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?”

are a bunch of goons–not only are they ugly as sin, but they’re

hitman, Cerulean Whale’s bizarre standards had turned them into a

a rescue, remember? Don’t

Thorpe looked defeated. “Can you let me down? Xavier, you’ve wiped out my

clearly

him down. His brain’s

to a rather literal injury to Thorpe’s head–a blow that had left him with

Hollis, looking frail and pale, was wheeled in

dying man. This guy seemed half–dead already!”

his head towards Xavier from his wheelchair. “Xavier,

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

cool and detached.

meant,” Hollis replied, his eyes acknowledging her true identity. This guy, Hollis, seemed to be smarter than

let’s make a deal. Hand over Tandy, and I’ll let

a chair over for Noella. “Have a seat, Noella. Why stand when you can sit? That Pollack boy didn’t even think to fetch you a chair. Useless. If you ever get bored of him, I’ve got a

“What are you offering? Death row inmates? Drug lords or

forehead awkwardly, realizing his blunder. Lockhart Prison was filled with the depraved and the damned, including himself–a man burdened with sins.

I’m tired of this nonsense. If it wasn’t for orders from up 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. If Thorpe

something, Thorpe. You can spill the beans just as

a snap of her fingers, Noella cut to the chase. “Xavier, how many times did you try to off

“You think Marcel is worth spending on

that so? Yet, I seem to recall the Cerulean Whale gang trying to

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

was, they were well–prepared, having rigged the hospital room with explosives and bribed the medical