Alice''s voice was icy."To be precise, it hasn''t been that way for a very long time."


    "You want


    cut ties with me? Luke asked, his voiceced with disbelief.


    "You''ve said that many times. Have you forgotten?" she countered.


    Luke looked slightly guilty."I


    guilty. "I was just venting. I never meant it seriously." "But I did. Actions speak louder than words," Alice said, her gaze unwavering as she looked at her two brothers."I never say things I don''t mean. Goodbye. Or rather, it''s best if we don''t see each other again."


    Her expression was serious, her features sharp, her eyes dark and intense. As she turned, she saw Jack and Gator. Jack''s eyes held a hint of approval. Gator pped. “Well said!” Seeing them eased her tension. She''d avoided this confrontation, fearing it would make her seem too invested in the family, but her brother''s interference with Jack, forcing him to the hospital, had been the final straw.


    "Alice, don''t think that just because you got good grades you can abandon us! Without the Winds, you''re nothing!" Luke''s voice cracked with anger, his eyes burning. He couldn''t believe how much this meant to her; why hadn''t she said anything before? He''d thought she didn''t care. Alice turned, her gaze cold. “Isn''t it true that without me, you wouldn''t have even made it to the esports finals? Isn''t it true that without me, that gaming software partnership would have been canceled?”


    A flush of embarrassment crept across Luke''s face. He couldn''t deny the truth. Gator added fuel to the fire.“Without you guys, Little Lemon''s grades skyrocketed, she became a top streamer, and tons of esports teams are throwing themselves at her. Leaving you guys is the best thing that ever happened to her."


    Jack''s voice was cold."Ask yourselves, what have you done for her all these years?"


    Luke instinctively retorted, "What do you mean, nothing? But he couldn''te up with anything beyond Alice revolving around him. He''d taken her contributions for granted, forgetting that giving requires reciprocity.


    Alice''s tone was t. "Don''t use that blood is thicker than water'' nonsense. It''s pathetic."


    And with that, she walked away.


    Luke Wind clutched his stomach, his vision blurring as he copsed. A wave of profound sadness washed over him.


    Luke and Chloe shouted, "Brother, what''s wrong?"


    Hearing themotion, Alice stepped into the elevator. Seeing her brother lying on the floor, his eyes fixed on her, she remained expressionless until the doors closed, cutting off all contact.


    "Alice!!"


    Luke Wind mumbled her name, eyes squeezed shut. Only now did he realize what he was truly losing. In the past, when he was sick, Alice wouldn''t have abandoned him. She cared deeply for him. Evenst time, she''d taken him to the hospital.


    But this time was different. He was losing his sister.


    Outside the hospital, Alice breathed deeply, exhaling the weight of the par Gator drove, saying, “Little Lemon, you should''ve done this a long time ago. They were walking all


    over you?


    "You''re right,” she agreed. She should have been clearer sooner, instead of letting them think the was just throwing a tantrum. It hadn''t been a joke. She''d been carefully nning her departure from the family all along. They''d clung to the delusion that she was juse angry. Jack, in the passenger seat, nced in the rearview mirror. It''s not


    Rxed, Alice said, “Something weird happened. Garrett just dropped the whole thing to apology needed.” Gator''s voice was slightly strained. “Yeah, well, he started it, right? Maybe he finally realized he


    was wrong


    “Really?” Alice still felt something was off. Garrett wasn''t usually so forgiving, based on her past life''s experience. But maybe Chloe yed a part; the "white lotus was probably pulling strings to impress the Wind brothers.


    Back at the apartment, Alice''s phone wouldn''t stop ringing. Seeing "Brother Six" on the disy, she blocked the number. Finally, peace and quiet. She knew what he wanted to say, but she


    wasn''t interested.


    She spent the afternoon grinding in-game dungeons with her friends. That evening, Alice went live for her PvP stream. A win tonight would put her at the top of the rankings. But just as she went live, her ssmate, Jiang Lu, messaged her: "Idol, Chloe''s trash-talking you on


    her stream."


    "What''s she saying?"


    "That you made your brothers sick and are ignoring them; that you''re ungrateful" Typical white lotus move. Alice ignored it, focusing on her stream. There were some haters in the chat, but her fans quickly shut them down. She yed intensely, finally reaching #1, a sense of aplishment washing. over her.


    During a break, a hater spammed the chat: [Streamer], why aren''t you responding? Are you guilty?"


    Alice sneered. "Why would I respond to such baseless usations? A white lotus cries a couple of times, and suddenly everyone''s a judge and jury. If you''re so good at this, I suggest you be. detectives. Cry a little for the criminals, maybe?"


    “[Streamer], don''t change the subject. Answer the question."


    Alice''s eyes were sharp and direct. “Everyone knows my rtionship with the Winds has always been rocky. I''ve never hidden that. I want to state clearly: I have nothing to do with the Winds anymore. I''ll rely on myself."


    Jiang Lu also jumped into thements:"[Alice] has always been treated unfairly. We, her ssmates, know this."


    “[Alice] finally escaped her toxic family, and now that she''s the top student, they''re guilt–tripping.


    her."


    Soon, thements were flooded with discussions of her top Daniels. Her interview video was everywhere online. She trended again.


    29.31


    Seeing the public opinion swaying against her, Chloe angrily ended her livestream. Her viewership had been dwindlingtely. But Alice''s fan base was exploding


    Chloe was furious. Couldn''t Alice just disappear?


    Then, a message popped up on Chloe''s phone:"Axiang (Chloe), that girl Alice is in your way. Dad can help you get rid of her."


    Chloe screamed. What was going on? She''d blocked that number. Was this really her father? Impossible.


    "Chloe, what''s wrong?"


    Luke entered her room. Chloe frantically shut off her phone, her hands shaking. “Nothing. I saw a disturbing video and got scared."


    She''d finally secured her ce in the Wind family and didn''t want to return to her impoverished past.


    "Who would send you something like that? Give me your phone!”


    Chloe''s face paled. That inexplicable text message absolutely could not be seen by Luke! What to


    do?