Under the Wilson family’s heavy-handed intervention, the online storm quickly subsided. Though multiple trending topics exploded daily, the sisters' public catfight was soon forgotten by the fickle public.
Tet Rithol High School still hadn’t sent Aubree any notice allowing her to return to school. She’d asked her teacher, who claimed Will hadn’t made a decision yet, but Aubree knew that this wasn’t about Will’s indecision; it was the Wilson family withholding their approval. Without their say-so, Will wouldn’t dare let her return.
Aubree had nothing but contempt for Will. She knew that he was just another useless parasite, clinging to his position without contributing anything worthwhile. In her first year at Rithol High, a female student jumped to her death after being relentlessly bullied by a notorious clique. She could no longer recall the girl’s name, only that the bullies belonged to that infamous group. The incident caused a huge uproar, yet Will still did nothing.
Not only did a few members of the clique come from well-connected families, but they were also Carmen’s devoted followers. With Carmen pulling strings and the Wilson family applying pressure, the incident was quickly swept under the rug. After transferring in, Aubree became the clique’s new target, but thanks to her lingering ties with the Wilson family, she was spared from the same tragic fate as that other girl.
Aubree’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Well then, looks like it’s about time Rithol High got itself a new principal,” she thought coldly.
Powering up her brand-new laptop, Aubree’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she swiftly logged into the International Mathematics Competition website.
The finals and preliminary rounds of this year’s International Mathematics Competition would be held in Richol City. There were two registration channels: university recommendations and open qualifiers. The open qualifier served as an entry path for independent applicants, with the top ten scorers advancing to the finals to compete alongside the university-recommended contestants.
Although the International Mathematics Competition didn’t restrict the age of applicants, domestic winners had always been top math students from prestigious universities. If a high school student were to make history by winning an award, it would surely attract the attention of educational circles. Then, she could expose Will’s inaction to the public.
Aubree thought coldly, “By then, even if Will dislikes me, he’ll have to think twice before crossing me.”
Aubree quickly filled out and submitted the application form. Though she’d missed two years of classes while studying art, her natural affinity for numbers kept her passionate about math. She never stopped exploring it during that time. She also got a perfect score in math on the placement test.
“This math competition? Piece of cake,” Aubree thought.
The club’s initial investment was fully sponsored by Bowen. Now, with over 3 million dollars from the tournament, Aubree had finally built up some financial standing of her own.
Emery’s car was still parked downstairs, but he was nowhere to be seen. She figured that he must have been taken to the hospital by some stranger. Aubree glanced at it but didn’t pay much attention. Since she couldn’t go back to school, she decided to stay productive. Gathering the prepared documents, she registered a company called Bree Technology, planning to develop short video and live streaming platforms, such as Playry.
With the company registration completed and licenses in hand, Aubree headed to an office building near Golden Industrial Park, where she confidently leased an entire floor as her company headquarters.
Next, she needed to assemble a team to build the app. The Turner Group were experts in this field, and Bowen had already told her that when she was ready to develop it, she could ask his assistant, Kelvin, to send some people over to provide guidance.
Aubree didn’t hesitate for a second. The moment she signed the lease, she shot off a message to that long-dormant contact in her list.
Chapter 55
“Hoping to pick someone?”
Flattered, Kelvin replied immediately.
“Miss Miller, please let me know what kind of professionals you require till I expedite it.”
Since she was already improving, Aubree clenched her teeth, figuring she might as well be a hands-off boss. While his company was giving Bowen shares, he couldn’t just collect dividends without contributing. She laid out her requirements. “Could you also see if there are any talented candidates from your company who didn’t make the cut? I’d appreciate it.”
The Turner Group was constantly hiring.
Kelvin wrote: “I’ll check with HR later.” As Bowen’s right-hand man, he understood better than the other assistants just how important this girl was to the boss.
Kelvin didn’t underestimate Aubree in the slightest due to her youth. How could someone who comes up with such brilliant ideas, ever be just some small fry, he thought admittedly.
With Kelvin handling recruitment, Aubree was relieved and left it to him. Even those rejected by the Turner Group were still exceptional talents in her eyes.
The first step was to launch Playry. Once it was up and running, she’d have her esports team members stream games on the platform. With the champion effect of her players, she wouldn’t need much promotion; fans would naturally be drawn in.
“If we can win another championship at the League of Legends Annual Finals, it’ll be a huge boost for growth,” she thought, for both the esports club and Bree Technology.
The esports club’s base should be nearly ready by now. Golden Industrial Park was clear who their clients would be. Every detail of the initial interior was designed with esports clubs in mind, so the place was essentially turnkey. They just needed to set up their own computers and equipment in the training hall.
Aubree had already hired professionals to set up the computers and fitness area after leasing the space. Now she planned to inspect the place. She thought, “If everything checks out, I’ll let Hector and the others know to move in.”
At the hospital...
Emery groggily opened his eyes. His vision swam with double images, taking a while to clear. The sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic stung his nose, making it painfully obvious he was in a hospital.
“Whatever? Did Aubree bring me to the hospital?” Emery wondered, hope flickering in his chest.
The mere possibility made him tremble with joy. He thought, “Does Aubree still care about me?”
Carmen walked in right after, instantly dashing his fragile hope. She cooed with saccharine concern, “Emery, feeling any better? Honestly, how could you be so careless? Running a fever and passing out in public! Thank goodness one of Daxton’s colleagues lives in that neighborhood, recognized you, and called him. That’s how you ended up here in the hospital.”
Daxton followed right behind her.
“So it wasn’t Aubree after all,” Emery thought, his heart sinking.
His eyes glazed over for a moment, a cold, stabbing pain filling his chest, and he could barely breathe. He thought, “Does she really not care about me at all anymore?”
Carmen’s words of comfort continued, but Emery was already tuning her out.
From the moment Carmen walked in, Emery seemed dazed and distant, his first words were practically shooing them away. “I need to rest. Please leave.”
Carmen immediately put on a wronged look and, in a soft voice, said, “Emery, did I say something wrong again? Are you upset with me?”
“No, I’m just tired.” Emery’s dismissive attitude made Carmen seethe internally. She was practically itching to scream at him, “What’s so great about Aubree anyway? She doesn’t even care if you live or die, yet you’re still hung up on her!”
Daxton frowned at Carmen’s chagrined expression. “Don’t you dare mistake kindness for weakness, Emery! Carmen made an effort to make you soup after learning you were hospitalized with a fever.”
Emery’s gaze shifted to the food container in Carmen’s hands. A mocking smile curled his lips.
“Please. Carmen cooking? She couldn’t even boil water if her life depended on it,” Emery thought with a silent sneer.
Emery had no intention of continuing the conversation. He simply turned his head away, shutting them out completely.
Daxton was so furious he nearly yanked Emery up to punch him, but Carmen quickly grabbed his arm, maintaining her sweet facade. “Daxton, Emery must be exhausted. Let’s leave him to rest,” she cooed.
“Suit yourself!”
Daxton knew exactly why Emery had collapsed in that residential area. He sneered inwardly, “You treat Aubree like she’s everything, but she couldn’t care less about you.”