Their Queen's Back - Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Michael looked at the people lying unconscious in front of him and quickly grabbed Charlotte's hand. "Charlotte, that's enough. They're out cold."
Charlotte withdrew her hand, glanced at their faces, and sneered, "Doesn't look like it to me. Should I let the snakes have a taste?"
The people on the ground snapped their eyes open at these words. Ignoring their pain, they scrambled to their knees and begged desperately, "We were wrong! Please spare us!"
The beaten students pleaded, "Little Witch, Little Witch, we swear—we'll never set foot on your turf again!"
"Yeah, yeah! The money we took—it's fifty grand in total. We'll give it all to you, every last cent! Please, will that do?"
Charlotte hopped onto a nearby platform, swinging her long legs with a smirk. "Well? Hand it over—now."
"Right away! Right away!"
Charlotte pocketed the cash and strutted back triumphantly, Michael in tow.
"Charlotte, should we return the money?" Michael couldn't help but ask cautiously.
Charlotte shot him a sideways glance and smirked. "Why give back money we earned fair and square? Let's go splurge on something nice to eat."
As she was speaking, her phone suddenly buzzed with a message: "Maim someone tomorrow night. One million. You in?"
Charlotte washed her hands methodically, her gaze turning cold. She typed back: "Send me the details."
The details came through instantly. Charlotte glanced at them and snorted derisively. "Chump change for risking my neck at a place like that? What a joke."
"Three million. Name the body part," the sender replied coldly.
Deal. $450k. Break both his legs. $150k up front, the remaining $300k upon completion.
Charlotte replied coldly, "Seems you don't understand my rules. I never take deposits. If you want me to take the job, transfer the money to my account within ten minutes. After that, it's a different price."
Charlotte slipped her phone into her pocket and strode back—the walk to the convenience store took exactly ten minutes. Just as she reached the entrance, her phone buzzed: $450k had been deposited into her account.
Back at her place, Charlotte started digging into the details. "A business forum?"
All the top dogs of Capital City are here—too risky to make a move. But the real problem? She showed up too.
Charlotte thought, "What a pain!"
Charlotte crushed the beer can in her grip and flung it backward—bullseye into the trash bin. "Guess I'll need a backup plan," she muttered coldly.
The next day
Sophia woke up to an empty bed, feeling a pang of disappointment. "Did Skye sneak out to see Emily again last night?" she wondered.
After washing up, Sophia came downstairs and saw Emily and Skye sitting together, engrossed in the same tablet. Jealousy and envy sprang up in her heart like wild weeds. "Emily!" she thought bitterly, unable to suppress her resentment.
"Sophia, you're awake," Skye said.
"Hey, Skye, what are you two looking at?" Sophia quickly masked the disappointment and unease in her eyes as she strode over, deliberately ignoring Emily's triumphant smirk, and plopped down beside Skye.
Skye explained, "Emily's stuck on a few questions, so I'm helping her find the key concepts."
"Since when does the worst student in the whole school know how to solve problems?" Sophia sneered. "Skye, she's just trying to cause trouble and waste your time."
Skye glanced at Emily reassuringly. "Emily's actually quite bright—she's not wasting my time at all. In fact, I find many of her problem-solving approaches quite interesting." Then, turning to Sophia, she added firmly, "Sophia, don't talk about your sister like that."
Sophia knew better than to let Skye see her acting childish.
"Sorry, but I'm not wrong—she's dead last in the class. Look, Skye, everyone says you need total focus to do well in school. I think she should move to boarding school and have her phone confiscated. The SATs are coming up fast—if she keeps this up, she'll never get into college."
Emily's eyes blazed with anger as she glared at Sophia. "No way! If you want to live at school, be my guest! This is my life—stay out of it, Sophia. Scram!"
Sophia suddenly uncrossed her arms, her almond-shaped eyes widening with a mix of innocence and bewilderment.
"Skye, I'm only trying to help her with her studies. But look how she acts—she keeps telling me to get lost! I try to be patient since she's younger and give her advice, but she just throws it back in my face."
Emily roared, "Keep your fake concern to yourself, Sophia! Whether I do well in school is none of your damn business!"
"Watch your language," Skye said, giving Emily's cheek a playful pinch. She loved how soft and springy it felt.
Emily pouted, shooting Skye a silent, reproachful look that clearly said, "You're playing favorites!"
Skye ruffled Emily's hair with a helpless smile. "Alright, that's enough from both of you. No boarding school for you. Now go grab some breakfast before you're late."
Emily checked the time and quickly got up, making a beeline for the cafeteria. She'd promised Claire yesterday that she wouldn't be late today.
