Chapter 550 - 50 Million Likes Aren’t Enough!
Chapter 550 - 50 Million Likes Aren’t Enough!
Astrid was practically vibrating with joy, her tails wagging like a excited puppy who had just been given a treat.
The recognition from Anya had opened a floodgate of happiness, and she was determined to ride that wave as far as it would take her.
She slid across the booth with the grace of a predator closing in on its prey.
Her eyes were fixed on Charlotte with an intensity that made the devilish sister pause mid-selfie.
"Now it’s your turn, Charlotte!"
Astrid’s voice was bright with anticipation, her hands reaching out to grab her sister’s arm and tug insistently.
"Anya has already called me ’big sister,’ so now you have to as well!"
Charlotte lowered her phone, one eyebrow arching with practiced elegance.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Astrid leaned in, her expression turning sly.
"Because you’re the youngest of all of us! It’s practically criminal for you not to call me big sister."
She wagged a finger playfully before cheekily saying,
"I could have you arrested for that, you know. Sisterly negligence."
"Calling you ’big sister’?"
Charlotte studied her for a moment, her lips curving into a smile that held just a hint of mischief.
"I don’t mind that at all."
Astrid’s face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds.
"Really? Oh, Charlotte, thank you—"
"I have conditions."
The words cut through Astrid’s celebration like a blade, and her expression shifted from joy to wariness.
"Conditions?"
Charlotte nodded, her smile widening into something far more calculating.
"Of course. Yes like Anya said, nothing in life is free, dear sister."
Astrid’s joy faltered. "What conditions? You also want my piggy bank?"
"No. Rather—"
Charlotte’s hand snaked around her sister’s shoulder, pulling her close with surprising strength.
"You have to take a bunch of photos with me right now. Only after that will I call you ’big sister.’"
She held up her phone, the camera already open and ready.
"Come on, show that beautiful smile of yours. Let the world see what a lovely sister I have!"
Astrid’s cheeks flushed crimson. She tried to push away, her hands fluttering in protest.
"Stop it, Charlotte! Stop it! You know how much I hate taking pictures!"
Charlotte clicked away, capturing Astrid’s flustered expression with practiced ease.
"Oh, I know." She said cheerfully. "Which is exactly why I’m doing this. Your embarrassment is adorable—the likes will be incredible."
Astrid finally managed to push her sister away, her face burning.
"Why are you even taking these pictures anyway?"
Charlotte’s grin widened. "To post them on social media, of course. What else would I do with them?"
Mika blinked, genuinely surprised. He had always known Charlotte enjoyed her online presence, she had built quite the following over the years.
But the way she said it made it sound like this was more than just a casual hobby.
Charlotte continued, her tone taking on the cadence of someone explaining a business strategy.
"Whenever I post pictures of myself alone, I get a decent number of likes. A respectable amount, really."
She paused, pulling Astrid closer and snapping another selfie.
"But yesterday, when I posted one with you? The likes tripled. I got so much more engagement than I’ve ever had before."
Astrid stared at her sister, utterly bewildered.
"So...you’re using me for social media clout?"
"Using you?" Charlotte pressed a hand to her chest in mock offense. "I prefer to think of it as leveraging family assets for maximum return on investment."
"That’s the same thing!"
"Is it?" Charlotte’s smile was infuriatingly serene. "I prefer to focus on the results. You’re a perfect tool for engagement, Astrid. The people love you."
Astrid shook her head, a thoughtful expression crossing her features.
"But that doesn’t make sense, Charlotte."
Charlotte tilted her head, curiosity piqued. "What doesn’t make sense?"
Astrid leaned back, studying her sister with newfound suspicion.
"You’re not really the type to show off your life. You’re actually quite private—you have a small group of trusted friends, you keep to yourself, you don’t like sharing your entire life with the world."
She narrowed her eyes, her tail flicking with agitation.
"So why are you suddenly so enthusiastic about posting photos on social media?"
Mika leaned in, his curiosity mirroring Astrid’s.
He had wondered the same thing himself—Charlotte had always seemed like someone who enjoyed her privacy, despite her glamorous exterior.
The sudden shift in behavior was puzzling.
Charlotte paused, her playful expression softening into something far more genuine. And then, with a smile so bright it could have illuminated the entire diner, she said,
"It’s all for Mika, of course!"
Astrid blinked. "What?"
Mika felt his heart skip a beat, while Charlotte continued, her voice taking on a dreamy quality.
"Think about it, Astrid. Mika keeps rejecting my advances no matter what I do. I’ve tried everything—being direct, being subtle, being playful, being serious."
"But nothing works. He just doesn’t fully fall for me."
She shook her head, her expression turning determined.
"But that’s not something I can allow. My lifelong goal is to marry Mika. And to achieve that, I’ll do whatever it takes to make myself appear more appealing in his eyes!"
She held up her phone, scrolling through her profile.
The screen showed an account with an astronomical following.
Over 600 million followers!
A number that would make even the most famous celebrities weep with envy.
"One of my strategies...." She continued enthusiastically. "...is using social media!"
"By maintaining an account like this, with so many followers, and posting pictures that showcase my beauty and glamour, I basically increase my value and appeal."
She tapped the screen, scrolling through the endless comments and likes.
"It means that millions and millions of people admire me, look up to me, or even lust after me."
"They all want some sort of relationship with me—it’s obvious from all the comments and likes about how amazing I am."
She stuck out her chest with pride, her voice growing triumphant as she said,
"Through this, Mika will also see my appeal. He’ll get jealous, realizing that the entire world loves me. And eventually, he’ll understand that he should love me too."
"It’s all part of my grand plan to win over his heart!"
Astrid stared at her sister, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Charlotte...that’s..."
