The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Maxwell and Hannah found themselves momentarily distracted from the grim sight before them—the five lifeless bodies sprawled across the floor—by the figure of Nova standing there. In that fleeting moment, it felt as though they had been pulled into her world, a place far darker and more perilous than their own. A quiet ache stirred in their hearts for her.

They had just witnessed a girl trapped in a living nightmare, shackled by chains of torment, breaking free amidst a brutal bloodbath. She had emerged from that hellish ordeal and returned to the human world, driven by a fierce determination to find her family. And yet, in the end, she chose to willingly sink back into the mire to shield those she cared about most.

Nova had charged through a hail of bullets, disregarding the thin line between life and death, all for their sake—to keep them safe from harm.

“Novie…” Maxwell’s voice broke as he coughed softly, his teeth clenched against the dull ache pulsating in his abdomen from the fugitive’s earlier kick. He forced himself to stand straighter, though the pain lingered. “I’m sorry. We were so useless, making you take such dangerous risks…”

Neither Maxwell nor Hannah had wanted to get involved in this mess. They had known the hidden fugitives lurking within the school were far stronger than themselves, so they had carefully avoided any confrontation. But they never imagined the situation would spiral this far out of control. On their way home, nine fugitives had ambushed them, using them as pawns to threaten Nova.

What stunned Maxwell most of all was watching Nova face down five armed enemies without a weapon and emerge victorious. Her strength was leagues beyond those fugitives.

Maxwell was left completely speechless. ‘Could her skills really come from being a war correspondent?’ he wondered in disbelief.

“Idiot…” came a soft whisper from Hannah, lying curled up beside Maxwell. She quickly turned away, hiding her face as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Still bound by ropes, Hannah curled herself up like a small shrimp, furtively wiping away the tears with her shoulder. The usually proud girl didn’t want anyone to see her like this—vulnerable and broken.

She looked up at Nova, her voice trembling with emotion. “You big dummy! I told you not to come. You almost died just now—with all those guns pointed at you… You… You…” Her words faltered as her nose reddened.

In Hannah’s world, aside from Maxwell and her parents, no one had ever been willing to risk their life for her.

Family meant everything to Hannah, and until now, she hadn’t truly considered Nova as part of that circle. Yet here Nova was, showing up without hesitation.

Her heart swelled with a complicated mix of gratitude and fear, which she expressed through scolding. Sniffling, she said, “Are you stupid? After everything I told you, you still came to save me… You… You really are—”

Nova cut her off abruptly, her tone flat and unyielding. “I didn’t come to save you.”

Without another word, Nova stepped forward, a silver blade flashing briefly in her hand as she deftly sliced through the ropes binding Maxwell.

With unexpected strength, she lifted the tall boy with one arm and strode purposefully toward the passageway, paying no attention to Hannah, who remained tied up.

Hannah, who had been quietly crying just moments before, froze where she was.

As Nova reached the entrance to the passage, she spotted Jordan, Waylon, and the rest of the team standing there, stunned into silence.

Jordan’s mind reeled. ‘Nova took down all those fugitives by herself? So… what does that make us—just extras in this mission?’

When Nova casually approached, Jordan blinked and shook himself out of his daze, shrugging as if rebooting his thoughts. “Uh… Nova, are you heading home now?”

Nova glanced at him coolly. “Is there something else?”

Accustomed to her icy demeanor, Jordan didn’t waste time beating around the bush. “Yeah. I actually need to talk to you about something. Can you wait downstairs for a bit?” He needed a moment to process the scene.

“Fine,” she replied simply.

Jordan was momentarily taken aback, thinking, ‘Such a powerful figure actually follows a household curfew? She’s not what I expected.’

He cut to the chase. “The mission was a success because of you. Your payment will be transferred to your bank account.”

He paused briefly before continuing. “During my undercover work at SLRA, I gathered a lot of intelligence. We eliminated these fugitives, but there are even more cunning and stronger ones out there.”

“Some of them are major international figures. I’ll keep working undercover at SLRA and will contact you if I need your help.”

He gave a small grin, adding, “Same payment terms.”

Suddenly, Nova’s gaze snapped upward, sharp and piercing through the darkness like a predator awakened. Her eyes locked onto the rooftop of the third building to the left.

There, hidden in the shadows atop that roof, a man and a woman watched her through binoculars, their interest keen and focused.

These were the more formidable hidden fugitives Jordan had just mentioned at SLRA. Unlike those who had revealed themselves and been killed, these two had remained concealed in the darkness all along.

They had witnessed every moment of the battle inside the building and sneered with contempt. ‘What fools! Getting wiped out by a teenage girl!’

Just as they prepared to withdraw, they were startled to see Nova downstairs, as if equipped with radar, suddenly looking up directly at them. Her icy glare stabbed straight through the darkness, pinpointing their hiding place.

The hidden man and woman froze in shock, their hearts pounding. They couldn’t believe it—despite their skills, Nova had detected their surveillance in an instant.