Skye said, "Sophia, there's a forum tonight. Want to come with me?"
Hearing this, Sophia's earlier displeasure melted away. She beamed and nodded eagerly. "Absolutely!"
Skye watched Sophia's retreating figure, thinking, "Let's see how much progress you've made these past few months."
Anna rated Sophia highly. Skye could give them a life of luxury and indulgence, but only if they learned to defend themselves.
It's fine if their abilities are limited, but having none at all is unacceptable.
If the day ever comes when she's no longer here, at least they'll still be able to maintain their privileged lifestyle.
"Skye, I'm heading to the office now."
Right.
Emily jogged through the school gate, slightly out of breath and her short hair disheveled. Claire, who had been leaning against the wall waiting for some time, brushed off her hands and straightened up when she saw Emily arrive.
Cutting it close—just ten minutes left.
Emily slung her backpack over her shoulder. "See? I'm not late!"
At lunchtime, Emily and Claire decided to go out for a nice meal. The driver could only drop them at the street corner, so they had to walk quite a distance. After nearly half an hour and still nowhere near the place Claire had mentioned, Emily finally couldn't help but grumble in a low voice, "We've been walking for almost thirty minutes! If we don't get there soon, I'm going to collapse from heatstroke. Claire, are you sure you're not just making this up? What hidden gem in an alley? This is such a scam!"
Claire couldn't resist pinching Emily's adorably pouting cheeks. Crouching down in front of her, she coaxed, "I'm not lying—it's just up ahead! Hop on, I'll give you a piggyback ride!"
Emily brushed right past her and huffed, "No way! I don't need your piggyback—I can walk by myself."
Claire stepped forward and took Emily's backpack. "Here, let me carry this for you," she said. "Just a little longer—ten more minutes, and we're almost there."
Emily shot Claire a deadpan look and grumbled, "You said 'ten minutes' half an hour ago!"
Claire scratched her head awkwardly. "I mean it this time."
"Help! Somebody help!" As they walked, the desperate cries instinctively drew them toward the entrance of the alley.
A girl dressed head-to-toe in black stood with one foot planted on a group of school-uniformed girls, casually twirling a knife between her fingers as she blew a bubble with her gum. Her baseball cap was pulled so low her face was hidden, but the pendant on her chest and her menacing aura left no doubt—this girl was trouble.
Spotting Emily and Claire at the entrance of the alley, the students on the ground screamed desperately, "Help! Call 911! She's going to kill us!"
"Help! Help!" the girls screamed in terror.
Charlotte twirled the knife, bringing it dangerously close to their faces. The girls turned ghostly pale and screamed in terror.
The girls shrieked in terror, their voices echoing off the alley walls as they cowered under Charlotte's blade.
"Don't kill us!" the girls cried.
"Please, don't kill us!"
Witnessing this, Emily charged out and yelled, "What do you think you're doing?! Stop right now—I'm calling the cops!"
Charlotte didn't even turn around. In an icy tone, she spat out a single word: "Get lost."
Claire tried to hold Emily back, but Emily shook her off and charged forward, furious.
"Who the hell are you? How dare you try to kill someone in broad daylight!" Emily shouted indignantly.
Claire tugged desperately at Emily's arm but couldn't stop her determined stride. "Emily, Emily, calm down! Let's just talk this through, okay?"
Claire swallowed hard, thinking, "Oh my God! Emily really is a reckless newbie who doesn't fear the tiger—charging into a shady alley like this, when that woman is clearly no ordinary person. What if she decides to silence us for good? We're way too young to die here!"
Claire stammered, "Ma'am, so sorry to bother you! We're just passing by, that's all—just passing by!"
Claire thought frantically, "Why don't we get to safety first and then call the cops?"
Emily pushed Claire's hand away and shouted, "Picking on students? You're despicable! Let them go right now and get out of here, or else—"
Before she could finish, Charlotte cut her off with a mocking sneer. "Or else what?"
"You—!" Emily couldn't believe how brazen this woman was.
Emily squared her shoulders and declared firmly, "Once we call the cops, it'll be too late for regrets! Apologize to them now, and return whatever you took—right now!"
Charlotte's icy voice cut through the air. "Heh, apologize? They're not worth my apology. You two brats, count yourselves lucky I'm in a good mood today and don't want to hurt any bystanders. Get lost—now. Otherwise, my knife doesn't discriminate. If it accidentally slits your jugular veins, don't expect any apologies from me."
Claire's eyes widened in terror, her body drenched in cold sweat as beads formed on her forehead.
"We're leaving right now, we're leaving right now!" Claire repeated desperately, dragging Emily away with all her strength.
