The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 178

Hanging upside down from a beam in the black tower of Lockhart Prison, Thorpe was a sorry sight to behold. His once intimidating frame was now a patchwork of bruises and wounds.

Noella peered at the battered figure, her brows knitting together in confusion. “And who might you be?”

Thorpe’s fury broke through his battered facade. “Wise Fool, do you have to do this to me? I didn’t know you are Ms. Schnabel, and it was Xavier who had a bone to pick with your grandpa, not me! You’ve killed more of my guys over that blasted deal than I can count, and I haven’t even come knocking for payback!”

With a casual shrug, Noella replied, “You’re Thorpe? Didn’t recognize you there. Anyway, if your boys were stronger, maybe they wouldn’t have fallen so easily. Blaming me seems a bit shameless, don’t you think?”

Xavier chimed in with a snicker. “Shameless? He’s way past that. I knocked the looks right off his face!”

Thorpe’s swollen appearance did little to help his recognition; in fact, he looked more like a bloated caricature of himself.

It was only because Thorpe had watched a livestream of Noella’s birthday bash, organized by the Schnabel family while he was helping Hollis recover, that he recognized her. The face of Palmer, a familiar enemy. had appeared amid the birthday bash and it nearly drove Thorpe over the edge.

The CEO of the Pollack Group was one of his archenemies?

The moment he saw Noella standing close to Palmer, he knew–she was that Ms. Noella from the Schnabel family. Her confident stance as she fired her gun and her tussle with Lyra, it all clicked for Thorpe, who had faced her numerous times on the international warzones.

Ms. Noella from the Schnabel family, another nemesis?

Suddenly, Thorpe felt as if all his efforts over the years had been for naught.

What kind of heiress moonlights as a hitwoman?

“You’re the one who summoned me to Lockhart Prison and now you’ve got me strung up like a side of beef. What’s your endgame? You aiming to swallow up Cerulean Whale?”

they ugly as sin, but they’re dumb as a sack of hammers. Taking them

the Obelisk Organization. While looks weren’t a priority for a hitman, Cerulean Whale’s bizarre standards had turned them into a pack of over–muscled transformers. Noella preferred to keep her distance from such ostentatious displays of brute

I called you here for a rescue, remember? Don’t you care about

defeated. “Can you let me down? Xavier, you’ve wiped out my team; I’m no threat

glanced at Noella, clearly seeking her approval.

down. His brain’s fried

a rather literal injury to Thorpe’s head–a blow that had left him with more than just a few clots and

Hollis, looking frail and pale, was

have no interest in beating dying man.

from his wheelchair. “Xavier,

his condition, Hollis then turned his attention to Noella, his smile growing a touch warmer. “I owe you my life,

and detached. “Lunaris saved you, not

you understand what I meant,” Hollis replied, his eyes acknowledging her true identity. This guy, Hollis, seemed to be smarter than his brothers.

and I’ll let you call the shots with Cerulean Whale’s men

fetch you a chair. Useless. If you ever get bored of him, I’ve

gaze was icy as she retorted. “What are you offering? Death row inmates? Drug

depraved and the damned, including himself–a man burdened with sins. There

high, Tandy wouldn’t have lasted this long. You think I’d tolerate his attitude? If you want to take him, make him spill everything first.” Xavier’s plan seemed flawless. According to Noella, Tandy was already on death’s door.

Thorpe. You can spill the

chase. “Xavier, how many times did you try to off

“You think Marcel is worth spending on more than once?”

look. “Is that so? Yet, I seem to recall the Cerulean Whale gang trying to take out my grandad not once, but

was during the second incident that Noella had casually saved Sexton, who was in the throes

rigged the hospital room with explosives and bribed the medical staff. If anything had gone wrong. Sexton and Marcel would likely