Trevor went to find Skyler.
At <b>Skyler’s </b>home, he was quite surprised by <b>Trevor’s </b><b>visit</b>. “I thought you’d be celebrating your victory right now.”
He had already resigned and didn’t intend to hold on to old grudges. <b>He </b>even managed to smile at Trevor.
Trevor sat on the couch, his hands sped nervously. “That USB drive<b>… </b>
Skyler couldn’t hide his surprise. <b>He </b>had thought someone like Trevor, who would <b>stop </b>at nothing to get what he wanted, wouldn’t care about such <b>a </b>thing. <b>“</b><b>I </b>bought it from those fans back then.”
Skyler continued, “After we got out of the hotel safely, I called the police. I was the one who handled the aftermath at the station. I saw what had happened from the police evidence. That video was filmed by those fans. If it got out, it would’ve hurt Aubree badly. I paid quite <b>a </b>sum to buy it.”
“What, <b>you </b>came all this <b>way </b>just to ask me about this?<b>” </b>Skyler let out augh, as if he found it ironic. When Trevor hired someone <b>to </b><b>crash </b>a <b>car</b>, he <b>clearly </b>didn’t think about how Aubree had once helped him. Now, he suddenly <b>grew </b><b>a </b>conscience.
<b>Trevor </b><b>felt </b><b>a </b>bit embarrassed too. He understood the implication behind Skyler’s words. He opened his mouth, but in the end, it didn’t really matter if he asked or not. It was <b>now </b><b>very </b>clear. The one who helped him that <b>year </b><b>wasn’t </b>Carmen<b>, </b>but Aubree.
He was extremely stupid to get something so important so wrong.
His body <b>was </b>stiff. But Carmen did <b>visit </b>him on set that year.
“It wasn’t Carmen who helped me that time?<b>” </b>Trevor’s voice <b>was </b><b>so </b>low that Skyler nearly thought he had misheard.
“What?” Skyler looked shocked. So all these years, Trevor had treated his biological sister like dirt because he thought Carmen had helped him.
Skyler said, “As <b>far </b>as <b>I </b>remember, your foster sister Carmen did go looking for you that day. But she never even went into the hotel. She saw the fans crowding around and called me to confirm. Then she said she wouldn’t cause trouble and left.”
Trevor’s gaze was dazed, his emotions stirred. “Then why… why didn’t you tell me afterward who exactly it was?”
Back then, Skyler had done PR by just saying “his <b>sister</b>” without naming names. When Trevor heard Carmen had gone to visit him, he naturally assumed she <b>was </b>the one who helped.
“Come on. Aubree was still just a kid. If it weren’t for some blurry pictures the fans took, I wouldn’t have let her get involved <b>at </b>all. Thankfully, her face wasn’t visible. <b>I </b>asked Aubree about it. She didn’t want to reveal her identity…” Skyler paused, recalling the look in Aubree’s eyes when she told him just to say “sister<b>” </b>and nothing more.
Her eyes were dim, helpless, but tinged with hope.
So, she already knew back then that Carmen might end up taking the credit.
Skyler continued, “I told the public it was your sister. I figured you had two, and it wouldn’t be that <b>easy </b>to trace. What I didn’t expect was… your own family would mix it up.”
There was a trace of mockery in his tone. Trevor’s face flushed, embarrassed and increasingly shaken.
The one he <b>always </b>assumed was scheming and maniptive was actually the one who had silently protected him.
Then, Trevor became angry. Carmen imed credit all those <b>years </b><b>ago</b>.
If Carmen hadn’t imed it, he wouldn’t have made the mistake.
He <b>was </b>still lost in thought when his phone rang.
“You should take that.” Skyler stood and gave him space<b>. </b>
<b>It </b>was Bryan calling.
Trevor asked, “Bryan, are you free right now?<b>” </b>
“Where <b>are </b>you right now?” Bryan replied.
Trevor replied, “Just handling something out. What’s going on?”
“Can youe home?” Bryan’s tone gave nothing away, but it didn’t sound good.
He added, “Mom, Dad, and Daxton are all here. We’re all waiting for you.”
After Aubree’s ident, their mom had insisted it wasn’t her doing. And she didn’t seem like suspect.
But back then, Trevor <b>was </b>caught up in a storm of public opinion, and the family had
either it <b>was </b>an ident or Trevor was involved.
was lying. That made their third sibling the prime
t dared to act rashly. They found nothing in private, so
Now that he had weathered his PR disaster, the whole family had gathered at home<b>, </b>waiting to interrogate him.
Trevor <b>asked</b><b>, </b>“Is Carmen home too?”
Bryan replied, <b>“</b><b>Yeah</b>.”
“Alright, I’lle now.” Trevor still wanted to hear what she had to <b>say</b>.
<b>As </b>he left Skyler’s ce, Trevor’s <b>eyes </b>were still unfocused with confusion. Aubree didn’t say anything about the truth at all.
The thought had barely surfaced when heughed bitterly. Self–mockery.
Back then, if she had said anything, he probably would’ve assumed she was just jealous of Carmen and trying to steal the credit.
Trevor clenched his fingers. The truth <b>was</b>, nobody in the family ever really took Aubree seriously. Compared to a <b>foster </b>daughter they’d raised for
over a decade, the biological daughter who had been lost and returned was treated more like an outsider.
Even if she had spoken up first, after knowing Carmen had also visited him that day, he probably still would’ve believed Carmen.
[He went to find Skyler. Not sure why.]
A message popped up on the phone.
‘Find Skyler?‘ Aubree thought for a moment. [Is he trying to persuade him <b>to </be back? That sounded like a joke.]
She replied: [Ignore him. Is everything ready?]
Kate: <b>[</b>I’ve sorted it all. Ready anytime.]
Trevor probably never imagined his lover would choose such a method to get revenge.
Aubree: [You’re <b>sure </b>about this? Once it’s out there, you’ll be done too.]
Kate: [After what happened to my sister, I’m already dead. Just make sure the report is ready. I don’t want to kill him. I want Trevor to live the rest of his life in fear.]
Aubree asked one more thing. [You’re sure he won’t double–check the <b>facts</b><b>?</b><b>] </b>
Kate: [He won’t. People with pride that high would never ept being mocked publicly.]
Since Kate was dead set on destroying herself along with Trevor, Aubree said nothing more.
Back then, Aubree had nned to find someone to seduce Trevor and make him cheat. That was when Kate came to her.
Kate wanted to be the knife. Any method would do, so long <b>as </b>Trevor suffered.
Later, Aubree learned that Kate was an orphan, raised by her older <b>sister</b>. Her sister had entered the entertainment industry to support her with nothing but her looks. By misfortune, she caught Trevor’s eye.
Her sister had no interest in fame or fortune. She just wanted to make some money, find a normal job, and live a simple life. She refused Trevor.
But young Trevor <b>wasn’t </b><b>so </b>into “mutual consent” back then. He used underhanded tactics to force her to be with him. He used photos and videos as threats<b>. </b>
Eventually, she was driven to depression and took her own life.
Kate only discovered the truth when sorting through her sister’s belongings.
Aubree opened her email and saw a zipped folder Kate had sent. Inside were photos and videos of her and Trevor in bed.