Aubree woke up right on time, her internal rm never falling her, even after a night of heavy drinkin

She woke up clutching her pounding head. The hangover hit her like a sledgehammer to the skull, sending sharp, throbbing pains through her

Aubree sat on the bed in a daze for a long moment before graduallying to her senses

“Carol must have changed my clothesd night. Aubier muttered to herself, ncing doon at her outfit before scanning the room,

She vaguely remember Bowens was thest to show upi

“What happened ned?” Aubree wondered.

Still holding her head, Aubree paused, her gaze suddenly nk bas /bconfusion washed over her face. “Walt Did L. Dideally kiss Bowen?”

As the memories came flooding back, the scene in the car reyed in her mind with painful nty Aubree buried her face in her hands and let out a mortified scream

Aubree thought in horror, ‘Oh my God! What the hell did I do?

“OMG! I can’t believe Lactually flirted with Bowen while I was drunk What the hell was I thinking?

“Bown must have taken pity on me, he actually let me off the hook instead of

stead of strangling

me on the spot”

Her mind raced through the logistics. The esports club was already in its formation stage. While Alvin’s ce could amodate a pro team, it wasn’t spacious enough for the entire club

She needed to find a new venue first, then move on to recruiting staff and coaches, and bfinally /bannounce open tryouts for new talent for the youth

training program.

With the prestige of being the Autumn Finals champion, none of these would be difficult

But there was one more

was one more important thing Aubree thought, I need to move out of Ellis Heights.

Now that the tournament’s over and I’ve got my prize money, I’m financially secure enough to rent a high–security ce. But afterst night’s incident, even if Bowen didn’t mind, there’s no way I could keep living at y Heights, I’d just die of embarrassment.

‘I’d die of embarrassment if I ran into Bowen anytime soon!”

Seeing it was about time, Aubree scrambled out of bed. As a senior in high school, she no longer had the freedom to skip sses at will since the new term beganb. /b

With little appetite, Aubree only managed a few sips of breakfast. She didn’t see Bowen around. She’d nned to mention she was

vas bmoving /b

out if he was

there.

She thought,

After all, I’ve been staying at his ce for quite a while. It just wouldn’t feel right to leave without saying a word”

bShe /bdidn’t ask, but bCarol /bsaw right through her. “Looking for Bowen, Aubree!” she asked gently, “There was an urgent matter at the Odiond branch, so he left urgentlyst night. He probably won’t be back for a while.”

Carol said with a knowing s smile, “Don’t worry, Bowen said he’ll definitely be back before your birthday,” Aubree shihed uncon must have guessed something

y.convinced Carol

Aubree scratched the back of her head. “I just wanted to she started, but then thought, ‘Forget it, Bowen’s not even here right now, there’s no point telling Carol I’m moving out”

Aubree said, “Never mind, I’m off to school Byeb, /bCarol.”

￥b398/bb%/b2

Aubree grabbed a sandwich, shung her backpack over her thoulder, and saw Zachary already waiting

“Hey, Zachary,” Aubree said, “The moving out of Ellis Heights soon, so from now on you won’t need to pick me up anymore.”

“Mes Miller,” Zachary bsaid /bfirmly, “Hr. Turner’s orders are clear. I’m responsible for your transportation and protection” His meant that her moving wouldn’t change his assignment

“But I’m not living at Ellis Heights anymore,” Aubree said with a hint of helplessness, “I’ll be a frassle for you to keep following me

“I need direct onders from Mr. Turner. Before leaving, Mr. Tuner only told me to protect you, Zachary added firmly

“Why does he have to be so damn stubborn? Aubree thought in frustrations,

e around”

Aubree gave up trying to persuade Zachary Alter spending some time with him, she realized that if this were ancient times, he’d be the very definition of blind loyalty.

He only took orders hom Bowen. Nobody else’s words would count…

When is Bowening back, anyway?” Aubree thought, gazing absently

htly cut the window at the scenery whizzing past, her mindpletely nk

The image of Bowen’s smiling bface /bsuddenly shed before her eyes. Aubree shuddered and thought, ‘Did that damn kiss mess with my head?

“OMG! I can’t believe I’m bactually /bthinking about Bowent

That thought was absolutely horrifying Aubree shook her head vigorously, as if trying to physically shake the idea loose, and began silently reciting bOdiondian /bvocabry, anything to distract herself

Aubree muttered under her breath, bdesperately /btrying to focus on her vocabry list instead of that infuriatingly handsome face.

As busual/b, Zachary parked the car in ba /bless crowded spat some distance from the school.

