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?”

eyes at Aubree

eyes. ‘No cash,

in. She grabbed some cheap sheets, made the bed, and felt a

but it was hers. No more tiptoeing or

up: school, money,

year

could self-study and keep up. She

The Wilsons fussed over Carmen’s heart condition, so they stuck Aubree on a strict diet-

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Chapter 5

scrape by, never enough to

got those meals? Nope. The

Aubree used to spend hours cooking stomach-soothing meals for Daxton, who’d skip food for his experiments.

now, thanks to her. But

If I can stack some cash, I’ve got the old-school herbal tricks from my old life to get back in shape,” she

bones-thinner than her orphanage days. Her chin was sharp as a knife, and her height? Stuck

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

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

Emery’s Apex Squad. They rode that wave, turning into an esports dynasty. Later, they cashed in on their star players, jumping into

them to it. The internet was always a safe bet, no matter

finals. Emery’s Apex Squad was up against GOD’s

hand injury, and they

This was Aubree’s shot.

invest it. Player to team owner? Hell

by the idea,

new neighborhood. Her routine was tight: mornings at the market for fresh food to fix her health, nights at

crashed early,

clue the school’s online forum was buzzing about

post about the Wilson family’s “real vs. fake heiress” drama-fighting over inheritance-blew up.

someone down stairs, getting kicked out-the juicier the story, the

the talk of

to her old art class to get her