The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 14

The auctioneer was all chuckles as he wielded the tiny gavel.

“Up next, an open piece of Intel: Cerulean Whale’s launching a crackdown on Obelisk Organization and Abyssal Organization, and they’re stirring the pot in Imperial City.

Starting bid: three million dollars.

Sure, the headline was on the house, but if they wanted the nitty–gritty, they got to bid.

Noella couldn’t care less about Cerulean Whale gunning for her crew. Bring it on, who’s eating who was still up in the air.

She had been knee–deep in the gem gambling biz for the past couple of years, letting her hitman outfit grow like wildfire, and without much fuss, it became one of the deep web’s big three.

What piqued her interest was Cerulean Whale’s shenanigans in Imperial City, and if she wasn’t barking up the wrong tree, it likely involved Marcel.

She had to snag this info!

Cerulean Whale attacked Marcel right under her nose, could she even show her face around?

Noella raised her paddle. “Three million and ten grand, name’s Wise Fool.”

The crowd was like, “Say what now?”

Three million and ten grand was chump change, but that moniker made everyone else put their paddles down!

Even the auctioneer was speechless.

They were hoping to rake in tens of millions for this juicy tidbit, but with Wise Fool in the house, who would dare to bid against her?

In VIP Room No. 9, Palmer was taken aback, setting his paddle aside,as well.

Looked like it was her he was up against earlier. Since she was interested in that last piece of intel, his three million wasn’t spent in vain.

With that thought, Palmer leaned back, a sly grin spreading across his face.

He had scoured every nook and cranny of the Radi Building for Noella to no avail. Wise Fool wasn’t one to be easily tracked down.

With Wise Fool throwing her hat in the ring, the room went quiet as a mouse, letting her walk away with the news.

“Congrats to Wise Fool. Sold for three million and ten grand!”

The auctioneer was grinning from ear to ear. “Up next, a little freebie for y’all: Gemstone

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Chapter 14

Gambling King is teaming up with some families for a public gem gamble next month. Don’t

miss out.”

Noella was confused.

King was a household name in the jewelry game, a riddle wrapped in a mystery, whose casual toss

appearance? News

over to the message center, swiped her

General Marcel again tomorrow, the price

the Radi Building, a squeaky–clean yet beat–up Volkswagen was about

spotted Palmer by the car as soon as she stepped

her over, his refined and handsome face all lit up with a welcoming ease.

and quipped, “What, you moonlighting as

Noella’s skeptical gaze. Those eyes of his were something else, bright and

his ride, recalling the info she had just dug up about the

tangled in scams or dabbled in adult

done well to survive the cutthroat underworld of the deep

if I give you

a nice gesture to support Palmer’s “side hustle“,

got a welcome gift for you, in case

did not know

after they had already

handed over a little box with the intel. “Take

9? Why drop all that cash on

driver was new. Palmer felt a

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Chapter 14

honcho of Abyssal Organization. He could make a killing with just one job on the deep

this intel just for me? What if I don’t want to join

in the joy it brings. If it makes you happy, that’s its true value. Everything else

cash just to cheer her up?

her hands holding the box

splurge like this on girls?”

was speechless for a moment, then said, “You’re the first. I never gave gifts to ladies,

meant to stir up sad memories and quickly apologized, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to

my gift make you happy?”

Noella was dumbstruck.

asks that kind of thing point–blank?

speechless when she got presents from the Schnabel

didn’t get the concept of

chatted with international orphans online and knew they were straight shooters, always fearing they might not

that in mind, Noella stifled the oddly exhilarating flutter in

“Yeah, happy.”

and Noella, feeling her

hot in

moment before opening her message box right

same person

How did he get