The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Noella cradled a fallen Malvina in her arms, concern etched across her features.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine... sweetheart, you're too amazing!"

Noella shook her head, gently setting Malvina down, checking her pulse to ensure she was alright before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Next time, have the nanny follow you. It's too dangerous."

Given the distance and the suddenness of the incident, it was a stroke of luck that a conveniently placed ledge at the stair's turn broke her fall!

Luna, witnessing Malvina unharmed, was a bundle of nerves!

It was always Noella!

She hurried inside the house, tripping over her own feet in her panic.

Malvina, patting her chest, exclaimed, "Sweetie, that woman is evil! She was trying to seduce Beckett! When she heard I was pregnant, she wanted to harm my baby!"

Malvina shuddered with the aftershock of the ordeal, her hand trembling as she clung to Noella.

Had Noella not been there to find her, the thought of what could have happened was unbearable!

"Sweetheart, you scared me to death!"

Noella comforted her with gentle pats on the back.

"You're safe, that's what matters. Leave the rest to me."

The restaurant manager, out of breath, rushed over, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Ms. Noella, Ms. Malvina, we've got everything on camera, including the private dining area! Our legal team is already on it!"

Having dealt with Malvina's late-night menu changes and Noella's special requests, he knew how important they were to the Schnabel family. The last thing he needed was trouble on his watch.

Noella waved dismissively, "This isn't on you. What were they here for?"

"They said they wanted to apologize to Mr. Schnabel for a previous misunderstanding."

Noella scoffed, “Apologize to Beckett instead of me? Their intentions couldn't be clearer."

In the dining area, Luna, flustered, urged her grandmother, "Let's leave... I'm not feeling well..."

“Mr. Schnabel hasn't arrived yet. What's the rush?"

Luna, fearing Noella's retribution, lied, "I saw Noella trying to push that pregnant lady down the stairs! I'm scared she'll come after me!"

Pearl was astonished.

Had the Schnabel family's infighting escalated to this level?

"We should steer clear of this mess. You did the right thing. Let's go."

Upon receiving the news, Stirling and Beckett rushed over, concerned for Malvina and Noella.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Stirling, visibly worried, insisted,

"Malvina, tet's go to the hospital for a check-up. And Noella, you should

Co. You're still recovering

from your last injury. How could you catch her like that?"

Noella reassured, "I'm fine. I'm a doctor, remember? Malvina's fine too, just shaken."

Malvina, overwhelmed by the ordeal

and the surge of hormones, broke down in Stirling's arms, "I was so scared... If it weren't for Noella, you might not have seen me again!"

Beckett, seething with anger, remarked, "The Patel family, huh? Dillon dares to send assassins after Stirling, thinking we're pushovers?"

The revelation of an assassination attempt and the subsequent investigation pointed towards the Patel family's internal disputes.

Beckett mused, “Using their internal conflict to our advantage might be the way to go. Dog eat dog."

Stirling nodded, his eyes glinting with a cold, hard edge.

"They're gonna pay before they vanish into thin air!" His voice was laced with a chill that matched his gaze.

Daring to lay a finger on his wife and kid? They clearly didn't know who they were messing with!

Noella chimed in, her tone equally

firm. "When stepped out earlier, I bumped into some sketchy folks

too. Palmer's looking into it, turn et

out they're from a branch of the Patel family. They even had the nerve to hand me this."

She revealed an invitation resting in the palm of her hand.

Beckett took it, his voice dripping with disdain, "Hah! They've got the guts to invite the Schnabel family to a party?"

Noella frowned, "It must be someone else pulling the strings. The Patels have always been brazen, but never bold enough to mess with us directly." According to Dog-Head, the puppet master behind the Patel family has always been 7-Slayer!

"Beckett, you planning on going to this shindig?"

"You want to?" he shot back.

Noella shook her head, "If I go, it'll just inflate their egos. If 7-Slayer wants to see us and the Patels duke it out, we'll give him a show."

Sending a 'gift' might just spice things up.

7-Slayer wasn't in it to back the Patel family.

He was breeding conflict!

"A guy like 7-Slayer, he wants a family that's been through the wringer, all battered and bruised from infighting and external battles. Only then can he pull the strings!"

The Patel family was just the latest pawn, but what 7-Slayer really wanted was to get his hooks into the Schnabels.

But the Schnabel kids weren't so easily manipulated.

Beckett's phone suddenly broke the tension with its shrill ring.

A panicked scream bled through the speaker.

"My boy! Come save me! SOS!!"

Beckett eyed the unfamiliar number, his brow furrowed, "And you are?"

That definitely wasn't Tristan's voice!