The Divorced Military Queen Awakens (by Sadie Baxter) novel Chapter 581

**TITLE: Military 581**
**Chapter 581: A Debt**

As they stepped out into the corridor, the air was thick with the scent of antiseptic mingling with an undercurrent of low-burning fear. It was a sterile environment, yet it felt charged, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. Julius’s voice broke through the oppressive silence, smooth yet laced with an edge. “You spared Quinn the truth back there. That puts me in your debt. Just name your price.”

Laura lifted an eyebrow, the faint bruise on her neck standing out starkly against the hospital’s blinding white lights. “You mean the truth about how you nearly choked me just moments ago?” she replied, her tone sharp yet controlled.

His gaze hardened, the chill of winter settling into his eyes. “Unless, of course, you plan on spilling it to her anyway.”

“I won’t,” Laura stated firmly, locking her gaze onto his. “I refuse to let something like that shatter what you two have built. And I don’t barter silence for favors. If I desire something, I’ll earn it. If I can’t, then I simply haven’t earned it—it’s as straightforward as that.”

“Even if I could elevate your company overnight, transforming it into one of Jexburgh’s titans?” he pressed, his voice dripping with temptation.

“Tempting,” she conceded, a wry smile playing at the corners of her lips. “But no. I prefer to build my empire step by step, brick by brick. An instant empire might swell my bank account, but it could also erase who I truly am.”

With that declaration hanging in the air, she turned on her heel, her heels clicking against the floor as she made her way toward the elevator, leaving behind a lingering scent of quiet defiance.

Julius stood there, watching her retreat, a wave of surprise rippling beneath his carefully crafted facade of indifference. He had initially dismissed her as just another hard-nosed opportunist, someone he would have easily overlooked had she not been Quinn’s friend. Yet, here she was, turning down a shortcut that most would kill to seize, especially someone who had clawed her way from the depths of nothingness. He realized he had misjudged Laura.

Once outside the hospital’s sterile glow, Laura set her sights on the city detention center, where her stepmother, Sylvia, awaited her.

As soon as Sylvia was ushered into the visitation room, she unleashed her fury, her voice sharp and accusatory. “You’ve got some nerve showing your face here. Write the forgiveness letter, now, and tell these officers to release me and my son!”

Laura’s response was as calm as the steady fall of winter rain. “I’ve already told you. I will not sign any so-called forgiveness.”

Sylvia turned to face Laura, a brittle smile twisting her lips while the harsh fluorescent lights of the holding cell cast shadows beneath her eyes. “So what are you doing here? Came to enjoy the show? Listen closely. I am innocent. The doctors confirmed I was hypnotized. You can forget about locking me up.”

Laura remained unmoved, her arms crossed over her charcoal blazer, her composure so complete that it seemed as if nothing in the small room could penetrate her resolve. “Really? Because the records indicate you stormed into my office and created quite the scene. Yes, the physicians did concede that hypnosis is a possibility, but they never determined which of your actions were truly under its influence.”

A twitch of anger flickered across Sylvia’s cheek, her rage igniting like a match struck in the dark. “Throwing acid was the part done under hypnosis, got it? Don’t twist that around just to lock me away.”

Laura tilted her head, her tone suddenly frostier. “Even if you manage to walk free, your son will not. He’s headed for prison.”

Her knees trembled, hands fluttering like trapped birds. “It isn’t true. I was hypnotized, I swear. I can’t go to prison, I can’t! This is your fault—you’re trying to destroy me.”

Laura turned her back on the outburst, her heels clicking with a calm finality as she strode out of the detention center.

As she exited, Laura acknowledged that she had walked into the building with a sliver of mercy tucked within her coat. If Sylvia had shown even the faintest hint of remorse, she might have considered letting her go. But reality was harsher than that. Hypnosis or not, it was clear that the woman harbored nothing but malice toward Laura.

That night, the neon haze of a downtown bar enveloped her as she stepped inside. She ordered cocktail after cocktail, each glass a pale sea-green concoction the bartender called “A Mother’s Longing.”

The first time she had entered this establishment, that name had snagged her heart. Since then, it had become the only drink she ever indulged in here.

No one could say how many she consumed that night. The warmth of the alcohol fogged her mind until the room swayed gently, as if caught in a slow ocean swell.

Blinking hard to clear her vision, she fished out her phone, determined to book a driver to escort her safely home.

Just then, a steady hand slipped into her view, snatching the phone from her grasp before she could tap the screen. A familiar baritone brushed against her ear. “You’re drunk. Let me take you home.”