Their Queen's Back - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

"Sweetheart, must you really return to Cascadia? Isn't it better to stay with us?" the middle-aged woman pleaded.
Outside the airport, dressed in a white suit dress and low heels, the elegant woman trembled as she grasped the young woman's hand, her eyes brimming with sorrow and reluctance.
The woman standing before her possessed a striking beauty—an elegant blend of classical poise and modern sophistication, radiating an innate nobility.
Skye Hughes reached out and returned the woman's tight embrace, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Mom, I must go back now, but I promise I'll return to you."
Regardless, Skye ultimately embarked on her journey back to Cascadia.
Three days ago, her memories came flooding back, revealing her true identity.
She was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Hughes in the Capital City of Cascadia.
At eighteen, while traveling abroad, she miraculously survived a plane crash and was adopted by a couple who groomed her as their heir.
Now, at twenty-eight, with her memories restored and knowing her family was still alive, she couldn't go against her conscience and had to return home.
After a full day on the plane, Skye couldn't catch a wink of sleep. Her mind kept drifting to memories of her family.
It all felt like it had happened just yesterday—so surreal and unbelievable.
10:10 PM.
Skye hauled her luggage into a taxi. The driver, in a strong Capital City accent, asked, "Where to, miss?"
A faint smile graced Skye's face. "88 Sycamore Avenue, please, sir."
Hearing her voice, the driver let out an "Oh!" of surprise.
"Young lady, at first glance you don't look like a local here in Capital City—I thought you were a tourist from abroad. Buckle up."
Skye smiled knowingly. "I'm a Capital City local, it's just that..."
A trace of pain and nostalgia flickered in her eyes.
Then her voice brightened with excitement.
"It's been so long since I last came home."
Ten long years—nothing was the same.
Skye wondered, "My dear sisters, how have you been?"
The driver chatted with her throughout the ride, saying, "It's always good for young people to go home and visit their family more often."
Upon reaching the destination, Skye paid the fare and stepped out, frowning at the unfamiliar establishment before her.
"Velvet Lounge," she murmured unconsciously.
How everything has changed, she thought, a pang of nostalgia washing over her.
Just as Skye was about to leave, she spotted a quarreling couple outside the Velvet Lounge.
A man stood there with a slouch, hands shoved in his pockets, his heartless features set in utter indifference.
He sneered impatiently at the thinly dressed girl before him. "Know your place. You're just a stand-in—must I really spell it out for you?"
The girl's eyes were red-rimmed and swollen with tears, her pale, delicate face the picture of pitiful vulnerability.
"Matthew," she said, her voice trembling, "I told you I'm not feeling well today. I won't go to the hospital for that blood draw."
Matthew Quinn sneered, grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze.
He taunted, "Not feeling well, yet you come to Velvet Lounge to serve drinks? Tell me, Sophia—bartending or whoring? Hmm?"
Sophia Hughes bit down hard on her lower lip, then suddenly reached out and slapped Matthew hard across the face with a sharp crack.
"Matthew, you bastard! What I owe you has already been paid off; I no longer owe you anything. Let's break up—get the hell out!"
"Paid off? Break up? Sophia, how dare you say those words to me!" Matthew sneered. "If it weren't for my engagement with you three years ago, do you really think your family would still be standing now? You want to settle things and cut all ties? You'll have to get your father's permission first."
"You...!" Sophia choked out, her voice trembling with rage.
Matthew roughly yanked Sophia's arm, dragging her toward the car.
"Listen up," Matthew sneered. "If you want to continue carrying the title of the Quinns' fiancée, stay in line. Lily needs your blood—let's be honest, that's all you're good for to me."
Sophia, helpless and desperate, closed her eyes and gave in.
Three years ago, Sophia met Matthew. After spending some time together, they started dating.
She thought he truly loved her, never realizing she was just a stand-in for his beloved Lily Clark—his so-called "one true love."
After they got engaged, he demanded she donate blood to Lily every month.
