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

it doesn't

skip classes next week either." He was really itching to have a go at Maxwell

to Maxwell to see if he would be willing to play Albert again. Only after Maxwell

an 'okay' gesture. Nothing was as big of a deal as going up against Matthew again. Going to school, listening to the teacher, doing his homework? All that

another week to play the game with Matthew again, he wanted the chance to redeem himself right there and then, so this time he promised to get better

was difficult for Albert to make anymore excuses. He knew without a

before, whereas Albert had been playing it for years. Albert

thanks to your sister." Maxwell said matter-of-factly. He wouldn't even be playing this

to do." Albert said. Then looking at Mona, he added,

08:17 Tue, Oct 22

Chapter 47

was satisfied with that and pulled Maxwell along

+5

$.74%°

about to step out, Albert suddenly thought of something and blurted out, "Actually,

Barbara had gone to Albert's school 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 it directly so he could only talk through it with

and after thinking a beat, she replied, "Well, yeah, she didn't do anything wrong, but her presence only reminded our grandparents about losing our mother, their daughter.

wanted to say was that Barbara shouldn't have been born in the first place, but she couldn't say that to Albert.

as he lowered his head and looked down at his

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

they left Albert's room, Maxwell had noticed an

Mona had suggested getting married precisely because she wanted to get back at the shameless pair. Albert asking about Barbara

much in her life, she understood a simple truth.

turned to Maxwell and said, "Maxwell, thank you for helping me out today. You

held Mona's hand firmly. The fact that Mona was willing to

the clouds, Mona was making preparations to go car shopping. Of course, Maxwell accompanied

the passenger