The Queen They Buried

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Aubree woke up to the sharp sting of hospital disinfectant in her nose. The ceiling lights flickered, blurry for a second, before her head cleared.

‘A hospital? Seriously?’ she thought.

“Aubree, thank God you’re awake!” a voice sounded.

She turned and saw Emery, grinning like he’d just won the lottery. Her eyes drifted past him to Ronald, standing stiffly nearby. Over by the door, Daxton had his arm around Carmen, who kept peeking at her.

A sour thought hit her. ‘Bet they’re bummed I’m okay!

Aubree didn’t say a word. Emery’s smile dimmed for a moment, but he quickly slapped on a soft, comforting one.

That smile? She’d only seen it aimed at Carmen the past couple of years.

‘What is this? Pity because I ended up in a hospital bed? Pass,’ she thought bitterly.

Aubree swatted away Emery’s hand as he reached for her and propped herself up. “If you’re here to make me say sorry to Carmen, save it. Ain’t happening.”

Emery blinked, his forehead creasing. ‘What’s her deal?’

Daxton jumped in, all hot and bothered. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ronald stayed quiet, but his eyes screamed he wasn’t happy.

“Just what I said,” Aubree rasped, her throat scratchy.

(+20)

Her ghostly pale face shut Daxton up for a second. Emery, always the good cop, chimed in gently. “We checked the cameras while you were out. Carmen tripped on her own. Me and Dax got heated and jumped to conclusions.”

“Carmen freaked out and thought you pushed her,” he added. “It’s just a big mix-up. Dad’s not gonna cut you out of the inheritance or anything.”

Ronald nodded. “It’s nothing big, a mistake. Drop it. Rest up. We’re taking Carmen home to recover.”

Aubree bit back a laugh. Carmen took a tumble, and they were quick to point fingers, no evidence required. When the truth spilled out? Just a clumsy slip-up.

Now they were acting like handing her what was rightfully hers was some grand gesture.

Not today,’

sorry to me?” Aubree asked, eyes

your problem? Carmen was so worried,

chill,” Carmen said, tugging his sleeve, looking all sad

tight, his stare cold. “Enough,

“Aubree, you just woke up. Take it easy,

on?’ Aubree nearly

mad

eyed them all-Daxton, quick to rip her apart, no questions

wanting an apology was

playing nice

shot Aubree a fake-sorry look, promising to make things right but

in and take her home from the orphanage. They did,

tiptoed around like a

parents thought she came from the orphanage with a laundry list of bad habits, blowing every tiny mistake way out

saw her as a reminder of his screw-ups, so he tried to control her life like he was doing her a

she’d stolen Carmen’s spot the second

stain on his perfect life. At first, she was like a shiny new toy to him, but once the

who’d ever been kind, but Carmen’s sneaky tricks slowly turned

orphanage was

a deep breath. ‘Why keep this family around

innocent eyes. “Aubree needs rest. Let’s leave her be. Hey,

gave her a side-eye. ‘Seafood pasta?’ She was allergic,

the saint, charming the whole Wilson family when they felt

Aubree hadn’t been through this before, she might’ve bought the act, maybe even thanked

clear: snag the Wilson fortune and all the love that

nodded, patting Carmen’s head like she was a

Aubree, his face like ice. “I’ll let this go, but mess with Carmen again, and you’re

didn’t blink. “Won’t be a

!

fancy hospital room had everything. She grabbed a pen and paper from the nightstand

the first words, and went pale.

the paper at Ronald. “I’ve never been a real Wilson anyway. Let’s make it

twisting with shock, then rage. “You gone crazy, Aubree? You wanna cut me out as your

what I’m doing,” Aubree said, calm as ever. “You never gave me the Wilson name. I was never one

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Chapter 4