The Killer Queen

The moment Vincent so much as thought about cash, his aches and pains seemed to vanish!

Belinda sneered inwardly.

Considering how blind and biased the old lady was, her favoritism had known no bounds. She treated Noella like the apple of her eye, raising her as if she were a precious gem. Chances were that bracelet was deliberately left for Noella by the old bat herself!

Why should Noella get it, though? The old lady’s belongings should rightfully go to her own flesh and blood, her granddaughter! That bracelet was so exquisite; putting it on Noella was like casting pearls before swine. If only Briony could have it…

Calculations danced in Belinda’s eyes.

“Honey,” she conspired to Vincent, “that bracelet must’ve been nicked by Noella. She’s out of our lives now, so let’s call the cops, say she took Mom’s stuff. She’ll have to return it then, right?”

Vincent, who’d gotten a good thrashing from Noella and still felt tender in the face, hesitated at her suggestion. “Well… we don’t have proof that the bracelet belonged to Mom. If that little brat insists it’s got nothing to do with Mom, what then?”

“What do we do then? That bracelet’s worth a fortune! Are we just going to let her have it?” Belinda, fighting through her pain, was relentless.

Vincent, of course, wasn’t about to let go!

The bracelet was worth a pretty penny; how could he let Noella just walk away with it?

“Here’s the plan–I’ll pay off a few influencers to boost our story, claim we lost a family treasure. Once the news spreads, she’ll have no choice but to return it out of fear!”

Vincent had it all planned out. If they could just start an online smear campaign against Noella, she would undoubtedly cave under pressure and return what rightfully belonged to them!

Unbeknownst to them, Ellsworth, who had been eavesdropping, quietly opened his eyes. Seizing the moment when they weren’t paying attention, he made his escape.

Why should that precious item ever belong to Vincent’s?

Noella was the future bride handpicked for him by the Lambert and Fuller families. Everything she owned should rightfully be his!

Night fell early in Emerald County. Stars dotted the canvas of the sky, and Elara was sound asleep beside her. Noella had just undone her hair to lie down when she heard a faint rustling noise.

The Schnabel family’s old mansion was well–maintained–no critters here. So, it could only

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mean one thing- someone was inside!

Noella glanced at Elara, picked up her phone, and checked her messages.

Mizar texted: (Boss, some punk’s sneaked into your place. Want us to handle it?)

[No need.]

Accompanying the text were a few candid shots of the intruder–undeniably Ellsworth!

Noella pocketed her phone, stealthily left the room, and Elara, almost as if on cue, opened her

eyes.

“Noella…”

Why was her sister up? A bathroom trip, perhaps? But their en–suite should have sufficed.

Confused, Elara’s alarm spiked when she heard a strange noise.

Panic set in.

What if Noella, on her first visit to Emerald County, ran into trouble?

Without even slipping on shoes, Elara dashed out in search of Noella,

In the shadows, Ellsworth crouched, scouring for Noella’s room. He’d paid a few local fishermen for information on which grand doorway the girl had entered. This was the largest house in Emerald County. Could the girl be some heiress?

The thought set his heart aflame with greed.

Visions of Noella’s stunning face and svelte figure made him lick his lips with lecherous desire.

If he could find Noella, take advantage of the situation, would he not win her heart?

His mind was awash with vile thoughts, oblivious to the piercing gaze from above, observing him from the rafters.

Noella had to act without making a sound; she couldn’t risk waking Elara. She touched her wristwatch, aimed at the intruder’s neck artery, and fired.

Ellsworth collapsed silently, and Noella descended from her perch, looking down indifferently at the man sprawled on the floor like a lifeless pig.

If it weren’t for the risk of causing trouble for Elara and the Schnabel family, Ellsworth’s fate would be more than just unconsciousness.

Elara, flashlight in hand, finally found Noella.

“Noella! Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m fine. Caught a burglar.”

Elara eyed the prone figure of Ellsworth with an icy gaze.

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“A thief? Since when is the Schnabel family’s security so lax!”

Noella shook her head. “I don’t know. I came out when I heard noises, and there he was, on the floor, bruised. Maybe he’s one of the local gamblers.”

In Emerald County, there were indeed quite a few people who gambled all night and failed to pay up, so incidents like gang fights were not common but still plausible.

Elara didn’t question further. She summoned the old butler, who handled the situation and handed Ellsworth over to the police.

Then, she turned to Noella with serious concern. “Next time, let me handle it. I’m the older sister; it’s not your place to step in. If something happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself!”

It was the first time she’d spoken to Noella like this, her eyes brimming with emotion.

Noella pursed her lips, facing Elara. “But you were tired. You needed rest. I didn’t want anyone to disturb you.”

Elara paused.

Had Noella claimed she was tired that afternoon just to ensure she could get some rest? The coolness of Noella’s bedding hinted that she hadn’t slept while Elara had.

What kind of angel was her sister?

Mixed emotions welled up in Elara, but she still scolded firmly. “I can take care of myself, I promise! But you mustn’t go off on your own next time, okay?”

Noella nodded, her gaze landing on Elara’s bare feet. It was clear that Elara was so worried

about her that she hadn’t even noticed her own state.

“Elara, can you promise me something? No matter what happens later, you can’t tell anyone

else about it, okay?”

“Huh?”

Elara was still puzzled about what Noella was planning when she suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground!

Noella had actually hoisted her up and was carrying her back to her room!

“Remember to wear your shoes next time. Get some sleep now.”

Elara stared at Noella, eyes wide in astonishment, at a loss for words.

Was she… really being carried back to her room by her little sister? Wasn’t Noella’s strength a

bit too much?

Noella paid no mind to Elara’s shock; she simply lay down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

After a moment, Elara let out a hidden chuckle and turned to hug Noella beside her, her voice filled with joy. “I won’t tell anyone. Why would I share how cute my little sister is with them?”

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This was a secret just between her and Noella!

The next day, at Schnabel Manor, Marcel sat in the garden, perusing the newspaper to catch up on recent events. Sienna, having finished watering the plants, joined him for afternoon tea. “Hey, Dad, look at this news piece. It says someone’s family heirloom, a jade bracelet, has been lost. This bracelet looks really valuable. How could anyone not keep it safe?”

“Let me see.” Marcel set aside his newspaper, took Sienna’s phone, and after opening the screen, he was so shocked he could barely recover. “This bracelet… it’s Harriet’s bracelet!”

“What? You recognize it, Dad?”

Marcel zoomed in and out on the image several times, his hands trembling with excitement, his eyes welling up with emotion. He nodded, memories flooding back.

“This photo is old, but it’s indeed the bracelet I gave to Harriet! She loved it, even said she wanted to pass it down to our children. But when Harriet passed away, the bracelet was supposed to be buried

with her. Who posted this? Find out for me!”

Seeing how agitated Marcel was, Sienna realized the significance of the bracelet and quickly agreed to help.

“Alright, I’m on it!”

Marcel gazed at the image on the phone, tears in his eyes, emotions swirling.

“Harriet, are you still out there? If you are alive, why haven’t you come to find me?”