The Queen They Buried

Chapter 6

Aubree clicked her tongue. “You’re burning my retinas.”

Carmen blinked, clueless. “What?”

“That saintly glow of yours,” Aubree said, her voice dripping with shade. She was totally calling out Carmen’s busybody act.

Carmen’s eyes got all teary, and she stood there, looking like a kicked puppy.

Cue the rescue squad. Some dude jumped in, all fired up. “Aubree, don’t act too big for your boots!

“Carmen’s just being nice, worrying about you. You’re not even close to her level!”

Aubree brushed Carmen’s hand off, smirking. “Oh, really? That fancy art program Carmen’s in? That was my spot. I gave it to her.”

If one got picked for Rithol Art School’s elite art camp and didn’t want it, they could pass it to someone else. But no one even did that.

Her words hit like a grenade. The guy froze, jaw dropped, disbelief all over his face.

Carmen was the Wilson family’s golden girl. To keep it that way, Aubree had to stay in the shadows. Some of Carmen’s “masterpiece” paintings? Yeah, those were Aubree’s.

But Aubree was tired of hiding. She wanted her shot to shine.

She’d secretly signed up for the Rithol Art School exam, hoping to surprise everyone. But, as always, the Wilsons only saw Carmen as the one who deserved the spotlight.

The room buzzed with gasps.

‘If Aubree’s giving up her spot, is she, like, way more talented than Carmen?’ they wondered. “The teacher didn’t shut it down, so… maybe it’s true? And now she’s switching to regular classes? Is she nuts?’

All eyes flicked to Carmen, laced with doubt. The Wilson family’s “real heiress vs. fake heiress” drama had everyone guessing what was legit.

Carmen’s perfect smile slipped for a split second, showing a flash of raw jealousy.

‘How dare Aubree spill that tea?’ she fumed to herself. ‘Isn’t she scared of pissing me off and getting chewed out by the family?’

Carmen figured Aubree should be groveling for their approval, playing the sad sidekick to make her look like the perfect, big-hearted Wilson heiress.

Outside the open classroom door, two figures-one tall, one short-watched it all

go down.

Bowen Turner raised an eyebrow. He was just dropping off his nephew and checking out his investment in the school. He didn’t expect to see her again.

And she wasn’t the Aubree he’d pictured.

the skinny girl in the classroom. She looked frailer than in those old photos from three years ago.

from her fifteenth birthday? How’d she come back looking this

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Chapter 6

a curious look. His uncle had been in Odionland for three years, hustling for the family business. No way he’d

know her, Uncle Bowen?”

+20)

like he was just asking about a random name. “She’s a

it.”

the Wilsons treat her like garbage. Worse than

kid. I gotta chat

didn’t go near the classroom. As he

saw the message-his boss wanting

on someone?’ Kelvin

and the guy

stomach flipped. ‘She’s gotta be eighteen,

his assistant was

leave, scratching his head. “What’s his deal? Old guy having

a chair, and zoned out for a nap. The weird vibe in the room? Didn’t

saw Carmen tense up. She didn’t check

guy in her way, Aubree ditched art class without a

was late. By the time she hit Class

heads-up, the teacher

the break, Class 13-usually a nerdy, quiet senior class-was whispering like

frowned. ‘If Carmen’s why everyone in art class was gawking, what’s the deal now?’

wasn’t stupid. Something was

girl with a short, spiky wolf-tail haircut, eyeing her

Aubree said,

Diaz. Bet you haven’t seen

Aubree grabbed her phone and checked the forum. Total

her a snake, said

pushed her foster sister down the stairs at some

surprise. Carmen’s

Chapter 6

tossed from the Wilsons-check.

didn’t show a hint of worry or

asked,

It’s nothing.” The half-baked lies and garbage posted about her on the

life with the Wilson family, she’d faced way worse-stuff that made this look like a