The Queen They Buried

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Aubree was done with the Wilsons. No way was she sticking around their swanky mansion anymore.

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She took a cab back to their place-empty, quiet as a graveyard. In her room, she dragged an old, beat-up suitcase from the corner and stuffed it with everything she’d brought from the orphanage.

Under her bed, she found a bank card.

One grand sat on that card, a goodbye gift from some guy named “Mr. Quinn” when she left the orphanage. She’d told him she didn’t need his help, but he never asked for it back. Now, that money was her way out.

Aubree swapped her Wilson clothes for an old orphanage outfit. Good thing years of barely eating kept her small enough to fit.

With a bitter chuckle, she grabbed her suitcase and headed out, running smack into Wendy Carter, the housekeeper.

Wendy’s gut twisted. “That suitcase? Aubree is bolting?’

ID and luggage in hand, Aubree caught a bus to Rithol City’s rough edges. The city was pricey as hell-only the sketchy suburbs had rentals she could afford. Three hundred bucks got her a tiny room.

Small, but it had the basics. Cozy, even.

Back at the Wilson house, the mood was worlds apart.

Carmen swept in like a queen, her usual posse hyping her up.

Wendy hesitated, then spilled. “Mr. Wilson, Aubree came by. Grabbed a bag and split. Hasn’t been back.”

“What?!” Mr. Wilson’s face went red, his mind racing. ‘Is she serious?’

Daxton smirked, arms crossed. “Oh, please. First, she ‘cuts us off,’ now she’s pulling this runaway stunt? Thinks we’ll beg her to come back? Lame. Bet she’s back in three days, crying.”

“She’ll regret this,” Ronald snapped. “When she drags her sorry butt back, I’ll deal with her.”

Carmen played sweet, batting her eyes. “Should we look for her? What if she’s in trouble?”

Aubree even harder.

tightened, worry clouding his eyes. ‘No cash, no

Aubree was settling in. She grabbed some cheap

the Wilsons’ palace, but it was hers. No more tiptoeing or stressing about getting the

up: school, money,

senior year would

could self-study and

The Wilsons fussed over Carmen’s heart condition, so they stuck Aubree on

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Chapter 5

scrape by, never enough to feel

check if she got those meals? Nope. The staff even blocked

worst part? Aubree used to spend hours cooking stomach-soothing meals for Daxton, who’d skip food for his

her. But no

Wilsons for good. If I can stack some cash, I’ve got the old-school herbal tricks

at her reflection in the dingy mirror. She was skin and bones-thinner than her orphanage days. Her

won’t tank my grades.” Aubree mumbled, frowning. Then it

and pro gaming was the place to be. Betting on a

an esports dynasty. Later, they cashed in on their star players, jumping into livestreaming and ruling short-form

The internet was always a safe bet, no matter the

Squad was up against GOD’s Fury, a scrappy rookie

Fury’s mid-laner was out with a hand injury,

This was Aubree’s shot.

Player to team owner?

by the idea, Aubree

days, she scoped out her new neighborhood. Her routine was tight: mornings at the market for fresh food to

started, Aubree crashed

the school’s online forum was

family’s “real vs. fake heiress” drama-fighting over inheritance-blew up. Bored

down stairs, getting kicked out-the

Aubree’s name was the

the bus to school and went straight to her old art class to get her name off