CHapter 81
The Killer Queen
Chapter 81
Vincent felt a pang of guilt just thinking about it.
How did those folks get wind of his greasing the wheels with business judges, his failed attempts at buttering up top officials with gifts that got tossed back in his face, or his torching the rival companyâs place to swipe their trade secrets?
And they even knew about the time he swiped the competitorâs menu and served up nothing but tapas at their dinner.
The more Vincent thought about it, the more scared he got. His back broke out in a cold sweat. and with injuries all over his body, that sweat stung like hell.
âOw, ow! Where the heck is that doctor? Briony, where on earth did you get the money? I was just about to give the Rosenberg family a ring to chat about your wedding plans!â
Wedding plans!
Hearing those words, Brionyâs heart skipped a beat.
If Vincent thought the money was from the Rosenberg family, heâd definitely start hashing out her marriage to Milford with them. And as for that five million, someone like Yvonne surely wasnât hurting for cash. Worst case scenario, she could just hit up the Rosenberg family for it once she was hitched to Milford.
âDonât sweat it, Dad. Iâll figure something out. I bumped into Stirling and the moment he heard Noellaâs name, he kicked me out. Looks like the Schnabel family really has it out for her. Better
to steer clear from now on.â
Vincent nodded in relief.
Briony was way better as a daughter, a hundred times better than that ungrateful girl, Noella. It was so lucky that they cut the tie with her, or no one knew how she wouldâve dragged the Lambert family down.
âI even saw Noella chatting it up with the owners of East Sea and West Ocean. Seemed like they knew each other.â She added.
Vincent perked up at that. Noella literally knew the big shots of East Sea and West Ocean? Maybe they had relatives at the Imperial West Hospital and hired Noella to care for them? That girl was only good for serving others. Her vibe of poverty made you wonder just how poor her original family must be.
âForget her. Sheâs made her bed and sheâs no concern of ours! Belinda, forget about revisiting the ancestral estate. Iâve sold it!â Vincent announced.
Belinda shot up in panic and stared at Vincent, âYou sold our ancestral estate? And what about old ladyâs graveyard?â
âThat too! Some sucker insisted on buying it all, even the graveyard. Beats me why!â
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Vincent was over the moon thinking about the sucker who bought the family estate and Old Mrs. Lambertâs graveyard. They never spent a dime on that house or the graveyard. They just picked out a random spot.
Now, Vincent was tickled pink after selling it at a price of three million.
Belinda nearly passed out, âYou sold the old ladyâs graveyard as well? Some old psychic told us the spot could protect our wealth!â
âHuh? Itâs just a graveyard, whatâs the big deal?â
Belinda couldnât hold back any longer. That grave was handpicked by her family. They planned to boot Old Mrs. Lambert out and move in themselves to ensure their Fuller lineage would be rolling in dough.
Who knew that Vincent, the loser, had sold his motherâs graveyard?
âHubby! Maybe that buyer was after the graveyard all along. My folks had a psychic to explore the place, saying it would promise prosperity and endless wealth for our descendants!â
âReally? No wonder the guy coughed up three million for an old house. I gotta see if I can buy it back.â Vincent, ignoring his pain, whipped out his phone and called the buyer of the estate.
In the car, Beckettâs assistant handed him the phone.
âBoss, itâs Vincent.â
Beckett glanced at the caller ID, then eyed Noella beside him.
Noella nodded subtly, signaling him to take the call.
âHello? Martin, the guy who bought our family estate, right? So hereâs the thing. You bought the estate and a grave along with it, but I just remembered thatâs my motherâs resting place, my own mom!â
Itâs been eating at me these days and I just feel wrong. After all, itâs just a graveyard, and you guys have no use for it. Maybe you could give it back or something?ââ
Beckett snorted, âGive it back for free? I paid good money for that land! The contractâs signed. Mr. Lambert. If you want it, youâll have to buy it back.â
âName your price, Martin.â
âTen million.â
Vincent nearly jumped out of his skin despite his wounds, âMartin, youâre being a total highway robber here! You only spent three million on our estate and my motherâs graveyard; why should I cough up a million to get it back?â
âBecause that land and house are both mine now. If youâre not willing to pay, letâs not waste each otherâs time.â
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Vincent, thinking of the landâs potential to bless the Lambert family with neverâending wealth, couldnât bear to let go.
âMartin, thatâs my motherâs burial place, for heavenâs sake! You canât just dishonor her like that!â
âYour mother? Iâve already dug her up and buried her somewhere else, no big deal. Iâm hanging up now if thereâs nothing else.â
Vincent was totally gobsmacked. What do you mean just dig a hole and bury it? He thought to himself.
Old Mrs. Lambert was his mom, not Martinâs. What gave him the right to say he dug her up?
âMartin, how could you treat my dear mom like this? Youâre way out of line!â he cried out.
Beckett frowned and said with annoyance, âIf you want your motherâs coffin, dig it up yourself. That graveyardâs mine now. If you want it back, pay up and cut the chatter.â
He hung up the phone and tossed it to his assistant, âBlacklist his calls from now on, unless heâs ready to cough up the cash for that plot.â
âYes, Mr. Schnabel.â
Vincent, left with a dial tone, was fuming. âHow can someone be so heartless and hogging our familyâs burial plot just like that? Itâs ours!â
Belinda, with her swollen face, sucked in a breath of cold air. Who knew why those guys were aiming for her face?
âHubby, what if we sneak over sometime and bury the old lady back? That way the land will be ours again, and we wonât have to shell out.â She said.
Vincent thought about it and it made sense. âBut weâve both got no time to go back lately.â
âLetâs get my parents to do it. Theyâd definitely agree for the familyâs sake.â Belinda added.
The key was they could secretly bury the Fuller family eldersâ ashes there, so the plot would bless the Fuller family forever.
Vincent, realizing he didnât even have to lift a finger, was touched and thrilled. âBig thanks to the
inâlaws. When the Lambert family hits it big, theyâll get their fair share!â
âWhat are you talking about? Weâre all family.â
Meanwhile, Beckett turned to Noella, âNoella, do you think Vincent will go after Old Mrs. Lambertâs coffin?â
âNo, but theyâll definitely sneak back to bury whatever theyâve got in mind.â She answered.
Old Mrs. Lambertâs casket had been relocated by Beckett, now resting peacefully at the Lambert ancestral home, newly named Verdant Garden, next to the osmanthus tree Noella had
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bought for her.
Vincent couldnât care less about where Old Mrs. Lambertâs casket was; he was probably after the benefit of that plot.
Since they werenât going to look for where Old Mrs. Lambert was buried, whoever they wanted to bury in secret definitely wasnât her.
âIâve got people watching the area, so donât worry.â Beckett said.
Seeing Beckettâs warm smile on his chiseled face, Noella felt a warmth in her heart too.
âBeckett, did you arrange something else in that burial plot?â
Beckett smiled mysteriously and patted Noellaâs head, âYouâll find out when the time comes. Come on, weâve reached the music store.â