"Team members really owe Arabe something? Why''s she acting like she''s entitled to everything?" "To those who were shipping Arabe with Mr. Everhart just now, are you serious? Didn''t you see he wasn''t interested?"


    "Arabe, get lost! Don''t cling to my idol!"


    "Sebastian would say, ''Get the heck away.""


    "Is Miranda forming a third team with bots?"


    "Aww, I knew there was something special between Sebastian and Miranda! So exciting!"


    "Lol, you can treat me as a bot; would Mr. Everhart be that adorable too?"


    "Miranda''s such a show-off, hope she doesn''t embarrass herself!"


    "I remember Arabe has a boyfriend. Is this really okay?"


    "Are you living in alien? It''s not like she''s taken vows. Why can''t she be a boy crazy? Arabe hasn''t tied the knot yet."


    ...


    Miranda''s move suddenly made the members of Vortex Esports and another team, Shadow Reapers, see her in a new light. Any prior prejudices disappeared, and they even thought Miranda''s retort to Arabe was pretty cool.


    Arabe felt all eyes shifting toward Miranda, and it made her seethe with jealousy. Her eyes flickered with a hint of malice, but she forced a smile.


    "You sound so confident. You must be really good at it, right? If you can''t even manage to cast a skill and drag your team down, you''ll get quite the earful."


    Though she smiled, Arabe''s words were clearly meant to stir the pot.


    Grinning, Miranda replied intentionally, "Oh yes, I''m really good."


    Everyone thought Miranda was just bluffing, making big ims in front of two teams with professional yers. Wasn''t that a bit much?


    "Guess talking big is free, right?"


    "Those are pro yers she''s up against. Miranda''s really asking for it."


    "Exactly, let''s see how she handles the embarrassment."


    Online viewers expressed their disdain for what they saw as Miranda''s bravado.


    Arabe, suppressing her frustration, smiled as well. "Well, we''ll see about that."


    She''d been waiting for Miranda to take the bait. The more Miranda bragged, the harder she''d fall when things went south.


    Arabe didn''t want to risk provoking Miranda into a meltdown, so she''d let the online viewers and fans tear her apart instead, turning her into a public enemy. That way, no one would believe whatever she would say.


    Soon, the host announced the new rules: As guests, Miranda and Sebastian would form a third team as a demonstration match with the final two winners, meaning, whoever won the final match would earn the right to face their team.


    With the rules set, the show went on a break formercials.


    The prospect of Sebastian''s debut on a variety show, and an esports one at that, alongside Miranda''s topic, had the audience buzzing with excitement. The show''s poprity soared.


    The Hawke brothers watched the show and the livements with varied expressions. But when they sawments suggesting that Miranda''s turning against Arabe was caused by getting jealous of Arabe for having doting brothers, they felt a strange sense of satisfaction and superiority.  Theparison between Miranda and Arabe on screen, with Arabe lookingckluster and petty, made them frown. Miranda might have a sharp tongue, but her charisma was undeniable,


    the least bit. Especially,


    something Arabe coe


    match


    impressive connections surprised them.


    How on earth did Miranda manage such awork?


    And then there was Alden and Grace. Learning that Miranda was acquainted with those high-society individuals, who their sons had tried to get in touch but failed, left them speechless. In their dreams, it was Arabe who should have been this well-connected.


    Now, Arabe seemed to have lost everyone''s favor, unable to make the right connections. This added to Alden and Grace''s growing discontent. If Miranda had be the daughter they envisioned, Arabe''s failure made their past efforts seemughable.


    "How did Miranda pull this off?" Alden''s face turned grim.


    Mrs. Hawke frowned. "Could it be because of the Lancaster Group? Are they paving the way for her?" Alden nodded. "Possibly." He then let out a disdainful snort. "She''s only sticking with them for what they offer, not acknowledging us."


    "What''s the point of being their adopted daughter? Does she really think the Lancaster family will share their wealth?" Mrs. Hawke remarked coldly.


    But as soon as she said it, her expression changed. Both realized Arabe was their adopted daughter. They''d never considered it before, treating Arabe as their own. But now, the term "adopted" seemed to constantly remind them she wasn''t of their blood.


    Were they going to leave their inheritance to someone else''s biological daughter?


    Suddenly, the couple wavered. If Miranda was with the Hawkes, as their daughter, those connections would be the Hawke family''s too.