The Killer Queen ( Noella Briony ) novel Chapter 249

Palmer lowered his voice to a near whisper, audible only to Noella and himself.

"Play nice, and I'll help you with whatever you need."

Noella withdrew her foot, taking several sips of ice-cold water to calm herself.

Why did she get the feeling Palmer's words held a double meaning?

Beckett pressed his fingers against his temples. "Yvonne is going too far. Why is she never satisfied? Not only did she poison Ashlyn, but she always targets Noella!"

Malvina shrugged her shoulders. "I think Noella’s been too soft on her. That's why she keeps pushing her luck. We might as well maroon her on a deserted island and let her fend for herself."

Malvina had seen Noella throw a punch or two in her time. If those fists ever landed on Yvonne's sour face, a couple of hits and Yvonne would be knocking on heaven's door.

Ulrich cast a glance at Malvina. "That would be illegal."

"What? And your punch at the hospital wasn't? Got it. It's all part of your special treatment for psych patients!"

Ulrich met Beckett's puzzled gaze and coughed into his fist, pushing Malvina's head back down to her meal.

He had lashed out at Yvonne last time because she had insulted Malvina and spread nasty rumors about the Schnabel family. If he had known she wouldn't learn her lesson, he would have hit her harder!

Malvina checked the message on her phone.

"Noella darling, Yvonne is threatening to livestream and expose your so-called crimes. Talk about shameless!"

Malvina marveled at Yvonne's audacity, which seemed as impenetrable as city walls!

With swift thumbs, Noella issued commands through her phone: [Track the account; let her go live].

[Heh, this is going to be good!]

Alioth rubbed his hands together gleefully, ready for the show to begin.

Beckett soothes Noella. "Noella, I will take care of this, including the Yvonne situation. You don't need to worry."

"Thanks, Beckett."

...

At Imperial University, a sleek Cullinan pulled up, and Palmer handed a bag to Noella, his gaze soft.

"I'll come pick you up when you’re done."

"No need to bother, I can take a cab home."

Seeing Palmer's insistence and remembering her promise from the night before, Noella nodded in agreement.

"Then I'm off."

"You don’t have many classes today. Are you going to eat lunch with your classmate? If the canteen doesn't serve anything you like, there's a restaurant nearby owned by the Pollack Group."

Noella stood at the entrance, puzzled by Palmer's excessive care.

Was he this considerate with everyone?

"I'm fine with the canteen."

Palmer didn't press further. "I've put some snacks and a thermos in your bag. Make sure you drink plenty of warm water."

"Palmer, why are you fussier than my dad?"

In fact, on the way here, Palmer had even fixed Noella's hair and collar - something even Tristan hadn't fussed over so much!

Could it be that Ms. Schnabel wasn't as favored as they thought?

The thought made Oriana secretly gloat.

After all, a country girl plucked from obscurity probably knew nothing, and it would be normal for a prominent family like the Schnabels to look down on her.

Oriana intentionally raised her voice. "I wonder if those news stories from yesterday have affected Noella."

At the mention of the news, the classmates' expressions soured.

Seeing people pay attention to her, Oriana's voice grew even louder. "I never expected Noella to be this kind of person. You think you know someone,but..."

Noella, slouched in the back row with her legs stretched out, overheard the whisper and let out a derisive snort.

"What kind of person would that be?" she asked, her voice low but carrying enough to make heads turn.

Her tone was a mix of resolve, cool detachment, and biting sarcasm that sent shivers down spines. She sounded like a mountain stream - clear and distant - yet her words landed like thunderclaps.

She twirled a fountain pen between her fingers absentmindedly. It was a morning gift from Marcel, who claimed it held sentimental value from his own school days.

"What kind of person am I, exactly? Enlighten me. What does 'you think you know someone, but' even mean? Do you know me, or just my reputation?"

Oriana hadn't expected Noella to retort, especially not here, not now. Shouldn't she be hiding at home, too ashamed to show her face here?

A flush crept up Oriana's cheeks. "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just... all the gossip online, it's not exactly painting you in the best light."

Noella's lips curled into a scornful smile, a light and airy expression that chilled to the bone. Her eyes, icy and commanding, transformed her into a queen of ice and snow, causing the room temperature to drop.

"Oh, really? Then it seems you might be lacking some grey matter. No capacity for judgment, just a mouthpiece for rumors. Seems like this classmate's brain and gut are pretty much the same - full of the same stuff."