bChapter /bb37 /b

Emery had nned to take Daston to the hospital, but Darton refused. He was too embarrassed about getting beaten up by Bowen

“I’m a doctor. I know how bad it is,” he said sharply. Emery had no choice but to call the family doctor to check him out at hom

“bWhat /bdid byou /bdo to Aubree earlier? I saw Bowen carrying her out. Did you hurt her?” Emery asked.

Daxton leaned against the car window, holding his stomach. His tonn was hasty. “That bitch had iting.”

He didn’t even hesitate to call his consister that.

Emery felt a wave of guilt and gave Daxton a sharp look.

“At first, I thought Bryan was bmaking /bit up when he said she clung to Bomen Daston continued, still bitter about being beaten by Bowen. “But now, bI’m /bstarting to bthink /bbshe /balready bhad /bba /bbackup n before she left the bfamily/b. Look how Bowen’s jumping to protect her.”

Emery rubbed his temple. He was tired bof /barguing “Bowen’s been out of the country until recently. Aubree couldn’t have known him before. None of us could even get close to the guy.”

Daxton didn’t bcare/b. “Come on, what kind of rtionship does it takeb? /bShe’s a woman, and he’s ba /bman. What other reason would he have to help her?”

Emery had no answer for that. He didn’t understand it either. But Bowen’s actions made him uneasy. He worried Bowen might be hiding something, and Aubree could get hurt. This made him even more eager to bring Aubree back,

They drove the rest of the way in silence,

As soon as they pulled up to the house, Camen was standing by the door. Daxton’s bface /bsoftened the moment he saw her. “Silly girl, why are you waiting out here in the cold? Go inside and rest”

When she noticed his bbruises/bb, /bCarmen’s bface /bbwent /bpale. She ran into bhis /barms, voice shaking “Daxtonb, /byou’re hurt! Who did this? Was it Aubree? How could she bhurt /byou like this?”

It bhadn’t /bbeen Aubree directly, but in Daxton’s mind, it might as well have been.

Carmen’s words it Daxton’s anger right back up. He thought there was nothing Aubree could not do at this point.

The doctor bshowed /bup soon after. Not wanting Carmen to see him like that, Daston gently talked her into going to bed.

Lying on the living room couch, he pulled up his shirt. His strong frame was now covered in dark brukes across his waist band /bstomach.

to work, putting on ointment and wrapping the worst spots.

The doctor got to

Imery watched quietly, his face unreadable. He wasn’t worried about Daston–he was thinking about Aubree. bIf /bBowen had hit Daston this hard, bhe /bbbelieved /bAubree had to be in bad bshape/b.

“bDaxton/b, Aubree is still our sister, Emery said softly. “You don’t bhave /bto like her, bbut /bdo you really have to go this bfar/bb?/bb” /b

He never expected the family to love Aubree the way they loved Cammen. But this kind of hate felt too much. And the things Carmen ha

After thinking for a moment, Emery continued, “Qaxton, Carmen’s not as sweet and innocent as you think.” He exined everything he and Bryan had found out.

“And what about today? Did you go to the garage because Carmen told you something again? Emery asked. He knew Daton wouldn’t have picked a fight with Aubree for no reason. Cammen must’ve said something first.

Emery didn’t expect Daston to change his mind right away. He just hoped to make bDaten /bthink twice band /bmake him more wary of Carmen, But instead, Daxton’s temper exploded.

He shot up from the couch and punched Emery in the face btold /byou not to talk trash about Carment Has Aubree brainwashed your

He red at Emory. “What do you mean by saying that Carmen was upsett She’s my sister isn’t it my job to make her feel better? She’s been bworking /bher tail of trying to win a championship for you–and this is how you treat her, huh?”

Daston was furious- he couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Emery. “I think that i

He wasn’t about to let anyone talk trash about Carmen, not even their parents.

bitch bhas /bclouded your judgment.”

Emery’s eyes widened. He was shocked. As the calinest of the brothers, he felt his temper ring. “What the hell are you talking about? I think Bowen knocked the sense out of you with those punches.”

He couldn’t believe this unreasonable guy in front of him was usually his smart, level–headed brother.

But Daxton just got more worked up. “If you still think of yourself as Carmen’s brother, then use your money to buy out the rest of Aubree’s team. Let’s bsee /bhow well bshe /bdoes without them.”

He made it sound like Emery refusing would be some huge betrayal.

Emery was so angry he bdidn’t /beven know what to bsay/b. He could not believe that all this was just because Carmen lost one match. And now he was

expected to go this far to please her.

“What’s going on here? What are you fighting about?” Trevor had just gotten back from filming, suitcase still in hand, and looked at them with curiosity.

From what little he overheard, it sounded like this had something to do with Carmen and Aubree What really caught his attention was that Emery seemed to be standing up for bAubre /b

Seeing Trevor, Daxton jumped in and told him what had happened, clearly expecting backup. “Trevor, don’t you think Emery’spletely lost it?b” /b

Trevor was the smoothest of the four, thanks to his time in the entertainment world. He smiled and casually walked over to Darton “Take it easy. Duxton. Emery is upset. You’re stepping binto /bhis team’s business. How would you feel if Bryan told you to ditch yourb to help out at thepany?”

With just a few words, Trevor made it sound Ske Emery was only mad because Daston was messing with his career.

Emeryv

y was about to speak up, but Trevor continued, “And Emery, you know Daton cares more about Carmen than any of us. Of course, he’s mad if she’s upset. You should try to be more understanding”

That shut both of them up

“Come on, this isn’t thatplicated,” Trevor said with a half–smile. “There’s already buzz about Aubree being a girl in esports. We could just let bpublic /bopinion do its thing. Even if she holds up, the officials might bnot/b.”

Daxton thought about it. It wasn’t a new idea–this kind of thing happened all the time in Trevor’s world. bIt /bwouldn’t take bmuch/b, band /bwith Trevor’s connections, it’d be easy to pull off

Emery caught on quickly and stepped in. “No way. I don’t agree. If we do that, the officials will have no choice but to drop Aubree. She’ll be cklisted

from the entire esports scene.”

The pressure wouldn’t just be from fans. Daxton would definitely throw the Wilson family name into the mis

Trevor already expected that reaction. Heughed it off. “Rx, Emery. I’m bjust /b

m just messing

ng with you. Aubree’s still our sister. I’m bnot /b

But when Emery bwasn’t /blooking, Trevor shot Dayton ba /bknowing nce.

Daxton looked thoughtful for once and, surprisingly, didn’t argue back.

Emery looked from one to the other, suspicious. Trevor just kept smiling. Emery finally let it go and badded/b, “You’d better be joking”

Then he walked out of the Wilson family house, feeling like if he stayed any longer, he might actually have a heart attack. Now he got why Aubree didn’t

back–th

want toe back this ce was suffocating

It bwas /blike the whole family ran on a “Carmen only” rulebook.

Inside the house, Trevor gave baston a pat on the shoulder without saying a word. At he headed upstairs, he spotted Carmen slipping away around the corner. He just smiled to himself

nigamay