Their Queen's Back - Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Peter frantically tore off every stitch of clothing—the woman he'd been obsessing over was finally in his bed.
"Sophia looks so damn innocent, with that gentle sweetheart face," Peter thought, instantly transported back to his reckless youth.
Just as William was about to get up, Peter came crashing down on him—his hot, naked, heavy body pressing close, along with that certain part every man would instantly recognize.
"You—" William started, but Peter's big hand slapped over his mouth, cutting him off.
Peter growled impatiently, "Save the screaming for later. No need to rush."
Peter fumbled to yank off William's clothes, but something felt off—why was there a belt?
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his palm. "Ouch!" he yelped, instantly jerking his hand back.
William exploded in rage, "Peter, you goddamn bastard! Shameless scumbag! Dirty old pervert! Open your fucking eyes and see who the hell I am!"
"You... you... you!" Eleanor sputtered, her face turning purple with rage.
He was utterly speechless—That voice... No way, that's a man's voice!
Peter quickly flicked on the light. There on the bed lay a bulky figure, who, in a panic, bent over and scrambled to grab his clothes off the floor.
"William?! You?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
What the hell?! I was supposed to meet Sophia! Why the fuck is William here?!
William stood up, glaring at the man before him. "Peter, how dare you talk to me like that, you disgusting old pervert!"
Peter grabbed his hair in frustration and spat through gritted teeth, "You didn't seriously think those roses were for you, did you, William? I sent them for that girl at your company—"
William narrowed his eyes dangerously and snapped, "Go on! Why'd you stop talking? Peter, I swear I can call the cops and have you thrown in jail right now! How dare you lay a hand on my employee—she could be your daughter! Shameless bastard. Didn't your mother ever teach you any decency?"
"You! William, we're cut from the same cloth—so who the hell are you trying to fool? Acting all holier-than-thou, like you're some noble saint, but you're just another hypocritical old bastard! Why put on that act? You treat her like she's some kind of treasure—is it because she's your little mistress? If you can't let her go, just admit it! Why play these fucking games?"
William was livid. He stormed over and struck Peter across the face—once, twice—with brutal force.
Peter's face burned, his flabby cheeks quivering with shock. He couldn't believe William actually dared to hit him!
Without hesitation, Peter retaliated with a vicious slap of his own.
"William, don't push your luck. Your pathetic little company? I could wipe it out with just one word."
Peter looked William up and down, sizing up his face.
"Not bad-looking," he thought with a sneer.
He grinned maliciously. "If you want me to let you off, spend the night with me."
William thought he must be hallucinating. "What did he just say? Spend the night with him?"
"Spend the night with him? Is Peter even human? Does he even deserve to be called a man?"
William let out a cold laugh. "Spend the night with you? How about with your mother instead!"
With that, William pulled out his brass knuckles and began beating the disgusting old man mercilessly.
"Disgraceful old pervert!"
After tucking her child into bed, Rachel went downstairs, turned on the TV, grabbed some snacks and fruit, and happily binge-watched dramas. She was clearly in high spirits.
Skye's back.
Taking a bite of mango, Rachel suddenly remembered something, pulled out her phone, and called Skye.
"Hey Rachel, it's me. What's up?" Skye answered.
Hearing Skye's voice, a smile appeared on Rachel's face. "Nothing special, Skye. I just wanted to hear your voice," she replied.
Skye and Rachel had grown up together—of course Skye could see right through Rachel's little scheme.
With a resigned sigh, Skye said, "I'm not dead, nor are you hallucinating. I'm really back."
"Teehee, Skye, I'm just glad you're back! Once I'm divorced, I'll bring my godson to see you."
Skye chuckled, "Sure, sure."
"Deal! It's settled then!"
Right.
Rachel was an anime enthusiast who had invested in dozens of anime series. Over the years, she hadn't had much time to watch them, and only now did she realize that many had already finished airing.
Tonight, she thought excitedly, "I'm going to binge-watch as much as I want!"
When the scene got exciting, Rachel thought to herself, "I'm so thrilled I could almost toss my chips in the air to celebrate!"
Inside the Velvet Lounge Bar, Ethan's friends could clearly tell he was in a foul mood.
He'd already downed several bottles of liquor in quick succession.
"Ethan, man, what's going on with you tonight? If something's bothering you, just spill it—we bros got your back, alright?"
Ethan just shook his head, sank back into the couch, closed his eyes, and drew a long, shaky breath, trying to steady his nerves.
This morning, I made her breakfast—she didn't even touch it, didn't so much as look my way. She can't cook, so I gave the chef the day off, hoping to make something special and spend the day alone with her.
But she'd rather eat instant noodles than touch the feast I prepared.
Rachel's first words were cold and resolute: "Ethan, let's get divorced. I only want custody of our son—nothing else. After the pain of childbirth, I'll never go through that again; he's the only child I'll ever have. You can have more children with someone else."
