Rise of the Zillionaire Star

Chapter 44: The Return of Mia Lennox

The message came during a rare quiet moment. Jaylen was reviewing footage for his next drop when Zee’s voice sliced through the air.

“Alert: Unverified contact attempting direct approach. Identity, Mia Lennox.”

Jaylen froze. “Mia?” He echoed silently.

That’s the same woman who had once been a part of his inner circle. She had smiled in his face while selling him out to the highest bidder. The same woman who had watched Roman Vale dismantle his career and walked away without a flicker of guilt.

The chat request on his public streaming dashboard was pinned with a single line,

“We should talk. I’m on your side now.”

Jaylen leaned back in his chair, letting the words hang like smoke in the air. He could almost hear that smooth, calculated charming voice she used to wrap people around her finger.

“Zee, run the full packet on her,” he ordered.

“Already in motion. Scanning… Flag: Multiple transactions received from Vale-affiliated shell accounts within the last 48 hours. Purpose tag: ‘Consulting.’”

Jaylen smirked. “Consulting, huh? That’s one way to label being a mole.”

Mia didn’t bother with subtlety. Within the hour, she walked into one of Jaylen’s public meet-and-greet venues. It was a neutral ground meant for fans, where security and cameras kept things civil. She wore a tailored cream blazer. Her hair was perfectly styled in the most perfect way.

“Jaylen,” she said warmly. Her voice carried just enough weight for it to sound rehearsed. “It’s been too long.”

Jaylen’s reply was ice-cold. “Long enough for you to learn how to cash Vale’s checks?”

She smiled faintly, unbothered. “I made mistakes, but things are changing. People are turning against him. I thought… maybe I could help you now. I believe in what you’re doing.”

Jaylen studied her carefully. Every blink, and every shift in posture screamed scripted.

“Zee,” he whispered under his breath, “go live on shadow feed. Record everything right away.”

Zee chimed in, “Shadow feed live. Your audience will see and hear it all in thirty seconds.”

He leaned forward, pretending to soften. “Help me how?”

Mia relaxed, her shoulders dropping just a fraction. “I can get inside his private meetings again. You need intel on his next moves, right? I can pass it to you for free.”

Jaylen raised an eyebrow. “For Free? Are you serious?”

A faint twitch crossed her jawline. “Let’s just say… I owe you.”

He let a slow grin spread. “Funny. Because according to Zee, your ‘debt repayment’ started exactly two days after Vale wired you twenty grand.”

Her face went rigid. “What are you talking about?”

Jaylen tapped the mic clipped to his hoodie. “You’re live, Mia. The whole connected network is watching. They have already seen your payment logs.”

Gasps and angry emojis flooded the streaming overlay on Jaylen’s secondary monitor. Thousands of his most loyal fans were tuned in now, watching the confrontation unfold in real time.

“You set this up?” she snapped as the calm face began breaking.

“You walked into my space, trying to sell me the same lies Vale’s been using for months,” Jaylen shot back. “You thought I would fold because it came from you. But here’s the truth…”

He motioned to Zee.

A compilation clip played across the live feed. It was snippets of leaked audio from a week prior where Mia’s voice clearly stated, “Roman, I can get him to drop his guard. Just give me time.”

The crowd in the venue reacted instantly, some were booing and some were shouting her name in anger.

Mia’s face drained of color. “That’s out of context…” He frowned.

“Context?” Jaylen cut her off in a sharp voice. “You took money to destabilize me. To get into my head so Vale could crush me. That’s not ‘context.’ That’s betrayal.”

The venue security moved closer, sensing the tension, but Jaylen held up a hand. “Let her speak. Let her dig the hole deeper.”

Mia’s composure cracked entirely. “You think this little online army will protect you forever? Vale’s bigger than you, Jaylen. Sooner or later, you’ll slip into his hand.”

Jaylen stepped forward until they were only a foot apart. “You know the difference between us, Mia? I fight in daylight. You crawl in the dark just for scraps. And every time you try this, the world will see you for what you are.”

The live chat exploded and hashtag #MiaExposed shot to trending in minutes.

“System Prompt! Mini Face-Slap Complete.

Target: Mia Lennox

Reward: +6 Fame, +5K Z-Credits, Emotional Armor Level 2 unlocked.”

By the time security escorted Mia out, her career was in freefall. Different sponsors came out to issue a public statement stating that they are distancing themselves from her. A trending compilation of her past betrayals resurfaced online. It was actually amplified by Jaylen’s network.

Zee’s data reports lit up, “Mia Lennox reputation index dropped: 74 percent in two hours. Sponsorship termination notices: 5. Streaming platform bans: 2. She is currently in direct contact with Roman Vale.”

Jaylen exhaled slowly. “Let her run to him. The more desperate she gets, the more reckless they both become.”

Hours later, while Jaylen monitored the social pulse, Zee’s alert tone chimed again.

“Interception: Mia Lennox secure call with Roman Vale. Transcript indicates full alignment with his objectives. Discussing ‘Phase Two’ emotional sabotage campaign escalated to asset removal.”

Jaylen’s jaw tightened. “Asset removal? As in…?”

Zee replied at once, “It's unclear. Phrase used alongside coded references to legal seizure and ‘controlled chaos’ at upcoming events.”

Jaylen stood, walking forward. “So now she’s not just trying to get in my head, she’s helping him hit me where it hurts financially.”

“Exactly,” Zee replied. “They will accelerate their moves.”

Jaylen turned toward the camera in his home studio, hitting the record button. His voice was calm, but the anger underneath was unmistakable.

“Roman Vale wants to burn everything I have built. And now he is dragging old people like Mia back into the fight. It's Fine. If it’s war they want, I’ll give them a front page they can’t erase.”

As the stream ended, Zee’s final words came through like a blade.

“Warning: Roman Vale’s network activity spike detected. Coordinated action likely within 72 hours.”

Jaylen stared at the glowing system's interface.

The online battle was no longer about survival, it was about total destruction of Vale’s empire. And Mia Lennox had just made herself the opening pawn in a very dangerous game.

“Face-Slap Complete: Mia Lennox – public humiliation & career collapse

Reward: +6 Fame, +5K Z-Credits, Emotional Armor Level 2 unlocked.”

Jaylen braces for Roman’s next coordinated attack because he was expecting that this time, he would target his assets, sponsors, and physical safety.