**Scene 1: Isabella's Descent into Chaos**
Isabella Montgomery's penthouse resembled a war room. Her marble coffee table was littered with burner phones, leaked documents, and a half-empty bottle of bourbon. Lucian Vaughn leaned against the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching her pace like a caged tiger.
"You're obsessing," he drawled, scrolling through Sophia's latest livestream stats. "Let it go. You'll age faster."
Isabella whirled, her silk robe flaring. "*Let it go?* She humiliated me at the winery, stole my spotlight, and now she's parading that *corporate Ken doll* around like a trophy!" She slammed a file on the table. "This ends tonight."
Lucian raised a brow at the dossier: *Sophia Sterling: Tax Evasion, Nepotism, & Other Sins*. "Darling, half this is public record. The other half is fiction."
"All's fair in love and ratings," Isabella hissed, texting her hacker. *"Release it."*
---
**Scene 2: The "Romantic" Livestream**
Sophia and Yanchen's "date" was a masterclass in absurdity: a private yacht dinner where Sophia wore a ballgown with sneakers and Yanchen's tie doubled as a napkin. The crew livestreamed every cringe-worthy moment.
**Sophia (holding a lobster):** "This guy looks like my third ex. *Rest in peace, Kevin.*"
**Yanchen (spilling champagne):** "Mother says seafood symbolizes fertility. *Bon appétit.*"
**Live Chat:**
["THIS IS THE BEST TRAINWRECK I'VE EVER SEEN."]
["YANCHEN'S FACE WHEN SHE ATE THE GARNISH 😭"]
["ISABELLA'S PROBABLY WATCHING. HI, GIRLIE 👋"]
As Sophia "accidentally" knocked a caviar tower into the ocean, Isabella's leak went nuclear.
---
**Scene 3: The Fallout**
Headlines blared: *"Sophia Sterling's Trust Fund Tied to Offshore Accounts?"* *"Mama's Girl or Tax Evader?"*
Eleanor stormed into Sophia's bedroom, tablet in hand. "Isabella's behind this. We'll sue her into oblivion."
Sophia, mid-face mask, shrugged. "Relax. I've got a better idea." She opened her livestream, smirking at the camera. "*Breaking News*: My accountant's a golden retriever. Ask him anything."
Cue Alexander in a dog costume, barking at a calculator.
**Live Chat:**
["TAX AUDIT WITH FLOOF 🐕"]
["ISABELLA'S LEAKS = FAKE NEWS."]
["I'D TRUST THIS DOG WITH MY 401(K)."]
---
**Scene 4: Yanchen's Counterstrike**
Yanchen arrived at the Sterling penthouse unannounced, a USB drive in hand. "Isabella's secrets. Enough to bury her."
Sophia eyed him. "Why help me?"
"You're the only person who doesn't bore me to tears." He leaned closer. "And Mother's offering a private island if we 'last a year.'"
Sophia snatched the drive. "*Fine.* But if you snore, I'll sell the island."
---
**Scene 5: Isabella's Meltdown**
Isabella's phone exploded with alerts: Sophia's livestream trending #1, her own DMs flooded with ferret memes. Lucian's text dinged: *"You've lost. Cut losses."*
She hurled her phone, shattering a Warhol print. "*I'll destroy her.*"
---
**Scene 6: The Parents' Pact**
Eleanor and Mrs. Li clinked glasses over a contract: *Sterling-Li Alliance: Mergers, Marriages, & Media Dominance*.
"To chaos," Eleanor toasted.
"To *control*," Mrs. Li corrected.
---
**Cliffhanger:**
As Sophia and Yanchen reviewed Isabella's secrets, a file caught her eye: *Alexander Sterling's Bankruptcy Scandal—Buried 2003*.
Sophia froze. "*Dad…?*"
---
**Next Chapter Teaser:**
Sophia uncovers a family secret. Isabella's hacker goes rogue. And Alexander's dog accountant becomes a meme currency. The Sterling-Li empire teeters—but chaos? *Always profitable.*