The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 92

Chapter 92

The moment the woman with medium-short hair finished speaking, all eyes swung toward Nova.

Though her words had come out harsh and blunt, there was no denying the accuracy behind them.

For someone like Nova—an indulgently sheltered heiress backed by a powerful family—this was probably just a fleeting adventure, a game of sorts, orchestrated behind the scenes to grant her access.

Girls like her never dared to hold a gun, let alone wade into water; always coddled, always fragile.

The veterans, hardened by countless brushes with death, expected her to break down in tears and quit miserably soon after the selection began. To them, pampered girls like Nova were nothing more than a punchline.

Because of this, the collective gaze directed at Nova shifted, now laced with a mixture of quiet contempt and intrigued skepticism.

“Violet Vance, do you have to flap your gums like that?” Andrew’s voice cut through, sharp and protective.

“Anyone who’s made it this far in the task force selection has to have real skills,” he continued firmly.

“If you’re jealous of how young Nova is, just say it outright instead of throwing cheap jabs,” he added, his tone carrying a warning.

It was clear Andrew knew the woman with the medium-short hair well. He stepped forward, positioning himself between Violet and Nova, his irritation evident as he clicked his tongue.

Violet choked on her next words, momentarily silenced, her glare slicing toward Andrew before she spat out one last stinging barb and stormed off to the side.

“I’d really like to see what this little princess thinks she can do! Does she really believe she belongs in task force selection?” she sneered over her shoulder.

After Violet’s departure, Andrew turned back to Nova with a reassuring smile. “Hey, don’t let her get to you. She’s got it in for me, not you.”

He hesitated briefly, then added, “She and I have some history. She’s only giving you a hard time because she caught me talking to you. Don’t let it bother you.”

Nova felt indifferent. Violet wasn’t even worth the energy of a response.

She gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Just then, Andrew continued, “Maxwell and I were thick as thieves back in high school—like brothers. So his sister is like family to me too.”

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, you’re under my protection for Maxwell’s sake.”

‘Not that I really needed it,’ Nova thought quietly.

Still, she nodded politely. “Thanks,” she said softly.

Andrew grinned and scratched the back of his head, a bit sheepishly.

“Hey, you two,” a gentle voice interrupted their conversation.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nova noticed a man and a woman approaching, stopping just in front of them with warm smiles.

The man was tall and slender, his skin deeply tanned—almost charcoal from long hours under the sun—a ruggedly handsome figure clearly accustomed to the outdoors.

Walking beside him was a woman with a high, short ponytail, her face sweet and youthful, giving her the appearance of someone much younger than her actual twenty-five years.

The man was the first to speak.

“We heard today’s selection includes some team challenges,” he said.

“It’s four per team—would you guys be interested in joining forces with us?”

It was clear they were testing the waters, hoping Nova and Andrew would agree to form a squad.

Nova leaned back, arms crossed casually. “I’m good with that,” she replied with ease.

Andrew nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “Sounds great, I’m in!”

The man’s smile widened, relief washing over him.

It was obvious he’d been worried about assembling teammates, and now he could finally relax.

“Awesome,” he said enthusiastically.

“By the way, I’m Oliver Archer, and this is Leanne Frost. Just met her today too,” he added, nodding toward the woman beside him.

He shifted the focus back to himself.

“I’m here representing the field army. My whole squad picked me as their guy for today’s task force selection.”

“So, since all their hopes are riding on me, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got today!” he declared confidently.

Leanne then spoke up.

“I’m from the Intelligence Division,” she said with a smile.

“Honestly, I just got tired of all that covert work, so I decided to try my hand at the task force.”

Seeing their openness, Andrew couldn’t keep his own background under wraps any longer.

He scratched his crew cut and grinned broadly. “Name’s Andrew Timothy. Nothing fancy—just your average special forces guy. Thought I’d try frontline ops for a change.”

With that, the three all turned their attention expectantly toward Nova.

She was the only one who hadn’t revealed anything about herself yet.

For once, Nova chose honesty. Her answer was brief and straightforward.

“Nova. Student.”

“Just here to get a gun permit.”

They all exchanged looks, disbelief flickering in their eyes.

How could she have made it this far without some hidden skill or secret identity, like the rest of them?

Nervous murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Nova, however, remained unphased, her expression steady and calm.

She caught Oliver leaning in to whisper quietly to their group.

“Word is, not long ago, a task force was completely wiped out—all because one person made a fatal mistake during a frontline mission. No one survived.”

“So, this time, they’ve made the selection process much harsher. They aren’t taking any chances.”

Oliver patted his chest confidently.

“But honestly, no sweat—I’m a field army vet. They call me the bomb guy.”

“Bombs, mines, you name it—I’ve handled them all. Taking care of this? Easy. A total walk in the park,” he boasted.

While Oliver was busy hyping himself up, Violet had already gathered three others to form her own team.

Now, she was striding past Nova and the others, shooting a long, pointed glare in Nova’s direction as she walked by.

Her sneer dripped with sarcasm.

“Don’t start bragging yet. Remember, your squad’s got a rookie who doesn’t know a damn thing.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she freaks out and screams for the door the moment she sees a real bomb.”

Violet’s teammates burst into laughter at her jab.

“Seriously, students belong in lecture halls, heiresses should stick to their comfy mansions. What’s a little princess doing here pretending to be tough? She’s going to get blown to bits!” one of Violet’s teammates added with a smirk.

These were some of the best young talents around.

It was only natural for these elites to look down on someone like Nova—a spoiled rich girl completely out of her depth.

They believed that by throwing insults and threats, they could rattle her, maybe even make her lose her composure right then and there.

But what happened next caught them all off guard.

Nova swept them with a cold, unwavering gaze, her eyes sharp and unflinching.

With her chin raised defiantly, she shot back with raw, unfiltered arrogance, “Revealing yourselves this much in front of the enemy? You don’t deserve to be on the battlefield.”

Her voice was commanding, cutting through the tension like a blade.

Violet and her squad froze, stunned into silence, while Andrew, Oliver, and Leanne stood rooted in place.

For some inexplicable reason, the way Nova spoke felt like the presence of a seasoned veteran had suddenly descended upon the rookies—a grizzled warrior laying down the law.

She carried herself with the quiet confidence of someone who had faced more battles than most could ever imagine.