The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

Chapter 14

The auctioneer was all chuckles as he wielded the tiny gavel.

“Up next, an open piece of Intel: Cerulean Whale’s launching a crackdown on Obelisk Organization and Abyssal Organization, and they’re stirring the pot in Imperial City.

Starting bid: three million dollars.

Sure, the headline was on the house, but if they wanted the nitty–gritty, they got to bid.

Noella couldn’t care less about Cerulean Whale gunning for her crew. Bring it on, who’s eating who was still up in the air.

She had been knee–deep in the gem gambling biz for the past couple of years, letting her hitman outfit grow like wildfire, and without much fuss, it became one of the deep web’s big three.

What piqued her interest was Cerulean Whale’s shenanigans in Imperial City, and if she wasn’t barking up the wrong tree, it likely involved Marcel.

She had to snag this info!

Cerulean Whale attacked Marcel right under her nose, could she even show her face around?

Noella raised her paddle. “Three million and ten grand, name’s Wise Fool.”

The crowd was like, “Say what now?”

Three million and ten grand was chump change, but that moniker made everyone else put their paddles down!

Even the auctioneer was speechless.

They were hoping to rake in tens of millions for this juicy tidbit, but with Wise Fool in the house, who would dare to bid against her?

In VIP Room No. 9, Palmer was taken aback, setting his paddle aside,as well.

Looked like it was her he was up against earlier. Since she was interested in that last piece of intel, his three million wasn’t spent in vain.

With that thought, Palmer leaned back, a sly grin spreading across his face.

He had scoured every nook and cranny of the Radi Building for Noella to no avail. Wise Fool wasn’t one to be easily tracked down.

With Wise Fool throwing her hat in the ring, the room went quiet as a mouse, letting her walk away with the news.

“Congrats to Wise Fool. Sold for three million and ten grand!”

The auctioneer was grinning from ear to ear. “Up next, a little freebie for y’all: Gemstone

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Gambling King is teaming up with some families for a public gem gamble next month. Don’t

miss out.”

Noella was confused.

game, a riddle wrapped in a mystery, whose casual toss of a rock always turned out to

a public appearance? News

to the message center, swiped her card,

Whale is sending a hitman after General Marcel again tomorrow, the price tag: a hundred million dollars.”

squeaky–clean yet beat–up Volkswagen was about as low–profile as it gets,

as soon

over, his refined and handsome face all lit up with a welcoming

and quipped, “What, you moonlighting as an Uber driver?”

was momentarily frozen, his smile stiffening before meeting Noella’s skeptical gaze. Those eyes of his were something

she had just dug up about the villages

poor that folks either got tangled in scams or dabbled in adult entertainment.

survive the cutthroat

I give you a lift?”

and it would be a nice gesture to support Palmer’s

you, in case you fancy joining

did not know

gifts after they

handed over a little box with the intel. “Take

in VIP Room No. 9? Why drop all that cash on this? How

was new. Palmer felt a

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Chapter 14

of Abyssal Organization. He could make a killing with just one job on the deep web.

intel just for me? What if I don’t

in the joy it brings. If it makes you happy,

much cash just

holding the box

like this on girls?”

was speechless for a moment, then said, “You’re the first. I never gave gifts to ladies, except for my mom, back when she was

quickly apologized, “Sorry. Didn’t mean

does my gift make you happy?”

Noella was dumbstruck.

asks that kind

got

folks from the slums didn’t get the concept of subtlety? Did

were straight shooters, always fearing they might not get

Noella stifled the oddly exhilarating flutter in her heart.

“Yeah, happy.”

smile deepened, and Noella, feeling her face heat up, quickly looked away.

getting hot in

for a moment before opening her message box

are the same person who had dealings with Vincent, a

How did he get mixed