Rise of the Zillionaire Star

Chapter 55: The Smear Campaign

The morning sun hadn’t even cleared the skyline when Jaylen’s phone began buzzing intently.

 He rubbed his eyes. The groggy from the adrenaline crash of last night’s gala, and he blinked at the flood of notifications when he picked up his phone. 

On his feed were different news alerts and every trending tag. What amused him was the fact that they all screamed the same thing. 

“Karma Del Rey Breaks Silence: Jaylen Cruz Harassed Me.”

He froze for a second. The words didn’t make sense to him. Then he tapped the first link. A news anchor’s voice poured from the screen.

“…the beloved starlet Karma Del Rey appeared last night, alleging that rising FameArena disruptor Jaylen Cruz harassed and manipulated her during their time in Zenith’s orbit. With tears streaming, Del Rey stated: ‘I was scared to speak until now. His influence was overwhelming, and I felt trapped.’”

The screen cut to Karma. Her  eyes were red and her voice trembled as she dabbed her cheeks with a tissue. The headlines blazed across the bottom ticker,

“#JusticeForKarma

#JaylenExposed”

Jaylen’s stomach knotted. Just last night, he had burned Madrix Noir to the ground and earned the crowd’s roar. And now,  he was branded a predator before he could even take breakfast.

A sharp ping sliced through his mind, calling his attention. 

“Warning: Reputation Crisis Detected.

Penalty for Failure: -20 Fame, -10 Influence.

Sub-Quest Available: Reverse Cancelled.”

By the time Jaylen reached his studio loft, the streets below were already filling up with protesters. Chants from the people rose like waves,

“Cancel Jaylen! Cancel Jaylen!”

They held placards with his face scrawled over in red paint. The mob cameras flashed like a firing squad. Drones hovered overhead, streaming it live to millions.

Inside, Marcus Redd slammed his fist on the table. “This is a setup! I have seen plenty of smear jobs in my time, but this..  This is precise. They planned this the second you embarrassed Vale and Knox at the gala.”

Toni scrolled frantically through feeds, muttered, “Every influencer’s turned against you. Brand deals are frozen. Sponsors are none. And look…” She shoved her tablet toward him. “Vale’s people are pushing #JaylenExposed to the top of every single platform.”

The video showed Roman Vale onstage. He was flanked by Delilah Knox, nodding solemnly beside Karma at a Zenith press conference. Karma’s voice cracked as she spoke into the mic,

“He… coerced me. Manipulated me emotionally. I thought I had no choice. But I’m standing up now for myself, and for every woman afraid of him.”

A chorus of sympathetic gasps swept through the press. Roman placed a hand on her shoulder. His was face the picture of chivalrous support. Delilah dabbed her own eyes, playing the part of a sympathetic ally.

The comments below were heavy,

“Throw Jaylen in jail.”

“Never streaming his music again.”

“Zenith protecting survivors as always.”

Zee’s voice buzzed in Jaylen’s ear distracting him from his thoughts. “Analysis: This isn’t random. This is orchestrated. Probability: 97% chance Zenith designed this smear campaign to erase your credibility before your rise becomes irreversible.”

Jaylen’s jaw tightened. “If I say anything, it’ll look like I’m scrambling. If I stay silent, they’ll bury me.”

Marcus cracked his knuckles. “Then we will hit back where it hurts. We need proof. I’ve been digging into Karma’s accounts. She’s pulling fat payouts from Zenith shell companies. Offshore, laundered, scrubbed but I know blood money when I see it.”

He tossed a stack of printed receipts on the desk. Numbers didn’t lie. But Jaylen knew it wasn’t enough. Receipts could be dismissed, changed and drowned in PR fog. They needed a witness testimony.

The system buzzed in,  “Sub-Quest Activated: Reverse Cancelled.

Objective: Expose Fabricated Victim Narrative.

Reward: +10 Fame, +5 Talent. Penalty for Failure: Reputation Collapse.”

Zee’s tone sharpened. “Cross-referencing archives. Scanning FameArena confession vault… wait.” The AI pinged, her usual calm voice was broken by the harsh voice. “Locked file found. Access tagged to Karma Del Rey. Classified whistleblower testimony.”

Jaylen leaned in. “Show me.”

The holographic file blinked open, spilling an old video feed from years back. A young woman sat hunched with her hands wringing nervously in her lap.

“My name’s… well, I can’t say. Karma made me sign an NDA. But she…she manipulated me, gaslit me, used me as her assistant and then discarded me when I spoke up. They paid me off to stay quiet. I thought I was the only one…”

The recording ended in silence. Jaylen exhaled slowly. “That's a a real victim.”

Toni’s eyes widened. “If we leak this…”

“Then she’s finished,” Marcus cut in. “But you need to understand, Cruz. They won’t just clap back with a press release. They will go scorched earth. Vale, Knox, Del Rey, they’ll all unleash the whole Zenith cycle chest on you.”

Zee confirmed it. “Risk assessment: High. If you release this, the counterattack probability is 100%. Prepare for escalation.”

Jaylen’s hand hovered over the interface. His finger trembled above the glowing Release button. He could already feel the weight of millions of eyes waiting to judge him.

Just one click, and the whole world would know the truth. One click, and the whole thing would become a public war. 

The protesters outside grew louder with their chants rattling the windows. “Cancel Jaylen! Cancel Jaylen!”

Jaylen’s knuckles whitened. His voice came out low, steady, almost turning into a growl. “They want me erased? Fine. Let’s see how they will handle the truth.”

But his finger didn’t press yet. Because deep down, he knew once he dropped this, there was no going back.