Chapter 59 This is a Family Matter
Violet went ahead and dropped the bombshell about Lily's identity right then and there.
Her words hit the room like a ton of bricks!
Austin's mind was spinning; he almost lost his footing. He stared at Lily, shock and anger written all over his face.
She really was the streamer "SweetLemon"!
So, all this time, Lily had been watching him make a fool of himself.
Including that day when he bragged about discovering a new talent—she must have known he was talking about her.
But Lily chose to stay silent!
Austin's eyes were red with a mix of betrayal and fury. "Why did you lie to me?"
Why did she keep it from him?
Why didn't she tell him she was SweetLemon?
Lily's expression was cool as a cucumber. "I never lied to you."
"Then why didn't you say you were SweetLemon?"
"Because it wasn't necessary."
Lily's icy demeanor made Austin feel like he was dunked in an ice bath, the chill seeping into his bones.
He couldn't believe what Lily had just said.
Even though he and Lily had their differences, he always thought they were family and that things would eventually get better.
It had always been that way since they were kids.
Why was this time different?
Lily knew how important the team competition was to him. Why did she do this?
Michael grabbed Austin's arm. "Calm down."
"I can't calm down! How can you expect me to be calm?"
Austin turned to Michael, his eyes still red. "Michael,"
He was in so much pain!
Michael saw Austin's devastated look and didn't know how to comfort him. He had warned Austin that Lily had changed.
But Austin never took it seriously.
Reporters eagerly surrounded Lily. "Ms. Roberts, why did you keep your identity as SweetLemon hidden? Is there a reason?"
"Ms. Roberts, there are rumors that you're not on good terms with your family. Is that true?"
Such a hot topic was bound to be a headline with high attention.
The fact that SweetLemon was Lily, the girl who achieved twelve consecutive wins.
A girl with such talent, yet she didn't stay with her family's team and instead signed with the Crayfish streaming platform.
There had to be a story behind this!
Lily looked at the gossiping reporters, her tone detached. "There were some conflicts, so I decided to be independent."
She felt there was no need to keep these things hidden.
It was better to be clear, so the Roberts family wouldn't keep bothering her.
Michael heard her words and felt a tinge of bitterness. He had guessed right.
Lily was heartbroken and had no intention of acknowledging them anymore.
Austin angrily questioned, "Lily, are those little conflicts worth betraying the Roberts family? Was it necessary?"
He always thought Lily was just throwing a tantrum.
Until that moment, he realized Lily was serious.
Austin was genuinely panicking.
Lily's gaze was calm and unwavering, not even wanting to respond.
In Austin's eyes, those hurts were just small conflicts.
She spoke, "Then consider now as another small conflict. Austin, someone as magnanimous as you shouldn't mind, right?"
Austin was at a loss for words, unable to respond. That wasn't what he meant.
But at that moment, he didn't know how to explain.
Lily was surrounded by reporters, and he couldn't get close.
"Ms. Roberts, which team are you planning to join for the finals?"
"Ms. Roberts, you knew GreenFruit and Crayfish were competitors, yet you still signed with Crayfish?"
Lily just smiled. "I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know when I do."
"Ms. Roberts, can you tell us more about why you had a falling out with your family?"
Lily ignored the question and turned to walk towards the hall, lifting the hem of her dress with resolute steps.
She didn't look back at Austin or Michael, treating them like strangers.
Austin, still surrounded by reporters, felt overwhelmed by their questions and snapped, "Enough! It's none of your business!"
Sophie's expression turned quite intriguing. She hadn't expected Lily to really be SweetLemon! Especially thinking about how Lily had gained hundreds of thousands of followers in such a short time, far surpassing her own.
Sophie felt a surge of jealousy. Why? She had worked hard, too, but Lily just played a trick with a hidden identity and gained so many followers.
Michael stayed calm and pulled Austin aside, whispering a warning, "Enough, haven't you caused enough trouble?"
Austin turned his head, wiped his eyes, and said nothing.
Michael addressed the reporters, "We'll handle these matters within the Roberts family. Please don't spread rumors. We'll issue a statement later."
With that, Michael forcefully pulled Austin into the venue, ensuring any further questions were kept away from the reporters.
Sophie deliberately lagged, waiting until Michael and Austin were far ahead.
She turned to the reporters with a troubled expression. "I'm sorry for Austin's attitude earlier. Lily's words were indeed hurtful. I know she's been angry, but can't family matters be resolved privately? I really don't understand."
Sophie turned away, a smug smile playing on her lips. Lily would not be allowed back into the Roberts family that easily!
Inside the banquet hall, Lily's appearance drew many curious glances.
After all, no one had expected the recently famous gaming streamer "SweetLemon" to be Lily.
But as the daughter of the Roberts family, she chose to stream for their arch-rival's platform. Everyone was quite curious.
Violet was thrilled. "Lily, that was amazing! They were so biased, and now they see how awesome you are! Austin's shocked face was priceless!"
Violet had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Lily showed a helpless smile, but she was indeed in a good mood. At least in this life, she could rely on herself to attend this banquet. No longer needing to rely on anyone else.
"Ms. Roberts, hello, I'm Bruce Evans, the coach of the Bubble Buddies Team. Would you consider joining our team?"
Lily looked up to see a young man in a suit. She recognized him.
In her previous life, Bruce had led the Bubble Buddies Team to join the national team and eventually win the world championship. He had been the coach of the legendary player King.
Lily hadn't expected him to approach her with an invitation. The team captain had publicly invited her before, but she hadn't taken it seriously.
Lily was a bit surprised as she took the business card. "Mr. Evans, I haven't decided yet."
"No problem. After the banquet, we can arrange a time to talk. But I have a question—how did you learn the twelve consecutive strikes?"
Lily knew this question was coming. She smiled. "If I said I taught myself, would you believe me, Mr. Evans?"
"Of course, I would. With your talent, I need to get you on our team."
Not everyone could teach themselves the twelve consecutive strikes. In all these years, only King had mastered it.
Bruce sighed. "With your talent, I can't understand why your brothers didn't keep you."
"Bruce, this is a family matter. It's none of your business!"
Austin and Michael approached, their faces grim.