Emily clenched her fists and whipped out her phone, ready to call 911. But before she could dial, Charlotte lashed out with a swift kick, sending the phone flying from her hand. It crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
"My phone! Oh no, it's broken!"
Charlotte watched as Emily scrambled clumsily for her phone, her eyes flashing with contempt.
Charlotte sheathed her knife and warned coldly, "If I ever catch you bullying my people again just because you're top students, scaring you shitless will be the least of your worries. Got it? Go ahead, call the cops, tell your teachers—but that's only if you make it out alive to see me get arrested."
The girls, still sobbing and nodding frantically, scrambled out of the alley entrance, tripping over themselves in their panic. One of them was in such a rush that she collided straight into Emily.
Emily had just grabbed her phone when it slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor again—this time, the screen shattered beyond repair.
Emily glared at the fleeing girls. "Hey, you!"
Charlotte pulled her cap lower and strode past them, her black shoe crushing the phone beneath her heel with a vicious stomp. She let out a low, mocking laugh, immediately followed by Emily's shriek of outrage.
"Ahh! My phone, my phone! You horrible witch—I hate you!" Emily shrieked.
"I'll fight you!" Emily exploded, bristling like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, her expressive eyes blazing with fury.
Charlotte sneered, "Idiot," then turned on her heel and walked away without a second glance.
Claire clung to Emily's waist, trying to calm her down.
Claire pleaded, "Emily, Emily, listen to me, listen to me! We're here to eat, okay? Let's just go get something to eat—let's go eat first."
Night fell.
Skye led Sophia into the venue. Sophia's makeup was understated yet exquisite, but nothing could hide her pure, ethereal charm. The soft white gown only enhanced her natural beauty—she was the kind of girl everyone would call their "first love" type: pure, unforgettable, and just out of reach.
It wasn't her first business event—she'd attended several with Anna before. But this time, she felt strangely nervous and uneasy, terrified of embarrassing her sister, Skye.
Sophia thought to herself, "Some things just get hardwired into your bones over the years—like insecurity and timidity. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake them off. Whenever I'm faced with fear, all those old doubts and anxieties come surging back with a vengeance."
Skye blazed like a supernova—a true game-changer in the business world who single-handedly turned the tides. Tonight, she was the center of attention; everyone waited in anticipation just for a chance to meet her, hoping to curry favor and secure a partnership.
With the Hughes Corporation's rapid expansion, its future prospects are truly formidable.
Yet here I am, just a lowly director.
Skye walked up to her with a gentle smile and asked, "Lost in thought?"
Skye approached her, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Skye wore a neo-Chinese cheongsam in striking gold and black, its sensual cut perfectly accentuating her mesmerizing allure. She carried herself with the imperious grace of a queen surveying her domain, radiating an aura of absolute authority.
With effortless grace, she exuded an icy, noble elegance and the timeless beauty of a classical muse. Without a hint of makeup, she outshone all the heavily made-up and meticulously dressed women around her.
Her arched brows resembled distant ink-washed mountains, her beauty peerless as a royal peony, moving with effortless grace.
When the name Skye resurfaced, people couldn't immediately connect her with the girl once hailed as the First Miss of the Capital Elite Circle—someone long presumed dead.
But seeing her again tonight—she was simply beyond words!
She was even more breathtaking and formidable than she had been a decade ago.
Her dramatic entrance left many buzzing with anticipation, while others were utterly dumbstruck.
Standing among the crowd like everyone else, Henry couldn't take his eyes off her—but unlike the others, his gaze burned with a depth of longing and affection that set him apart.
"She's alive!" Henry thought, his heart nearly bursting with disbelief.
Henry's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest. He could barely keep it together.
As Henry was making his way over, someone blocked his path and said, "Careful, Mr. Phoenix—you almost stepped on me."
David shot Henry a cold, assessing look.
Henry cleared his throat, clad in a bespoke black suit that radiated the mellowed allure of aged whiskey—a man whose every move exuded refined, intoxicating charm.
With his striking good looks, Henry perfectly embodied the refined elegance of a distinguished gentleman.
He matched David's refined elegance and gentle demeanor, yet there was a spirited confidence in Henry's expression that set him apart.
David glanced at Henry, thinking, "Look at him—an old man like us, all dolled up like some cheap gigolo tonight. Who's he trying to impress?"
"Sorry, Mr. Quinn. I'm in a rush to meet someone." With that, Henry's steps appeared steady, but a closer look revealed a hint of urgency. Henry watched her retreating figure.
He was making his way toward Skye.
David glanced distractedly at his watch, a flicker of irritation crossing his brow.