The Killer Queen

His breath was hot against her skin, his breathing growing more urgent by the second. The warmth of it caressed Noella’s neck.

“Let go, or I won’t hesitate to give you a thrashing!”

Palmer chuckled helplessly. “I know my fiancée fancies a spar, but it’s quite the mood killer in this setting.”

Mood killer?

She was practically trapped in his embrace, unable to move an inch! And he had the nerve to call it a mood killer? If it weren’t for the fact that the house’s renovations had left the structure less than stable, her fist would have already made contact with his face!

With a gentle yet firm grip, Palmer’s hands encircled her slender waist, lifting her effortlessly onto the bed.

The room was dark, and her bed was unusually high. Palmer sat cross–legged on the floor mat, gazing up at her. His eyes seemed to hold endless moonlight, merging with the silver glow from the window, casting an indescribable tenderness.

“Just sleep here, alright? Let’s not disturb Grandma by going to her room, okay?”

Old Mrs. Lambert’s room was small, and besides, without Noella, he had no particular inclination to stay at someone else’s place.

He was here solely for Noella.

With that said, Noella lay back down.

The moonlight poured through the window, and she slept dreamlessly.

In the morning. Noella rose quietly to answer a call in the yard, careful not to wake the still–sleeping Palmer.

“Boss, Ulrich and that guy with a scar face are almost across the bortler. Should we keep tailing them?”

“Keep on them, don’t let anything happen to Ulrich.”

“We’re checking out the address Thorpe gave us, and something’s off.”

“What’s wrong?” Noella frowned.

“According to this prison timeline, the man we’re looking for might be another brother of Thorpe’s.”

Another brother? The one who had dealings with Toxic Monarch and got nabbed at the bar, the fake Thorpe?

“Review all the surveillance footage from that night. I need more info on this guy and keep me

updated.”

Erek agreed and hung up.

Standing in the yard, the morning breeze brisk and clear, Noella began her morning routine, a series of stretches and exercises to tune her body.

Finishing her routine, she exhaled deeply.

“Looks like my fiancée is into doing morning exercises? Grandpa likes them too. You two can exercise together in the future.”

Noella turned to meet Palmer’s gaze. He’d awoken at some point and had been watching her from her bedroom window.

Verdant Garden was just an old house in a rural village, not nearly as grand as the Schnabel Manor. Even from the second story, it felt within reach.

Palmer vaulted from the window, landing deftly in the courtyard, his movements fluid and graceful. He walked over to Noella and gently touched his forehead to hers. “Good morning, my fiancée.”

“Can’t you find another term of endearment?”

In just one night, she’d wager the whole village knew she’d brought home a fiancé.

“Too many people call you Noella. If I did the same, you might forget about me.”

Palmer smiled, straightening up. “Those unloved often crave to stand out. Please, indulge my insecurities.”

His words left little room for denial without seeming unreasonable.

She turned away, only to be greeted by Maddox, who peeked his head in through the door. “Maddox, good morning.”

Maddox came in carrying a plate of breakfast burritos, setting them on the small stone table in the courtyard.

“Good morning, I didn’t expect you guys to be up this early.”

Up this early, could it be nothing happened last night?

Maddox suddenly felt as if he’d let Old Mrs. Lambert down, after assuring her he’d make things happen.

Was this gentleman not quite up to snuff?

The thought had Maddox eyeing Palmer with a touch of suspicion. “Ms. Noella, will you guys be leaving today?”

“Yes, I need to head back to Imperial City. Grandpa’s being discharged from the hospital.”

Maddox nodded. “Good, and maybe the young master can get a check–up too. Ah, no offense.

11:13 NôvelDrama.Org owns this.

It’s just that the Fuller family heard you’re back and they’re clamoring to see you.”

The Fullers lived in the city, quite a distance from Glen Village.

“What do they want with me?”

“Ellsworth’s the issue. Lost a bundle gambling recently and is likely cooking up some scheme. Best to eat up and get going before you run into him. It could get messy.” Maddox’s tone soured at the mention of the Fullers. “If it weren’t for their constant pestering of Old Mrs. Lambert, and almost taking you away, she wouldn’t have fallen ill. That year, they whisked you. away, barred Old Mrs. Lambert from looking for you. She nearly cried her eyes blind!”

Maddox’s indignation flared as he recounted the past..

The Fullers had been hell–bent on seeing Noella come to harm, to clear the way for Belinda to have a second child–a male heir. They’d concocted all manner of vile schemes!

Noella nibbled on the breakfast burrito, silent.

If the Fullers hadn’t stolen her away and dumped her beyond the international warzone, she never would have been found by the Polaris Star! All the darkness she’d experienced had begun then.

The day she returned, Old Mrs. Lambert hadn’t asked questions, just wept, holding her hand, heartbroken. Vincent had never shown concern, even when she was still considered a part of their family. From that moment, she felt like she was without a home.

When Old Mrs. Lambert passed, Noella’s sense of family truly dissolved. The person who loved her most in the world was gone.

However, the Schnabels embraced her like one of their own, and it was a revelation to her–she. of all people, could have a family too.

Maddox was still fuming with righteous anger. “Those crooks are the worst, trying to hawk. Verdant Garden last time, as if they had any right to it!”

“This house?”

“Exactly. When the Fullers heard that this house was sold, not knowing that it was bought by your family, they came sniffing around, thinking they were entitled to a slice of the pie. It turns out Ellsworth was in the hole for three million in gambling debts.”

Noella pieced it together; the Fullers‘ talk of selling Verdant Garden was just a ruse to cause trouble.

“The money’s in Vincent’s hands, what’s that got to do with me?”

Maddox was irate. “Oh, my dear Ms. Noella, obviously, they’re hoping you’d marry into their mess and bring along the three million! Who couldn’t see through the Fullers‘ little scheme?”

So that was their game.

Noella had kept her distance from the Fullers for years and was oblivious to their scheming.

11:13

“I get it. Maddox. Don’t worry about it. We’ll leave after breakfast. Just lock up the yard on your way out.

She noticed the security cameras the Schnabels had discreetly installed around the estate. If the Fullers tried anything, they’d be in for a nasty surprise.

“Alright, will do.”

After breakfast, Palmer held the car door open for Noella, exchanging a few words with Maddox.

Back in the car, Noella glanced at Rim. “What were you two talking about?”

“I asked for a picture of Grandma. I want her to be with us at our wedding, in spirit at least.”

Noella was taken aback.

He had thought of such a detail?

She had never imagined her wedding day before, but if she were to marry, she too would want her grandmother to be there in some way.

As the sports car underwent a series of mechanical transformations, it morphed into a helicopter, its rotor blades kicking up a noisy fuss. Swirling ground leaves and sweet–smelling blossoms into the air, it left Verdant Garden shrinking into the distance until it was nothing but a shadow.

Softly, in her heart, Noella whispered, “Grandma, I’ll come back to visit you again.”

Sensing her thoughts, Palmer offered a comforting smile. “We’ll come back, together.”