Let’s meet on Saturday. I’ll trot you the exact spot later. Autnee replied to Alvin’s last message and flipped through her tenth-grade textbooks.

She found it a bit odd that she’d chosen the tutoring time for their meeting. Yet Alvin agreed so readily, clearly not taking the tutoring seriously. She wondered what expression he’d have when he found out Phoenis was her.

The first step was successful, despite the unexpected appearance of Down. Overall, things were going well.

Every semester, the first day of school at Rithol High School would include a start-of-term exam. It served two purposes: checking if students had slacked off over the holidays and reminding them of the effort needed for the new semester.

Her pen swiftly marked the pages as she studied. She considered herself a genius, but missing nearly two years of schooling was a fact.

During those two years of art school, her cultural lessons were shallow, and her mind was preoccupied with how to please the Wilson family. So, she only had a vague grasp of the subjects.

Aubree didn’t expect much from the start-of-term exam; making it into the top 100 would be a pleasant surprise. She had too much to do and no time to waste.

Shaking off distractions, she focused on her textbooks, absorbing knowledge like a dry sponge dropped into a vast ocean.

Meanwhile, Emery had left Aubree’s room and climbed to the third floor, knocking on Bryan’s door.

“I know you have all the info on Aubree at school. Send it to me,” he said.

Bryan looked at him, whose eyes still bore the signs of recent tears, and the surprise in Bryan’s gaze hadn’t even had a chance to dissipate before he was caught off guard by the unexpected words that followed.

Indeed, since Aubree’s return, he’d assigned someone to keep an eye on her, requiring a monthly report of all incidents involving her outside.

But he was busy and didn’t have time to check the documents his assistant sent. He only asked for reports on any trouble Aubree caused.

“I’ll have my assistant send it to you; mine’s outdated,” Bryan said casually.

His offhand remark hit Emery hard. "Outdated" meant Bryan, despite assigning someone to watch over Aubree, hadn’t cared enough to check on her, not even bothering to open the files his assistant sent.

Yet, Bryan always knew everything about Carmen immediately.

‘So, what exactly was Aubree to them in the Wilson family? She hadn’t even received family care, so how could they demand anything from her?’ Emery thought.

His breathing quickened at the thought, his fists clenched at his sides. “Okay,” he bit out, not staying another second.

He feared he’d lose control and fight Bryan.

He wanted to confront Bryan but realized he had no right to do so.

Bryan’s assistant quickly compiled all the information and sent it to Emery’s phone.

It was a ton of info, all about Aubree’s school life over the past three years.

Most of it was just everyday stuff, nothing special. But then, Emery saw the first monthly exam results and was totally shocked.

His eyes went wide, sparkling with disbelief.

Chapter 11

It was a near-perfect score. There was even a compliment from Bryan’s assistant: “[Mr. Wilson, Miss Miller’s academic performance is excellent. Her homeroom teacher thinks she has the potential to be a top scorer nationwide.]”

“No way?” Emery’s hand gripping his phone trembled violently as he roared inwardly, “How could this be?”

He clearly remembered Carmen showing off her top 100 school ranking after the first exam, and the family was so proud. His dad even handed her a bank card as a reward.

When they asked Aubree about her grade, she bit her lip and said she was at the bottom of the school, throwing away her report card. Mom was furious that day. She couldn’t accept her daughter being so terrible, so she made Aubree kneel outside the villa all night.

Then, Bryan suggested that Aubree join Carmen in art school.

As he reminisced in the past, Emery suddenly covered his face and bent over, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Carmen, who ranked in the top 100, got a bank card reward of 300 thousand dollars. Aubree, who topped the school, was punished to kneel all night, ending up in the hospital.

“Emery, I’ll definitely be as excellent as you and Bryan!” Aubree’s dark, bright eyes flashed in his mind.

Aubree did it. She was truly outstanding.

But why did she hide it and claim she was at the bottom? Why silently comply with Bryan’s art school arrangement? Why didn’t she tell him? Emery was utterly puzzled.

Then, it suddenly came to him that Carmen must know about this.

Without wasting a second, he went straight to Carmen’s room.

As her door opened, he was a bit surprised to see Daxton still there so late, but he didn’t think much of it, as the two of them had always been closer to each other than the other brothers.

“Emery, what brings you here so late?” Carmen asked, dressed in cute pajamas, her rosy cheeks radiating the innocence nurtured by the indulgent care of the Wilson family.

Emery was momentarily dazed, thinking maybe Aubree’s maturity and restraint that didn’t go with her age were the real anomalies.

“Carmen, do you know Aubree ranked first in her grade after the first monthly exam in school?” he asked directly.

Carmen’s panic didn’t escape his notice.

“She knew it?" Emery felt ice-cold blood run through his veins, every hair on his body standing on end.

Then, he thought of what happened at the inheritance party.

“Carmen, was Aubree pushing you down the stairs really just a misunderstanding?” he asked.

Some things, once left unthought of, now, upon careful reflection, revealed flaws at every turn.

His voice was hoarse, and his eyes were seriously intense.

Before Carmen could say anything, Daxton spoke up first. “Enough, Emery! It’s all in the past. What’s the point of questioning Carmen now?"

“You knew?” Seeing Daxton’s unsurprised reaction, Emery couldn’t help but shout out.

“Yeah, I knew. Not only did I know Aubree’s grades weren’t bad, but I also told her to hide the fact that she was doing well.” Daxton stood in front of Carmen, his eyes showing no guilt, like he was just saying the weather was nice today.

Emery couldn’t help but step forward and grab his collar, gritting his teeth, his words almost squeezed out, “Why did you do that?”

Chapter 11

Daxton pushed him away impatiently. “The fact that she, coming from an appendage, has suddenly scored so highly might make her parents question Carmen’s abilities. I just told her she did too well, way better than Carmen, and it would make everyone unhappy.

“I just wanted her to give a lower grade. Who knew she’d tear up her report card and say she got the last place!

But Aubree’s move that time really satisfied him, and he even gave her a few good days.

Aubree also knew her place and deliberately kept her grades at the bottom of the grade.

“This has nothing to do with Carmen. She had no idea," Daxton added.

Emery looked at him, then at Carmen, who seemed surprised, and felt all his strength drained.

Just to make them happy, even after being punished to kneel all night and getting a high fever, Aubree still hid her real grades in the next exam.

At this thought, his eyes stung badly. He never thought Aubree could be “so dumb.”

Ironically, if only the family cared about her a bit more, they’d know about her real grades.

But no.

Everyone just took her low grades for granted.

He didn’t want to dwell on the stairs incident anymore; it didn’t matter. Whether Carmen did it on purpose or not, they really did hurt Aubree.

He wanted to go find her, but suddenly realized he didn’t even know where Aubree was staying now.

“Carmen, all those gifts Aubree brought out before, they’re with you, right? Give me the sapphire crown I gave Aubree,” Emery suddenly said.

He’d find her. This time, he wouldn’t let her be wronged in the slightest.