Chapter 60

Fresh off her post-competition interview, Aubree got a text from her teacher. She was expected back in class the next day.

Aubree let out a scornful laugh. "If the principal can still keep his job after that investigation, I’ll eat my hat."

While Aubree was riding high, the Wilson household was drowning in misery.

Ronald had gone all out booking a luxury venue, expecting praise and admiration; instead, he got nothing but utter humiliation.

On the sofa, Carmen sat with her face buried in her hands, sobbing, while Alice sat beside her, gently comforting her, her heart aching for her.

Ronald, irritated by Carmen’s crying, snapped, "Stop blubbering! Just look at the mess you’ve made; you’ve completely disgraced me!"

Ronald was obsessed with his reputation and desperate to save face among his friends. Once news of Carmen’s cheating scandal at the competition broke, it spread like wildfire. Internet sleuths quickly identified her, and with her previous viral scandal, everyone realized it was the same girl again.

Before Carmen even arrived, the scandal had already spread.

Ronald’s rage kept building as he remembered the awkward, mocking looks from his friends at the hotel. He snapped at Carmen, “Weren’t you supposed to be good at art? Don’t you always get top marks? How could you be so stupid as to get caught!”

Carmen’s eyes were red-rimmed, but she didn’t dare respond. I don’t know, she thought. I just copied Aubree’s painting. How was I supposed to know the judges would immediately question if it was really mine when I submitted it?

“I don’t know. It was all Darton’s idea…” Carmen mumbled, keeping her head lowered in a timid manner.

“Alright, alright,” Alice said soothingly, “this isn’t Carmen’s fault. You know how Darton is with these things; someone must have interfered. He’s already checking the security footage.”

“Not her fault?” Ronald nearly choked on his rage.

When it didn’t affect his own interests, he could dote on his daughter all he wanted. But now, things had gotten out of hand.

People on the internet were mocking the Wilson family for raising such a "fake" daughter, who was a habitual plagiarist.

But it was too late for words now. Seeing Carmen’s eyes swollen and red from crying, Ronald’s heart softened. “Hasn’t Daxton come back yet?”

Daxton had just finished checking the security footage.

The moment he returned home, his expression was thunderous. “I found out,” Daxton said grimly, “It was Aubree.”

The moment that name was spoken, a heavy silence instantly fell over the Wilson household.

“I knew it was that little witch!” Alice hissed through gritted teeth, “What does she want? Won’t she be satisfied until she owes my Carmen to the brink?"

"Sure, she’s out there basking in the glory of her award, but look at my poor Carmen; she’s been crying her eyes out!”

Alice held Carmen in her arms, her eyes burning with genuine malice, as if she truly wished her own biological daughter would just drop dead.

Ronald only knew about Carmen’s cheating scandal. Hearing this, he looked puzzled and asked, “What award did she win?”

“Aubree competed in the International Mathematics Competition. She won a bronze medal,” Daxton reported.

“A bronze medal?”

Ronald’s eye twitched. He had truly underestimated her.

First, she got in with the Turner family, then won championships, and now she was medaling in international competitions.

Ronald’s eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. No one noticed the shift in his demeanor.

Daxton continued sharing his findings. “I checked all the surveillance footage from around that time; no one else appeared. The only person was Aubree, who passed by the corridor to the restroom just before I went to see Alec. I had someone test it. Conversations in the hallway can be heard from inside the restroom.”

The evidence aligned perfectly with his earlier suspicions. Daxton was now certain that Aubree had known Carmen was participating in the art competition and had deliberately orchestrated the whole scheme.

As for how Aubree managed to overhear his bribery conversation with Alec, Daxton didn’t even bother to think about it. In his eyes, she was so calculating that she must have pulled some tricks this time.

Alice spat, her voice trembling with rage, “That ungrateful brat! After the Wilson family raised her for three years, this is how she repays us!”

Carmen buried herself in Alice’s arms, her body trembling with sobs. “Did I do something to upset my sister?” she choked out, “If she thinks I’m in her way at the Wilson family, I can just leave..."

Alice said to Carmen, “My darling, what nonsense are you saying? If anyone’s leaving, it’s Aubree, not you. You’ll always be Mommy’s precious treasure.”

