The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 160

Chapter 160

“Pfft-”

Over at the side of the sleek conference room, a senior assassin from the Shadow Sanctum was lazily sipping a rich espresso, completely unhurried.

His every gesture radiated elegance and aristocratic flair. Clad in classic Eduardo knight’s garb, his tall, lean build was only made more handsome and sharp.

With his well–defined Western features, a high nose, and that striking face, combined with his attitude, nobody would ever doubt his noble pedigree.

Even if enemies were banging down the doors, he’d calmly finish his coffee before making a move.

He was one of the senior leaders at the Shadow Sanctum headquarters, holding the same rank as Aiden Cross and Shanlock. His codename was Pekinarc.

However, even someone as poised and aristocratic as Pekinarc almost lost his cool when he heard what Damien said to Nova.

The sip of coffee he’d just taken shot right out of his mouth.

Eyes wide with surprise, he smoothly pulled a napkin from the pocket of his knightly trousers and dabbed his mouth, never once losing his air of elegance.

All the other senior members of the Shadow Sanctum–except for Aiden Cross and Shanlock–were left reeling, each showing their own brand of shock.

Honestly, this scene was even harder for them to process than if Damien had just dropped a bombshell about getting hitched for some strategic alliance.

Most of them had assumed Damien would treat Nova just like he did to that infamous female assassin who tried to crawl into his bed years ago…

Well, it turns out they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Who could have predicted this kind of intimate behavior–and he actually offered to hand the entire Shadow Sanctum over to her? What the hell was going on?

Was the world coming to an end or something?

Someone’s heart skipped a beat.

Blood Orange and Blood Chime, standing right behind Nova, had a reputation for being more mature and composed than Blood Lychee.

That’s exactly why Nova liked having them by her side.

But even these two seasoned women couldn’t help but feel their minds spinning when Damien blurted out such a blunt and utterly unromantic line. It felt like there was an emotional roller coaster in their hearts.

Both Blood Orange and Blood Chime felt their minds blank out for a moment with total shock.

‘Wait a sec… No one told us—was Damien actually… somehow connected to our big sis Nova?‘

‘Did they really know each other all along?‘

Behind them, Aiden was absolutely breaking out in a cold sweat for Damien.

He already knew Damien was a total zero when it came to romance, but seriously, his boss was even more clueless than he’d ever imagined!

Aiden let out a nervous cough, his hand instinctively covering his lips.

He quickly stepped forward, ready to bail his boss out of this mess.

Too bad for Aiden–things didn’t play out the way he’d hoped.

Nova wasn’t about to let Damien off the hook that easily.

She could feel the raw power humming under his skin.

Not the least bit embarrassed, Nova laid her small hand right on Damien’s chest, totally ignoring the collection of stunned subordinates around them.

Her hand started its slow ascent, gliding upward…

Her delicate hand finally came to rest against the flawless contour of his cheek, lingering there a moment longer than

necessary.

“Oh? I didn’t expect your boss to be this bold,” Nova quipped, her tone playful and just a bit mocking.

“So, how about we move this negotiation to the bedroom and see if we can strike a deal?”

Nova wore a playful smile, her hand casually gliding over Damien’s chest.

She was determined to keep up the charade, acting like she’d never met Damien before, all the way to the finish.

Somewhere along the way, she’d become the only person he ever saw–there was no one else in his world but her.

Damien grabbed Nova’s mischievous little hand as it wandered all over him, his insanely handsome face still rock–solid serious–classic Damien, clueless when it came to romance. He actually lowered himself a bit to match Nova’s height, his lean figure bending down just for her.

His slim back arched closer, closing the distance between them without a second thought.

They were so close now. Nova’s mind spun: ‘Hold up, is he actually about to kiss me?‘

His lips moved, and his voice–gentle and doting in a way that nearly knocked the breath out of her–was nothing like she’d ever heard from him before.

“Anything you want,” he said, voice dripping with affection.

His voice was deep and electric, laced with that kind of doting warmth that could short–circuit anyone’s composure.

Even Nova, cool as she always was, nearly lost control for a moment.

Worried she might just publicly lose herself right then and there, Nova pushed Damien away in a rush.

Nova took a step back, putting three feet between herself and Damien, then tossed him a breezy, playful smirk.

“Eh, on second thought, maybe not,” she chuckled, playing a bit hard to get.

“You agreed to a bedroom negotiation way too quick…

“If you can’t get it up, then I’m the one getting shortchanged, aren’t I?”

She took her flirting all the way, amping the teasing up to the absolute limit.

And she was really doubling down on that whole ‘l–have–no–idea–who–Damien–is‘ act.

Little did she know, her teasing would soon come back to bite her.

Pretty soon, Damien would make her pay–a three–day, three–night punishment she’d never forget.

‘She said it!‘ Aiden felt his heart skip a beat.

‘She actually said it out loud!‘

Watching as Damien’s expression turned darker and darker, Aiden kept his assassin mask on, cold as ever.

But inside, he was just about ready to scream.

It turns out Aria’s diagnosis was spot on–Damien really is impotent!‘ Aiden thought, practically reeling from the realization.

And this time, Ms. Blake was the one who actually called him out on it!‘

Flirting session over–time to get serious.

Nova hadn’t come to the Shadow Sanctum just to toy with Damien.

She had her own agenda.

Even if Damien offered her full control of the Shadow Sanctum, Nova was never going to accept it.

Pretending she didn’t know Damien and messing with him–that was one thing.

But at the end of the day, Nova wanted to form a real alliance with the Shadow Sanctum, not just play games.

