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

the failing one’s gotta be hers, and the other must be

teachers have been saying they haven’t seen Yvonne since the

reaching for his

“Right away. Grandpa.”

room and saw Calvin, smug as

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

“Yvonne, explain this.”

She hadn’t paid up, so

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

“You’re saying you were threatened? Then why not

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

a barrage of mean messages

scared, Grandpa! But please, go easy on them. They didn’t mean

the deal with

even though I never set foot in school, I’ve been secretly studying outside

you go,

relieved, tears still

Calvin was gobsmacked!

are wasted

buying her

full of baloney like her granny.”

the plan for

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

12:43

Chapter 54

school, and go easy on the

“Will do, Grandpa.”

Mansion In Tranquility

his study to find it looked like a

been savvy enough to install cameras in the study after a bid

a bunch

wonder the Lambert family had been taking hits. The Rosenbergs were

Lambert family had been thriving under his watch, never faced such a

up the

you don’t make up

rough patch lately. It seems like everything they touch turned to dust, and they were all a bunch of jinxed hot–heads. They just lost it when Vincent gave them an earful out

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 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 it! Don’t think I don’t know about you trying to butter up Ms. Schnabel with gifts and getting the door slammed in your face. Now, the whole Imperial City

up in no time.