The Queen's Back (Mona and Maxwell) novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3
Maxwell chuckled to himself when he heard Mona’s words. He’d just assumed she wanted to get engaged because she had feelings for him. It turned out he’d been overthinking it. ‘How could she be into someone like me, an illegitimate kid? No way, he thought.
“Alright, I’ll be there tomorrow, Ms. Clem. Just make sure you stick to your word,” Maxwell said. He didn’t care about her reasons for the engagement. As long as they were engaged, he’d make sure she couldn’t back out. After that, she’d have no choice but to be his wife.
‘Clearly, no one else loves Mona as much as I do. I used to hope someone else could make her happy, but now I see that’s pointless. Only I can give her the happiness she deserves. So what if I’m an illegitimate child? I’m the CEO of Carter Group now. Everyone in Nathontown calls me “Mr. Carter” with respect, Maxwell thought.
The idea of Mona marrying someone else, becoming another man’s wife, made his heartache. He wanted to be selfish, even more selfish, and claim her for himself.
With that, Maxwell ended the call, a smile spreading across his face. Tomorrow, he’d be getting engaged to Mona. It was going to be the happiest day of his life.
Just then, Maxwell’s friend, Bud Ray, came out of the private room and saw Maxwell’s strange smile as he was heading out. Bud quickly asked, “Maxwell, where are you off to?”
Maxwell grinned and replied, “I’m heading back. Got an engagement tomorrow.”
As Maxwell’s figure disappeared into the elevator, Bud stared after him, stunned. “Engagement? Is he out of his mind?” he muttered.
Everyone in Nathontown knew that the CEO of Carter Group wasn’t interested in women. There were even stories about actresses throwing themselves at him, only to be kicked out by Maxwell. Not a single woman had ever been with him. And now he was saying he was getting engaged? Maybe he was planning to marry himself tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Mona heard the beep tone and wondered, ‘Did he agree to my proposal? He’ll show up tomorrow, right?’
To be safe, Mona decided to call Ava. Ava was a hacker, so breaking into Barbara’s computer would be a piece of cake for her. In Mona’s past life, she remembered how devastated her grandparents and Ava were at her grave. The look of heartbreak in their eyes was something she could never forget.
Later, Ava was tricked by a sc***ag into having surgery where her heart was forcibly removed, leading to her death. Maxwell had revealed this cruel truth at Mona’s grave. Right now, Ava hadn’t met that sc***ag yet. In this life, Mona was determined not only to get her revenge but also to change her best friend’s fate.
As soon as the call connected, Ava picked up immediately. “Ava, I need your help with something!” Mona said, her voice brimming with excitement. It had been ages since she’d had a proper chat with Ava.
Ava had always thought Teddy wasn’t good enough for Mona and had hinted at it more than once, but Mona brushed it off every time. Looking back now, she couldn’t believe how blind she’d been! If she’d just dug a little deeper, she wouldn’t have been played by those jerks for so long, let alone lost her life.
“What’s up, Ms. Clem? Aren’t you getting engaged to Teddy tomorrow? How do you still have time for a chat with me?” Ava teased, but her words almost brought tears to Mona’s eyes.
“Ava, I need you to hack into Barbara’s computer. There’s got to be something interesting in there. I need it for tomorrow’s engagement,” Mona said.
Ava nearly fell out of bed. “Wait, what? Hack into Barbara’s computer?”
“Yep. If you can’t find anything on hers, try her mom Beatrice’s instead,” Mona replied calmly, casually playing with her
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Chapter 3
neatly manicured nails. This time around, she wasn’t just seeking revenge for her mom-she was determined to see Beatrice behind bars where she belonged.
Are you serious? What are you trying to find?” Ava asked, now both curious and excited. She’d been itching to dig into Barbara and Beatrice’s computers for ages but had always held back because Mona used to insist it was wrong to invade her cousin and aunt’s privacy.
Mona clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. “I want dirt on Barbara and Teddy-photos of them together, maybe even videos if you can find any,” she said through gritted teeth.
Barbara had been messing around with Teddy since their senior year, so there were bound to be some intimate photos. The real question was if there were any steamy videos, too. Knowing Barbara, she’d definitely have kept some proof of their relationship. Mona figured the files would be either on Barbara’s computer or Beatrice’s. After all, those two were cut from the same cloth.
“No way! Are you saying Barbara and your fiancé are hooking up? Why are you even going through with the engagement? You should just slap him in the face.” Ava fumed. She’d always suspected Teddy wasn’t trustworthy, but finding out he’d been sneaking around with Mona’s cousin was beyond infuriating. Absolutely unforgivable.
Just wait for the show tomorrow. Send me the files when you get them. I’ll treat you to a meal after,” Mona said before hanging up. She lay down on her bed, feeling a wave of relief. It was a good thing she’d come back the night before the engagement. If she’d returned after it, canceling the whole thing would’ve been a real mess.
Realizing she only had Maxwell’s number and not his WhatsApp, Mona quickly added him. She wasn’t sure when Maxwell had started liking her in her past life, but right now, it was clear those feelings weren’t there yet. ‘Will he fall for me this time around?’ she wondered.
Deep down, she hoped he would. In her previous life, she had spent enough time by his side to develop real feelings for him.
The next morning, the Clem household buzzed with activity as everyone prepared for the engagement ceremony.
Bright and early, Polly went to wake Mona, still thinking about the strange things she’d said the night before. She hoped Mona had come to her senses. “Ms. Clem, it’s time to get up. You still need to try on your engagement dress and get your makeup done,” Polly called out, knocking on the door.
Mona opened the door and stepped out, only to wince at the sight of her engagement dress. It was a tacky Barbie pink, overloaded with sparkly rhinestones-an eyesore, to say the least.
If she were just canceling the engagement with Teddy, she wouldn’t care much. But today was about getting engaged to Maxwell. Plus, it was her first time seeing him since coming back, so she really wanted to make a good impression.
“Polly, do I have a backup dress?” Mona asked. She had already checked her wardrobe, but most of her clothes were pink. She couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What was I thinking buying so many pink outfits? What’s wrong with me?”
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