He froze, heart pounding in panic. "My mind just went blank—I had no idea what to do," he thought, completely at a loss.
He was the one who asked for the divorce.
He said the most hurtful things—told her he felt no attraction to her anymore,
that he'd fallen for another woman, and even called her a psycho.
But now that he'd gotten exactly what he wanted, why did he only feel the urge to run away—and couldn't even bring himself to go home?
Felix pushed the door open and strolled in, taking off his glasses to give them a quick wipe before putting them back on. "What else would it be? The divorce drama, obviously."
Ethan glanced at him.
"Felix, late again?"
Felix dropped into a seat. "Had an emergency patient."
Felix finished speaking, his eyes landing on Ethan with a mocking half-smile. "What's the hold-up? Weren't you the one always whining about getting a divorce? Rachel's agreed now, hasn't she? So why wait—get divorced and marry your little secretary right away. Shouldn't everyone be celebrating by now?"
Ethan remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on him with chilling intensity. Then he raised his glass and downed the liquor in one swift gulp.
No fucking way! Ethan, that harpy Rachel actually agreed to the divorce? She'd rather die than let you go!
Crash! Ethan smashed his glass to the floor, fixing the man with a murderous glare.
Ethan growled, "Say that again—who the hell are you calling a bitch?!"
The man was visibly startled, but he was just telling it like it is.
"Come on, Ethan, it's Rachel we're talking about. Everyone in our circle knows she's a total psycho—crazy jealous, blowing up your phone all day, and practically wants to slap a GPS tracker on you just to keep tabs 24/7."
Ethan was burning with rage, fist clenched and ready to strike—but Felix swiftly caught his wrist, stopping him.
Behind his glasses, Felix's narrow eyes gleamed with open disdain.
"What's this? Didn't you used to agree with that?" Felix sneered. "Stop lying to yourself. Trying to play innocent now? Tch. Ethan, don't you think you're being a damn hypocrite?"
Ethan's face turned ashen, his expression terrifyingly dark.
"Shut the hell up, Miles!" Ethan snapped.
In his anger, Ethan had accidentally used Felix's old name—he used to be called Miles, but later changed it, believing the old name didn't suit him.
"Get out of here, now!" Felix snapped.
The man scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door, muttering "Psycho!" under his breath as he fled.
Felix shoved Ethan's hand away. "Ethan, let me give you some straight-up advice—if you're going to end things, make a clean break. But don't get divorced. If you do, your life might as well be over."
He paused, a sly smile flickering across his face as if something had just occurred to him. "But here's the thing—it's not even your call anymore. Yi is back, and with just one word from her, it won't matter what you want. So before she steps in, you'd better figure out how to make Rachel stick it out with you for the kid's sake."
Ethan turned his face away, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked. Through gritted teeth, he growled, "She can't meddle in our private business."
"The Hughes Corporation isn't what it used to be. Even if Skye tries to expand it, there's no way she could coerce or threaten me anytime soon," Ethan thought with a smirk.
Felix straightened his jacket and scoffed. "Naive. So naive. You really think she spent ten years abroad just vacationing? Since we go way back, let me give you a heads-up: that Lauren by her side is the assistant to the CEO of SY Group."
Ethan's pupils contracted sharply. That night, he hadn't paid much attention to the woman—she just seemed vaguely familiar. Blonde hair, blue eyes... all she was missing was a pair of glasses. "Wait a second—it's her!" Ethan realized, his heart skipping a beat.
Ethan shoved Felix aside and rushed out. As he descended the stairs, he ran into Sierra.
"Oh, Ethan, you're here too? Could you give me a ride home?" Sierra asked with a beaming smile.
She had gone out of her way to find him tonight, hoping for a chance to be alone with him.
Ethan looked at her smiling face, then lowered his eyes. "Sorry, I need to go home. My wife's waiting for me."
Before Sierra could react, Ethan brushed past her without another word.
Felix strolled out of the room, bored out of his mind. The moment he spotted Sierra, he pivoted gracefully, spun on his heel, and took the opposite staircase—no way was he getting caught up with her tonight.
Just as he was about to leave, he spotted that familiar shock of fiery red hair—it was her!
Felix straightened his jacket, checked his reflection in a nearby mirror, and strode over confidently.
With a gentle smile, he said, "Hey there, remember me?"
Annie pressed her crimson lips to the glass and took a sip. Hearing someone speak, she assumed it was that clueless guy again, but when she glanced over, she saw it was Felix.
'I remember him—the doctor from last time,' she thought.
'But what does he have to do with me?'
Coldly averting her gaze, Annie snapped, "What do you want?"
Felix cheekily slid into the seat next to her. "Hey, name's Felix—Skye's friend. You're her friend too, right?"
Annie replied coldly, "I work for Director Skye. Unless you have business here, leave."
