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?”

fake concern made the Wilsons roll their eyes at Aubree even harder. They told Carmen to chill-Aubree wouldn’t

fists tightened, worry clouding his eyes.

cheap sheets, made the

but it was hers. No more tiptoeing or stressing about

school,

and senior year would

she could self-study and keep

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

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Chapter 5

to scrape by, never enough to

those meals? Nope. The staff even blocked her from sneaking

to spend hours cooking stomach-soothing meals for Daxton, who’d skip food for

now, thanks to her. But no one cared about

If I can stack some cash, I’ve got the old-school

the dingy mirror. She was skin and bones-thinner than her orphanage days. Her chin was sharp as

won’t tank my grades.” Aubree

the Olympics, and pro gaming was the place to be. Betting

Apex Squad. They rode that wave, turning into an esports dynasty. Later,

them to it. The internet was always a safe

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

with a hand injury, and they were

This was Aubree’s shot.

to team owner?

idea, Aubree dove

fresh food to fix her health, nights at the internet café grinding LOL, and

crashed early, ready to crush her

the school’s online forum

vs. fake heiress” drama-fighting

out-the

name was the

to her old art class to get her