The Queen They Buried

07:10 Mon, 7 Jul VG.

Mon, 7 Jul

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The private room was bathed in dim, suggestive lighting, the echoes of men’s lewd laughter

Matilda slumped onto the floor, clutching a bottle in one hand while her other hand weakly pipped the glass coffee tabla, Serweral empty hotties lay scattered around her, on the table and at her side.

Her oversized T-shirt was being yanked down over her shoulder by a groping hand, exposing most of her smooth, rounded shoulder, yet she remained completely oblivious in her drunken Mupor.

Her head, which had been hanging limply, finally reacted to the sound of the door being kicked open. She turned stiffly, almost robotically, to look in that. direction, struggling even to open her eyes.

Her usually bright eyes were new glazed over and unfocused, a clear sign she was no longer in her right mind.

On the sofa facing the door lounged a burly man with a horizontal scar across his face, clearly in his fies, exuding an intimidating presence. At his fant knelt a battered man, sobbing and sniveling, his face streaked with tears and snot.

With tears streaming down his face, Drake pleaded, “Harlan, please! You can’t do this. I’ve already given you 300 thousand dollars. Just let my sister go I’m begging you! Please, have mercy on us!”

Harlan Pierce didn’t hesitate. He brutally kicked the man in the head, grinding his boot into the side of his face. With a mocking, predatory gaze, he raked his eyes over Aubree and sneered, “So, you figured one girl wasn’t enough to settle your debt, and brought me another one?”

The quick–witted sidekick nearest the door shoved Aubree inside and slammed the door shut behind her. “Looks like Drake finally got a clue Harlan, this chick’s way hotter than the one on the floor,” he sneered.

His final laugh dripped with sinister implication.

Harlan reared with laughter. “Aher I’m done with them, they’re all yours”

Aubree clutched at her collar and took two steps back, her brows furrowing involuntarily. She thought, ‘Damn it, I was way too reckless, barging in like that… Now I’ve landed myself in danger too

Wonly I’d at least ghen Aban a heads–up!

Matilda, still slumped on the floor, finally regained a bit of sobriety. Her eyes narrowed in alarm as she recognized the newcomer. Summoning all her strength, she staggered to her feet and smashed the bottle in her hand over the head of the creep groping her. “If you dare lay a finger on her,” she smarked, “ril fight you to the death!”

than anyone else’s “Matilda, are you trying to get us killed?” he cried hysterically, “How could you lay a hand on

want to see his sister get bulled, but crossing Harlan was the last thing

esilently demanding, “What the

quickly reached out to steady her, gripping her arm. Their eyes met, Aubroe’s gaze

gambling debts,” Matilda gritted her teeth and looked

always kept to herself at school, largely

this family

home late at night with midnight snacks for her, stand up for her whenever she’s bullied, and, after drinking

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Chapter 43

favoring their son over their daughter, clinging to him even when he’d berge at her expense. Yet they remembered everything she loved. Her mother would prepare all her favorite dishes at dinner, and little toys or snacks after work, smiling as

herself to abandon her family. All she could do was try to save herself and drag them out with

even or father would

saw his sidekick get hit. Instead, he just chuckled

a Gre

words dripped with sleazy

We’re all reasonable people here. Since you can’t pay up, I’m just letting you drink to settle the debt. 30 thousand dollars a bottle, you’re

that the girl who’d burst in wasn’t carrying anything valuable. Still, he fancied himself a

as she thought, Wait, Matilda just won over 3 million dollars in prize money and still couldn’t pay off all

if Matilda’s family gambled, could they really

desperation. “You shameless bastards!” she snarled “My brother only borrowed 1 million from you, and

play dumb,” he sneered. “You think I’d lend your brother money for nothing! That

crooked grin, making him look every bit the shameless thug

tugged at the hem of her shirt and silently shook

take them head–on,” Aubree

about the debt, that’s not so bad. I’ve still

need to do now is get out of

her free hand cautiously feeling for her phone in her pocket. “Mr. Pierce, right? If

the money now. Once

see,

caught the wordplay in his response. As the sidekick beside her rattled off the bank account number, she knew better than

pocketed her phone, seizing a moment when no one was