Nova raised an eyebrow and swept her gaze over the Shadow Sanctum’s senior leaders, cutting right to the chase.

“I’m here to make a deal,” she said, voice steady and direct.

“I control three major operations–the Redchamber Underworld Agency, the Northwing Underground Alliance, and the Phantom Intel & Assassins Squad.

“I need Shadow Sanctum backing when I strike against the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps.

“If we pull it off, you pick 30% of Bloodblade’s profits or 30% of their true authority. That’s your share for joining forces with

me.”

The Redchamber Underworld Agency was Blood Orange’s operation.

The Northwing Underground Alliance was run by Blood Lychee.

The Phantom Intel & Assassins Squad belonged to Blood Chime.

From the very beginning, Blood Orange, Blood Lychee, and Blood Chime had been working under Nova.

So when you got down to it, those three organizations were basically Nova’s own forces.

Nova spelled everything out clear as day–her own terms, what she wanted, and what the Shadow Sanctum stood to gain. No holding back, no dancing around the point.

Except for one little secret she kept tucked away.

She never breathed a word about being the mastermind behind the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps.

She kept that to herself because the Shadow Sanctum and the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps had always been fierce adversaries.

Revealing the truth would only undermine the alliance from the start.

Right now, Damien was the only one who knew who she really was.

Given how well she understood him.

there was no way he’d ever let her secret slip.

‘I guessed right, Nova thought to herself.

Damien didn’t say a word, just quietly let her take the lead.

“I have no objection,” Pekinare said, setting his coffee cup back on the table with effortless grace.

Ever the picture of poise and nobility, Pekinarc was the first to make his stance clear.

Nova’s alliance proposal looked like a total win for Shadow Sanctum–no risks, all rewards.

Turning it down would make zero sense.

“I’m in, too.”

Called a woman lounging in the corner, her eyes crinkling with a hint of amusement as she chipped in right after Pekinarc.

No one argued the senior execs of Shadow Sanctum were all on board.

And of course, everyone could read Damien’s attitude loud and clear.

In fact, as long as Damien gave the nod, what anyone else thought didn’t matter at all.

Just like that, the alliance with the Shadow Sanctum was officially in the bag.

Anyone with eyes could see that Nova and Damien’s relationship was anything but ordinary.

Once the alliance meeting broke up, Aiden smoothly took over the logistics.

Nova, Blood Orange, and Blood Chime were each courteously invited to stay at the Shadow Sanctum headquarters, with private rooms arranged for every one of them.

Night settled over the Shadow Sanctum.

Moonlight poured in, growing colder and sharper as the hours ticked by.

Down the headquarters‘ hallways, iron gates armed with face–recognition tech stood guard, one after another, like silent sentinels.

As for some gates, only Damien, the boss himself, ever had clearance to walk through.

After Nova’s alliance offer got the green light, the top dogs at Shadow Sanctum pulled together for a late–night meeting.

Damien practically ghosted these executive meetings–tonight was no different, everything being as usual.

Once the meeting wrapped up, Aiden leaned against the wall by the conference room door, waiting.

Soon enough, Pekinarc–a picture of noble elegance in his classic knight’s attire–strode out with that dashing confidence only he could pull off.

Maintaining his icy assassin exterior, Aiden finally broke the silence.

“It turns out Ms. Blake and our boss knew each other,” Aiden remarked, keeping his voice cool and matter–of–fact.

“Oh?” Pekinarc arched an eyebrow, and even with a hint of surprise, he kept that flawless aristocratic vibe.

Aiden continued, “But Ms. Blake’s always been kind of dissatisfied with our boss.

“She basically treats him like her pet.

“And according to Aria’s checkup, it looks like he’s impotent in sex.”

Aiden looked up, dead serious as he dished out the latest gossip to Pekinarc.

“Last time our boss and Ms. Blake were alone, the whole thing wrapped up in less than twenty minutes. It pretty much confirms he’s hopeless in sex–which totally explains why Ms. Blake keeps pretending she doesn’t even know him…”

Aiden had no idea what was happening in Nova’s private room.

All it took was her casual jab–calling Damien “impotent“-to set off something that simply couldn’t be stopped.

Nova had barely stepped through the door and shut it when, in a flash of darkness, a man materialized and wrapped her petite frame in a decisive, possessive embrace from behind.

That crisp, familiar scent told Nova everything she needed to know–it was Damien. ‘I knew it,‘ she thought, her heart skipping a beat.

Her whole body, tight as a drawn bow just moments before, instantly melted in his arms the second she realized it was Damien behind her.

“Oh, so it’s you–my pitiful Mr. Boy Toy?” Nova taunted, tossing the pet name with a playful, wicked grin.

“What’s this? Are you actually…

“Thinking about bringing our negotiations to bed?”

Nova barely got the words out before Damien suddenly crushed his lips against hers, cutting her off with raw, possessive

urgency.

He kissed her hard, claiming her mouth with a fierceness that made her gasp–every ounce of restraint gone.

His lips moved over hers, deep and relentless, leaving her dizzy and lost in the moment.

Even Nova, usually so cool and controlled, found herself completely overwhelmed by that one searing kiss—it left her breathless, almost powerless to resist.

Nova blinked–she could tell she’d gone a bit too far this time.

Just as she moved to get up, Damien’s iron–strong hand caught her, pinning her slender body down against the black couch.

“Impotent? And you think you’re the one losing out?” Damien’s voice was a dangerous whisper in her ear, full of dark amusement as he pressed in closer.

“Oh? For the next three days, you’re not leaving this bed–I’ll make sure of it.”