Alice thought about the Garcia family''s threat to harm her family - they''d gone straight to the Windhams. A wave of schadenfreude washed over her.


    Alice replied indifferently, I''ve cut ties with the Windhams. This is my own problem.” “Can you handle this on your own? The Garcias have contacted me, telling me to control. unruly sister, otherwise, they''ll get rough."


    my


    Alice''s voice turned icy. "They almost killed me in the car ident they orchestrated. They dare to act so polite'' now?"


    Chloe''s eyes flickered. Everyone seemed to believe the Garcia family was behind the car ident, and she was fine with that.


    Chloe feigned concern. "Alice, your brother''s just looking out for you. Even though you''ve cut ties with the Windhams, you''re still a Lu. That can''t be changed."


    Luke chimed in, Alice, Dad had a tough time drinking with the Garcias at lunch." Luke''s father, seeing Alice''s defiant expression, was furious. “Alice, remember, I, the Windhams, cleaned up


    this mess for you."


    “Oh, what a great big favor," she thought sarcastically.


    "I didn''t ask for your help! You could have told the Garcias I''m no longer a Lu and you wouldn''t care if I lived or died. Wouldn''t that have been easier?"


    gaze was steady; her aura had strengthened considerably.


    Alice''s gaze w


    Luke''s father exploded."Alice, you ungrateful wretch! I cleaned up your mess, and this is all I get?" Chloe quickly pulled Luke''s father back.“Honey, calm down. Alice''s just stubborn. She''ll understand your plight.” "Dad, let''s talk this through."


    Luke stepped between them, seeing Luke''s father''s fists clench.


    "What are you doing? I told you not to let her go to Cloud City for college. She''d stir up trouble that the Windhams couldn''t clean up. But she had to go!"


    Luke''s father pointed at Alice. “I went to great lengths to appease the Garcias, and I don''t even get a thank you!"


    Alice lifted her chin, a smirk ying on her lips.


    Here it was again the condescending lectures, the usations.


    Alice raised an


    an eyebrow."I didn''t ask you to do


    to do this, and I don''t need it!" She turned and walked away, refusing to engage further.


    “Alice, stop! Luke, stop her! Bring her back! I''m taking her to meet the Garcias personally!” Luke''s father was furious. He''d expected Alice to learn her lesson, but she was even more defiant!


    Luke rushed to stop Alice. "Don''t go yet."


    "Don''t touch me!"


    Alice pulled her arm away."You really think a lunch with the Garcias is enough to make them


    drop this?"


    "What else could it be? Do you think you can handle it alone? Melody Garcia is engaged to at powerful figure in the Capital''s elite circle. A snap of his fingers, and the Windhams would be wiped out in Cloud City!"


    Alice knew about Melody Garcia''s sister''s engagement. to that powerful man!


    Was she supposed to just wait to be destroyed?


    Alice said coldly, "I have evidence of the Garcia family using Hunter Davis tounder money at the gaming team base. They dare not act rashly!"


    Whoever held the cards had the leverage.


    Luke''s father was stunned.


    Chloe instinctively spoke, "Alice, but if you do this, you''llpletely offend the Garcias."


    "What else can I do? Wait for you to lecture me, saying I''m safe only because of the Windhams? Spare me!"


    Chloe said in a honeyed voice, “But your brother did help. The Garcias gave him face.”


    "Stop trying to take credit. The Garcias were just testing you at lunch, seeing if you had the evidence. That''s all."


    Alice looked meaningfully at Chloe. “Since I have the evidence, the leverage, they don''t dare to act recklessly."


    Chloe remembered Alice''s previous threats and felt uneasy, avoiding Alice''s gaze. She also held a secret Alice knew about. Alice was issuing a warning!


    Luke''s father''s expression wasn''t pleasant either, because Alice was telling the truth. He also found it strange that the Garcias hadn''t pursued the matter further. The reason was clear!


    Luke''s father felt a loss of face."Alice, even if you got lucky this time, that doesn''t mean you''ll be lucky forever!"


    "Good luck is a kind of strength."


    Alice turned and left.


    Luke''s father was furious."I shouldn''t havee here!"


    Chloe was secretly pleased. “Honey, it''s my fault for telling you. I hoped that youing to school would reconcile things with Alice, that we could be a family again. But Alice didn''t appreciate it!"


    “Chloe, that''s not it. Alice didn''tck appreciation. She would''ve been fine without us.” Luke sensed something was off about Chloe''s words. It felt wrong.


    Chloe


    cautiously said, "Sixth


    Brother, did I say something wrong again?"


    Luke''s father said, "It''s not your fault, Chloe. Alice has that awful temper. I''m waiting for the day. she can''t handle things on her own, just you wait and see!"


    Chloe lowered her head, looking aggrieved. “I won''t act without thinking again, so I won''t be misunderstood.” Luke''s father immediately looked at Luke.“What''s wrong with you? Don''t be like your brother!”


    Luke felt stifled. He hadn''t said anything wrong. Chloe''s words were inappropriate! Why did it seem like it was all his fault?


    sapter 163


    Watching Chloe support his father as they left, Luke felt inexplicably frustrated. Lately, he''d felt increasingly conflicted; Chloe seemed to have changed.


    After leaving the building. Alice headed straight to the gym to box.


    Changing into her gear, she remembered something and texted Chloe:“[Don''t forget what you promised me!]


    She wasn''t letting that go.


    Chloe was already in the car. Seeing Alice''s message, she nervously deleted it, her heart racing.


    After thinking for a moment, she turned to Luke''s father. “Dad, about your investment in Second Brother''s Al project, can I learn more about it?"


    "Why would you want to learn that?"


    "I''m a business student after all. I don''t want to be a clueless heiress. I want to help you.


    Luke''s father nodded approvingly. "You''re so sensible, far more considerate than a certain ungrateful wretch." Chloe''s smile was forced, and she didn''t speak.


    After texting Chloe, Alice went to box. She got a brutal workout and then went home to her apartment; she had no sses on the weekend. She had to prepare for her livestream; she''d missedst week.


    However, this time, thements on her stream seemed off.


    "[Are you and the Cloud University gaming team captain a couple?]"


    "[Did you n something kinky with Hunter Davis in the dorm, and when you got caught, you med him?]* "[How could you be so vicious? You yed with Hunter Davis''s feelings and then dumped him?]” "[Hunter Davis confessed to you in the afternoon and ended up in your dorm that night? Things moved fast!] Alice guessed thesements were from the Garcias, trying to smear her with slut-shaming.


    tactics.


    Alice turned on her microphone. “Hunter Davis is trash. He used his position as team captain to prey on many girls, even threatening and ckmailing them with videos and pictures. I''m not blind enough to be interested


    in him!”


    [You say Hunter Davis did all that, but there are no videos or pictures. Besides you, nobody else has said anything. You''re just making things up!]"


    "[Yeah, you said he took videos and pictures. Show them to us!]"


    [You streamers probably make money by sleeping with men! Maybe your didn''t price!]"


    agree on the


    Alice''s voice turned cold."Little trolls, you can attack me, but those videos and photos are like a knife, deadly


    poison to the girls who were victimized.


    Why do yo


    you


    have the nerve to ask to see them?


    Charter TAT


    Were you born without brains?"


    You keep saying this, but


    but you can''t show us any evidence. You''re lying!