CHapter 18


    Yvonne was fuming and green with envy as everyone fussed over Noe, checking on her.


    Despite being a daughter of the Schnabel family too, why couldn’t she get the same VIP treatment?


    Noe was thoroughly checked over by the family from head to toe.


    Tristan, spotting Yvonne still standing there, waved his hand dismissively and said, “Yvonne, your


    sister’s back, You can hit the road now.”


    Yvonne swallowed back her tears, reluctantly dragging herself away.


    This was all Noe’s fault!


    Why did she have toe back and steal everything from her?


    Yvonne bolted straight for Ashlyn’s hospital room and as soon as she entered, she copsed beside


    Ashlyn, crying her eyes out.


    “Grandma, what did I do wrong? I saw Noe getting kidnapped and rushed back to tell Mom and


    Dad, and I even busted my phone, but they didn’t believe me and kicked me out!”


    2


    Ashlyn’s eyes snapped open, the sparkle of vitality shining in them.


    “You’re saying Noe was kidnapped?”


    “Yeah, and I saw those thugs touching her all over, stripping her clothes off…”


    A look of disgust and agitation shed across Ashlyn’s eyes. She frowned and said slowly, “We. the


    Schnabel family don’t want a tainted granddaughter. Yvonne, remember, you are the only


    granddaughter of the Schnabel family, got it?”


    Yvonne was over the moon!


    “But what about Mom and Dad…”


    “I’m not dead yet. I call the shots in the Schnabel family.”


    Ashlyn patted Yvonne’s hand, her face wrinkling into a smile. “You need to secure that marriage


    arrangement with the Pock family. Once you marry in, you’ll always be the Schnabel family’s one


    and only daughter!”


    light bulb went off in Yvonne’s head!


    Right, the marriage deal with the Pock families!


    She grew up in the Schnabel family, groomed to perfection as ady of high society. Once Mr.


    Pockid eyes on her, he’d surely see she was the perfect match.


    How could Noe, a country bumpkin,pete with her?


    Once Yvonne became Mrs. Pock, both the Schnabel and Pock families would be hers!


    13:14


    “Grandma, I’ll do my best. I’m going to visit Grandpa Sexton right away! As long as Grandpa.


    Sexton takes a shine to me, Mr. Pock will know I’m the right choice, and I won’t let your down.”


    Ashlyn smiled, satisfied. Yvonne was a gift from the heavens, always so sweet and empathetic


    since she was a child. As for ra and Noe, neither were fit to be her granddaughters!


    Imperial West Hospital


    No sooner had Noe entered the hospital than she received an encrypted call from an ind.


    “Boss, a new batch of hitmen has arrived. Something feels off. The Cerulean Whale has been.


    making big movestely. I heard they’ve hooked up with the Toxic Monarch from the deep. web.”


    The Toxic Monarch, a drug lord lurking in the darkest corners of the deep web!


    Controlling thergest poppy fields In the area and a private army, topping the international police’s


    most–wanted list, always shrouded in mystery.


    Noe frowned slightly. “No wonder the Cerulean Whale is going nuts, looks like they want to


    expand their turf in Harmonia Country. Use my ount to tip off the international cops, and give


    ‘em this intel on the house.”


    “Got it.”


    After hanging up, her message alert started blinking.


    It was Vocalist.


    [Toxic Monarch and Cerulean Whale are teaming up. Imperial West Hospital’s got some staff on the


    take, so watch your six.]


    Noe was confused.


    Why’s he feeding her this intel?


    Got an addiction to being the bearer of bad news?


    Getting this kind of scoop usually meant tapping into the core assets of their respective powers, and


    here Vocalist was, handing over his findings on a silver tter, making Noe’s cheeks burn.


    As she walked into the hospital room, Noe heard Marcel’s loud ranting. “Don’t you dare try


    backing out of the game, you! Stop ying possum and get up!”


    “Grandpa.”


    Marcel, with a handful of chess pieces, turned to see his precious granddaughter and broke into a


    huge grin.


    “Come here. Noe, this is Grandpa Sexton.”


    13:1


    Chanter


    “Hello, Grandpa Sexton.”


    Sexton, seeing Noe, immediately forgot about his aching head and back, and sat bolt upright in


    bed, eyes lighting up at the sight of the girl.


    Graceful and beautiful, moving with easy confidence, and what really caught his eye was her


    captivating presence.


    “Great, just great. I’m finally meeting my granddaughter–inw.”


    Noe was caught off–guard.


    Granddaughter–inw?


    Sheposed herself, her eyshes fluttering like crow feathers, making the dust in the air seem


    to pause in her gaze. The next second, Noe looked seriously at Marcel.


    “Grandpa, something’s off with this room. It wasn’t like this when I came yesterday.”


    Marcel was surprised, but if his granddaughter said so, he chose to believe unconditionally.


    “Go check it out, I’ll cover for you. Come on, Sexton, keep ying.”


    Sexton wasn’t in the mood for chess now, his eyes practically glued to Noe. He was more than


    pleased! He had some reservations about Yvonne. Sure, she was pretty, but shecked. depth, not


    quite fitting the bill as Mrs. Pock.


    As for ra, Sexton liked her too, but the thought of a bookworm paired with his taciturn grandson


    gave him a headache.


    Noe was perfect!


    Carefully, Noe scoured the hospital room, leaving no stone unturned. She once nabbed an arms


    dealer with her uncanny profiling skills while working with Interpol, earning her the title of honorary


    comrade–in–arms.


    Noe tapped her fingers on the ground, her brows furrowing slightly.


    “Grandpa, something’s off here.”


    Marcel set aside his chess, threw on his coat, and got out of bed.


    There was a floorboard that was obviously hollow. Lifting it revealed a bomb hidden underneath! On


    the bomb, the countdown timer showed only two minutes left!


    Marcel went pale with shock, grabbed Noe, and tried to rush her out. “Move it, this ce is


    bombed, which means outside isn’t safe either. Noe, I can take whates my way, but nothing


    better happen to you!”


    Sexton, no stranger to dicey situations, nodded in agreement. “Right, run for it, and we’ll cover


    you!”


    Noe didn’t n to run.


    13:14 M


    Did she say she wanted to leave?


    “Grandpa, I can defuse this bomb. Let me do it.”


    Marcel didn’t hesitate and immediately left the battlefield to Noe, She crouched down, pikked up a


    pair of scissors from the hospital room, and held her breath as she began inspecting the bomb.


    Defusing bombs wasn’t new to her. The one in front of her was a standard 838 pineapple bomb, a


    type of aerial explosive with a devastating st radius in a small area,


    The modified pineapple bomb could reduce the entire Imperial West Hospital to rubble!


    There was a bunch of cotton padding under the bomb. Noe picked it up, turned the tail end over,


    reached in to remove the T–shaped safety, the tail fins sprung open in an instant, and she quickly


    inserted the scissors into the squeeze hole.


    “Grandpa, it’s done.”


    Marcel could barely contain his grin! “Great, great, my granddaughter is so badass!” Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Sexton was also relieved and was about to express his joy when he suddenly clutched his chest


    and copsed!


    Marcel got a fright and was just about to grab the call button when he saw Noe frowning at him,


    looking serious and concerned.


    “Grandpa, we can’t trust Grandpa Sexton to the medics outside. It’s not safe.”


    Marcel, having weathered many storms, understood the reasoning. He was just panicked seeing his


    old buddy go down.


    Noe remainedposed and spoke calmly, “I can treat Grandpa Sexton.”