The Killer Queen (Noella Briony) novel Chapter 296

Lorne's gaze was locked onto Noella, full of hope and desperation. He was convinced she would make the right choice.

However, Noella stood her ground, her expression calm and unwavering.

"I disagree," she said, her voice steady and clear. "Your threats won't work on me."

Lorne was flabbergasted.

"Why? Don't you care about what Elara thinks? This is about her mother! It's impossible! I've checked everything myself. You've used your connections to clean out the rats in Elara's lab. She gets her meals delivered from your diner every day. You can't possibly be indifferent to her well-being! How can you be so heartless? How can you disregard Elara's feelings? Do you really want her mom gone?"

Lorne's eyes were burning with fury, his demeanor verging on the edge of madness. He was battered and bruised, having injected himself with several doses of a potent drug just to keep himself going after taking Lavinia away.

He had made all the preparations, only for them to come crashing down upon hearing Noella's refusal.

Lorne was on the brink of collapse.

After extensive investigation, Lorne was certain that Noella cared deeply for Elara, perhaps even more than for her own brothers in the Schnabel family. She shouldn't have rejected him!

"Or is it because you have a thing for Palmer? He's just a man! I can't understand it! You'd forsake your own sister for a stranger?"

Elara, seizing Noella's hand, fixed her gaze on Lorne. "What nonsense are you spouting? Stop trying to intimidate my sister with your so-called noble speech, Lorne. You've completely lost it! Hasn't my mom been good to you?"

"Good? She wouldn't even share her shares with me! Just because I'm not a blood-born Richardson. But neither is Bowie!”

Lavinia's older brother and his wife, having no children of their own, adopted Lorne and Bowie due to a twist of fate, who have always been regarded as their own by the Richardson family.

Elara retorted with a sneer, "Oh, that really shows your lack of abilities. Even I got a share in the Schnabel family."

Lorne's eyes widened in shock. "Are you mocking me? Are you not afraid I'll kill your mom?"

Elara coolly pulled out her phone. "Hello, police officer, this man here kidnapped my mom."

Lorne hadn't expected Elara to actually call the cops!

On the way there, Elara had forced herself to stay calm, strategizing with Jacob to go straight to the authorities.

Lorne's scheme was nothing more than a ploy to use Elara to pressure Noella, and he surely wouldn't dare to risk Lavinia's life.

Noella slightly tilted her chin up. "Look behind you."

Lorne turned abruptly, only to find a tall figure in a trench coat standing atop a nearby building, his gun aimed straight at Lorne's head!

"Palmer? How did he get here!"

Seeing Palmer, Lorne panicked. He had miscalculated; he had thought Palmer didn't care about Noella at all. The Schnabels and the Pollacks were tied by business, not by feelings.

Facing Palmer's icy gun and cold stare, Lorne felt as if his blood had turned to ice.

Noella spoke calmly, "Oh, I brought a gun too. You've heard about my shooting skills, haven't you, Lorne?"

On the border, there wasn't a soul who hadn't heard of Wise Fool's legendary marksmanship!

With an expressionless face, Noella pulled the trigger, and the silencer-equipped bullet flew, striking Lorne's thigh!

"Ah! You're insane! If you touch me, I'll make sure Lavinia dies with me! I'll take her down with me!"

As Lorne lunged towards Lavinia, Elara rushed to embrace her mother.

The chair toppled under their combined weight with a loud crash, and Lavinia slowly came to, her eyes meeting Elara's.