The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 118

Chapter 119

A fresh and lovely girl’s voice floated through the air.

At the same time, two striking figures appeared, instantly becoming the center of attention.

Nova and Aria had barely set foot inside before everyone was staring at them.

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But when the crowd saw Nova–with her breathtaking looks and the kind of regal bearing nobody in this country town had ever witnessed–they were stunned. She sparkled like no one they’d ever seen.

All the locals could do was gawk, eyes nearly popping out of their heads.

Maxwell was the first to perk up, his eyes shining with delight. “Nova!”

Hannah blinked in surprise, then pouted, trying to look indifferent–even though she was honestly happy to see Nova.

She said in a lazy, half–mocking voice, “Took you long enough!”

Mabel, on the other hand, couldn’t hide how annoyed she was.

While Nova and Aria made their way to Fiona, Mabel butted in with a jealous snark.

“Miracle doctor? Who’s calling her that?

“So you’re Nova, huh?

“I’m your aunt–your mom’s big sister. I used to hold you all the time when you were a baby–bet you probably don’t remember any of it, huh? Oh, and…

“Your parents only ended up together because of me and your uncle!”

She was playing the family card, hoping Nova would catch the hint.

If it hadn’t been for Mabel and her husband, Nova’s parents would’ve never met–and she wouldn’t even be here.

Anyone else probably would’ve bought Mabel’s story and been full of gratitude in a heartbeat.

But Nova didn’t even glance at Mabel. She breezed right past her, leading Aria straight over to Fiona.

“Nova… is this really the doctor you told me about–the one who can actually heal my leg?” Fiona’s voice trembled as she looked at Aria, still in disbelief.

“Hello, Aunt Fiona. I’m Nova’s friend, and I promise I can heal your leg,” Aria replied warmly, her tone full of

assurance.

Standing before Fiona, Aria–radiating her usual queenly presence–flashed a sweet and sincere smile.

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Her confident words left no room for doubt.

Just then, a sharp screech–like talons scraping across a chalkboard–rang out from up front.

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Then, a middle–aged man in grubby clothes but oozing self–assurance swaggered over to the group.

He was pot–bellied, bald, and almost comically unattractive. This was Mabel’s husband, Forge.

Forge shot Nova and Aria an unapologetic sneer, looking them both up and down.

He let out a braying, foolish laugh.

“You? You think you can fix Fiona’s leg? You’re not trying to scam the Blake family for money, are you?

“Fiona, you can’t let yourself get taken in!

“Just try the miracle doctor we went and found for you instead!” he said.

He’d been blowing cash at the gambling tables lately, and now his creditors were on his tail–he was dead broke.

So when this opportunity popped up, he was itching to milk the Blake family for some fast cash.

Forge’s words made Mabel perk right up–she was immediately all ears.

This scheming couple would try every trick in the book to bleed the Blake family dry.

The Blakes were the only moneybags in the whole family, and when they were swimming in cash a few years back, did they ever bother sharing the good fortune? Not a chance. So now, of course they’d want their piece of the pie.

“Oh, Forge, don’t start,” Mabel shot Forge a warning glare.

She was silently telling him: Don’t just settle for crumbs from that so–called miracle doctor–aim higher.

Now that an even bigger cash cow had shown up, there was no point going after small change–they needed to land the jackpot.

So, without missing a beat, Mabel twirled around like a spinning top and zipped straight over to Nova.

“Nova, my goodness, you’re all grown up now! Nearly twenty, right? So, tell Auntie–do you have a boyfriend yet?” Mabel’s tone oozed fake concern, her eyes glinting with nosy curiosity.

“Heard you came from a rough neighborhood, didn’t you? How about Auntie sets you up with a nice guy?” she added, acting like she was doing Nova a real favor.

Of course, Mabel wasn’t being generous or truly looking out for Nova’s love life–she had something else on her mind.

She’d caught wind of some news…

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Nova had just been made the new head of the Blake family. That kind of power–and money–could make anyone drool.

Back when they’d set Fiona and Charles up, just think of all the perks their family had grabbed from making that match happen.

