The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Expulsion?

If Oriana got expelled, it would be a permanent stain on her record!

Garrick clenched his teeth and said, "Are we really going to go this far? Don't you think we should leave some room for maneuver?"

"Room for maneuver? Why would I need to leave any room for myself? By Imperial University’s code of conduct, if this kind of behavior can’t even lead to expulsion... well, it sets a precedent for other students, doesn't it? I don't think it's a move in the school's best interests," she added, also playing the moral card.

Noella followed Palmer into the diner, replying to Garrick as they walked.

Garrick couldn’t agree with her. "Noella, getting into our university is no small feat, and Oriana is a stellar student. You're going to ruin her future over this! Since you haven't suffered any real harm, can't you just let it slide?"

"Garrick, if I had suffered real harm, would you stand by me?"

Such hypothetical moral high grounds always come from those who've never been in the eye of the storm. Without understanding Noella's feelings, Garrick could easily claim the moral high ground.

But why should she accept that!

Garrick was momentarily speechless.

"Noella, but you haven't been harmed! You're the stronger party, aren't you? Even if her schemes did hurt you, you have a powerful family to back you up. Why can't you show a little empathy for the underdog?"

Noella's smile carried a hint of scorn. She looked out the window at the diner's idyllic lake island setting, almost magical in its tranquility.

"Garrick, what about those failures from back then? How did you deal with them?"

Garrick knew exactly what Noella was referring to. The failed ‘subjects’ from the early days of the Polaris Star project, their fates sealed by failure.

They had both tacitly agreed not to bring up Polaris Star directly before. But now, as it entered the conversation, Garrick fell silent.

Noella's tone was indifferent. "Garrick, those were once-in-a-lifetime geniuses, turned into fools by your experiments. Aren't they a greater loss than one Oriana? Weren't they ordinary people?"

"You taught me this - the weak should be eliminated. Plus, I've always been one to settle scores. My grandma used to say, if someone punches you once, you punch back three times. Garrick, it's your choice. An eye for an eye, or expulsion."

Noella chuckled. "After all, controlling the fate of others has always been your favorite game, hasn't it?"

The sarcasm in her words was palpable.

The deeds of Garrick's past were known to those present.

Helen laughed out loud. "That’s right. You were so ruthless back then. What, got soft with age, or did your conscience finally kick in? Probably can't sleep at night, haunted by those poor kids' ghosts."

Garrick's face turned crimson with anger. Under the pressure, he sighed. "I understand. I'll proceed with the expulsion."

After hanging up the phone and seeing off the room full of imposing figures, Garrick felt stifled.

What had become of this generation's Polaris Star? NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

His gaze turned deep.

Garrick got up, locked the door, and pulled out a file from a drawer secured with several locks. Atop the file, in bold letters, read: "Proposal to Reboot the Polaris Star Project."

Garrick flipped open the file, his eyes widening in shock!

What should have been pages filled with densely packed text, names of geniuses gathered over the years, and his latest refined plan, was now just a meme of Batman!

Scrawled across it were mocking words- “Thinking of making stars because your ancestors ascended to the heavens? Impossible! With all the sins you've committed, your ancestors couldn't become stars, hence your family tree is still a seed! Thinking of rebooting Polaris Star? Why not shoot yourself into space instead!”

Garrick was trembling with rage! A decade's work on his new plan down the drain!

Taking the position of principal at Imperial University was part of his grand scheme to draft a more rigorous proposal for Polaris Star's revival, needing greater support.

Now, his plan was reduced to a joke!

Furious and shaky, Garrick clicked on his office's surveillance footage.

A man, donning a Batman mask, sauntered into his office and took the plan! He even deleted the original draft.

Garrick, fuming and speechless, fainted from the shock!

On the other side, Noella flipped through the stolen plan Ivan had retrieved.

"As I suspected, Garrick left Polaris Star ten years ago because the person who used to sign off on his experiments stepped down."

The project continued without the support of the top brass, and Garrick was forced to halt.

Palmer sliced the steak for Noella. "But Polaris Star's operations never truly stopped until the year you arrived. Someone didn't want it to vanish, yet someone else did, making your acquisition of Polaris Star a product of their conflict."

Noella smiled, acknowledging Palmer's guess in her own way.

"Mr. Pollack, you're so insightful. Can you read my mind without me speaking a word?"

This seemed a tall order, but Palmer understood it as Noella's way of showing trust.

As he placed the sliced steak onto Noella’s plate, Palmer wiped his hands and smiled. "I'd guess you're currently pondering that Garrick suspects your involvement but is powerless to retaliate."

Indeed, Garrick couldn't publicly acknowledge the covert nature of the missing files. Even with the documents gone, involving the authorities was out of the question; if his actions were exposed, he'd probably be out of his current job in a heartbeat! That's exactly why the Batman had the guts to stroll in, and put his middle finger up to the cameras before making his exit.

"I guess you’re planning to go head-to-head with Garrick, so I've already called the police for him. After all, the lost files are so crucial. It'd be such a shame if they couldn’t be retrieved!"

Facing Palmer's somewhat mischievous grin, Noella couldn't help but smile too. What she loved most was the unspoken understanding between them.

"Mr. Pollack, quite the philanthropist, aren't you?"

"Indeed, I find joy in giving back. That's why I matched the donations for those underprivileged students Horatio was sponsoring, and I put both our names on it!"

Horatio wasn't one for hoarding wealth, claiming it interfered with his spiritual journey. So, after the charity auction, he handed all the proceeds over to Palmer, entrusting him to deliver the funds to the needy in the rural areas.

Just as Noella and Palmer touched on the topic of Horatio, Noella's phone buzzed with a message from him.

[Noella, your sister…]