Orphan To Unbreakable Queen - Chapter 167: Chapter 167

Ronald thought for a moment before saying, "Carmen's got real talent. Let her truly settle down and devote herself to her studies. With the family's support, it won't be difficult for her to become a rising star in the art world.
"As for the Turner family, they're not to be trifled with so easily. Aubree..."
Just saying her name left a bitter taste in his mouth. He sighed, "Let's try to get her to forgive us."
Daxton knew when to back off. After all, it was enough if Ronald had the intention to deal with the Turner family.
Meanwhile, Aubree and Bowen had left Kroit City together, with one returning to Rithol City and the other to Südlichen Strand. Upon landing, Bowen went straight to see Alvin and told him about the two human traffickers.
"Now that we've identified them, once Mark finds them, it'll all be over. You can focus on your studies with peace of mind. If you wanna join the company, I'll make the arrangements. If not, just go and become a renowned artist."
"Okay," Alvin replied. This time, he didn't argue further with Bowen.
After Bowen left, Alvin picked up the photo, his gaze lingering on Gordon.
Alvin thought to himself, 'I'm not an idiot. I can tell Bowen is hiding something about this—something he doesn't want me to know.
'I know Mark is only helping me out of respect for him. But I can't just take everything at face value, can I?'
Then he sent out the photo with a text: [Dig into this guy.]
Upon arriving in Südlichen Strand, Aubree focused on company affairs. GrabCheap's business model was running smoothly, with user growth holding steady beyond the initial launch. Still, that alone wasn't enough to secure a foothold in the competitive e-commerce market.
Just having an idea wasn't enough for success. And truthfully, without the backing of the Turner Group from the start, she wouldn't have come this far so easily.
The skepticism surrounding her wasn't entirely unfounded. The e-commerce platform market was indeed saturated at the moment. The market was saturated, and although she had gained a temporary edge through innovative moves, she knew it would take more to stay ahead.
With the peak season for fresh produce behind them, GrabCheap’s group-buying revenue began to dip. But with attention shifting away from fresh goods, it was the perfect opportunity to promote other product categories.
The tech team completed system upgrades to support Aubree's full-category expansion strategy. With a solid user base now, she began weighing her options for external funding.
Aubree thought, 'If it were just about money, I could cover that myself. But fundraising isn't just about bringing in cash.'
She thought of Playzy. In its early days, it landed investments from both the Turner Group and the Matthews family—a move that kept competitors from acting rashly. The real value of fundraising was finding strong partners to share the risk.
Aubree had already invested heavily in GrabCheap. If she sought funding, minor investors were out of the question. Only three major players stood out: ChumBuy under Turner Group, JinnCee under Wilson Group, and Tengu Gruppe, the local giant in Südlichen Strand.
Naturally, Aubree crossed JinnCee off her list right away. Going to Bowen for a deal with Tengu Gruppe would've been the easiest move, but easy didn't mean smart.
She thought, 'Turner Group already owns 30% of Bree Technology. Whether I stay partnered with them or not, they're not just going to let us crash and burn.
'I can't let the business rely too much on them. I won’t be in a position where they can shut things down. It's time to branch out, bring in new partners, and figure out how to buy back the shares Bowen's still holding.'
Besides Tengu Gruppe, Aubree also had her eye on Manchotech, a former collaborator.
She thought, 'One brings in traffic, the other leads the industry. Together, they're the strongest strategic partners I could ask for. If I land both, GrabCheap's growth should be smooth sailing from here.'
Aubree then reached out to both companies. She would need to stay in Südlichen Strand a few more days, at least until the deals with them were finalized. That evening, the management team worked late, and Aubree stayed with them.
By the time they wrapped up, it was past ten. Someone said that since she was in town, they should make the most of it and hit a bar to blow off some steam.
Aubree thought everyone had been working hard with all the recent overtime, and a little relaxation would do them good. She smiled and said, "Let's all go together. The tab is on me."
One of the team members cheered, "Our boss is so generous!"
Bars weren't new to Aubree. In this life, she had only been once, to get Matilda out of trouble. In her past life, though, she was a regular.
Trevor was a bit of a party animal, but he knew his limits—he only hit up his usual spots when back in Rithol City. Whenever the paparazzi staked him out, he'd summon Aubree to help divert their attention.
Over time, the media painted her as Trevor's "secret girlfriend." He kept using her to cover for his real one, and misled fans wouldn't leave her alone—some even crossed the line and got physical.
But Trevor never once cleared things up publicly. Instead, he acted as if it were her honor to clean up his messes.
Aubree gave a wry, self-mocking smile. Looking back, she couldn't believe how naive she had been in her last life, thinking his need meant she mattered.
As memories of the past resurfaced, especially those of Matilda, she let out a quiet sigh. After the last incident, Drake was rescued by Alvin. Whether Alvin had meant to or not remained unclear, but in the end, Drake lost his hand.
Matilda had already left the club and taken her family abroad. Aubree knew they would probably never see each other again.
The upscale bar buzzed with vibrant energy. A crowd of men and women swayed to the music on the packed dance floor, letting off steam.
Small groups of friends were scattered around, playing drinking games and clinking glasses.
The bar's vibe was what mattered most, so Aubree and the team skipped the private room and joined the crowd out in the main area.
By the time they left the bar, it was well past midnight.
Aubree, with a mix of amusement and helplessness, called out, "I've called a driver. Let's wait a bit." Most of them had been drinking, and some were already a bit out of it.
She figured it was time to set a new rule for situations like this. There was no way anyone would make it to work tomorrow. Smiling, she said, "You've all been working hard lately. Since we had such a great time tonight, take tomorrow off!"
"Woohoo! You're the best, Ms. Miller!" they exclaimed.
Amid the lively cheers, a menacing voice from a nearby alley suddenly cut sharply through the noise. "Do you even know who I am? Now scram!"
"Whoa, Mr. Big Shot, we've been waiting out here just for you. You think we don't know who you are?" another voice replied.
Aubree's brow twitched as she thought, 'A celebrity? What are the odds?'
This was one of the most upscale bars in Südlichen Strand, and plenty of celebrities came here for fun. She couldn't help but wonder, 'But would Trevor have a performance in town this late?'
Aubree followed the sound and looked over, spotting a flamboyantly dressed man cornered by three burly guys against the wall. His cheeks were flushed crimson—clearly, he'd had way too much to drink.
Suddenly, he seemed to notice Aubree and the others. He cried out, "Help me!"
Unable to make out his face, she hesitated for a moment but then decided to step in. She turned to Birgitte and said, "Start recording."