Orphan To Unbreakable Queen - Chapter 78: Chapter 78

At least Aubree had agreed to return.
Bryan informed Ronald that Aubree was returning that afternoon.
The news spread like wildfire, and unexpectedly, by the time Aubree returned, the entire Wilson family had already gathered.
Alice even went out of her way to have Wendy prepare a lavish feast, specifically requesting Aubree's favorite dishes.
Meanwhile, Aubree stepped out in a designer trench coat. She had hired two lawyers.
Zachary stood waiting with a team of bodyguards, ready to escort her to the car.
Aubree glanced at the group and asked, "Are all these people from the Turner family?"
Zachary replied respectfully, "Yes, Miss Miller. Mr. Turner worried about what they might do, so he specifically assigned a team for your protection."
Gesturing to the well-dressed man beside him, Zachary continued, "This is the attorney Mr. Turner arranged for you. If the Wilson family causes any trouble, Miss Miller, you can rely on him for assistance."
'A lawyer arranged by Bowen?' she wondered. Aubree took a closer look, and a jolt ran through her. 'Wait? That's the renowned Attorney, Caesar? He's the Turner Group's chief legal counsel, with an absolutely undefeated record.'
Aubree thought, 'Going to the Wilson residence to terminate the adoption is not a big issue, and Bowen sent the Turner Group's top attorney to help me? Isn't that a bit of overkill?
'Well, the Wilson family will have a hard time. Well, Bowen really knows the ropes. He even arranged bodyguards and many luxury cars for me.'
While a whole convoy of high-end vehicles might be nothing special to a family as wealthy as the Wilson family, the display certainly made an undeniable statement.
Aubree thought, 'I'm not going back to the Wilson family for some cozy reunion. I'm here to make them pay.'
"Let's go then," Aubree said with a confident smirk.
Back when she lived with the Wilson family, they treated her worse than dirt. And now, they were all lined up at the gate to welcome her home. How utterly laughable and pathetic.
The Wilson family gaped at the lineup of pristine luxury cars.
The motorcade came to a halt. Six black-suited bodyguards were the first to emerge, forming two disciplined lines that tightly encircled the central car.
Zachary was the first to step out of the car, opening the door for Aubree.
The deep red trench coat swept into view first, seizing the Wilson family's attention. Only then did Aubree emerge from the car, her lawyer hot on her heels.
Upon seeing such a grand display, Alice's heart sank with a sudden sense of foreboding. Bryan had only said that Aubree was coming back but never mentioned why. It seemed she wasn't here for a friendly visit.
"Aubree, you're really back," Daxton exclaimed urgently, his eyes beaming with joy. At first, he had thought it was just a false alarm about her return.
Aubree shot him a cold glance. "Just here to settle some business."
Daxton was so swept up in the joy of Aubree's return that all sense of reason left him. He was so happy that she had finally come back that he didn't notice what she said at all.
Daxton beamed, "You're back. That's great. Wendy has prepared a whole feast. Let's have our family reunion dinner together."
Alice quickly chimed in, "That's right, Aubree. We specially prepared all this for you. Please, come inside."
"Specially prepared for me? Seafood pasta?" Aubree almost laughed out loud, recalling how Carmen had hypocritically asked Wendy to make seafood pasta for her back at the hospital.
Apparently, Emery also recalled the incident. His face stiffened as he said, "Of course not, Aubree. I didn't understand you before, but I promise it won't happen again."
"No need. I didn't come back for any so-called family reunion dinner with you people anyway. Besides, just the thought of sitting at the same table as you makes me want to throw up," said Aubree.
Aubree let out a derisive laugh, not bothering to spare the Wilson family any dignity. There were no more cherished good memories between her and the Wilson family.
"Aubree, how could you treat Emery and Mom like this? We've all been waiting for you at the door since early this morning, and even prepared a special meal just for you. How can you be so ungrateful." Carmen stepped forward, her voice full of indignation.
She made it sound as if skipping this meal was an unforgivable crime against the family.
But the moment Carmen was done with her words, Aubree slapped her hard across the face. A sharp, clear crack rang out.
Carmen was utterly dazed by the slap, while the rest of the Wilson family stood there, completely dumbfounded.
Aubree rubbed her stinging palm. 'Figures. Carmen really is thick-skinned; my hand actually hurts from slapping her,' she thought with contempt.
The moment Aubree walked in and spotted Carmen, she'd been itching to deliver that slap for ages.
With old grudges and new grievances weighing on her, today Aubree was determined to burn all bridges with the Wilson family. She owed it to herself to settle every last score.
Daxton was the first to snap out of his shock, bellowing in rage, "Have you lost your mind?"
Aubree didn't hesitate for a second. She spun around and slapped Daxton hard across the face. Daxton looked like he wanted to fight back, but the bodyguards standing nearby made it clear that wasn't an option.
Aubree's eyes burned red with raw hatred. "Yes, you drove me crazy."
Apart from Carmen, the person she hated the most was Daxton.
Sure, everyone in the Wilson family had a hand in her death in her old life, but the real masterminds were Carmen and Daxton.
As the family doctor, Daxton was always the first to review the Wilson family's medical reports, which meant he knew about Aubree's early signs of organ failure all along. But he deliberately tampered with her reports, making every checkup look perfectly normal.
So whenever Aubree said she felt unwell, the Wilson family just thought she was faking it and punished her more badly. That was how they drove Aubree to an early grave before she even turned thirty in her old life.
Rubbing her wrist, Aubree shot a cold, mocking look at Carmen, who had shrunk into Daxton's arms. She sneered, "An adopted daughter will always be an adopted daughter. You'll never truly amount to anything more."
The words cut Carmen to the quick. Fury blazed within her, nearly shattering her composure. Yet, with the crowd watching, she swallowed her rage and quickly donned a pitiful mask.
Carmen forced a smile and said, her voice laced with feigned pain, "Aubree, if hitting me brings you joy, I'll gladly endure it. Just please don't take your anger out on everyone else."
Daxton snapped, "Carmen, stop wasting words on her. Aubree's gone completely mad."
Aubree smirked to herself. 'Well, Carmen actually got that right. Hitting her really does make me happy,' she thought. 'How impressive. She can still keep up appearances after being slapped in front of everyone.'
"Carmen, what a performance," Aubree sneered. "I've got other things to do today, but don't worry. We've got all the time in the world. We'll play this game nice and slow."
As for Daxton, Aubree couldn't be bothered with him. He was, hands down, the biggest moron in the entire Wilson family.
In the past, such behavior would have earned Aubree a beating. But now, even if the Wilson family loathed Aubree, they had to put up with it. After all, Ronald still coveted the company in Aubree's hands.
Alice's jaw tightened. Through clenched teeth, she demanded, "Aubree, what exactly are you here for today?"
"Enough. Stop making a scene. Come with me to the study." Ronald's face darkened. He assumed Aubree had come back to talk about company matters related to Playzy. He decided to tolerate her for now.
"Why go to the study?" Aubree smiled sweetly. "Isn't it better to talk right here with everyone watching? That way, you can't suddenly develop selective amnesia and flip-flop on what was said."
Only then did Ronald sense that something was off. He shifted his gaze to Bryan.
Bryan took a deep breath. "Dad, Aubree never mentioned coming back to discuss Playzy."
"What?" Ronald was thunderstruck. He frowned at Aubree, who wore a mocking smile. "So, what exactly did you come back for this time?"