The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

She spoke with a dismissive air, "Ms. Gruber is so clueless. Now that's what I call rude. You should've seen your own vile face when you were hitting my staff."

Yvonne clutched her cheek, her face a picture of shock as she stared at Noella. “You! You actually dared to hit me! Do your parents and brothers know about your true colors? If Mr. Pollack finds out you're such an uncouth wildcat, he'll surely dump you!"

"Really?" Noella's lips curled into a frosty smile, her grin as chilling as a crescent moon in a winter sky, sending shivers down the spine.

Smack—

Another slap landed, swelling both sides of Yvonne's face! Her face instantly puffed up like she'd gone a few rounds with a boxing glove.

Noella observed with a hint of regret. "I must admit, I do prefer symmetry. It's just that your left side has too much makeup, it's clouding my judgment. Maybe I should even it out with another slap."

Hearing Noella's casual threat of another slap, Yvonne was close to tears. "Noella, have you lost your mind? Ahh! Don't hit me!"

She received several solid slaps, her eyelids swelling up, and she couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

A Bentley pulled up to the curb, and from it stepped a tall, dashing young man in a sophisticated, vintage suit, his cuffs adorned with shining cufflinks.

Yvonne's eyes lit up at the sight of Palmer!

If Mr. Pollack knew what kind of woman Noella was, he would certainly abandon her.

She whimpered in a delicate voice, "Mr. Pollack, my face hurts so much."

Palmer didn't even glance her way, walking straight to Noella and taking her hand. He gently rubbed it and tenderly asked, "Why did you have to get your hands dirty? That thick layer of makeup on her face isn't good for your skin."

Yvonne was speechless. She used the finest cosmetics, and her creams were custom-made, costing a small fortune per bottle. Yet, to Palmer, it all seemed like dirt?

He saw Noella hit someone, yet he was still so forgiving! This couldn't be real!

Noella glanced at Palmer. "She hit my staff. She deserved it. Are you taking her side, Mr. Pollack?"

Palmer chuckled softly. "My heartless little thing, I came straight to you after I heard that you went to the gallery. As for her, if she's something my fiancée finds offensive, then she should be taken care of."

Upon hearing Palmer’s declaration, Yvonne trembled like a leaf in the wind. "No... you can't do this to me! I really like you, Palmy!"

Palmer waved his hand impatiently, and immediately, several bodyguards appeared, ready to escort Yvonne away.

Annie bowed and said, "Mr. Pollack, the gallery across the street also belongs to Ms. Gruber. I'm afraid she might continue to bother Ms. Noella, which could also affect the business of Ms. Noella's gallery from a professional standpoint."

Palmer, still holding Noella's hand, said coldly, "If it affects Noella's mood and business, then what's the point of keeping it? Tear it down!"

Nyssa raised her hand. "Mr. Pollack, actually, our gallery has been thinking about expanding recently."

Palmer looked at her, then back at Noella with a tender gaze. "What do you think? How's the place across the street?"

"It's trash, but the location is excellent."

Palmer turned to Annie. "Buy it out. Throw the contract to Walden. The gallery across the street, I'll take it for three million."

Noella looked up at him. "With the real estate prices on this street, Walden won't agree to a three- million transfer."

Palmer smirked, his smile devilish, his presence filled with the effortless dominance of a business empire's ruler. "Giving three million is already being generous. Since this fool dares to bother you, it's only right that the Gruber family pays for their mistake."

Yvonne never imagined Palmer would actually buy her gallery to give to Noella. She was on the verge of madness! She had worked so hard to acquire this gallery! Why should all her possessions be handed over to some country bumpkin! Everything that belonged to the Schnabel family too, and now even her gallery?

"It's mine! Noella is nothing but a lowlife, trying to take everything from me..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a gleaming, high-end leather shoe silenced her.

The impeccable shoe pressed down on her face, grinding Yvonne's teeth, filling her mouth with the rich taste of blood. The shoe's owner had a sinister look, his cold eyes enough to kill.

"If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all. I didn't hit you before because you were still a Schnabel, but now that you're no longer associated with the Schnabel family, if you continued with such behavior, someone will address it!"

The onlookers all lowered their heads, pretending to see nothing. Not even Yvonne's weakening cries for help were acknowledged.

Who would dare cross the CEO of the Pollack Group? If he wanted, not only this street, but the entire Imperial City would bow to his will!

Palmer carefully wiped Noella's hand with a handkerchief, his tone indifferent as he instructed, "Annie, you know what to do with the rest, right?"

"Yes, I'll make sure everything is handled properly. Congratulations to Ms. Noella on the opening of her gallery today; I'm sure it will be a booming success!"

Be it the gallery across the street or today's incident, everything would be settled smoothly.

The Gruber and Schnabel families should know what happened; otherwise, it would be a shame if they didn't realize their boss had made such a grand gesture for his lady love.

With Yvonne making such a foolish scene, the Gruber family would have to swallow their pride and accept the loss silently!

Annie had the bodyguards sweeping up Yvonne as the surrounding media tactfully turned their lenses elsewhere. They weren't fools; tangling with the Schnabels, the Pollacks, or the Grubers was way out of their league.

Palmer nodded in satisfaction, wrapping an arm around Noella's waist as they strolled into the gallery. "You'll be running the place across the street too, won't you? Doesn't that sound exhausting?"

"It's all the same to me," Noella replied with a shrug. Whether it was one gallery or two, she was unfazed.

At the gallery entrance, Jarred and Nyssa were practically buzzing with excitement.

"Congratulations on Ms. Schnabel's gallery opening today!"

They knew that the CEO of Pollack Group was Ms. Schnabel's fiancé, but they had no clue about the state of their relationship. High society was rife with marriages of convenience. It wasn't until today that they realized Mr. Pollack absolutely adored Ms. Schnabel!

Catching Jarred's eye, Noella remained composed. "I expect not to see a repeat of today's events."

"Yes, Ms. Schnabel..."

Noella shook her head. "I'm not talking about the showdown. That's normal in our line of work, nothing major. As the manager, you're in charge when I'm not here. And Nyssa, if you get hit, it's as if I've been struck. If you don't understand the concept of fighting back, then perhaps this isn't the job for you."

Jarred and Nyssa's eyes shimmered with a mix of determination and emotion.

Was Ms. Schnabel actually reprimanding them for not striking back promptly?

Noella continued, "Anyone who starts trouble, no matter who they are, just hit them. If you break anything, I'll cover it. But I have no use for employees who cower. If you can't even defend the gallery's honor, you might as well resign and go home. Got it?" From NôvelDrama.Org.

Their eyes welled up with tears of gratitude.

Ms. Schnabel was clearly standing up for them. They couldn't ask for a better boss!

"We understand, Ms. Schnabel!"

Behind the closed doors of the office, Palmer turned and enveloped Noella in an embrace, resting his head on her shoulder and nuzzling her neck.

It tickled, and Noella tried to wriggle free, but Palmer's grip on the nape of her neck was firm, his fingers burning against her skin.

"Stay still, just let me hold you for a moment."

His voice was husky, likely from exhaustion due to the back-to-back workdays. But as he clung to Noella, all that fatigue seemed to melt away. He had to admit, he was addicted to this warmth.

Feeling the weariness and affection in his tone, Noella's heart softened, and she stopped resisting his hold. After all, he would let go once he'd had his fill.

It remained uncertain whose heartbeats were entwined together, notably forceful, resembling palpitations. It felt like more than just attraction, perhaps something deeper.