The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 71

The lab crew were all whiz kids Noella plucked from the brink of the international warzones. Their IQs had been cranked up to the maximum humans could handle. They rattled off the experimental data Noella needed in under five minutes.

“Boss, I’m gonna run a control experiment on Mirage Grass, see what ailments it really kicks. butt against.

Noella skimmed the data and quickly zeroed in on the vital clue. “Highly likely it’s brain cancer. Half an hour later, the control experiment results were in, and Mirage Grass was a

game–changer for brain cancer but only had side effects like an anesthetic or hallucinogen for other diseases.

It was a godsend for patients with screwy minds, or who had been under mental duress for ages, but for those with their heads screwed on right, it was pure poison.

“Boss, how the heck did you figure that out? That’s just nuts; you’re even smarter than us!”

“Set up the new experiment. I need five hundred slides.”

Five hundred slides meant Phecda and Megrez were in for hours of hustle, but they didn’t utter a peep and got cracking, seamlessly working in sync with Noella to carry out the experiment methodically.

After finishing up in the lab, Noella stepped out to find night had fallen–it wasn’t early by any stretch.

She then remembered she had promised Ulrich she would swing by his lab that afternoon. She had blown it off, and Ulrich must’ve been blowing up her phone.

She pulled out her phone, and sure enough, there were twenty missed calls and a barrage of over fifty messages.

[Sis, where you at?]

[Got caught up in something? Hit me back when you see this!]

Noella quickly dialed back, chatting with Ulrich as she made her way to a car parked at the curb and hopped in.

“Ulrich, I got tied up this afternoon; it totally slipped my mind to tell you. I’m with Palmer now, be home in a jiff.”

Hearing her voice nearly brought Ulrich to tears!

“Alright, as long as you’re safe. I was scared you got nabbed by aliens or something! Next time, give me a heads up, okay?”

11:14

“Got it.”

went well, he was so distracted he nearly

car, only putting them aside when

I’ll take you to dinner, then home.”

you working in the car? Your company went belly up? Or did the Pollack Group building get knocked out by an

company and the Pollack Group building are A–OK. Just wanted to make sure you

you.”

for her. But things are different in Imperial City than in the international warzones, and Noella didn’t want

I was at the

you agreed to Thorpe’s request, you’d definitely be researching Mirage Grass. If not at Ulrich’s lab, then here.

all over again. Partly because the geniuses didn’t trust anyone but Noella, and they wouldn’t touch the equipment unless they were sure it hadn’t been tampered with.

so frequent that

perfect for Lunar Lab!

drove into the city center and

to?”

to him, draped in his suit jacket, her head tilted slightly, fast asleep. In the dim night,

the heart; she must’ve been beat to fall asleep next to him.

off next to another assassin could only mean she truly trusted him now! Palmer’s heart softened, shifted Noella’s head onto his shoulder to let her sleep

need, straight back to the

“Roger that.”

11:14

Chapter 71

Palmer scooped up the snoozing Noella and carried her into

being lovey–dovey at her folks, leaving only Stirling in the living. room, supposedly reading

darting to the door, the same spot in the script stared at all night, without even a hint of his

Stirling leaped up from

with Noella?”

I’ll take

all defensive, hand outstretched. “No need to trouble you, Mr. Pollack. Hand her over; I’ll

wake

a faint smile on his face as he

sleeping face, backed down but warned, “Alright, I’ll show you. But don’t you dare

with Noella in his arms,

was totally Noella’s jam, but the place was still chock–full of gifts from the four Schnabel

laid Noella down on the bed and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Nighty night,