The Killer Queen (Noella Briony) novel Chapter 147

The exhibition hall was the one that Noella had heard the workers mentioning last night, which had been tampered with.

Perhaps in an attempt to deflect suspicion and clear her own name, Petra had sabotaged the materials used in the exhibit overseen by Travis.

All it took was finding the central stress point of a load-bearing pillar and giving it a gentle nudge. Then the already hollow materials of the structure would collapse, just as they had before them.

The employees summoned by Noella stood around, their faces a mask of confusion.

What exactly had happened?

Thankfully, the gallery wasn't open to the public yet. If this disaster had occurred during visiting hours, the reputation of the gallery would have been in ruins!

Travis's legs shook uncontrollably, trembling like the dust settling around the wreckage.

"What...what on earth has happened? I swear I didn't know, Ms. Schnabel! You have to believe me; I had no idea there was anything wrong with the exhibition hall."

Noella spoke evenly, "You're in charge of this place, Travis. As the head, you claim ignorance about the flaws? Have you even inspected this place since its construction?"

"I...I've been busy with other things. You have no idea how many tasks we have to manage daily at the gallery, Ms. Schnabel. I simply couldn't keep track of everything."

Noella let out a cold laugh, her gaze falling on the ruins before her. "I'll be calling the police to handle this matter."

This disaster was just the fallout of the internal squabble between Travis and Petra, with the Gruber family cunningly taking advantage of the chaos.

"You engage in petty power struggles and let others pay the price. You flex your muscles before the staff, forcing them to take sides. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Dalia previously an intern under Petra?"

Travis's torment of Dalia was solely for his own selfish desires! Bullying a fresh graduate intern -what kind of game was that?

"Ms. Schnabel! I truly had no knowledge of this; please don't let the police take me away. The gallery has so many issues that need my attention; even if I haven’t made many achievements, I still deserve some credit for my years of service here!"

Noella's expression remained impassive.

"I know this particular incident isn't your doing, but what about the other things? Those incriminating files on Petra - you sent them to my inbox, didn't you? Unfortunately for you, Petra also sent me a file on your misdeeds. There's no need to explain anything further to me."

Travis had been siphoning funds, oppressing the staff, allowing for wage deductions that wound up in his pocket, even skimming from their benefits and pension contributions.

And the worst part? These young employees, fresh out of college, unaware of their right to labor arbitration, brainwashed by Travis's talk of making sacrifices for the gallery, for the sake of art.

Tristan had highlighted these issues yesterday without putting it in a direct manner, leaving them for Noella to handle.

After all, the gallery was her inheritance now, and Tristan wouldn't interfere too much. Tristan had it all planned out. If Noella hadn't noticed these issues, he would have quietly taken care of things, ensuring his daughter's happiness wasn't disturbed.

"Ms. Schnabel...you can't do this. I'm innocent!"

"Let the police decide if you’re innocent or not," Noella turned her attention away and handed him over to the waiting officers before walking into her office.

At the office entrance, a group of nervous employees huddled together. Although Travis had made their lives miserable, seeing Ms. Schnabel swiftly deal with both Travis and Petra, the gallery managers, had them anxious that they might be next.

Noella looked up, her expression stern.

"Who's the assistant manager?"

A man raised his hand from the crowd, "Ms. Schnabel, that would be me, Jarred."

"Good. From now on, you'll temporarily take over all of Travis's duties. Make sure to compile a report of any actions he's taken that have harmed the company. You can handle that, right?"

"Yes! Thank you, Ms. Schnabel, for this opportunity!"

Jarred could scarcely believe he was being promoted. Always suppressed by Travis, he never even had the chance to speak to Noella. Travis was terrified that his staff might curry favor with Noella and encroach on his power. Now, Ms. Schnabel had placed the power directly in his hands.