Chapter 306
The news of Carr Group and Bree Technology left Alice seething. She thought, “Aubree’s really something. Handled Bowen, smothered the scandal, and now she’s struck a deal with Kurtis? I seriously underestimated her.”
No one would believe that Bowen would just sit back and let himself be cuckolded, making all those rumors utterly pointless. Thankfully, Alice had already sent Gordon away.
As long as no one uncovered who Carmen really was, she could keep her place in the Wilson family. Next, she needed to figure out how to help Carmen cement her place in the family.
Alice hurried back to Rithol City. After starting college, Carmen came to realize a hard truth: in the Wilson family, she didn’t have the advantage of blood. The only thing she could rely on was their goodwill.
Carmen thought to herself, “Before, getting rid of Aubree would’ve been easy. In this family, she was practically useless compared to me and was even called malicious. But now, everything’s changed.
“Now that she’s basically swimming in money, my father and brothers suddenly think she’s worth something. Luckily, this whole situation is not working against me.
With Emery behind bars, Mom and Daxton firmly have my back. Trevor still sides with me over Aubree, and Bryan won’t stir up trouble. Dad’s not happy with what I’ve done, only because he thinks I haven’t contributed enough to the family.
But Aubree is handing me the perfect opportunity, right?”
The failure of the Wilson–Lawson deal put the Wilson family in a tight spot. They needed fresh capital to keep their latest ventures running. It wasn’t a total disaster, but it was definitely a mess to deal with.
With Ronald and Bryan both tied up with business engagements lately, Carmen began to wonder if it was up to her to pull the Wilson family out of this mess.
Alice called right after she landed. “Mom, just like you said, Trevor chipped in some money, but he’s got that studio to keep afloat, so it’s barely a drop in the bucket. Are you not going to help?” Carmen asked.
“Sweetheart, if I help now, how will you stand out? This is your shot to show your father that you’re more valuable than Aubree,” Alice replied.
Carmen’s eyes flickered with thought. She recalled the task Alice had given her before leaving Rithol City: to get close to her classmate Irvin Krueger. Irvin was an only child – spoiled and a little too trusting by nature.
More importantly, his family held the second–largest stake in the Diamonde family’s Phoenyra Jewelry. They were also known for their deep pockets in Südlichen Strand, with investments spread across a wide range of local businesses.
“Mom, just as you suggested, I’ve already befriended Irvin. And guess what? Bonus prize – he and Alvin are tight. There’s a college mixer coming up with Rithol University’s Art Academy, and Irvin invited Alvin to team up. Perfect chance for me to get close.”
Alice smiled approvingly and said, “Carmen, you’ve done a good job.
“You have your own strengths. There’s no need to go head–to–head with Aubree. So what if she’s made it in business? To families like ours, that’s hardly impressive.
“She thinks she’s made it big in e–commerce here in Südlichen Strand? Looks like she’s forgotten who calls the shots in this city.”
Alice’s voice was steady, brimming with confidence and self–satisfaction. Carmen never spoke ill of Aubree – not out loud.
Remembering the real reason she called, Alice continued, “I’ve had your uncle in Südlichen Strand prepare everything. You just need to go there.
“With your connection to Irvin, getting his family to invest in the Wilson family will be easy. Then your father will finally see who has the power to help this family.”
With Alice leveraging the Diamonde family’s connections to pave the way, things went smoothly for Carmen.
When Carmen arrived in Südlichen Strand, they welcomed her and brought her to the Krueger family party. There, she charmed her way through the event, and by using the bond with Irvin, she persuaded his family to bail out the Wilson family.
When Ronald received the money, a wave of guilt hit him. He’d once resented Carmen, convinced she might be Alice’s illegitimate daughter. And now, she was the one saving them.
Daxton said, “Dad, Carmen never did anything to Aubree. If anything, we misunderstood her and ended up doing some things we shouldn’t have. But Aubree kept blaming and setting Carmen up, and you believed it.”
He tried to win his father’s favor for Carmen.
Chapter 306
The Krueger family’s money helped the Wilson family weather this crisis. Meanwhile, Elizabeth found herself under fire, pressured by both the board and her half–brother to step down as chairwoman.
Ronald nodded. “My anger got the better of me then.”
Now that Carmen wasn’t an illegitimate child, and with no evidence linking Alice to Aubree’s disappearance, maybe it had all been a misunderstanding.
Daxton pressed on, “Carmen’s been working hard to bring honor to our family. She handled this perfectly, right? Dad, you shouldn’t stop thinking about marrying her off for an alliance. I know you want Aubree back. And maybe there’s still a chance.
“Isn’t Bowen the one pulling strings here? The way I see it, the only reason Aubree’s refusing to come home is because of the Turner family. But honestly, are we any less than the Turners?”
Ronald caught the hint in his words. After a brief silence, he replied, “Let me think it over.”
Daxton was agitated. The reason Ronald wanted to marry off Carmen was troubling enough, but learning she might be his maternal half–sister made it harder to process.