The Queen They Buried

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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

20

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?”

their eyes at Aubree even

Emery’s fists tightened, worry clouding his eyes. ‘No cash, no plan-where

She grabbed some cheap sheets, made

it was hers. No more tiptoeing or stressing

school, money,

year away, and senior year would start with

self-study and keep up. She was

Wilsons fussed over Carmen’s heart condition, so they stuck Aubree on a strict diet- tiny meals to keep her weak, so

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Chapter 5

enough to scrape by, never

Nope. The staff even blocked her from

stomach-soothing meals for Daxton, who’d skip food for his experiments. She kept his stomach happy while hers was

fine now, thanks to her. But

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

in the dingy mirror. She was skin and bones-thinner than her orphanage days. Her chin was sharp as a knife, and her height? Stuck at 5’3″ for

a hustle that won’t tank my grades.” Aubree mumbled, frowning. Then

went huge. Games made it to the Olympics, and pro gaming was the place to be.

rode that wave, turning into an esports dynasty. Later, they cashed in on

Beat them to it. The internet was always a safe bet,

in its fall finals. Emery’s Apex Squad was up against GOD’s Fury,

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

This was Aubree’s shot.

Player to team owner? Hell

by the idea,

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

semester started, Aubree crashed early,

school’s online

vs. fake heiress” drama-fighting over inheritance-blew up. Bored teens

kicked out-the juicier the story, the faster it

was the talk

and went straight to her old art class to