The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 33

At the Lambert ancestral home in Linefort City.

Jasper’s hired muscle flew in by chopper and, while still several feet from the ground, yanked Vincent out and dumped him right at the doorstep of the Lambert ancestral horne,

Vincent, well into his fifties, nearly broke every bone in his old body!

“Dammit… Do you even know the law? This is assault, pure and simple!”

The bodyguard, sporting dark shades, Just gave a lopsided grin and sneered. “Our boss said we’re doing you a solid, dropping you home. You know exactly how you treated Ms. Noella–don’t play innocent!”

Vincent was speechless.

This was completely different!

Noella was just a heartless country bumpkin while he was the high and mighty CEO of the Lambert family!

After making the delivery, the bodyguard hopped back on the chopper and took off.

Blown around by the helicopter’s downdraft, Vincent’s hair was a mess, his suit was wrinkled, and his face was caked with dust and dirt, making him look like a beggar.

The actual beggars at the Lambert ancestral home’s gate nearly mistook him for one of their

own.

Vincent was fuming. He whipped out his phone to call the cops, but, of course, there was no signal!

Maddox, who was in charge of guarding the old homestead, spotted Vincent and hurried over to greet him.

“Mr. Lambert, why didn’t you give us a heads–up? Here to donate?”

Vincent was speechless again.

He was too proud to come back home without fanfare, always making a big show of donating like 30 to 50 grand, turning it into a spectacle the whole village knew about.

Vincent changed the subject. “How come there’s not even a proper road in this place?”

“Ah, Mr. Lambert, you’re here to fund road construction? That’s fantastic! I’ll go tell the mayor right now!”

Vincent quickly grabbed him.

“No, no, get me out of here first. My phone’s got no signal; I can’t make any donations to the village!”

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Chapter 33

“What? Mr. Lambert, you’re also gonna build us a cell tower? That’s amazing!”

Maddox! Playing dumb because of

he wouldn’t donate, and he really didn’t want to shell out

to negotiate. Get me out of here. Does

do. Let me

was baffled. What kind of

to get the “vehicle,” Vincent

to make something of himself in Tranquility

at it, the house seemed to have been

materials, even planted Old Mrs. Lambert’s favorite osmanthus tree by the door–a mature tree of this variety could easily fetch 200

behind this renovation. Why would he spend money

Briony, secretly

it, the more it made

an amazing

rough patch, it was still not to be underestimated, given its previous glory. Besides, they had always been a notch

unlike Noella, who was always so lukewarm towards those

he would definitely need to talk about Briony’s engagement with the Rosenbergs–can’t let a catch like that get

thoughts, Vincent’s daydream was shattered when Maddox showed up

actual ox cart!

old ox clearly had seen better days, stopping to rest after every step.

got. Hop on, and we’ll make

voice was trembling. “There’s transportation

there, hop on a bus, and you’ll be in Linefort City in no

Vincent remembered.

715

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Chapter 33

Linefort City

when the village asked him to donate for road construction, he thought it wasn’t worth it since he couldn’t brag about it, so he donated to Tranquility City’s overpass instead,

Once it gets light,

climbed atop the ox cart, dodging cow dung

“Take Mr. Lambert

cart lurched forward, shaking so violently that Vincent’s

Vincent’s retreating figure. He pulled out a smartphone equipped with satellite GPS

roads and a cell tower on video. Sending

“Appreciate it.”

split into a

for your help, our village would’ve been toast a long time ago, not to mention the renovations you funded for the ancestral home and the

house. It’s the least I could

video Maddox sent her

Old Mrs. Lambert had weathered her

later, at Tranquility City Police Station.

open the slammer door and let

a scruffy beard and looking all kinds of wiped, waited at the

gobsmacked at the sight of

come you look like you’ve been through the wringer more than I did, and

He hustled back from Linefort City, burning rubber to pull every string the Lambert family had