Orphan To Unbreakable Queen - Chapter 125: Chapter 125

Vincent had gathered all the evidence against the MindDrift platform. Now, he just needed the signal from Aubree—then every ruthless tactic that MindDrift used to drive traffic would be brought to light.
Aubree said, "There's no need to hurry. School starts in a couple of days, and Carmen must be feeling pretty pleased with herself right now. Let's save the surprise for the first day—let's make her even more notorious."
Aubree's speculations had a basis. Carmen, who had been panicking due to recent deaths before the New Year, saw that nothing significant had occurred and, feeling relieved, thought it was not a big deal.
Little did Carmen know that immediately after the incident, Aubree's team had already contacted Arthur's family. After some negotiations, the family agreed to remain silent for the time being—but only if Aubree would assist them in taking down the MindDrift platform, and Aubree readily consented.
School resumed just a few days after the New Year, and with only about a hundred days left until the SATs, Aubree remained dedicated to her studies throughout the break. By the time of the first exam of the semester, her scores had already secured her a spot in the school's top ten.
Aubree was quite pleased with her results—getting into Rithol University now felt like a sure thing. 'But I can't afford to relax,' she thought. 'I need to reinforce my position and continue pushing myself.' With her academic priorities in order, it was time for Aubree to settle some scores.
Inspired perhaps by Aubree, Carmen's art scores in the semester-opening exam showed a remarkable improvement. Even her teacher, who seldom offered compliments, had to acknowledge that she was not bad when she put in some effort.
Despite the secret disdain some felt towards her, Carmen remained true to her identity, and her classmates continued to shower her with compliments in front of her. That night, the class group chat turned into an awkward display of people gushing over Carmen.
They praised her youthful talent, referring to her as a rising star who was capable of outshining established players. MindDrift, launched a year ago, was projected to surpass Playzy in earnings. They claimed she had always been brilliant—she just never felt the need to study until then, likely having taken it easy compared to Aubree.
Carmen reveled in the long-awaited sensation of being the center of attention. To her, this was exactly how life was meant to be—surrounded by privilege, cherished by devoted parents, admired by friends, and paired with the perfect partner. Everything was falling into place, just as she had always envisioned.
Her eyes shimmered with ambition, and a smug smile played on her lips. Carmen was convinced that Aubree wasn't as tough as she appeared—it hadn't taken much to push her aside. With Aubree nearly out of the way, Carmen intended to shift her focus to her exams, have her family pull a few strings, and set her sights on the Rithol Art Institute. Attending the same university as Alvin was all part of the plan.
Carmen's ambition was unmistakable. She believed that once she was with Alvin, her position within the Wilson family would soar. Daxton, in her eyes, was too absorbed in his precious lab to pay attention to anything else. With the Turner family backing her, Daxton's influence, and her cunning, she saw no reason to settle for the title she longed for. She had her sights set on taking over the entire Wilson family.
"Thank you for all the kind words, everyone! Since we just celebrated the New Year, I'd like to send out some gifts in the group," chimed in Carmen, effortlessly charming everyone around her.
No one would be foolish enough to turn down gifts. The group chat instantly lit up with playful excitement, as everyone began calling Carmen their generous sponsor and jokingly begged to be adopted.
Feeling ecstatic, Carmen sent a large gift envelope in the group chat. Before the gift could be delivered, a message appeared, disrupting the festive atmosphere.
Someone in the chat messaged: [MindDrift drove a streamer to suicide and laundered money—This is what you call 'youthful prowess'? You'd better save that cash for your lawyer fees.]
It was Carmen's long-time rival. Carmen couldn't care less about her rival's attitude—what truly bothered her was what she had just said. 'What on earth does that mean? How could she possibly know about this?' she thought.
Carmen's eyes widened in sudden panic. Almost immediately, her phone rang—it was a call from a company executive. "Miss Wilson, Nick's death is all over the internet! What should we do now?"
Nick was the streamer who lost his life in the accident 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 become 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 punishment later. The opposing streamer refused, accused him of dodging the challenge, and even threatened to report him if he didn't comply.
To maximize profits and encourage user spending, Carmen implemented strict rules: anyone found intentionally avoiding challenges would face penalties—minor violations would incur a fine. At the same time, more serious offenses may result in a complete account ban. Nick had no choice but to endure the punishment. After that, he never went live again.
The platform was filled with talented streamers, while Nick was just another mid-tier player. 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 platform. That night, the internet erupted—viewers circulated clips of battles where both sides casually threw around nearly 300 million dollars. The sheer extravagance soon drew the attention of regulators.
Aubree leaned back, calmly watching the storm unravel from her strategic distance. The backlash against Carmen had gone far beyond simple criticism—she had become the face of public outrage. The hostility was so overwhelming that stepping outside risked more than just harsh words; someone might lash 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 slap 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 exclaimed, 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 flashing across his face. His heart softened—he was about to comfort her when Daxton's frantic, panicked voice suddenly pierced the air as he burst through the front door.
"Carmen!" Daxton exclaimed, breathless from rushing back after being away last night. The moment he heard the news, he hurried home, only to realize he was already too late.
Seeing Carmen's bruised and bleeding face—a truly pitiful sight—Daxton's heart ached. Anger surged within him as he glared 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 blamed Ronald for mistreating Carmen.
Ronald, who had just felt a pang of guilt moments earlier, was quickly provoked by Daxton's attitude. His anger flared 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 you last 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 MindDrift—both tied to the Wilson family—the Wilson Group's stock price has taken a significant hit recently.