The Killer Queen

Noella rounded the corner of the staircase when a peculiar noise from the basement storage room caught her attention. She frowned slightly and whispered, “Palmer, hang on a sec

“I can wait forever.”

After all, what was a little waiting if it made her fall for him?

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Noella paused, sensing an undertone in Palmer’s words. She slipped her locked phone into her blazer pocket and headed towards the basement, where stacks of supplies awaited,

The gallery staff had gone home for the day, but there were still some workers in blue overalls bustling about.

Noella glanced around the storage area and stealthily climbed atop a construction scaffold, crouching above the workers to eavesdrop.

“Come on, lace that batch of paint with the stuff.”

“You sure they won’t detect it once we put them in?”

“No way!” The ringleader was brimming with confidence.

“They’re odorless and colorless. Once they’re in, those painters will be none the wiser until they’re sick. And when that happens, the gallery will be in deep water. Ms. Schnabel chose to be uncooperative and cross swords with the Gruber clan. She made such a show today, turning the Gruber’s gallery into a laughingstock!”

The workers mixed the powdered substance into the paint, and then added the doctored paint cubes into the original batches.

“Is Ms. Schnabel still in her office?”

“Lights out upstairs, must’ve left.”

The lead worker pulled a vial from his pocket, his face twisted with malice, “Just drop this into her office water cooler. One sip and she’s done for!”

The other workers paled on spot, not expecting to take action against Noella.

“You can’t hit Ms. Schnabel, even if you’re out for Petra’s blood. What if the Schnabels come

after us?”

That was Ms. Noella Schnabel, for heaven’s sake. If something happened to her, they wouldn’t have lives enough to pay!

The lead snarled, “Relax, the Gruber family’s got our backs.”

That young wretch had done things without considering their feelings. All Petra did was skim some cash, chump change for the Schnabel family. But Noella had to show her authority and lock Petra up. Well, she couldn’t blame him for playing dirty!

11:23

Noella watched the scene impassively. Her gaze swept over the surveillance EXTATES, AN predictably dead, every red light that should have been blinking was out cold. These guys came prepared.

Once the paint was tampered with, they turned to the materials stored elsewhere,

“What about the equipment?”

“Forget it. The materials we supplied them are faulty, in three days, half of this exhibition space will collapse, preferably during business hours. Wouldn’t it be fun if it crushed a few patrons?”

They had it all figured out. If the equipment failed and the exhibition collapsed, killing people, not even the Schnabel family could save the gallery.

It would close for sure. And they would see who could challenge the Gruber family then!

“Just some country bumpkin thinking she’s Ms. Art Connoisseur? Let’s see how she handles a disaster then!”

“When the gallery falls, they’ll regret handing it over to a brat. There’s nothing the Gruber family can’t do!”

Teeth gritted, the workers swept a glance around the stuff in the storage and left, satisfied with their sabotage to basically everything.

Noella’s gaze darkened bit by bit as she watched them leave through the back door. She recognized them; they were Petra’s go–to crew, who had swindled the gallery for years under Petra’s wing. Now with Petra locked away, those workers lost a cash cow, thus turned to the Gruber family and ganged up for revenge? Conspiring for money and murder, the lowest of the low.

Noella touched her earlobe, remembering the spy earrings Yasbel had tested – with added video capabilities, perfect for recording everything she had just witnessed. Content © provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

The storage room was silent as Noella descended from the roof, dusted off her blazer, and left the gallery.

Stepping outside. Palmer was there with an umbrella.

“It’s started to rain. What were you up to, my fiancée?”

“Just tying up loose ends.”

This was the first time Palmer saw Noella in her professional attire. Her tailored capris revealed slender, pale ankles, and her heels added an elegant touch to her usual sassy charm.

After dinner, Palmer walked Noella to the gates of her home, gazing at her, reluctant to part

ways.

“I’m sorry I missed the chance to see you paint today.”

But he’d saved the video as his phone’s live wallpaper, a reminder of her when he used his phone.

11:23

Palmer stepped forward, embracing Noella and planting a swift kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight. And if you’re not yet accustomed to missing me, then dream of me.”

“Goodnight.”

Noella turned and entered the manor, only to find Marcel eagerly awaiting in his wheelchair like a rubberneck, his gaze fixed on her, coughing until she entered the house.

“Noella, did you have fun with Palmer?”

“It was alright.”

“Good, good. Just remember, you still gotta be careful. I’m not an old fuddy–duddy, but you’ve got to look after yourself. And you know, I do look forward to seeing a fourth generation of the Schnabels. Will the kids take the Palmer name or stick with Schnabel?”

Noella could only muster a helpless gaze at Marcel’s misguided musings. What was he even talking about? Her and Palmer hadn’t even come close to discussing kids.

“Grandpa, what are you getting at?”

Marcel clutched the throw pillow on the sofa, chuckling with glee, ‘I’m just getting a feel of what it’s like to hold a baby again. Gosh, it’s been ages since we had a little one in the house. I’m looking forward to it!”

Noella struggled to find her words, “Grandpa, maybe my brother Beckett should take a crack at it. He’s the eldest in the Schnabel family. It really shouldn’t fall to me.”

Marcel perked up at that. “Sure thing! I’ll nudge him about it tomorrow! You head on up and get some rest.”

“Goodnight, Grandpa.”

As Noella turned to ascend the staircase, she could still hear Marcel cackling with the pillow sounding like he was already brainstorming names for his future great–grandchild

She quickly assembled her compact laptop, her slender, alabaster fingers dancing across the keyboard, pulling up a page on the deep web.

“Send this video to the head of the Gruber family, under the name of the Obelisk Organization.”

Erek clicked on the video and nearly choked on his pasta.

“Holy smokes, the Gruber family have some nerve! To think they’d make a move on you boss! I’ll send it right away. Any message to include?”

Noella’s expression was ice–cold as she responded indifferently. “Tell them to have three hundred million ready. Otherwise, this video goes straight to the Schnabels. Pay up, or clean their necks and wait for me.”

The Gruber family had challenged her too many times, thinking she wouldn’t fight back? Her retaliation was something most people couldn’t handle.