"Brilliant?" Charlotte offered helpfully. "Genius? The work of a master strategist?!"
"I was going to say ’insane,’ but sure, let’s go with your version."
Charlotte pouted. "You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first."
Mika, still hidden from sight, felt his heart tremble at Charlotte’s words
. A warmth spread through his chest, filling him with a gratitude so profound it almost brought tears to his eyes.
He had always known, of course.
He had always understood that Charlotte’s obsession with makeup, her flashy clothes, her fashion idol persona—all of it was for him.
Everything about her life revolved around him in some way, every decision she made filtered through the lens of "What would Mika think? What would Mika want? How can I make Mika love me?"
And now, hearing her explain her social media strategy with such earnest, unguarded enthusiasm, he was reminded once again of just how deeply she loved him.
His heart swelled with emotion, and he felt a sudden urge to reveal himself, to pull her into his arms and tell her she didn’t need any of it—that he already loved her exactly as she was.
But before he could move, the scene continued.
Astrid’s expression softened, touched by her sister’s devotion despite her skepticism.
But then a peculiar look crossed her face, and she couldn’t help but ask,
"Charlotte, I understand what you’re saying, truly. But is it really necessary that I come in your pictures too?"
She tilted her head, genuinely curious.
"The posts you drop alone already get over 50 million likes, right? So why am I needed when you already get so much engagement?"
Charlotte scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Fifty million is nothing, Astrid."
The words hung in the air, so absurd that Mika almost laughed.
Fifty million likes was "nothing"?
But Charlotte pressed on, her expression shifting into one of boundless ambition.
"When you came into the picture yesterday, I got over 150 million likes per post. That’s what I’m after—the big numbers! A mere 50 million is something I don’t even care about."
If any other social media influencer had heard those words, they would have burst into tears on the spot.
The most popular accounts in the world averaged hundreds of thousands, maybe a few million if they were lucky.
But Charlotte was averaging 50 million per post and considered it inadequate.
Of course, it made sense.
Charlotte wasn’t just some ordinary celebrity—she was the daughter of a Battle Angel who had saved the world itself.
Her prestige was unmatched.
And since the other Battle Angel daughters didn’t maintain social media accounts, Charlotte’s profile was the only window into the lives of the most powerful family in existence.
Everyone tuned in to see what she posted.
"Now then." Charlotte said, pulling Astrid close once more. "Let’s get back to work. Give me some poses—cute ones, mind you. The kind that’ll get me more likes. Only then will I call you ’big sister.’"
Astrid’s cheeks flushed again. "I don’t know how to pose! I’m not like you, Charlotte!"
Charlotte chuckled, her voice warm with affection.
"Just follow me and do what I do. It’s easy."
She struck a series of poses—peace signs, goofy faces, exaggerated expressions of surprise—each one more adorable than the last.
Astrid, despite her awkwardness and obvious discomfort, tried to follow along. She wanted her sister to call her "big sister" so badly that she was willing to endure this humiliation.
The result was a beautiful, chaotic scene—two sisters in a diner, making ridiculous poses for a phone camera, their laughter filling the air.
Even Anya, who had been pretending to ignore them, looked up from her laptop with a fond smile.
Mika also watched, his heart overflowing with warmth.
The sisters were finally coming together again, their bonds healing with each passing moment.
He was so moved, so consumed by the beauty of the scene before him—that he completely forgot about the cloaking spell that was hiding his presence.
The moment the spell dropped, all three sisters stiffened.
Their noses twitched almost simultaneously, their acute senses detecting a familiar scent in the air—a presence that made their eyes light up with instant recognition.
They turned as one, their gazes landing on Mika, who was standing there with a sheepish expression, caught in the act of being discovered.
"Mika!"
All three of them exclaimed at once, their voices overlapping in a chorus of excitement and delight.
Astrid’s tails went wild, wagging with unrestrained joy.
Charlotte practically bounced in her seat, her earlier composure forgotten.
Even Anya’s usual cool demeanor cracked slightly, a genuine smile tugging at her lips.
"Mika, you’re here!" Astrid said, her voice brimming with happiness. "How long have you been standing there?!"
Mika rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.
"Long enough." He admitted. "Long enough to hear all about Charlotte’s grand social media strategy to win my heart."
Charlotte’s face flushed crimson, a rare occurrence for someone so composed.
"You...You heard all of that?"
"Every word." Mika confirmed, his grin widening. "And I have to say, I’m deeply flattered that you have a 600-million-follower campaign dedicated to making me jealous."
Charlotte’s blush deepened, but she recovered quickly, her trademark smirk sliding back into place.
"Well, of course! You should be flattered. I’m a very desirable woman, Mika. The entire world wants me!"
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a sultry purr.
"Don’t you want me too? Don’t you want to be the one person who actually gets to have me?"
Mika chuckled, shaking his head. "Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte. You never give up, do you?"
"Never." She said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "It’s one of my most endearing qualities!"
Astrid, meanwhile, had maneuvered herself to his side, clinging to his arm like he might disappear.
"Mika, you have to sit with us! We have so much to tell you!"
She pulled him down into the booth, her body pressing against his with familiar warmth.
Charlotte, not to be outdone, slid onto his other side, sandwiching him between them.
Anya watched the scene with an amused expression, her fingers still resting on her keyboard.
"Well, well. It seems the main attraction has finally arrived."
Mika looked from one sister to the other, his heart full.
"I wouldn’t have missed it for the world."
But then Mika clasped his hands together, the sharp sound cutting through the ambient noise of the diner.
His expression shifted from amused warmth to something far more serious, his gaze sweeping across all three women before him.
"Alright then, now that we’re all here."
He said, his voice dropping to a measured tone.
"Tell me exactly what this big problem is The one that required you to drag me all the way across the city."
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