it.”

Jaylen stepped away from the camera. Then  he turned back.

“Fine,” he whispered. “If she wants to play dirty…” He narrowed his eyes.

“Let’s drag everything into the light.”