The in

moment the car stopped, Aubree snatched her backpack and scrambled out. “Zachary, skip the pickup tonight, I’ve got stuff to bdo/bb./bb” /b

Aubree usually didn’t arrive at school early, so at this hour, the front gate was typically quiet. But today was different, the entrance waspletely blocked by an unexpected crowd.

She also bsaw /ba few camera crews in the crowd.

“What’s going on here? Aubree wondered, frowning at the unexpected crowd.

As Aubree approached with her backpack, a sharp–eyed reporter suddenly shouted, “Hey, that’s Aubree! She’s here!”

All

at once, the crowd surged bforward/b. Several reporters blocked her path while gawking students closed in from all sides, leaving her trapped with no

way to escape.

Aubree waspletely baffled. Since when did winning an esports tournament warrant this kind of media frenzy?‘ she wondered.

The moment the reporters started asking questions, Aubree realized just how dead wrong she bwas/b,

A person asked, “Hey Aubree, are you Phoenix, the midner who just won the League of Legends Autumn Finalsb?/bb” /b

They showed ba /bmicrophone right in her bface/bb, /bnearly hitting her

Aubree frowned and stepped back defensively, yeah, that’s bme/b,” she replied, her tone guarded.

A reporter asked, “Aubree, as a progamer, how do you respond to the cheating allegations in the bfinals/b?”

Another asked, “Aubree, rumor has it you’re the long–lost heiress of the Wilson family. Were you kicked out due to your misconduct?”

A third asked, “Aubree, did you really cheat in the tournament ?”

Someone else asked, “Aubree, rumor has it you bullied your stepsister Carmen so badly that your family disowned and kicked you out. Any respeto these allegations?”

A reporter asked, “Aubree, did you know it was your own teammate who publicly used you of cheating in the tournamend?”

What the hell is all this? Aubree thought,pletely bewildered.

Aubree’s mind reeled from the barrage of questions, who cheated! And who reported me? she wondered,pletely bewildered

I

She thought, “Isn’t this all that dumbass Daston’s fault? How the hell did my teammate get dragged into this now?

And how the hell did my family get dragged into this?

Aubree was just reaching for the nearest microphone when ba /bsudden shout cut through the chaos, “It’s Ms. Alice!”

eticulously manicured hand to snatch the

Just then, a fur d socialite in a designer miniskirt, Alice Wilson, stepped forward, extending her meticulo microphone, while her bodyguards cleared a path through the crowd with practiced efficiency.

Alice strode right bup /band took her ce beside Aubree

She said, “Good day, friends from the press. I’m Aliceb, /bAubree’s mother. I deeply bregret /bthat my daughter has be someone so unscrupulous. As her mother, this is my failure..”

Alice’s words instantly had every reporter turning their questions on Aubree.

A reporter asked, “Ms. Diamonde, are you admitting that Aubree cheated in the tournament finalsb?/b”

“While I’m not entirely clear about this particr incident, i wouldn’t put it past my daughter to do something like this.”

With even her biological mother bgiving /bsuch a bdamning /bevaluation, bthe /blooks directed at Aubree shifted instantly.

With an artfully crafted look of helpless resignation, Alice appeared every inch the long–suffering mother driven to her wit’s end by her daughter’s rebelliousness

Aubree watched with cold detachment, thinking, if these reporters aren’t in bcahoots /bwith Alice, I’ll eat my hat

A reporter asked, “So, are those online rumors about Aubree bullying her stepsister Carmen and getting kicked out of the family true as well?”

Alice repliedb, /b“Though it pains me to air our family’s dirtyundry in public, my answer is yes. In fact, I’m here today to plead with my dear daughter to mend her ways”

After finishing her little performance with the reporters, Alice finally turned to Aubree. “Aubree, Mommy is willing to bforgive /ball your past mistakes. Just apologize in front of these reporters today, and I’ll take you home right baway/b.

“All I ask is that you never bully Carmen bagain/bb./b”

‘How touching Aubree thought sarcastically.

in the crowd couldn’t help but sigh, wish I had a mom as understanding and kind as Alice!”

Someone in the

Another said, “wah, totally! Rich, beautiful, and so gentle, she’s exactly the kind of mom ive always dreamed off”

Compared to Alice’s first attempt to confront her, this time she had clearly upped her game, ying a

She leveraged public opinion to guilt–trip her, while everyone else remained clueless about the truth.

afar more calcted hand.

If Aubree argued back now, just like she didst time, it would only y right into her hands band /bmake her look like the unreasonable brat she imed

bMon/b, 7

she bwas /b

“Well, she is my mother after alll‘ Aubree thought bitterly

Aubree let out a scoff and thought, “Who says I’m afraid to make a scene just because of this I’ve got nothing to lose so who the hell should be sta