The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Jace gulped down his nerves, forcing out a laugh.

He said. “Man, you really know your stuff! No wonder Sophia said you might actually have something to teach

1. 1. me.

“She just had to push you onto me…”

Jace wasn’t on board at first.

Sure, he didn’t think he could actually lead a mercenary crew, but he was nowhere near pathetic enough to have his cousin hunt down a mentor for him.

He figured if he just watched a bunch of assassin and mercenary flicks to get in the mood, that’d be more than enough.

He finally came face to face with Nova.

Although at first he’d let himself believe she might actually be similar to the mercenary leader he was supposed to portray, he quickly dismissed that unrealistic idea.

Even so…

‘Maybe having her coach me will help me see things from a perspective no one else could give, Jace thought to himself.

That made him genuinely curious–what would Nova do next?

“Jace, why are you just standing there?

“Hurry up and get ready–your scene’s about to kick off.”

A middle–aged dude strode over, puffing on a cigar, beer belly leading the way, jacket tossed over his shoulders.

He was on the shorter side, maybe five–three tops, but he sure moved quick for his size.

He clapped Jace on the shoulder.

But when he saw Nova, he couldn’t tear his eyes away, just staring right at her without a hint of shame.

“Mr. Chase, I’ll be right there!” Jace called out, tidying his clothes like he was reporting for duty.

Chase, the director, pointed his cigar toward Nova and asked, “Jace, is this your relative?

“She’s got that fresh, innocent vibe…

“Hey, sweetheart, ever thought about breaking into showbiz?”

As he spoke, Chase couldn’t take his eyes off Nova, staring at her so blatantly it was almost uncomfortable.

Normally, getting handpicked by the director and offered a shot at showbiz–that was the kind of thing teenage girls daydreamed about.

It was like hitting the jackpot; who wouldn’t jump at a chance like that?

“Hmph! She’s been playing it close to the vest this whole time, and now that she finally got her way, she must be feeling pretty damn smug…” Kiki muttered, jealousy clear in her voice.

Kiki had gone all out with the makeup today, even rocking some bright blue eyeshadow. On the way over, she’d been fantasizing about getting noticed by the director just because of how pretty she looked.

But of course, it ended up being Nova who caught his eye.

‘Seriously, how am I supposed to just smile and let that slide?‘ Kiki fumed to herself.

While Chase was pitching his offer and everyone had their eyes glued to Nova, she didn’t freak out with excitement like they thought she would–no acting all starstruck just because the director singled her out.

Nova didn’t even bother with the classic “So, how much does it pay?” line.

Instead, she replied with a cold, blank face.

“Not interested.”

Nova loved cash, but there were some lines she’d never cross.

For most folks, the entertainment world was a sparkling stage where the crowd worshipped you and everyone chased the spotlight.

But for someone like Nova–a Mercenary Bloodforge, wanted in twenty–nine countries and hunted by the infamous Devil’s Isle–stepping onto that glitzy stage basically meant signing her own death warrant.

It would be like hanging a flashing sign for every enemy out there: “I’m in Zoria’s showbiz, feel free to drop by for payback.”

Besides, Nova belonged in the shadows, where she called the shots and played by her own rules.

She wasn’t the type to act out a fake personality just to win over an audience.

“Why? Seriously?”

Chase stood there, totally stunned.

He had spent nearly four decades in showbiz, and he’d seen actresses bend over backwards–partying, cozying up to directors, producers, even investors–just to stand a chance.

All for a shot at a speaking role, just to get their face on screen.

Yet here was Nova, staring down a stroke of pure luck–one so many would die for–and rejecting it without a

second thought.

Everyone sucked in a breath like they’d just witnessed something unreal.

Even Jace, Ryan, Kiki, and Lily all instinctively reacted, unable to hide their shock.

A girl who could shut Chase down, stone–faced, like Nova? You almost never met anyone like that.

Sophia had seen Nova pull off so many out–of–the–box moves that she just gave a knowing smirk, like nothing Nova did could ever surprise her.

Yet, no one expected the reason Nova gave Chase for her refusal–so lazy and ice–cold, it knocked the air right out of the room.

Her offhand, almost indifferent answer made everyone’s heart hammer like crazy.

“Because I’m afraid I’ll get itchy and might just end up slaughtering your entire entertainment industry,” Nova said, her voice perfectly calm and bone–chilling.