The Killer Queen ( Noella Briony ) novel Chapter 222

The auction kicked off with the usual fare—a smattering of trinkets and baubles to warm up the crowd.

Noella casually eyed the stage, her voice tinged with a cool detachment. "I'm guessing your last injury had something to do with the Pollacks, huh?"

Only the Pollacks could have such precise control over Palmer's interests, luring him to South Flora Storage with an heirloom from his late mother. And it was the Pollacks who seemed most eager for Palmer to meet his demise, to relinquish his grasp on power.

"Indeed. That's why I made sure the culprits and their entire family met with a rather... permanent end," he replied, his gaze softening, but his words as chilling as the Arctic wind.

"Malvina's mother was a close friend of my own mother, and those people had the audacity to desecrate her grave to lure me in. Since they have such an affinity for graves, I thought it only right to give them a family reunion six feet under."

Noella nodded impassively. "How benevolent of you."

They were more alike than she cared to admit.

"It's a shame I've yet to find the key evidence of their involvement in my mother's death."

Noella raised an eyebrow. "A shame indeed, but evidence isn't what you're after, is it?"

For someone like Palmer, taking action never required evidence. He was simply determined to root out the true mastermind behind his mother's untimely demise. In other words, the Pollacks' continued existence was not a testament to their strength, but rather to their usefulness to Palmer as he hunted for the real villain.

The once helpless child who could only hide and succumb to despair was now the thunder-wielding patriarch of the Pollack family.

The auctioneer's voice snapped the room to attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, our next item is a remarkable piece of nephrite. As you know, the market for nephrite has been quite favorable recently, and this piece is a true gem!"

Interest piqued among the previously indifferent guests, many of whom had come specifically for the nephrite.

The nephrite, roughly the size of a fist, lay on the stage, flawless and gleaming under the unrelenting spotlight, a sight to soothe the soul.

"Let's not dawdle—our starting bid is three million!"

Noella's interest lay not with the nephrite itself, but with the person who had put it up for auction.

Palmer whispered, "A piece from Polaris Star?"

"Perhaps once, but it's been sold off long ago. Even if it originated from Polaris Star, they have no claim over it now."

A nephrite of such quality would have commanded a hefty sum even at its original sale.

As Noella glanced at the nephrite being showcased, she pulled out her phone and began scouring for information. Polaris Star kept meticulous records of all their sales, and with nephrite being as unique as fingerprints, she was certain she could trace its origin.

Frowning at her phone, she muttered, "The buyer... why is it him?"

Palmer glanced at the information displayed on Noella's screen.

The Richardson family, and in particular, Lorne.

"He bought it only to resell it now?"

She nodded. "Exactly. And I've just learned something quite intriguing—Lorne has been fueling the nephrite market's surge in prices."

Boosting interest in an item before a sale wasn't uncommon in the antique world, but for Lorne to create such a spectacle for a single piece of nephrite? It didn't add up.

Noella’s phone buzzed with a new message: [Boss, those zithers were sold directly through the Richardson family's own market.]

Terrell, a regular at the market, had been in contact with Lorne numerous times last month.

Noella's brow furrowed. "Nephrite prices spiked last month."