Aubere looked back at him and thought, if you’d said this to me before, I would’ve been over the moon, probably too excited to sleep for days. But now! Heel nothing. If anything, it is almostughable.

Now you put on this act? Where were you when it actually mattered!

‘So what were those three years of suffering fort Was I just a glutton for punishment?

“Are they seriously trying to lure me back just so they can keep trampling all bover /b

“Like he’d really rush to help just because my startup clubcks anything. Who knows, maybe after all this “helping” God’s Fury would just end up being renamed Apes Squad”

As soon as the thought book root in Aubree’s mind, it spiraled out of control. Her previously scornful expression instantly hardened into seriousness.

Aubree shot Emory a guarded look, her whole body tense with suspicion.

She thought, ‘Didn’t the Wilson family say they wished I’d just die bout /bthere?

“Why do they keep taking turns showing up to find me! If bolore it was just about keeping Carmen at Rithol Art School, what’s their excuse now everything that’s happened? is Emery really here because they’re plotting something new against me?”

“Emery,” Aubree snapped, “wasn’t I clear enoughst time? Your bwhole /bfamily is a joke. What exactly do you want from me,ing after me one after another? If byou /bgot all that pent–up family affection and nowhere to put it, just give it all to Carmen. Trust me, she’llp it up. As for me? I’m bnot /byour emotional dumping ground.”

Emery watched as Aubree regarded him with wariness and annoyance. It felt as if ba /bthousand knives were stabbing into his heart, the pain so sharp it stole his breath away

Aubree used to treasure nothing more than her family, these very people. But now, she cast aside what she once held dear like worthless trash

“Wait, Aubree,” Emery blurted out urgently, “I genuinely want to help you. Did you see my posts online? You’re new to this, now’s when you need support the most. My team can get byour /boperation running smoothly in no time. In esports, I guarantee even Bowen doesn’t know the industry bas /bwell as do.”

The more carest Emory became, the more suspicious Aubree gren, she could practically smell something fishy.

“Help me?” Aubree echoed, her toneced with irony. That word held no good memories for her, thest time Emery had offered his help,” it was all for Carmen’s sake.

Aubree’s expression turned even more sardonic at the memory. “Seriously, don’t you see how absurd this is?” she scoffed. “Let’s be honest, in the three years spent with the Wilson family, I got scraps of kindness but a full course of suffering. So I’m begging you just have some mercy and stay the hell out of my life.”

Emery waspletely caught off guard by Aubree’s reaction. “No, it’s not like that. If you don’t trust me, I can assign my beam to sign a formal contract. That way, you’ll know I’m seriousb, /bokay?”

rectly. We can

bAs /ba premier esports organization, Apex Squad was such a powerhouse that everyone from star yers to support staff became highly sought after by other clubs, unless they’d been dismissed for breaching their contract.

“Don’t even start. I wouldn’t dare ept even a crumb of your “kindness“, who knows what price have to pay for itter? You give me a low blousy /bblittle /bLavers, then expect me to go back and ve away for Carmen, right? Aubree cut him of already wary of this family. Three years had taught her that the price of any bfavor /bfrom the Wilson familly was more than she could ever bear.

“No, Aubres, this has nothing to do with Carmen, Emery stammered, her words cut off in her rush to exin.

Aubree was already losing her patience. “Do I really have to rip off everyst mask andy everything bare before you’ll finally back off?

“Are you seriously going to deny that during my first New Year with the Wilson family, you brought me some lousy freebie that was actually meant for Carmen, called it my present, and then made me take the fall for her? Wasn’t that you?”

Emery froze, his face draining of color as the memory hit him, he remembered it.

Aubree saw his reaction and knew he hadn’t forgotten. Her voice turned ice cold. “For a moment, I almost thought you’d forgotten. Your precious little Carmen is a treasure, while I’m nothing but trash, is that it? Did you even count how manyshes I took that day? While your whole family was cry and festive inside for New Year, I was locked alone in the basement, not even given a drop of water!!!

If Wendy hadn’t remembered her after preparing the Wilson family’s New Year’s dinner and brought her some food and supplies, she might have frozen

to death in that basement that night.