We’re talking millions upon millions–they definitely raked in a fortune.

Too bad Forge, that useless gambler, blew every last dime of it.

But now, Nova was even more powerful than her dad–running the whole Blake family and even heading up Blake Security Group.

If they could get involved in Nova’s marriage, too….

They could openly cash in, just like they did with Fiona and Charles–snagging even more money without a hint of shame.

Once Nova tied the knot, she’d have no choice but to keep the money flowing back home–how could they possibly refuse?

Free cash just dropping into their laps–who in their right mind would turn that down?

“So, what kind of guy do you like? Auntie will find you the perfect match!” Mabel gushed, all sugary concern, acting like she was really doing Nova a huge favor.

Hannah had been clenching her fists this whole time, trying her best to keep her cool.

But now? She just couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“I mean, even if Nova really did grow up on the wrong side of town, even if she had zero standards, there’s no way she’d ever stoop to dating any of the pathetic weirdos you try to push on her!” Hannah shot back, voice sharp.

It was obvious–Mabel had tried to set Hannah up on blind dates before, too.

But the truth was, it was way worse than that.

Mabel hadn’t just set Hannah up on a few dates–she’d thrown her to the wolves.

Every creep she introduced to Hannah was grabby and ready with some nasty, sexist trash talk.

But Hannah wasn’t about to take any of that crap. She’d beat the crap out of every single one of them.

Then Mabel teamed up with the local gossip squad and made it her mission to spread the word that Hannah was full of herself–acting like she’s too good for any of the losers Auntie tried to set her up with.

Now, Mabel had her sights set on Nova–she was ready to use her old bag of tricks all over again.

She was determined to push Nova into marrying some misogynistic jerk that no girl in her right mind would ever touch.

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This way, Nova would end up just like her parents–forced to bend over backwards for her aunt, all because she got stuck with one of Auntie’s hand–picked losers.

After all…

With Mabel playing both matchmaker and family, Nova could have all the money in the world and still never shake them off. They’d be clinging on for life, always carving out their share of her fortune.

“Oh, please! Hannah, what garbage are you spewing?

“Your little sister’s not like you at all!” Mabel glared at Hannah, barely bothering to hide her irritation before she eagerly turned back to Nova.

Mabel barely spared Hannah a glance, her focus locked onto Nova like a hungry wolf eyeing fresh prey.

Determined to make Nova settle for the trainwrecks she could offer, Mabel went out of her way to make Nova seem less special–dropping hints that Nova should lower her standards and just accept whatever loser she lined up.

Because, truth be told, all the guys Mabel could scrounge up were dirt–poor, short, and ugly–bottom–of–the- barrel types who couldn’t score a date unless they paid for it.

“Nova, look at you–finally back home, and everyone knows what kind of mess you got yourself into out there…

“You think the neighbors haven’t heard all about it? Trust me, there’s not a soul around here who doesn’t know.

“Auntie’s got a few guys to set you up with, and honestly, that’s about as good as it gets for someone in your situation.

“Don’t go getting any wild ideas–you’re not like those kids who think they can pick someone based on looks or figure.

“You ought to take a good hard look at yourself, and remember all the trouble you’ve been through. Be realistic about where you stand…”

“And who knows if you’re even still clean? Out here in the sticks, folks care most about whether a girl keeps herself decent–if you’re not even a virgin anymore, I bet those village boys wouldn’t look twice at you…”

Mabel was just getting started, her words dripping with venom.

She figured Nova’s silence meant she was just like her mom–weak, easy to push around, and bound to do whatever Auntie told her. She was sure Nova would cave and agree to those blind dates in no time.

But she was dead wrong.

In the very next instant, a chill swept through the room–a cold glint flickered before everyone’s eyes, making the crowd tense up.

Then, in a flash, Nova snatched up a gleaming dagger and drove it right into Mabel’s mouth–the tip punched

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clean through her tongue in one brutal move.

Nova’s voice was cold enough to send chills down anyone’s spine, like a verdict handed down from hell itself.

“You’re too damn noisy. That’s enough–don’t bother speaking for the rest of your life.”

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