The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 124

In the Lunar Lab, it only took a couple of hours to verify a familial connection with their cutting–edge equipment.

“Let’s use magnetic beads to extract the DNA and run a parallel test with the silica column method.” Phecda suggested, slipping on surgical gloves with practiced ease, while Megrez did the same, inquiring. “Boss, if she’s adopted, why the DNA check? It can’t be another Vincent situation, can it?”

Noella, masked and with lashes fluttering like delicate feathers, peered down at the lysis solution she had just enriched with tissue fragments. “In this world, there might be random acts of kindness, but nothing truly happens without reason.”

She had sensed something off when Vincent and Belinda showered extra attention on Briony, overlooking both her and Old Mrs. Lambert. At that time, it was just suspicion, but when she was suddenly declared not a Lambert, she took matters into her own hands to test her DNA against that of the Lambert family. She was indeed not Vincent’s daughter, and neither was Briony.

“So, boss, you think Yvonne might be blood–related to Ashlyn? What’s the angle here? To have your own flesh and blood raised without recognition? If Yvonne really is a Schnabel, why all this cloak–and–dagger stuff?”

Noella expertly added isopropanol and magnetic beads to the solution, inverting the tube to mix the contents.

“Uncertain. We’ll know once the results are in.”

She always preferred to let the data do the talking.

Phecda was puzzled. If Yvonne was actually Ashlyn’s granddaughter, wouldn’t she rightfully be Ms. Schnabel, entitled to at least the same treatment as their boss?

“By the way, boss, Ivan messaged that ‘Thorpe‘ we nabbed last time, real name Tandy, turns out he’s the head of Heartfelt Orphanage and Tandy Hospital. He’s locked up in Lockhart

Prison now.”

Noella frowned slightly. “Isn’t Lockhart on the border?”

“Yeah, we’ve been there before. His activities were border–based, so they transferred him to the border prison. But our network in Lockhart Prison isn’t very strong right now, so meeting him could be tricky.”

Their Obelisk Organization had its dealings on the deep web and some connection with

Lockhart Prison, the largest penitentiary on the border.

“Which group has sway over Lockhart Prison right now?”

mischievous wink, his

Chapter 124

placed the centrifuge tubes into the magnetic rack. “If your mouth is crooked, I don’t

fix it.”

that.

leg, wear something slinky, and he’ll be putty in your

face, feigning horror. “Round it off, and if Vocalist has a say, then so does our Obelisk Organization, right? If you want to see Tandy, just go through

might be chums with the top brass at Lockhart, but to get our boss in to see a high–profile inmate like

did not!

stand on her own two feet, never bothering others with problems she could handle herself.

isn’t just anybody; he might be family one day. Besides, if he’s not willing to help with such a small favor, where’s his commitment?”

she watched the DNA samples settle in the centrifuge tubes.

out exactly what happened back at Heartfelt Orphanage, how she had been

be

could unravel the mystery, at least she’d know who

think it

chin. “Or you could just ask Mr. Pollack out–dinner, a movie, an amusement park. Isn’t that how all the young couples date these

how guys ask girls out,

our boss asked Mr. Pollack on

the scenes. He’d already sent the text. It was up to Mr. Pollack

hours later, Noella reviewed the lab results with a furrowed

she

kin!

Marcel. So Ashlyn had her heart set on looking out for Yvonne, which was sort of understandable given that Yvonne was her own flesh and blood, her granddaughter.

about to hit the restroom, let out an exclamation, “Holy smokes, Boss, have I time–traveled or what?”

the lab reports on her desk and picked up the

laced with an indefinable allure. “I’m

out.”

Hadn’t they agreed to meet tonight? What on earth was