Aubree’s voice trembled as she said, “Emery, do you know how cold winters get in Pithol City! That kind of cold, FII never forget it. It felt like the chill seeped into my bones, running through every inch of me. I was so cold, so, so cold

Emery’s lips went bpale /band trembled slightly. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze

It was Aubree’s first New Year back with the Wilson family. Yet it seemed beveryone /bhad forgotten about their newest addition. Each family member had carefully prepared a New Year’s gift for Carmen, and Emery was no exception.

The Wilson family’s original bn /bfor that bday /bwas to have a big dinner together, then take the kids and Aubree around to visit some important friends and rtives, a way to make up for not throwing her a proper wee party when she first came home, and to finally introduce her to everyone

While the entire family was busy with New Year preparations, Carmen identally deleted the new collection designs that Alice had saved on theputer. It was the worst fiscal year for Alice’s brand, which was why she had personally created this exclusive holiday collection, with no bbackups/b. Panicked at her fnistake, Carmen turned to Emery for help

Emery’s solution was to bpin /bthe me on Aubree. He handed her the freebie perfume that came with Carmen’s gift, pretending it was a New Year’s

present

He still remembered the look of surprise on Aubree’s face as she held the gift. “Emery is this realty for me!”

Emery remembered how Aubree’s face had lit up with pure, radiant joy. Now, just thinking about bit/b, all he felt was a deep, burning shame,

A bone–deep chill seized Emery.

What he did back then was absolutely disgusting, not only did he pass off a cheap freeble bas /bba /bspecial New Year’s gift, but he even had the audacity to use that so–called favor to bpressure /bAubree into taking the me

Not only that, while Aubree was bring harshly beaten by their furious mother and locked in the basement bas /bpunishment, Emery was too busyforting Carmen to even spare her a thought

sasementb, /b

While Carmen was bbeing /bintroduced to everyone by her parents and breceiving /ba flood ofpliments, Aubree was locked baway /bpletely forgotten. If it hadn’t been for Wendy, who kept worrying about her and sent Alice a message, they might not have remembered her until the

next morning

it suddenly dawned bon /bhim just how deeply he’d hurt her, far more than he’d ever allowed bhimself /bto acknowledge

some half–hearded words offort. Had Aubree not brought it up, that memory would bkely have been buried deep in

All he could recall was muttering st

bthe /brecesses of his mind.

All along, he had never truly cared. All that mattered to him was bmaking /bsure Aubrey took the me to spare Carmen from their mother’s wrath, Ho never once considered just how brutal the punishment would be for Aubree, already the family outcast

Emery felt as his heart were being crushed in a vice, he could barely breathe.

“Aubreeb, /bbL/b.. I’m sorry.” The words were so empty and powerless

Aubree curled her lips in a mocking sneer. “Emery, didn’t you say you wanted to make amends and help me? Giving me bprople /band resources means nothing. If you’re really serious, I dare you to sign over the entire Apex Squad to mat

“Didn’t you bsay /byou named this club so that when the team finally reached the top, fd be able to find my way back home Aubree’s voice dripped with sarcasm.that’s really the case, then just hand the whole team over to me

Emery’s face drained of color in shock, Apex Squad was his life’s work, built over decades with blood, sweat, and tears. Over the years, he’d spum numerous ventures from the star power of his yers. He could not possibly just hand it all over to her.

“So you can’t bear bto /bpart with it, right?” Aubree’s expression turned icy in an instant. “Then shut the hell up! Take your phony affection and get out of my face!” Of course, she knew Emery would never agree,

Aubree thought bitterly. bTwas /bwilling to sacrifice everything for the Wilson family?

She did exactly that, only to pay with her very life.

Aubree turned on her heel and started to leave. Behind her, Emery reached out, trying bto /bgrabber.

Just as his fingertips brushed against her sleeve, Emery’s vision suddenly cked out. His tall frame stiffened, then copsed straight to the ground

Aubree turned to see Emery copsed on bthe /bground, unconscious, his cheaks flushed an unnatural crimson

Hesitating for a brief moment, she reached out and pressed her hand against bEmery’s /bforehead. “Running a feverb?/bb” /b

o with a lever, and yet no one we noticed

Aubree thought with a hint of irony, ‘Emery’s bburning /bup w

Aubree let out two gleefulughs, looked down at him for a moment, then kicked him hard. “Serves you right!”

With that, she turned band /bwalked baway /bwithout a backward nce.

As for Emery lying on the ground, it was none of her business. She couldn’t care less.

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