Their Queen's Back - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Emily's heart leaped with joy at the knock on the door, her sorrow instantly melting away.
She quickly wiped away her tears, glanced in the mirror to make sure there was no sign she'd been crying, and only then, putting on an air of composure, finally opened the door.
But it was only Wendy.
The joy that had surged in her heart crashed and washed away in an instant, like a wave retreating back into the sea.
Her eyes betrayed unconcealable disappointment and anger as Emily snapped, "What do you want?"
Wendy said, "Miss Emily, Miss Skye noticed you ate very little at dinner and was worried you might get hungry, so she had some seafood noodles prepared for you. Would you like some?"
Emily gazed at the array of exquisitely prepared dim sum before her, each crafted with different kinds of seafood and meat. They looked so tempting that she couldn't help but swallow unconsciously.
Emily unconsciously licked her lips and asked, "Did Skye really ask you to make these for me?"
Wendy picked up on the implied question and smiled, saying, "Yes, Miss Emily. Miss Skye insisted I prepare this, just in case you got hungry. She had to go out after dinner, probably for work, and repeatedly reminded me before leaving."
Hearing this, Emily's spirits lifted a little. "Was she really just out for work?" she wondered.
"Then she and Sophia must have just run into each other by chance!" Emily thought.
"So they weren't actually going out together without me," Emily thought, feeling relieved.
Fine, I'll reluctantly go with her to the amusement park tomorrow! she thought to herself, putting on an air of reluctance even though she was secretly looking forward to it.
"I bet she's never been there before," Emily thought to herself.
Emily's expression brightened, the tension in her brows melting away. Pouting with feigned indifference, she said, "Fine, just leave it here then!"
Emily thought, "I don't even want any of this. What kind of lame stuff did she make, anyway? It all looks so mediocre."
Though Emily's face showed no smile, Wendy still noticed the adorable little cowlick sticking up on her head and the glimmer of delight in her eyes—she was clearly happy, even if she tried to hide it.
Miss Emily was clearly delighted, but refused to let it show.
Pretending not to notice, Wendy dutifully set down the tray and took her leave.
Sophia entered Skye's room to find her gently towel-drying her hair. Bathed in the soft lamplight, she radiated an indescribable elegance, her sheer white nightgown clinging to her graceful, slender figure.
Sophia said, "Sis, here's your hangover soup."
Skye nodded slightly, walked over and sat on the sofa. She blew on the soup and took a couple of sips.
Sophia hurried into the bathroom and grabbed the hairdryer.
"Sis, let me dry your hair for you, okay?" he offered warmly.
Skye replied, "Sure."
As Sophia ran her fingers through her sister's silky hair, a delicate, soothing scent—her sister's shampoo, subtle yet comforting—rose up. It was sweet but never overpowering, and she found herself breathing it in, feeling quietly comforted.
I couldn't help but breathe in the scent—it brought me not just a sense of security, but also unspoken joy and dependence, Sophia thought.
"Sis, is this temperature okay for you?" Sophia asked softly as she gently dried Skye's hair.
Skye nodded slightly as Sophia quietly dried her hair. Once she turned off the hairdryer,
Noticing that Skye had fallen asleep, Sophia couldn't tear her gaze away. The emotions she'd been suppressing welled up uncontrollably, and a flicker of obsession darkened her eyes.
Sophia thought to herself, "Skye is mine. I won't let anyone else steal her love away from me. Not ever."
"Not even Emily!" Sophia thought.
Sophia gently lifted Skye and laid her on the bed, tucking her in. Without hesitation, she picked up the half-finished hangover soup and drained it in one gulp, then quietly turned and closed the door behind her.
With a soft click of the lock, Skye's beautiful eyes fluttered open briefly, their depths unreadable, before she feigned sleep once more.
Sophia arrived at Emily's room. The moment Emily swung open the door and saw her, open revulsion flooded her eyes.
Emily snapped, "What do you want?"
Sophia glared at her, voice cold and menacing. "Emily, I don't care what you and Jessica are scheming. If you dare lay a finger on my sister, I'll stop at nothing to make you pay—even if it costs me my life."
Emily froze for a moment, torn between shock and fear—this was the first time she had ever seen such an intense expression on Sophia's face.
Her face was gentle and pure, yet she radiated a chillingly obsessive yandere aura.
