Page 9 of The Queen
“We’ve got this,” Oliver says.
“Yeah,” I reply, staring at where Eliza was standing moments ago. “We do.”
6
ELIZA
The sun isn’t evenup, but betrayal doesn’t need daylight to fester. I see her on the CCTV, Aunt Lila, skulking outside our townhouse like a rat sniffing for scraps. My blood heats up, my heart hammers against my chest—I’ve had enough of her games.
Breezing through the door, closing it quietly behind me with a righteous fury that makes me wish I could slam it off its hinges. I stalk towards her, each step a promise of the storm she’s summoned.
“Good morning, Eliza,” she greets me, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
“Cut the crap, Auntie. Why are you here?”
She tuts, shaking her head as if disappointed. “Is that any way to greet family?”
“Family?” The word tastes sour on my tongue. “You stopped being family the moment you tried to blow me up.”
“Such harsh accusations.” She clucks her tongue. “And here I thought we could have a civil conversation.”
“Save it. You’re lucky you’re not dead already. And the only reason, by the way, is so that you can give me some fucking answers.”
Her eyes narrow, a glint of malice in their depths. “Eliza,” she warns, her tone shifting to one laced with venom. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
“Am I now?” I lean in close, my voice low and threatening. “Because the only game I see is the one you’ve been losing since you started it.”
She steps back, her facade slipping to reveal the viper I now know lurks beneath. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? You think you can outwit me?”
“Outwit? No.” I smirk, confidence surging through me. “Outlast, certainly.”
Lila’s mouth twists into a snarl. “We’ll see about that.”
“Will we?” I challenge, standing my ground. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re the one who’s going to be left in the dust. You came here looking for something fromme.”
“Careful, Eliza,” she spits out my name like it’s poison. “You wouldn’t want to make an enemy out of me.”
“Am I not already, Lila?” I cross my arms, undaunted. “As far as I’m concerned, you made yourself an enemy of mine the moment you set foot on that campus behind you.”
“Your precious mafia institution?” Her laugh is cruel, mocking. “They won’t always be there to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection,” I retort sharply. “Especially not from you. You, Auntie, can get fucked.” My voice slices through the still morning air. I can feel my blood boiling, my heart thumping against my ribcage with a fierceness that matches the rage in my green eyes.
Lila just smirks at me. “Oh, Eliza,” she taunts in a condescending tone. “I’m just trying to show you the truth. I can’t have you blinded by your misplaced loyalties.”
“Blinded?” I step closer, my jaw clenched. “I see clearer than ever. I see a snake trying to shed her skin and slither into our lives with lies and deceit.”
Her laugh is low and mocking—a sound that grates on my nerves. “Your little mafia empire isn’t as untouchable as you think. It’s time you learned who you really are, outside the Hughes’ shadow.”
“Watch it,” I growl. “I know exactly who I am—and I don’t need a traitor like you to tell me otherwise.”
“Traitor?” She feigns shock before her features settle back into a smug mask. “I’m just looking out for you, dear niece. You’ll thank me when you’re free from their chains.”
“Free?” I chuckle darkly, shaking my head. “You’re the one in chains, Lila, and you don’t even know it.”
My fingers wrap around the cool hilt of the knife shoved into the back of my joggers.
“Eliza, don’t be stupid,” Lila warns.
