Chapter 50

The Whon family was hell-bent on destroying Aubree this time. Trevor’s public statement wasn’t enough. They even splurged on buying trending hashtags and hired an army of paid trolls to smear her online, smearing Aubree. The internet was flooded with malicious posts.

Matilda had been glued to her phone, following every update. Her gut gnawed at her as she thought, “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, Aubree wouldn’t be getting dragged through the mud like this.”

Even the usually unflappable Avin couldn’t stay calm. “Aubree needs to respond now before she misses the perfect timing,” he thought anxiously. Right now, the general public was thinking that Aubree didn’t respond because she felt guilty.

After finalizing her new apartment, Aubree’s phone was buzzing non-stop like a beehive. Even her teammates from God’s Fury were flooding her with messages, offering help. Aubree stared at the hashtags dominating the trending list, absentmindedly chewing on her straw. “Now’s the time,” she thought.

If the officials wouldn’t intervene, she’d have to force them to pick a side. Once their own interests were at stake, they couldn’t possibly... Aubree texted Matilda: [Matt, it’s time]

After texting Matilda, Aubree registered an official Twitter account for God’s Fury. Once the account was blue-check verified, she began composing her first post.

She didn’t bother with any explanations. Instead, she simply attached photos of the franchise slot purchase and the lease agreement for Golden Industrial Park.

Her post was concise: "I’m Aubree Miller, co-owner of God’s Fury Club, currently managing this official account."

Yet this simple post ignited an online firestorm. Within minutes, shares and comments skyrocketed to astronomical levels. The Wilson family were pulling out all the stops, buying up media coverage, hiring troll armies, and even sending in their crown jewel, Trevor, a heavyweight at the very top of the entertainment industry. The whole affair became such a spectacle that everyone wanted in, from industry insiders to casual onlookers.

They wondered if this was a family feud, an esports drama, or something else entirely. The onlookers said nothing. They were just here for the drama.

A person wrote: “What’s going on? Is the League really going to let a player who cheated in the finals join?”

One netizen exclaimed: “(Damn, this just keeps getting wilder! We thought Aubree was lying low out of guilt, but she just dropped a nuclear-level bombshell!)”

“Just a pathetic clown. And honestly, who even knows where all that money came from?” one commenter scoffed.

The comment section was rife with skeptical voices.

Aubree selected the top-voted comment and replied: "[Actually, not mine. The Turner Group brought in the investment.]"

A person wrote: "[Since the club is brand new, are you hiring? I study digital media. Can join as a social media manager!]"

Aubree replied under this comment: "[We post updates about God’s Fury club recruitment and the youth academy on the official account. If you’re interested, feel free to submit your application!]"

Aubree also casually liked a few comments that caught her eye. With everything done, Aubree locked her phone and headed back into the Heights, completely unfazed by the social media storm her few words had unleashed.

A person wrote: "The Turner Group is backing her now? Does that mean Aubree is officially tied to them?"

Another wrote: "[Back then, Alvin was just protecting his teammates. The whole team thing was just a passing whim of the young her, with no real...]"

Someone else wrote: "The League officials had assumed Turner Group wouldn’t get involved. At most, they were staying neutral as a courtesy to Alvin. But now that Aubree has openly stated the club is backed by Turner Group, if they really cheated, the club would fold immediately."

A person wrote: "With just the franchise slot alone costing Turner Group 20 million, no corporation would simply sit back and watch that kind of money go down the drain."

The League officials were starting to waver. Although their latest statement still hadn’t cleared Aubree of the cheating allegations, the wording was already subtly leaning in her favor.

The moment this whole thing reached its peak was a Twitter post from Apex Squad. The post itself didn’t outright confirm or deny whether Aubree had cheated, but when even her opponents called her win legit, suddenly, nobody really cared anymore if she had actually cheated.

The only lingering question was why Matilda, as the coach, would publicly call out Aubree.

A person wrote: "[Assuming Matilda was lying. Aubree is already the boss now, but she hasn’t done anything to her. Is she some kind of saint who just lets byrones be byjones?]"

Another wrote: "[But if what Matilda said was true, even if the League had lost its mind, would Apex Squad really go along with it? Their boss is Emery. There’s no way he’d just let the championship trophy slip away without a fight, right?]"

