Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Leona had gone all out, dipping into her own pockets to give her online streaming gear a high-end makeover. Her setup was leagues ahead of the competition, boasting crystal-clear visuals paired with a voice so sweet and inviting, she practically had her viewers eating What's more, she had a knack for making it rain in her chat room, generously tipping other streamers from time to time. On any given day, Leona was doling out tips to the tune of about $30,000. With cash incentives like that floating around, it was a rare soul who could resist the lure.

out of the palm of her hand, calling them "bro" and "sis" in such endearing tones that hardly anyone could bear to click away.

As a result, her follower count skyrocketed, and she was on track to smash through the five million mark by the end of the night. Five million followers - can you even wrap your head around that? The top dog in the streaming world was sitting pretty at just over six million, and if those were all active, engaged followers, the earning potential was off the charts.

Here was Leona, a fresh face on the scene, already giving the vets a run for their money. It was like she had them hanging by a thread. And with that kind of traction, she had grown pretty high and mighty, looking down on practically everyone else in the biz. The combined follower count of the other twenty-nine streamers didn't even come close to a fraction of hers. So, whenever she strutted into the cafeteria and caught sight of her colleagues, her disdain was palpable. And when she saw Emma, the barbs came out in full force.

"I hear your little show's pulling a few thousand viewers a night now, riding on my coattails. Don't you think you owe me a dinner or something for that? And with all those tips coming your way, not even a 'thank you'? What, did you forget your manners back in the sticks?" Emma just kept her head down, focusing on her mac and cheese, tuning out the noise. After all, Leona's bravado had already rubbed pretty much every female streamer the wrong way. It was bound to come back to bite her. Engaging now, especially with Leona ready to twist anything said into online fodder, would only invite more trolls into Emma's stream.

But Peyton, sitting right next to Emma, had had enough. Last time, Leona's goon squad had practically kidnapped her, leaving her to fend for herself without a meal for a day. Seeing her daughter berated once more, Peyton found her courage, slamming down her fork with a clang.

"Enough with the trash talk, you hear me? We're not scared of you. Push us too far, and we'll push back, hard!"

Peyton's thick accent, layered with her agitation, made her almost unintelligible to Leona, who could only tell she was being insulted.

"What did you say?"

Peyton stood her ground, pointing a finger, "You throw one more insult my daughter's way, and it's on, you hear me? Maybe it's time your folks considered a second try, 'cause this first go's a total bust."

Leona, lost in the rapid-fire and heavily-accented rant, was boiling with frustration. After Peyton's tirade, a part of her regretted the outburst, knowing full well Leona wasn't without her defenses.

Leona, face trembling with anger, spat back, "You both just wait. I'll show you what it means to mess with me. Emma, you country bumpkin, just you wait till this contest's over. You'll see what happens then."

Emma furrowed her brow, pulling Peyton behind her protectively. "Using that as a threat? Really? My mom's right; maybe it's time for a do-over in your family. This attempt's a write-off."

That hit a nerve,

and Leona,novelbin

screeching, lunged at them. But

Emma, who'd grown up roaming the

hills and fields back home, was

unfazed by Leona's meager strength. With a simple movement, Leona found herself stumbling backward, hair a mess from the fall.

Burning with humiliation, Leona hissed, "You'll both regret this!"

With that, she picked herself up and stormed off, fuming. If only she could call in her bodyguards, this would be settled already. "Just you wait. Once this contest wraps up and you're heading back to

veline

has the

nowhere-ville, we'll see who has last laugh," she muttered, plotting to intercept and sell off the

troublesome duo as soon as they left the safety of the competition.