When Sophia tried to break off the engagement and make a clean break, her own father responded with two harsh slaps.
"Let her go," a cold, commanding voice rang out.
Matthew froze for a moment, his gaze meeting a woman whose beauty was both cold and regal, her presence utterly commanding.
He frowned.
"Who the hell are you? This is none of your business. Get lost!"
When Sophia heard that voice—so achingly familiar it seemed etched into her bones—she froze, rooted to the spot, motionless. In disbelief, she slowly lifted her gaze to the woman beside her.
That familiar, beautiful, and noble face sent shockwaves through her heart. Her hand trembled as she reached out, as if afraid the vision might vanish.
Her face, pale as snow, was filled with astonishment. Lips parted, like she had encountered a priceless artifact that might shatter at the slightest sound, she whispered—barely louder than a breath—the name buried deep in her heart.
"Sis?"
Skye looked at the girl before her and smiled softly.
"It's really her—Sophia, my little sister," she thought. "When I left, she was just fifteen. Now, in the blink of an eye, she's grown into such a radiant young woman."
"Sophia, it's me," Skye called gently.
"Sis!"
Sophia wrenched her hand free from Matthew and flung herself into Skye's arms, bursting into uncontrollable sobs.
Never in all these years had she cried with such raw vulnerability—like a wounded cub seeking comfort, she clung to her sister, breaking down completely as years of pent-up misery came pouring out.
Sophia trembled uncontrollably, her entire body shaking with fear.
"What if this is just another dream?" she thought desperately. "One of those countless dreams where I see you, only to wake up alone..."
Skye gently patted her on the back, her usually cold voice now gentle and warm.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here—your sister's back."
Sophia cried for what felt like an eternity, only snapping back to reality when she noticed the damp patch on Skye's shoulder where she'd been clinging. Embarrassed, she finally lifted her tear-streaked face, her swollen eyes searching Skye's features desperately.
"Sis? Is it really you?" Her voice trembled, raw with emotion. "Tell me I'm not dreaming..."
Skye's heart ached as if a thousand ants were crawling beneath her skin, weighed down by sorrow.
"It's me, Sophia. I'm back," she said softly.
"I'll never abandon any of you again," she vowed silently.
Matthew was dumbfounded. "Sis?"
Where did Sophia get a sister from? Wasn't she the eldest of the Hughes?
"Sophia, enough of this nonsense! You're coming with me. Now," Matthew demanded.
No sooner had he finished than Skye delivered a stinging slap across Matthew's face—the force sent him stumbling sideways. She'd been seething as she listened to his disgusting remarks just moments before.
"A stand-in? Blood draws? What kind of cliché CEO romance plot is this?" Skye thought, rolling her eyes
As soon as she heard her sister's name, Skye stormed forward with determined strides.
Even after ten years apart, one look at Sophia's face and Skye recognized her instantly—her own little sister.
Bullying her sister right in front of her? "You're dead meat!" Skye seethed.
Matthew stammered, "Y-you! How dare you hit me! Do you even know who I am? I'm her fiancé, Matthew Quinn! And who the hell are you?"
The slap left him dazed, half his face numb and throbbing with pain, a mix of shock and disbelief overwhelming him.
Staring at the woman before him, whose icy aura radiated power, he felt a chill run down his spine.
Skye drew her sister into a protective embrace.
"I'm her sister," Skye said coldly. "Dare to lay a finger on my little sister again, and you'll wish you were dead."
Sophia took a shaky breath, and in that instant, a wave of security washed over her—all her fear just melted away.
To her, Skye was like a beacon of light, dispelling every last trace of fear and doubt from her heart.
"Sis, I hate him. He keeps bullying me," Sophia whined, clutching Skye's arm tightly.
Hearing this, Skye lashed out with a sharp kick to Matthew's chest, sending the barely-risen man crashing back to the ground.
Matthew snarled, "Ah! You two, just you wait!"