All doubts were put to rest when an explosive video emerged. It turned out that Matilda was not the person who posted those things.

Upon receiving Aubree’s message, Matilda immediately took leave and rushed home. She arrived so early that her family was completely caught off guard. As she pushed the door open, the first thing she saw was her parents and brother beaming with joy, clutching a bank card as if they’d just won the lottery.

Matilda let out a cold laugh, snatched the bank card from their hands without hesitation, and snapped it in two. Staring at her family, she demanded, “So, without my consent you impersonated me to slander my friend? Do I even exist as your daughter or your sister in your eyes?”

Matilda’s words made the three of them shrink back in guilt. Ever since Drake got hooked on gambling, her parents had been struggling tirelessly to earn and borrow money, leaving Matilda to handle all the family affairs, big or small. The three members of the Diaz family undoubtedly felt guilty towards her.

Previously, to appear more intimidating, Matilda changed her name and cut her hair short. Her brother kept breaking his promises to gamble, yet she never gave up on this family. Even as her parents wept and pleaded, they still spoiled him, but she kept trying to pull them all out of the quicksand. But this time, it was like a cold wave washed over her. She’d never felt so betrayed.

She was already more than capable of making serious money, but her parents still chose to abandon her without hesitation for the hefty bribe Carmen offered. They never once considered what she’d have to endure afterward, nor did they care what would become of her. Their only concern was that their precious son could get out of debt, and even walk away with a windfall in boot.

Drake winced as he looked at the broken bank card in his sister’s hand, his face twisting in invisible pain. “Matilda, let’s talk this through. Don’t waste all that money!”

Truman scowled and said sternly, “Matilda, you’ve gone too far this time.”

Shirley said hesitantly. “Matilda, how could that Aubree ever be as important as your own brother?”

“No,” Matilda said firmly, “I’m doing this for myself.”

Matilda’s deadly serious tone made her family instinctively recoil.

She said, “I never did well in school, but as you all know, I recently became a coach and led my team to a championship, winning over 3 million in prize money. Now, I’m officially the head coach of God’s Fury, with a six-figure monthly salary, plus a share of the prize money from every tournament we win."

Matilda waved the snapped bank card in her hand, “So, do you want this one-time payment, or do you want me to keep bringing in steady money for the family?”

“Six figures?” Truman gasped, blurting out, “Holy cow, holy cow! That’s more than I’ve made in my entire working…”

Drake never expected his sister to have such unexpected luck. While their parents only understood basic salaries and bonuses, he knew exactly how much under-the-table income this esports career could really bring.

Shirley slapped her chest in dismay and said, “Oh no, we’ve really messed up now!”

If Matilda’s sternness earlier was the stick, then her offer of steady income just now was the carrot. Matilda employed the carrot-and-stick approach, a tactic Aubree had suggested, and, to her surprise, it worked like a charm.

Matilda raised her eyebrow slightly, suppressing a triumphant smile and affecting a serious tone. “Here’s the deal,” she said, “if you record a video together, admit what you did, explain exactly how you did it, and apologize, then I’ll let it go.”

Truman slapped his thigh impatiently and urged, “What are we waiting for? Drake, hurry up and get your phone!” He was so eager, he almost wished he could turn into a phone himself. Drake hastily fished his phone out of his pocket.

Unnoticed by everyone, Matilda allowed herself a small, triumphant smile. “Nailed it!” she thought.

The moment the video went live, everything clicked into place. It all started with Carmen. This was nothing but a shameless smear campaign to whitewash herself by framing someone else. Although the Diaz family didn’t go into detail about Carmen bribing them, anyone with half a brain could connect the dots. The Wilson family was obviously behind it. Otherwise, they would not smear Aubree instead of supporting her.

Now even Alice’s accusations about Aubree’s “moral corruption” were being called into question. People were starting to see it as just part of a smear campaign.

The counterattack turned out to be surprisingly effective, largely thanks to Emery’s public statement. Aubree smiled faintly. If Emery wants to make these self-serving gestures, what does that have to do with me?’ she thought. She got no time for this.

In Odionland.

Bowen, dressed in crisp athletic wear, assumed a textbook-perfect golf stance. His back muscles tensed as he focused, and with a smooth, powerful swing, he made a hole-in-one.