Katie took a cab back to the Maddison Residence. As she walked into the living room, she heard Sally’s voice, sounding cheerful and lively. But as soon as she appeared, the atmosphere became tense. With a neutral expression, Katie walked through the living room, intending to head straight to her room. Clifford said loudly, “Katie, stop right there! You come home and don’t even greet your brother? Is this the attitude you have now? “Don’t think just because you have the school doctor backing you up, talking about calling the cops, that you have a backer! Without us, the Maddisons, you’re nothing!” Clifford’s anger kept growing and he stood up. “You think we’re playing favorites with Sally? Have you forgotten what you’ve done to her? Her dad saved your life, and we’re just repaying that debt!” Katie felt completely drained by his words. She stopped walking and looked toward the sofa. “Eddie, Clifford, I’m home.” Is this enough? Eddie spoke up, “It’s time for dinner.” “You guys eat, I’m not hungry,” Katie said before turning and heading upstairs. “Eddie, did you see her attitude? She’s becoming more and more unruly!” Sally said, “Clifford, don’t get upset. It’s all my fault. Maybe if I left the Maddison Residence, Katie wouldn’t be so angry and act this way.” “Stop talking nonsense. If anyone is leaving, it’s Katie. Why should you be the one to go?” Katie overheard the conversation and hurried to her room, locking the door behind her. She leaned against the door, taking a moment to calm herself, feeling her eyes start to burn. Staring up at the ceiling, she pushed the tears back. This time, she wouldn’t cling to that pointless sibling bond anymore. The next day, Katie went to school as usual. Sally rode with her in the same car. She cautiously looked at her. “Katie, are you still angry?” “Sally, don’t you get tired of acting all the time?” Katie leaned to the side, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore Sally. Sally’s expression darkened, but with the driver in the car, she instinctively put on a pitiful look and smiled up at him. The driver immediately thought Katie was being too harsh, constantly picking on Sally. He made a mental note to talk to Eddie about it later. When Katie arrived at school, she paid close attention in class and took notes, as she had forgotten much of the material. Even with Sally’s followers and supporters gossiping nearby, Katie didn’t let it bother her. She had so much to do and no time to waste on them. … Later, when Katie got home from school, she found Melvin sitting on the couch, his expression clearly annoyed. Sally skipped over with a playful expression. “Melvin, you’re back! I’ve missed you so much!” Melvin had been in a bad mood, but after Sally’s sweet talk, his mood lightened considerably. Katie glanced at their interaction before turning and heading upstairs. Melvin looked up. “Katie, Clifford said you’ve been getting more and more rebellious. I didn’t believe it at first, but now you can’t even greet me?” Katie let out a weary sigh. Here we go again. Katie didn’t want to waste any more time. She turned around and obediently called out, “Melvin.” “That’s more like it. By the way, I’m planning to reassemble the team. Eddie and Clifford both agreed. You’re coming too.” Katie clenched her backpack tightly. Here it was again. Melvin had said the same thing in her past life. To please him, to gain the attention of the brothers, she had eagerly agreed, then trained tirelessly, even neglecting her college entrance exams. And in the end, what did she get? Melvin said, “Katie, you’ve already proven yourself. Now let Sally take your place and experience the joy of being a champion. “Katie, I’m the captain of the team. If I say we’re switching players, then we switch.” In her past life, she had been unceremoniously replaced by Sally. But if it weren’t for her relentless effort in the competitions, they wouldn’t have even made it to the finals. Yet, at the final moment, they replaced her. He handed over the championship glory, which was almost within reach, to Sally without a second thought. What had her effort been for? This time, she would not repeat the same mistake! Katie looked at Melvin with a determined gaze. “Melvin, I want to focus completely on preparing for the exams. I don’t want to be distracted by playing games.” Katie directly rejected Melvin’s suggestion. No, to be more precise, it was an order. What Melvin had just said wasn’t a suggestion—it was an announcement. “Katie, did I hear that right? You actually turned down my invitation?” Melvin’s expression darkened. He had never considered that Katie might refuse. After all, for all these years, Katie had always obeyed him and never went against his wishes. Katie responded calmly but firmly, “If it’s an invitation, then I’m free to decline.” She looked directly at Melvin, noticing his increasingly sour expression, clearly caught off guard. But none of that concerned her. Melvin snapped, “Katie, you better think carefully before answering. Don’t act out of spite, or else I might not give you another chance. You’ll be the one begging me!” He had heard from Clifford about the recent events, including how Katie had even gone as far as giving the gold trophy he had given her to Sally as an apology. That trophy had been awarded to him the year he became a professional player, after winning the championship. The trophy meant a lot to him. How could Katie be so bold as to give it away? Sally nervously tugged at Melvin’s sleeve. “Melvin, please don’t be mad. It’s always been my dream to be on your team. Once Katie comes to her senses, she’ll agree.” Sally’s words only fueled the fire inside Melvin. He was furious. How dare Katie turn him down? He couldn’t believe her audacity! Melvin glared at Katie, his tone harsh. “This is your only chance. Think carefully before you answer. Do you want to join our family’s team or not?” Katie couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. Melvin was just a paper tiger, completely under Sally’s control. Sally pretended to be concerned. “Katie, just agree already. Don’t make Melvin mad.” Katie glanced at her and said, “Sally, since joining the team is your dream, I’ll step aside and let you take my place.” With that, she turned and headed to her room. She took out her backpack and began working on her homework, realizing how much she had forgotten. She had to make every minute count to catch up. It wasn’t until a maid knocked on the door that she was interrupted. “Ms. Katie, dinner is ready.” “Just bring it up here.” “But Mr. Eddie and the others are waiting for you in the dining room to eat together.” So, they didn’t want her to eat alone in her room. Katie gripped her pen tightly, realizing she still hadn’t freed herself from the Maddisons’ control. For now, she had no choice but to go along with it. She stood up and made her way to the dining room. Eddie, Clifford, Melvin, and Sally were seated at the table. Because the Maddisons had so many members, they had a long, spacious table. Katie took a seat at the farthest corner, quietly grabbing her plate and starting to eat. The atmosphere in the dining room was a bit tense at first. But soon, Sally’s light-hearted laughter eased the mood. Melvin glanced at Katie and purposefully said, “Sally, we’ll teach you how to play games later. You’re so smart, you’ll catch on fast—definitely better than some people!” Sally’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Melvin, I’ll give it my all! I won’t hold you back!” Katie listened to their conversation but stayed indifferent. If they wanted Sally to join, so be it. When the revival match failed, Melvin would lose his chance to compete for good. She kept her head down, eating quietly, not once looking at the happy group across from her. She didn’t throw any tantrums or make a scene like she used to. Because, at that moment, she truly didn’t care anymore. She finished her meal calmly, stood up, and glanced over. “I’m done eating. You all take your time.” She figured if she didn’t say anything, they might lecture her again. Eddie looked up, surprised to see Katie no longer throwing a fit or acting jealous. She seemed much more distant. Feeling a bit soft-hearted, Eddie spoke up, “Katie, are you really not going to join the family team? You have a talent in gaming. If we all team up, we could win the championship!” Katie, I’m giving you a way out, he thought.