The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 54

Imperial West Hospital.

Ashlyn was lying in bed, eyes shut.

Yvonne came rushing in, bawling her eyes out, and collapsed onto Ashlyn’s bed in a flood of tears!

“Granny, you’ve gotta save me! Grandpa says he’s gonna hand me over!”

“What’s the scoop? Your grandpa’s not lost his marbles; where’s he handing you off to?”

Yvonne pulled out the sob story she had prepped, crying her heart out.

“Granny, I’ve been pinching pennies to buy Nourishment Pills for Grandpa and Grandpa Sexton, but they say it’s no good. You’re taking Nourishment Pills yourself, Granny, you know best how awesome they are! I blew half a year’s pocket money on Nourishment Pills for Grandpa, and now he’s talking about handing me over to the Pollack family’s legal team, saying I’ve gotta do time… Granny, if I’m gone, who’s gonna look after you?”

Hearing this, Ashlyn started to panic. “Yvonne, you still got enough Nourishment Pills for me. right?”

If Yvonne got snatched by the Pollack folks, at least she wouldn’t be left high and dry without her meds!

“Yeah, you haven’t taken today’s yet, Granny. Have it now!”

With Yvonne’s help, Ashlyn took her Nourishment Pill, visibly relaxing, and with the scripture reading in the background, she began to drift off, losing focus on what was in front of her.

“Granny, you’ve gotta help me out. I’m your one and only granddaughter.”

Ashlyn, groggy, nodded along, echoing her words.

Yvonne tucked Ashlyn in with a smirk, pride written all over her face.

If Sexton got dosed with Nourishment Pills, maybe he’d start dancing to her tune just like Ashlyn!

In Marcel’s room, Calvin was holding two test papers.

“Mr. Schnabel, does your family have two Yvonnes or something? I mean, any relatives with that name?”

Marcel was stumped, putting down his chess piece.

“I got two identical test papers here, both with Yvonne’s name on them, check this out.”

“Let me see.”

On both papers, Yvonne’s name was written clear as day!

Chapter 54

a fail, the other aced

handwriting; the failing one’s gotta be

a bunch of teachers have been saying they

his phone. “Yvonne, to my room.”

“Right away. Grandpa.”

the room and saw Calvin, smug

a whiz kid in medicine, about time he started giving her

“Yvonne, explain this.”

She hadn’t paid up, so how come the

stopped me from attending classes, I had to prove my chops this way. But I know she didn’t mean any

you were threatened?

a bully, using my family’s name. Some kids used to pick on me for being a Schnabel girl, and with my folks and bro

phone, a barrage of mean

are all the nasty things they’ve said. I’m really scared, Grandpa! But please, go easy

frown deepened. “What’s the deal with the test

even though I never set foot in school, I’ve been secretly studying outside the classroom. I’d never let the Schnabel

go, I’ll handle

left relieved, tears still streaming.

Calvin was gobsmacked!

chops are wasted

buying her story?”

for a second, full of baloney like her granny.”

plan

pondered for a moment, then dialed Beckett’s number, giving him the lowdown.

12:43

Chapter 54

up to at school, and go easy

“Will do, Grandpa.”

Mansion In

like a burglar had

install cameras in the study after a bid document went missing last

his study more than once, filching a bunch of the Lambert family documents

Lambert family had been taking hits.

thriving under his watch, never faced such a rough

the Rosenberg

If you don’t make

touch turned to dust, and they were all a bunch of jinxed hot–heads. They just lost it when Vincent

out of your mind, Vincent? Who the hell would want your family’s junk? You really think you’re some kind of business whiz? How do you have the nerve to come begging us, the

just snorted. “I’ve got proof, and if you’re gonna play dumb, we can just take it to court!” The Rosenberg folks weren’t falling for that. “Proof? You mean that trash your daughter dragged in? Pfft! She was the one all eager to bring it, and we didn’t even want

hung up in