Felix's face froze for a moment. "Mind telling me your name?"
Anna shot back sharply, "And why would that be any of your business?" She stood up, looking down at him with disdain. "Little boy, are you even legal? Don't bother hitting on me. I'm not into sissies like you—way too girly."
Felix's eyes widened as he suddenly shot to his feet. "Who the hell are you calling 'little brother'? And how am I a sissy? Don't judge by appearances!" he snapped back, unconvinced.
Annie's crimson lips curled into a smirk as she took in his well-defined knuckles, those pale, delicate fingers, and a soft-featured face that still carried a hint of youthful rebellion.
She turned to leave, giving him a disdainful once-over. Felix could feel the blatant contempt in her gaze.
Felix started, "I'm already—"
Annie spun around sharply and cut him off. "Enough. I'm not interested. Go home and stick to being a doctor."
"Hey! Wait up!"
When Skye got home, it was already pretty late. She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her.
"Miss Skye, you're back! Would you like something to eat?" Wendy stepped forward to take her coat.
Skye said, "No, thanks, Wendy. You should get some rest. Oh, by the way, any trouble between Sophia and Emily tonight?"
Wendy told her how the sisters had a little spat earlier, but soon made up over some candy. Skye smiled knowingly.
"Got it," Skye replied.
Just as Skye was about to head back to her room, Emily's voice called out from behind, "Where are you going? Did you forget what you promised me tonight?"
Skye smiled to herself, thinking, "Of course I didn't forget—she's just being clingy as usual." She just wanted to freshen up first.
Turning to Emily, she said, "I remember. I'll sleep with you tonight. Let me take a shower first—go get ready for bed."
Emily stood at the doorway, clutching her pillow in her pink pajamas, pouting as she stared at Skye.
"Hurry up then! I'll be waiting," she said, her tone impatient and a little playful.
"Alright," Skye replied.
After showering, Skye stepped into Emily's room and saw her sitting on the bed, hugging a pillow. The moment Emily spotted her, she quickly threw back the covers and slipped underneath, nervously clenching her fists.
Skye kicked off her shoes, noticed the drowsiness in Emily's eyes, and, with a helpless smile, reached out to gently ruffle her hair.
"Sleep now," Skye said softly.
Skye lay down beside Emily, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep—she was just completely worn out.
Hearing Skye's steady breathing, Emily opened her eyes and inched closer bit by bit, wrapping herself around Skye's arm and snuggling obediently into her embrace, settling down to sleep.
"She smells so nice... so safe and familiar," Emily thought, feeling completely at ease.
Soon, she slipped into a peaceful sleep.
Skye opened her eyes, a faint, knowing smile curling at her lips. She gently patted Emily, then drifted back to sleep.
The next day
Emily was still hoping to sleep in when Wendy's voice rang out, "Miss Emily, time to get up! It's time for school, or you'll be late."
Emily grunted in response, and only then did Wendy come in with the maids to help her wash her face and get dressed.
After washing up, Emily woke up fully and remembered she still needed to prepare a gift for Claire—it had to come from the heart.
But what should she give? The first thing that popped into her mind was that precious jar of candy.
She hesitated for a moment—those were from her sister, after all.
She hardly wanted to eat them herself, but then Claire's annoying face flashed through her mind.
In the end, she counted out ten pieces and stuffed them into her backpack. Fine, let her have them.
Hmph!
Sophia hadn't planned to disturb her sister last night, but to her surprise, Skye ended up sleeping with Emily instead.
"That idiot Emily must have pulled some trick again," Sophia fumed.
"Ugh, so annoying!"
As Sophia entered the office, she remained unaware of a pair of eyes intently watching her. The observer flashed a smug grin before swiftly turning to leave.
Emily rushed to school, narrowly avoiding being late. Just as she was about to sneak in a quick nap, she remembered the way Skye had looked at Claire—so intently it made her heart sink a little.
"I like people who do well in their studies," Emily recalled Skye saying, biting her lip.
Emily bit her lip, pulled out a pristine textbook—with her name not even written in it yet—and quickly flipped through the pages with feigned interest. The teacher glanced over, saw her act, and just ignored her, continuing the lesson mechanically. "No use talking to her," the teacher thought, having developed a bit of a mental block from all her previous efforts.
I really don't get why Susan makes such a fuss over her—she even asked her to mark the key points and sort them out.
She's a math teacher. What's she doing messing with English stuff?
As soon as the bell rang, Emily shoved her book into her desk in frustration. There were still a few parts she just didn't get. "Ugh, studying is such a pain," she thought.
"Emily!" Claire called out loudly.
Just as Emily was about to lay her head down for a nap, she heard Claire shout her name.
Emily jolted upright, thinking, "Jeez, does she want the whole class to know she's looking for me or what?"
Around the classroom, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at the two of them.