The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Marisol was once a bright young student sponsored through college by the generous Merrick.

Her journey from a remote Appalachian town to the halls of higher education was made possible through the kindness of Merrick and the wise Freya, who insisted that Marisol had to break free from her mountain chains.

As the least favored child in her family, and a girl at that, Marisol nearly found herself traded off to a local widower for a sum that would barely cover a small car payment, had it not been for Freya. During one of her field research trips, she saw potential in Marisol and decided to support her academic journey for many years.

When Freya was too busy with her clandestine experiments to make public appearances, Merrick stepped in, ensuring Marisol could pursue both her undergraduate and graduate studies.

To Marisol, Merrick and Freya were nothing short of angels.

And considering the exemplary nature of Merrick and Freya, it was clear their granddaughter, Noella, was no ordinary girl. Even if Noella had been the most clueless college student, Marisol wouldn't let anyone in the company disrespect her.

"Cosmo! First off, the design department meetings are scheduled for the third of every month, and we've already had this month's meeting. Besides, Ms. Noella will be the future boss of this company. What gives you the right to exclude her from the meetings? And you've seen Ms. Noella's design drafts. Don't act like you don't know whether she has a knack for design. You've been with the company for over a decade. Don't tell me you've forgotten how things work here?"

Though technically Cosmo was subordinate to Marisol, he always acted like he held the company's lifeline, barely acknowledging Marisol's authority.

"Marisol, aren't you being a bit harsh? How do we even know if those are really Ms. Noella's own designs? She's not familiar with the company's operations or design direction yet. Maybe it's best she gets acclimated first."

"Our firm is second to none in Imperial City. I think we need a redo of this month's meeting and perhaps a special session. I'm only thinking of Ms. Noella's best interests. You know, meetings can be so dreary. Most young ladies would rather avoid them. But, of course, if Ms. Noella wishes to attend, she's more than welcome!"

Marisol was fuming at Cosmo's audacious excuses! As she was about to defend Noella, the young woman herself stepped forward.

"Let's go. I'll attend."

A moment of shock froze Cosmo's expression. He had hoped to intimidate Noella upon her arrival.

The talent and strength evident in Noella's jewelry design drafts had sent a shiver down his spine.

If those designs were indeed Noella's, Cosmo feared his days of dominating the design department could be numbered. With Noella's understanding of design, he would no longer be able to rule the roost at the company.

Just the thought was enough to rob Cosmo of sleep. Considering Noella was still a college student unfamiliar with the corporate world, Cosmo planned to marginalize her within the company.

Gritting his teeth, he managed, "Welcome, Ms. Noella, right this way..."

Noella, paying him no heed, walked into the meeting room with Marisol and chose a discreet spot to sit.

Cosmo, leading the design team into the room, was taken aback to see Noella sitting aside.

Despite her youthful attire of a pleated skirt and blouse, and her fresh-faced appearance, Noella's calm, authoritative gaze unsettled everyone present. She might have been a student, but her demeanor reminded them of Marcel—a figure of authority.

Cosmo's planned speech was swallowed back at the sight of Noella's commanding presence.

He passed a water jug to a designer nearby. "Simeon, would you mind fetching some water for us?"

Noella observed Simeon, a man in his forties whose profile she had reviewed in the company documents.

Simeon, a seasoned jewelry designer with international training, should have been in a leading role if it weren't for Cosmo's interference.

Simeon's silent protest, "Next time, I won't be doing these errands. I'm a designer, not a gofer," challenged Cosmo's expectations.

Cosmo's attempt to maintain his composure failed miserably as the room picked up on the tension. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Marisol, worried Noella might not grasp the office dynamics, whispered an explanation.

"In the corporate world, it's usually the interns and newbies who end up doing menial tasks as a form of hazing. But Simeon, with his experience, is being deliberately humiliated by Cosmo."

Noella nodded in understanding, recognizing the blatant power play.

No reputable company would reduce a senior designer with over a decade of service to fetching water, highlighting the toxic environment Cosmo fostered.

Noella flipped through the design department's drafts with her gaze fixed on the pages. The final designs usually bore Cosmo's name, but from the initial drafts, it was clear that the most

outstanding work was Simeon's. The designs Cosmo submitted bore traces of Simeon's original ideas.

People in design have a keen eye for these things!

Cosmo's own drafts weren't as striking, but after incorporating elements borrowed from Simeon's work, they transformed into a flawless design.

Beckett, usually swamped with other tasks, hadn't spent much time on personnel management at Falen Gemstones, where the staff were mostly long-standing employees. It seemed the company inherited from his grandfather did have its issues after all.

Cosmo shot Simeon a dark look! Being shown up in front of the new boss meant Simeon wasn't going to have an easy time ahead.

Noella spoke up, her tone icy. "What about the actual content of the meeting? Assign menial tasks like pouring water to the support staff; don't waste time on it. If Cosmo's meetings are just about this, I seriously wonder if we're conducting business or playing house. If Cosmo's idea of playing house needs this many people, is he looking for playmates or what? I didn't realize Cosmo was so in touch with his inner child!"