“And,” Harlow continued, “she gives away so much money that the New York Times even wrote about all the different charities she supports. I even heard about a hospital that was being strong-armed by their landlord so they were going to close because they couldn’t afford the rent. Who does that to a hospital? Jewel bought the building and sold it back to the hospital for one dollar.”

“Also true.”

“She even randomly gives money to users on Golden Rule. Everyone knows that if you’re having a hard time, like really having a hard time and not faking it for views, Jewel will give you what you need.”

“Good deeds don’t automatically make someone a good person,” Francis said. “Yeah, she did all of that and more. She also made sure that everyone knew about it. The kindness of her heart has a lot of ulterior motives.”

Harlow said, “I don’t get it. If you hate her so much, why are you here?”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Francis said, and Nicole added, “That’s the million-dollar question.”

Hello, hello. Stella sat up straight, watching the two of them while biting into a frosted cupcake. It seemed her new best girl and Francis had some secrets between them.

Harlow asked, “Wait, did you know about the prize money before you came here?”

“Stop.” Francis didn’t even bother to finish the sentence.

“For the record,” Stella said, watching as Jewel and Luna made their way back to the table. “I don’t think Francis knew about the money. He’s here for something else.”

All smiles, Jewel said, “I won. Who’s next?”

“Me!” Stella laughed like a demented hyena. “Sit down, Harlow. I’m next.”

Luna passed the mallet to her. “Watch out. She cheats.”

“I do not,” Jewel said, still grinning. “You’re just a sore loser.”

“I am,” Luna admitted with a laugh and a euphoric smile. “But you also cheat.”

Stella followed Jewel down the small slope. Unlike the others, she had only watched exactly two videos of Jewel on Golden Rule. She hadn’t seen any of Jewel’s TV shows or movies either. Some things about her were obvious—she liked being in control, manipulation was her best friend, she had a creative soul, and she had to be made of at least 90 percent secrets.

And she was beautiful, which was neither here nor there.

“We start here.” The balls had been painted to resemble hedgehogs. “Do you know how to play?”

“No, and I don’t plan to learn,” Stella said.

“Oh?” Jewel’s skin had hit that delicate balance between dewy glow and sweaty.

“We can just say you won. I won’t even call you a cheat,” Stella said while checking her Golden Rule app. “I’d like to cash in the payment for my first video. Almost fifteen thousand views and counting, so let’s round up—ten minutes of your undivided and honest attention.”