Carmen’s eyes widened in sudden panic. Almost immediately, her phone rang-it was a call from apany executive. “Miss Wilson, Nick’s death is all over the inte! What should we do now?”


    Nick was the streamer who lost his life in the ident despite rescue efforts. Carmen’s head was spinning as she frantically grabbed her phone. She didn’t even need to search-when she opened her news app, bold headlines screamed at her.


    [Genius Sisters or Ruthless Killers?]


    Upon clicking, the article carefully revealed how MindDrift ruthlessly exploited its streamers through relentless battle punishments, causing many to be injured or ill, and, even more shockingly, leading to some fatalities.


    Soon, fans voiced concerns online, noting that in a previous livestream, Nick appeared distressed and asked to end the session, promising to finish the punishmentter. The opposing streamer refused, used him of dodging the challenge, and even threatened to report him if he didn’tply.


    To maximize profits and encourage user spending, Carmen implemented strict rules: anyone found intentionally avoiding challenges would face penalties-minor vitions would incur a fine. At the same time, more serious offenses may result in aplete ount ban. Nick had no choice but to endure the punishment. After that, he never went live again.


    The tform was filled with talented streamers, while Nick was just another mid-tier yer. After the incident, he was soon forgotten, as if he had never mattered at all. Now that the old incident has resurfaced, Aubree not only reached out to Nick but also made every effort to contact any streamer who had been affected by MindDrift, getting in touch with everyone she could find.


    While some were still reliant on MindDrift and hesitated, many stepped forward to help Aubree expose the tform. That night, the inte erupted-viewers circted clips of battles where both sides casually threw around nearly 300 million dors. The sheer extravagance soon drew the attention of regtors.


    Aubree leaned back, calmly watching the storm unravel from her strategic distance. The bacsh against Carmen had gone far beyond simple criticism-she had be the face of public outrage. The hostility was so overwhelming that stepping outside risked more than just harsh words; someone mightsh out in a petty, unpleasant way.


    MindDrift didn’t even survive the night-it was swiftly ordered to shut down by the authorities. Whether the ban would ever be lifted depended entirely on how Carmen chose to handle the situation.


    When things seemed like they couldn’t get worse, Carmen was still enjoying praise and admiration just yesterday. However, this morning, she woke up to find a notice from school stating that she had been suspended, effective immediately.


    A sharp p resonated through the Wilson family’s living room. Ronald’s face flushed with anger. Without a moment’s hesitation, he seized the nearest object and hurled it at Carmen. At such close range, the projectile struck her forehead with brutal force, causing blood to stream down and stain half her face crimson.


    “Ronald!” Alice eximed, bursting into tears as she rushed forward, desperately trying to pull him back. “But she’s our daughter!” Her voice trembled as she cried. Alice never imagined that Ronald would be this furious-she couldn’t believe he


    would hurt Carmen like this.


    “Carmen…” Ronald’s eyelid twitched, a flicker of panic and guilt shing across his face. His heart softened—he was about tofort her when Daxton’s frantic, panicked voice suddenly pierced the air as he burst through the front door.


    “Carmen!” Daxton eximed, breathless from rushing back after being awayst night. The moment he heard the news, he hurried home, only to realize he was already toote.


    1:43 pm


    Seeing Carmen’s bruised and bleeding face-a truly pitiful sight-Daxton’s heart ached. Anger surged within him as he red at Ronald. “Dad! How could you strike Carmen?” he demanded, his voice shaking. “What did Carmen do to deserve this? None of it was her fault-it was all that awful Aubree’s doing!” His eyes burned with resentment as he med Ronald for mistreating Carmen.


    381


    Ronald, who had just felt a pang of guilt moments earlier, was quickly provoked by Daxton’s attitude. His anger red as he shouted, “She’s not wrong? Didn’t I tell you to keep your people in line and ensure no one causes trouble during this time!”


    Ronald fixed Carmen with a piercing gaze. “Something seemed off about youst time. Be honest-were those online scandals already starting back then?”


    If it were only MindDrift, Ronald wouldn’t be this upset. However, with Rosepoly Group first and then Mind Drift-both tied to the Wilson family-the Wilson Group’s stock price has taken a significant hit recently.