The Killer Queen ( Noella Briony ) novel Chapter 214

The first time they met?

Palmer flashed a grin, lifting his gaze to meet Noella's cool eyes. "Shall we chat on the way?"

His look was intense and Noella turned her head away slightly, feeling a tad uncomfortable.

"If you don't care about your health, that's not my problem."

That was her way of agreeing to let him tag along!

Fresh from his vacation, Mizar parked at the entrance of Serene Haven, her eyes nearly popping out as she watched her boss and Vocalist hop into the car together!

Wasn't Vocalist at the border just a couple of days ago? And now he's back? And he's been holding onto their boss's hand the whole time, the most shocking part being that she hasn't shaken him off or chopped off his hand! Had she missed some crucial plot twist while she was away from Imperial City?

"Let's roll, time to pick up our guest."

The grand master of the zither, Rainer, was arriving in Imperial City today, his itinerary hush-hush. With Rainer's stature, if word got out about his travels, it would stir up a storm in the social circles!

"Roger that, boss. Heard there's been a run on nephrite around Imperial City lately, fetching a pretty penny."

"That stuff isn't worth much."

Though it was nephrite, sourced from the mountain peaks, its greatest value was medicinal. The Schnabel family had snagged a large piece, spending a small fortune to place it in Marcel's bedroom.

To the outside world, it was a coveted treasure, but to the folks of Polaris Star, merely a decorative trinket with little practical use, considering Polaris Star was the world's largest distributor of nephrite!

Mizar shrugged. "Yeah, some nutjob claimed it could cure cancer, and suddenly it's hot again, with fakes flooding the market."

All the nephrite production was tightly controlled by Polaris Star. Noella was clueless as to how so much had been sold off in Imperial City. Most likely forgeries, or inferior goods passed off as premium.

There were too many suckers in Imperial City with more money than sense.

Noella glanced at the financial report on her phone; business at the music store had spiked recently. Clearly, the nephrite craze had even reached the parts used for zither accessories.

It seemed she'd need to carve out time for a visit after picking up her guest; otherwise, things might spiral out of control.

On the way to the airport, Palmer held Noella's hand, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Nephrite held little interest for her, as it seemed Polaris Star's dealings were far grander than he'd imagined. If he didn't step up his game, he might soon be outclassed by this young lady!

"Our first encounter was in Northstone," he reminisced. "I wonder if you remember the gang war between the drug lords I got caught up in."

His voice, perhaps still affected by his illness, sounded more magnetic than usual, reverberating through the car's cabin.

"I was investigating my mother's case in Northstone, and some of the Pollack family's dealings were there. They set a trap to kill me, and my men were wiped out. You saved me."

That was probably the lowest point in Palmer's life!

Trapped in the shadows of watching his mother pass away without being able to do anything, he wanted to uncover the truth and avenge her on his own.

When he thought his time had come, she appeared out of nowhere to save him!

Clutching Noella's hand, Palmer was lost in the past. "Noella, you might not be able to imagine what it was like. I watched my mother being murdered. I couldn't make a sound, and she didn't dare glance at me before she left. I dreamed of that scene every night, her collapsing in a pool of blood."

He chuckled softly. "Then, you saved me."

From the moment she fired that shot, from the moment she reached out to him, he never had that nightmare again. Instead, what haunted his dreams instead were those bright, clear eyes that had plucked him from peril.

Palmer brought Noella's hand to his lips, brushing against them tenderly. "To me, you are my salvation."