The Queen's Back

Chapter

47

When Albert saw Maxwell moving his character back a little, he thought it was a good opportunity for him to make his move and win the game. He increased his character's speed and dashed directly to the front of Maxwell's character. Seeing this, Mona felt her heart jump in her throat. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer and her eyes stayed glued

to the screen.

Maxwell could see Mona's expression in his peripheral vision and said calmly to her, "Don't be nervous. We're not gonna lose."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Maxwell made a sudden turn and dodged Albert's attack. At the same moment, he landed a counterattack on Albert, and the health bar on Albert's character shortened.

Faced with this unprecedented situation, Albert felt his nerves on edge. It was something he'd never felt before, and it distracted him enough that he even pressed the wrong buttons twice in a row.

The more flustered Albert became, the more calm Maxwell and Mona were.

In the end, as to be expected, the game finished with Albert losing.

Mona looked at the word 'Victory' on her screen and literally jumped up in excitement towards Maxwell, throwing her arms around his neck and shouting, "We won, we won, you're so amazing Maxwell!"

A desire to win was every human's basic instinct, and Maxwell's victory plus Mona's reaction to it stirred determination for revenge.

up Albert's

Maxwell looked up to see Mona's happy face. He gently held on to her arm, afraid she'd fall over in her excitement. "Wait, let's have another round, I wasn't in my best form." Albert looked between the two of them and then back at the word 'Defeat' on his screen. He didn't want to admit that he had actually lost.

Mona shook her head at Albert and said, "No way, a loss is a loss, you

Farn week esn't

say it

with me. I promise I won't skip classes next week either." He was really itching to have a go at

pretended to think it over, she gave a look to Maxwell to see if he would be willing to play Albert again. Only after Maxwell nodded did she reply, saying, "That can be arranged, as long as you pay attention

of a deal as going up against Matthew again. Going to school, listening to the teacher, doing his homework? All that

game with Matthew again, he wanted the chance to redeem himself right there and then, so this time he promised to get better scores on his next weekly

three times in a row, it was difficult for Albert to make anymore excuses. He knew without a

this game." Albert said, impressed. Maxwell hadn't played the game much before, whereas

said matter-of-factly. He wouldn't even be playing this game

some practicing to do." Albert said. Then

08:17 Tue, Oct 22

Chapter 47

with that and pulled Maxwell along

+5

$.74%°

out, "Actually,

to look for him. He could tell that Barbara hadn't had it easy since leaving the Clems. He was afraid to talk to his grandparents about

abrupt topic. The smile on her face had vanished and after thinking a beat, she replied, "Well, yeah, she didn't do anything wrong, but her presence only reminded our grandparents

Mona really wanted to say was that Barbara shouldn't have been born in the first place, but she couldn't say that to Albert. Especially since Mona had put in all

I see." Albert answered as he lowered his head and

was his half-sister after all. He can't just cut off relations with her for the sake of anyone

room, Maxwell had noticed an obvious and dramatic change in Mona's

her that Teddy had cheated on her? Maxwell thought that made sense. Mona had

though, and it was replaced with a calmness. Having been through so much in her life, she understood a simple truth. Life was

"Maxwell, thank you for helping me out today. You always rescue me when I'm in a pinch,

wife, after all." Maxwell held Mona's hand firmly. The fact that Mona was willing to stay by his side was his greatest wish come

clouds, Mona

shot a glance at Mona, who was sitting beside him in the passenger seat,