CHapter 191
The Killer Queen
Chapter 191
Yatesâs eyes sparkled with intrigue at his secretaryâs words. âBut sheâs just an adoptee, what a waste.
âSir, an adoptee is still a daughter of the Schnabels, and a cherished researcher at that,â the secretary reminded him.
Yates stroked his chin, his face a canvas of schemes. âTwo daughters, and this one has little value. But if something were to happen to that annoying one, wouldnât she become the sole heiress?â
Yates was angling for a lucrative alliance with the Schnabels, and he knew he had to pick the most profitable match. Only as an only child could she inherit the undivided wealth of the Schnabels, allowing him to clinch an absolute victory in the inheritance battle of the Grubers.
If Ms. Schnabel wasnât the right fit, he could always set his sights on another Ms. Schnabel!
âMake the arrangements. Such a trifle should be well within your capabilities.â
âYes, sir.â
Outside the Gruber mansion, Master Hector waved at Noella. âNoella, Yasbel and I will head out to make some preparations. See you tomorrow!â
Noella nodded. âStay safe. The Grubers might do something.â
Master Hector dismissed the concern with a casual wave, clearly not intimidated by the Grubers. âDonât worry, Iâd be disappointed if they didnât try. The Grubers think they can. cause me trouble? Hmph!â
Years of dealing with the roughâandâtumble of the gemstone world had seasoned Master Hector well.
Lucian chuckled. âYour lifeâs get leaper by the day. The Grubers are no threat. Itâs the
Shadow Dragon Society behind them that plays for keeps.â
âI donât care if itâs dragons or snakes; they all bow down before me!â
Lucianâs steely gaze rested on Noella, suggesting, âTake care of yourself⦠and when Elara has a moment, have her come see me. I hold her dear!â
Noella understood Lucianâs hint. âIâll let her know.â
Watching Master Hector and Lucian leave, Malvina idly played with her hair. âNoella, darling, knowing Yates as I do, you and your sister better watch your backs.â
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the coutinât be too direct, but she trusted that clever Noelle would get
toÃ
will, thank you?
Letâs exchange contact info, please!â
it was clear Malvina wasnât having the easiest time with the Grubers, Noella agreed, and they exchanged contact details.
âYay! Rest assured, as long as Iâm around, Yvonne wonât have a day of peacelâ
Noella smiled lightly. âSheâs no concern of mine.â
To Noella, Yvonne was a mere jester, not worth her attention.
âThatâs even better. If there were ties, Iâd have to be more careful dealing with her.â
âDo as you please.â
Malvina simply found Yvonne irksome, and Noellaâs response was all the assurance she needed.
On the way back, Palmer was still beaming with joy.
Noella glanced at him and airily remarked, âItâs just a piece of emerald, Mr. Pollack. Havenât you seen the world?â
Palmer laughed softly, his eyes gleaming as they settled on Noella. âIâm just assessing the relationship between my fiancée and Master Hector.â
From Master Hectorâs demeanor towards Noella to his support for the Schnabels, and the fact that Noella casually picked a topâgrade Glassy Type emerald, along with Yasbel treating Noella with such respect⦠If he wasnât mistaken, the Gemstone Gambling King had a close connection with his little ladyâperhaps Noella was the King herself!
He knew his fiancée was a treasure, but the thrill of uncovering more of her secrets made
him cherish her even more.
âThe Gemstone Gambling King was quite active in Northstone, and coincidentally, you were there at the same time, werenât you?â
Noella replied coolly, âToday was just a stroke of luck.â
âIâm not one to believe in luck, my dear. Luck is inconsequential when faced with
undeniable skill, wouldnât you agree?â
Palmer had never put stock in luck; while buying lottery tickets might require a stroke of it, gemstone gambling demanded skill!
Otherwise, why hadnât someone lucky usurped Master Hectorâs place?
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softened. âThose years in Nor
sent the Geinstonedambling King was shining brightest
He knew quite a bit about the Gemstone Gambling Kingâs movements, which nerity matched the scope of activities of the Obelisk Organization!
Noella gave him a aldelong glance. âAnd your point is7â
Palmer ruffled Noellaâs hair affectionately. âJust that youâre pretty amazing, Noella. As a reward, Iâll take you to the hottest new restaurant downtownâ
Noellaâs heart skipped, her pulse quickening. Looking at Palmer, she suddenly asked, âPalmer, donât you have anything better to do?â
As the CEO of the Pollack Group, one would think heâd be swamped with work, yet he always seemed to find the time to share meals with her.
Holding Noellaâs hand, Palmer spoke honestly. âSwamped? More like drowning in it! But whatâs the point of all that busy if I canât make time for my thoughts of you and being with you? Noella, you canât strip me of that right.â
Seeing her, all his fatigue seemed to melt away. The cutthroat politics within the Group, the undercurrents roiling through the Pollack family none of it mattered anymore!
After dinner, Palmer dropped Noella back at Schnabel Manor and watched her ascend the steps before driving off.
As soon as Noella exited the car, the warmth inside plummeted. Palmer reached for his glasses, sliding them off the bridge of his nose, his eyes unmasking a chilling intent.
âAnnie, Noella used a hidden blade in Emerald County once. Find out what that was all
about.â
âWill do. Also, Boss, should we tell Ms. Noella about the findings from our last investigation?â
Palmerâs eyes narrowed, a hint of red within them, his gaze sharp and lethal. âNo need. If we tell Noella, sheâll surely dive into her own investigation, and thatâs too dangerous. Set up another date for me and her.â
Annie couldnât help but blurt out, âBoss, arenât you worried Ms. Noella will think youâre clingy?â
Even she noticed her boss transformed whenever he was with Ms. Noella. It was only Ms. Noellaâs good nature that hadnât sent him packing.
Thinking of Noellaâs face, Palmer felt the gloom in his heart dissipate slightly.
âItâs fine,â he murmured almost to himself, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy and bitterness. âIf Noella gets tired of me, Iâll just vanish for a few days. She wonât suspect a thing.â
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Chapter 191
Annie was taken aback by the depth of his sentiment, but she remained silent. Even as an outsider, she was moved by the lengths her boss would go for Ms. Noella.
âAre we really not going to tell Ms. Noella?â
âThereâs no need to trouble her with it.â
With a light chuckle, Palmer shook his head and the conversation drifted to a close.
âKeep Elara safe, and keep tabs on the Gruber family. Let the Shadow Dragon Society vanish from Imperial City!â
âUnderstood. Iâll arrange it.â
The Gruber family had crossed a line with Palmer today! The worst mistake they made was casting their filthy schemes on Noella and the sole daughter of the Pollack family!
Meanwhile, Elaraâs phone buzzed with a new message.
[Ms. Schnabel, wouldnât you like to know who was behind the Phoenix Lab incident?]