Chapter 228
Carmen was stunned and said softly, “Dad, as long as it means you have less to worry about, nothing else matters to me.”
A glimmer of satisfaction danced in Ronald’s eyes. No matter how capable Aubree was, she could never offer him the same comfort that an obedient daughter like Carmen could.
With urgent matters accumulating, Ronald excused himself. That left only three of them–Carmen, Alice, and Daxton–at home.
Alice quickly called a doctor to treat Carmen’s wounds. Gently cradling Carmen’s face, she murmured, “Oh, you silly girl–when your dad tried to hit you, why didn’t you try to dodge? Did you just stand there and take it?”
Carmen snuggled into Alice’s arms with a pout, whining, “Mom, it hurts so bad.” Her pitiful whimper immediately broke both Alice and Daxton’s hearts.
Carmen’s eyes darted nervously as her voice trembled. “Daxton, Mom, I don’t want to do what Dad says. I know I’m not as good as Aubree. I’m not your real daughter, and I’m scared you might not want me anymore. I want to help with the family business to secure my place." Her tears fell like burning droplets, piercing their hearts.
Alice softly brushed Carmen’s hair and reassured her, “Hush now, sweetie. How could I ever leave you? You’re my precious daughter.”
Daxton quickly reassured her. “Carmen, as long as I’m part of this family, you will always have a place here.”
However, Daxton still wanted Carmen to adhere to Ronald’s plan. While he didn’t fully grasp the intricacies of the business world, one thing was sure–this situation needed to be resolved promptly. Although Ronald’s plan may not have been perfect, it was undoubtedly the most practical solution for the time being.
“Carmen,” Daxton said with hesitation, "regarding MindDrifi, perhaps you should follow Dad’s advice.”
Carmen’s eyes filled with tears. “Is there truly no other way?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Alice gritted her teeth. “I can’t let Aubree keep gloating. Most importantly, she already knows a bit about what happened back then. What if she uncovers even more!”
The more Alice thought about it, the angrier she became. She seethed inwardly, ‘Damn it! Aubree is a ticking time bomb. Why didn’t I cover my tracks better back then to ensure she could never return to the Wilson family?’
Alice seethed internally, a clever glint flickering in her eyes. “Carmen,” she said, "the root of all this MindDrift trouble is that streamer, Nick. We should investigate him and see if we can silence his family. Everyone loves money, and we have more than enough to spare. Let’s pay off those online troublemakers and turn the tables on Aubree—get them to testify that it was Aubree who bribed them to defame MindDrift."
As rivals, that scenario had been entirely possible; it only required those self–identified victims to alter their narrative.
Carmen’s eyes sparkled with delight, but she quickly concealed it with a look of uncertain concern. Pretending to be innocent, she asked, “Do we have to do this? Won’t it hurt Aubree?”
Upon hearing this, Daxton nodded in agreement. “Carmen, you’re too kind for your own good. The business world is ruthless–you’re preoccupied with Aubree’s well-being, but has she ever shown concern for you?”
“Fine… I suppose,” Carmen said with a hint of insincerity.
“I’ll look into that streamer’s family for you,” Alice said.
“You’re the best, Mom,” Carmen said with a bright smile as she nestled into Alice’s embrace.
With MindDrift now facing the consequences of the scandal, Playzy’s issues hardly received any attention. Aubree managed the situation with unexpected calmness. This moment wasn’t just about the events–it was Aubree stepping into her growth.
Aubree’s investigators had already found some leads regarding Arthur’s family; Lynn was pregnant and already well along in her pregnancy.
The family had carefully crafted an image of ideal parents, claiming their only concern was their child’s well-being and refusing any financial help. This facade left Playzy defenseless when the scandal broke. The issue wasn’t the pregnancy itself, but the more profound implications it revealed.
Aubree smirked at the collected materials. "Just as I suspected," she thought.