At this moment, she was like a thorned rose hidden in darkness.
"Sophia, who the hell do you think you are to warn me? Mind your own business, you psycho!" Emily snapped.
Emily slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Clenching her fists, she pounded her pillow in fury. "Who does Sophia think she is, warning me like that?!" she fumed.
She actually thinks Jessica and I would team up to hurt Skye? What an utterly absurd idea.
The next day
When Skye woke up, she saw Emily dozing off on the sofa, her little head bobbing sleepily.
"Miss Skye, Miss Emily got up unusually early today. I told her it's the weekend and she could sleep in, but she insisted she had something important and has been waiting for you," Wendy reported respectfully.
Understood.
Wendy leaned in and lowered her voice. "Miss Skye, there's something else... Early this morning, Linda slipped out of the dark room. We have no idea where she went."
Skye had already received Lauren's report on Linda's whereabouts. If Linda wanted to bring Richard back to watch a show, then Skye would give them a performance they'd never forget.
"Release Jessica," Skye ordered.
Skye simply replied, "Yes."
Jessica finally stumbled out, weak and drained. The moment she spotted Emily, she ran straight to her, barely able to keep herself steady.
"Emily!" Jessica cried out.
Emily had nearly fallen asleep when a sudden sound startled her awake. Blinking sleepily, she asked, "Jessica, what's wrong?"
Jessica wiped away her tears and began to pour out her heart. "Emily, I know I'm not related to this family by blood. I've always felt like an outsider here, and I get that you all see me that way."
Emily said softly, "Jessica, I've never thought that way. Even if we're not related by blood, you're still part of this family."
"No, I'm not," Jessica insisted. "Emily, I know Skye has never really liked me—she thinks I took Dad's love away from you and drove a wedge between you real sisters. It's all my fault."
Tears welled up in Jessica's eyes as she poured out her heart. Emily froze, utterly bewildered. "Why would she think that way?" she wondered.
Choking back tears, Jessica pleaded, "Skye, I just want to live with Emily. Please, could you stop picking on me, okay?"
Skye stared her down, expressionless, her eyes full of mockery.
"Jessica, if you're truly this delusional, I'd be more than happy to have you committed to a psychiatric ward for observation," he sneered.
Hearing this, Jessica felt a sudden chill run down her spine as terror slowly crept in. Her half-open mouth froze mid-sentence.
Jessica clenched her fist so tightly her nails bit into her palm. The sharp sting finally pushed her past the fear.
Today, she was determined to kick Skye out of the Hughes family for good.
"I can't back down now," she told herself, steeling her resolve.
Skye, why must you be so sarcastic with me? All those years you were gone, it was me who stayed with Emily. I treated her as if she were my real sister, gave her the best of everything, I—
"Out!" Skye snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence.
Emily hesitantly spoke up in Jessica's defense. "Jessica didn't mean it... She... she's always been really good to me. Please don't keep scolding her like this."
Skye took a deep breath, a fleeting hint of disappointment flickering in her cool, distant eyes. Without another word, she turned and headed upstairs.
Watching Skye head upstairs, a smug smile spread across Jessica's face.
Her phone buzzed—a message from Linda: "Richard's almost home. Time to act."
Jessica gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and rushed after Skye.
Jessica said softly, her voice trembling slightly, "Sis Skye, please don't be upset. Emily didn't mean to blame you. I'd never dream of coming between you two—you're real sisters, after all, and I know I'll always be an outsider here. If my presence ever caused a rift between you and Emily, it would haunt me day and night."
Skye took two deliberate steps back, leaving Jessica standing precariously at the top of the stairs.
"Jessica, spare me the act. Did you really think I'd let you stay here without seeing through your scheming ambitions?"
Skye's piercingly cold gaze swept over Jessica. He sneered, "Jessica, has anyone ever told you your tricks are so amateurish they're not even worth mentioning?"
"You—!" Jessica gaped at her.
At that moment, she thought, "All my schemes and plots have been laid bare—I'm nothing but a puppet in her hands. No matter how I struggle, I can never escape her grasp."
Jessica glared at Skye, her voice dripping with menace. "Don't get too cocky. Tell me—what do you think would happen if I just 'accidentally' fell down these stairs right now, and Dad saw it?"
As soon as Jessica pictured the scene in her mind, she couldn't help but let out a triumphant laugh.