The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Walden's tone carried an edge of impatience. "What is it already?"

Clutching the hem of her skirt, Yvonne mustered the courage to lock eyes with Walden and spoke deliberately, "Have you ever heard of Nourishment Pill, Walden?"

Walden sat bolt upright, disbelief etching his features as he looked at Yvonne.

"Nourishment Pill? As in the legendary black market panacea? That's what you're offering me?"

Yvonne's spirits lifted at his reaction.

"I can get my hands on the Nourishment Pill. If you're interested, Walden, maybe we can still talk business. I hear Mr. Arthur Gruber hasn't been feeling well. Imagine the boost to your status in the Gruber family if you could present him with this elixir."

If he could secure the pill for Arthur, his standing within the Gruber family would be unassailable. A fanatic gleam touched Walden's eyes.

"Deal."

...

At a local police station in Imperial City. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Vincent, wheelchair-bound, gazed anxiously at the officer before him.

"Officer, we're telling the truth! I was attacked, our whole family nearly died out there - you can't just ignore this!"

"Do you have a lawyer?"

A lawyer? Since when did reporting an assault require legal representation? Wasn't their battered appearance evidence enough? Why would they need a lawyer?

The money Vincent had wouldn't stretch to afford a defense attorney, not to mention the legal fees from his previous settlement talks with Martin were still outstanding.

To think that he, once a district's wealthiest man, had fallen to such straits made Vincent seethe.

The officer, growing impatient, said, "I've asked you repeatedly, and you can't provide a clear account of what transpired, only that you were assaulted, while the surveillance footage appears normal."

Vincent blurted out, "The cameras! Yes, it was the man who pushed me out! He's the one who hit me!"

The officer pointed at the screen, a look of incredulity on his face.

"Who pushed you? Didn't you roll out on your own?"

At that moment, Vincent's heart sank. The very person who had been pushing his wheelchair had stayed out of the camera's view. He remembered now how he had been positioned just out of sight.

It was a setup all along!

The Fuller family, together with Vincent, couldn't piece together what had happened to them. All they knew was they'd blacked out and woken up in the middle of nowhere, nearly frozen to death!

Vincent's leg bore a wound, a stark reminder of Noella's last look - it sent shivers down his spine. The girl was nothing like she used to be.

Leaving the police station, Vincent turned to Belinda, "This was all Noella's doing. She must've become twisted after we cast her out! We must go to Emerald County, find her kin!"

Vincent was still fixated on the compensation from Emerald County. He had learned that the payouts were per capita, and with Noella's large family, including four brothers without spouses, they must have received a tidy sum.

The Lambert family were teetering on the edge of insolvency. He couldn't believe that once they found Noella's biological family, they would refuse to share the wealth.

...

At Polaris Star Lab.

Noella furrowed her brow as she reviewed the data sprawled before her.

There seemed to be a few times of collaboration between Polaris Star's lab and the one Elara managed, and the numbers suggested there were issues within Elara's facility.

"Boss, judging by these figures, there might be a hiccup at the Emerald County lab. Should we send someone to check it out?"

Noella tucked away the report, "No need, I'll go myself."

She had promised Elara a visit to Emerald County, and it would also be an opportunity to inspect the Schnabel family estate. If she encountered any problems in Emerald County, she could resolve them swiftly.

After informing Sienna of her trip, her mother immediately approved, pleased by the close bond between her daughter and Elara. Sienna was relieved to see the girls getting along so well; before Noella returned to the family, she had worried about potential friction between her and Elara, which

would've upset her regardless of who was at fault. Now, the sight of their closeness made her feel like she was the happiest mother in the world. After all, she had those two excellent daughters!

"Alright, sweetheart, I'll pack for you. And there are many gifts for Elara; she loves the pickles from home, so let's send her some jars, shall we?"

"Sure, I'll swing by and pick them up."

Noella ended the call with her mother still fussing about getting Elara's favorite pastries to take along.

When Noella arrived, she was greeted by piles of packages in the living room, and Sienna was concerned it wouldn't be enough.

"Sweetheart, can you think of anything else we should send with you? Poor Elara, she's practically living in that lab; she's gotten so thin."

Without waiting for Noella's response, Sienna grabbed even more items. To the uninitiated, it would seem as though Noella was moving out.

"That should do it. Your grandfather's napping, so I won't wake him."

"Okay, I'll be back in a couple of days."

The Schnabel family car waited nearby. Noella, laden with gifts, got in and headed for Emerald County.

Wren chuckled, "Ms. Schnabel, it's a two-hour drive. You might want to kick back and relax for a bit."

Noella nodded, picking up the stack of documents she had prepared and started reviewing them. She suspected that there might be some technical hiccups at Elara's lab.

As the car rolled out of Imperial City, Noella's phone began to ring. Palmer's voice came through the receiver, "Remember our date? What snacks are you in the mood for?"

It was hours away from night snack time, and Noella knew Palmer was just looking for an excuse to chat with her. If he hadn't mentioned it, she would have probably forgotten all about their plans.

Noella gazed at the scenery whizzing by in reverse, "I'm sorry; it slipped my mind."

She had already left Imperial City, and going back now to join Palmer for a meal was definitely out of the question.

"It's okay; we planned for a late-night snack, so you're not too late."

"I'm not in Imperial City right now; I might be tied up for a while."

Palmer pressed a hand to his forehead and stood up from his chair, walking over to the large floor- to-ceiling window. Skyscrapers towered and the river murmured beyond the glass, but none of it captured his attention.

His world was only complete with her in it!

"Where are you off to? Do you need me to come with you?"

"No, it's just a quick trip to Emerald County to visit my sister."

Palmer's voice turned a bit bitter, "So, to my fiancée, family is a good enough reason to forget about our plans?"

It was true, she had forgotten. Noella pressed her lips, her grip tightening on her phone.

"I'm sorry; it's on me. Let's have dinner when I get back."

"No," Palmer's voice held a hint of hurt, but his lips curved into a slight smile, "I want you for a whole day!"

Noella had her hands full with tasks, and spending an entire day with Palmer seemed daunting. She had forgotten their date, and that oversight had let him down. She tried to find the words to refuse, but none would come.

With a hesitant nod, Noella finally agreed, "Alright, I'll stay with you a whole day."