The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 71

The lab crew were all whiz kids Noella plucked from the brink of the international warzones. Their IQs had been cranked up to the maximum humans could handle. They rattled off the experimental data Noella needed in under five minutes.

“Boss, I’m gonna run a control experiment on Mirage Grass, see what ailments it really kicks. butt against.

Noella skimmed the data and quickly zeroed in on the vital clue. “Highly likely it’s brain cancer. Half an hour later, the control experiment results were in, and Mirage Grass was a

game–changer for brain cancer but only had side effects like an anesthetic or hallucinogen for other diseases.

It was a godsend for patients with screwy minds, or who had been under mental duress for ages, but for those with their heads screwed on right, it was pure poison.

“Boss, how the heck did you figure that out? That’s just nuts; you’re even smarter than us!”

“Set up the new experiment. I need five hundred slides.”

Five hundred slides meant Phecda and Megrez were in for hours of hustle, but they didn’t utter a peep and got cracking, seamlessly working in sync with Noella to carry out the experiment methodically.

After finishing up in the lab, Noella stepped out to find night had fallen–it wasn’t early by any stretch.

She then remembered she had promised Ulrich she would swing by his lab that afternoon. She had blown it off, and Ulrich must’ve been blowing up her phone.

She pulled out her phone, and sure enough, there were twenty missed calls and a barrage of over fifty messages.

[Sis, where you at?]

[Got caught up in something? Hit me back when you see this!]

Noella quickly dialed back, chatting with Ulrich as she made her way to a car parked at the curb and hopped in.

“Ulrich, I got tied up this afternoon; it totally slipped my mind to tell you. I’m with Palmer now, be home in a jiff.”

Hearing her voice nearly brought Ulrich to tears!

“Alright, as long as you’re safe. I was scared you got nabbed by aliens or something! Next time, give me a heads up, okay?”

11:14

“Got it.”

was so distracted he nearly stitched up Noella’s name. If it weren’t for worrying about stressing out

dealing with contracts in the car, only putting them aside when Noella climbed in.

take you

the car? Your company went belly up? Or did the Pollack

A–OK. Just wanted to make sure you had

you.”

driving was a cinch for her. But things are different in Imperial City than in the international warzones, and Noella didn’t want to be a hassle for

you know I was at the lab?”

played with it. “Since you agreed to Thorpe’s request, you’d definitely be researching Mirage Grass. If not at Ulrich’s lab, then here. The gear I sent over

the equipment arrived, the men in Lunar Lab poked and prodded and tweaked it all over again. Partly because the geniuses didn’t trust anyone but Noella, and they wouldn’t touch the equipment unless they were sure it hadn’t

reason was their experiments were so frequent that regular machines just

perfect

secretary drove into the city center and asked, “President,

to?”

on Noella next to him, draped in his suit jacket, her head tilted slightly, fast asleep. In the dim night, her sleeping face was exceptionally peaceful and cute.

experiments were brain–draining and tough on the heart; she must’ve been beat to fall asleep

mean she truly trusted him now! Palmer’s heart softened,

“No need, straight back to

“Roger that.”

11:14

Chapter 71

Haven, Palmer scooped up the snoozing

folks, leaving only Stirling in the living.

spot in the script stared at all night, without even a hint of

up from the couch and zipped over.

up with

room? I’ll

to trouble you, Mr. Pollack. Hand her over; I’ll take Noella up.”

might wake up.”

faint smile on his face as he faced Stirling.

Noella’s sleeping face, backed down but warned, “Alright, I’ll show you. But don’t you dare try anything

Noella in his arms,

Serene Haven got a makeover that was totally Noella’s jam, but the place was still chock–full of gifts from the