The two shared a heartwarming moment, which only made Daxton’s heart ache even more for Carmen. He quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, Carmen. If Aubree dares to scheme against you, I will make her pay.” He had already ordered someone to track down Aubree’s address.

Ronald, who had remained silent until now, began plotting about Aubree. She has quietly accomplished quite a few major things. She’s finally proving her worth. I can’t just let her run wild anymore. If force doesn’t work, maybe it’s time for a softer approach.

With this in mind, Ronald patted Daxton on the shoulder. “Aubree’s gone too far,” he said to Daxton, “This time, you must bring her back home, no matter what…”

“Don’t worry,” Daxton replied, though his eyes gleamed with icy determination. Bring her back? I’m not as softhearted as Bryan or Emery.

Late at night, in a luxury apartment.

Three sharp knocks echoed through the hallway.

The smart lock alerted Aubree to someone at the door.

“Who could be knocking at this hour?” Aubree immediately tensed up. The high-security apartment she rented was safe, but nothing was ever truly foolproof.

Aubree walked up to the door but didn’t open it right away. After a long silence, the knocking outside grew increasingly impatient.

Aubree’s hand instinctively reached for the baseball bat by the shoe cabinet. Peering through the peephole, she recognized the figure outside.

How the hell did Daxton track me down here? Aubree thought, her heart pounding in disbelief.

“Open the damn door!” Daxton bellowed, his pounding on the door growing more impatient by the second.

Aubree’s expression turned cold. Daxton’s showing up this late; he’s definitely up to no good. And after what he did to my back last time, I sure haven’t forgotten that little debt!

Hefting the baseball bat in her hand, Aubree smirked and thought, "No bodyguards this time, Daxton? Perfect, time to settle our score."

Aubree left the bedroom light on as a decoy, quietly shut the door, and concealed herself. First, she sent a silent text to the police, then used her phone to remotely unlock the front door.

Daxton’s foot met with empty air as the door swung open on its own.

“Aubree!” Daxton bellowed. “So you’re just going to ignore everything I told you, right? How dare you upset Carmen! Do you want another beating?” His furious shout echoed through the empty room before he realized there was no one standing in front of him.

“Could she be in the bedroom?” Blind with rage, Daxton didn’t stop to think; he charged straight for the bedroom.

Concealed in the darkness, Aubree watched as Daxton kicked open the door. Baseball bat in hand, she slipped in silently right behind him, ready to strike.

“Aubree, you…” Daxton started to shout but stopped short when he realized the room was empty.

A chill shot down Daxton’s spine. Before he could turn around, Aubree swung the baseball bat and slammed it straight into his back.

In her previous life, when Daxton lost a fortune due to a failed drug research project, Aubree swallowed her pride and audited medical classes at Rithol University to help him.

Thanks to her medical knowledge, Aubree knew human anatomy well. Every strike was measured, targeting only the most painful yet safest spots.

“How dare you break into my house to steal! I’ll beat you senseless!” Aubree cursed, swinging the bat with ruthless precision.

Aubree thought to herself, "With the lights so dim, how could anyone expect me to see who it was? Totally normal, right?"

"I mean, as a single woman living alone, isn’t it only natural to defend myself when a strange man knocks on my door in the middle of the night?"

An eye for an eye, Aubree didn’t strike randomly. Every blow landed squarely on Daxton’s back, payback for what he’d done.

Blow after blow rained down on his back. Even Daxton couldn’t take it anymore; groans of pain escaped his lips.

“I’m Daxton! Have you lost your damn mind, Aubree?” Daxton yelled, desperately trying to get her to stop. But to his shock, the moment he spoke, Aubree’s blows only landed harder, each one colder and more precise.

She said, “Still pretending to be someone else? As if my brother Daxton would ever sneak into a girl’s apartment in the middle of the night! So, you’ve investigated me, right? Well, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

It wasn’t until the wave of police sirens reached her that Aubree calmly stopped, pretending to suddenly recognize him. She gasped in exaggerated surprise, “Daxton? Oh my God, is that really you?”

Daxton nearly coughed up blood. The pain in his back was so intense, he couldn’t even crawl off the floor.

Daxton groaned, “Aubree!”

As the police entered, Aubree grinned and gave him a final, playful kick. “What are you yelling for, Daxton?” she asked sweetly.

Turning to the officers with feigned innocence, Aubree said, “Officer, that’s him. He was trespassing in my apartment!”