The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

The embrace inside the car came after many years apart. It wasn't filled with romantic tension, but with warmth and a sense of enduring affection. In the world of adults, there aren't always clear reasons for the pain we bear—just a collection of scars from past battles.

Beckett's phone started ringing with a tone reserved for the Schnabel family, accompanied by a quirky tune. Darcy gave Beckett a nudge. “Your phone...”Content © NôvelDrama.Org.

Without letting go of the embrace, Beckett managed to fish the phone out of his blazer pocket draped over Darcy. He pressed the answer button, and Jasper's voice came through.

“Beckett! Have you lost your mind? Why did you send that wildcat Millie after me?”

“I told her to find you or Stirling: looks like she chose you.”

Jasper was squatting in an alley, glaring at Millie, wno was leaning against the entrance with a smirk. “Beckett, do you even realize that woman is a lunatic? I've had beef with her since our college days!”

Millie and Jasper were both law school alumni, her focus on international law and his on criminal litigation. Jasper was on the verge of a meltdown. With a lackadaisical tone, Beckett replied, “Since you know each other, it should make collaboration even smoother.

“Beckett, you're really out to get me, huh? You're the eternal bachelor; why not team up with her yourself? Marriages of convenience aren't unheard of in our circles.”

“Nah, I've got a girlfriend.” Jasper's confusion was almost palpable. “What? You have a girlfriend? Since when? How come I didn't know?"

Beckett, still on the call, didn’t shy away from Darcy's presence and raised an eyebrow at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “See, if you don’t take me back, I might just end up in one of those business marriages.”

Darcy, her face still wet with tears, looked utterly baffled by Beckett's sudden declaration. Jasper was even more infuriated. “Beckett, you dump this she-devil on me and go off playing lovey-dovey? You beast! I’m telling mom!" Calmly, Beckett responded, "Go ahead, a grown man in his twenties still running to mommy.”

Jasper angrily hung up and immediately dialed Sienna to complain. Hearing about Millie's pursuit of Jasper, Sienna peeled off her face mask remarking, “Millie went after you and not Beckett?”

“Beckett's busy with his girlfriend, mom, do you believe how outrageous he is... Hello? Mom? Mom!" Sienna had already hung up. not interested in the boy's dramas. Jasper, left with the dial tone, felt like exploding.

He stood up, exasperated, “Look Millie, coming after me is pointless. I, Jasper, don’t care for the benefits a marriage alliance brings, and besides...” He shrugged. “I’m notinto you.

Millie scoffed, her previously demure demeanor gone as she lit a slender cigarette, revealing a colorful tattoo winding down her arm. “I said, if you can beat me, you're free to go. If not, you'll agree to my terms.”

“You violent maniac! Don't think I won't fight back just because you're a woman!” Millie was far from the delicate flower everyone imagined. Instead, she was as fierce and unpredictable as a storm!

As the smoke curled from her lips, her eyes gleamed provocatively. “Mr. Schnabel, with looks like yours, I bet you'd cry pretty too.”

Jasper felt deeply insulted. Unfortunately for him, Millie was a champion in international judo competitions, making her a formidable opponent for most. Spotting a familiar figure passing by the alley’s entrance, Jasper yelled for help.

“Noella, save me!!

Hearing her name, Noella doubled back to the alley's entrance, only to find Jasper standing among a cluster of trash cans. “Jasper? What are you doing here?”

“Noella! This woman's after me!”

Noella's gaze shifted to Millie, leaning against the wall. The woman's appearance was deceivingly frail, but the tattoo on her arm was unmistakable. She hastily extinguished her cigarette, approaching Noella with a sheepish grin.

“Master! I’ve missed you so much!

Noella pushed her away. disgusted. “Didn't I tell you to quit smoking? If you don’t take my advice seriously, don't bother coming to me for treatment.”

Millie, knowing she was at fault, clung to Noetfa’s arm, unwilling to let go. If it hadt been for Noella a teachingher judo, giving her a S footholeéin the Gallagher family,-she i) mighthave already been torn- apart by-hér ruthless relatives. ToWMillie, Noella was her life's greatest benefactor.

Noella glanced at Jasper, “You're not telling me you didn’t know she’s my brother?”

Millie chuckled d sheepishly, “Honestly, I didn't. knew Master was a Schnabel, but the Schnabel . family is huge! And I only found out he was-dasper recently.” The Gal agher family’s intrigues were enauigh for her to handle without keeping track of every Schnabel offspring. fe)

Seeing Millie clinging to Noella, Jasper, ina fit of protective brotherly instinct, rushed to peel Millie away.~ "Stay away from my sister! She < woulda’ work with you even if you begged! She’s not into women; and she's getting engaged s00n;80 back off, you freak!”

Realizing Jasper was Noella’s brother, Millie toned down her aggression, yet the alleyway standoff remained charged with tension.

Millie, with her doe eyes brimming with innocence, said, “Master, I swear, it wasn't my idea to seek out the Schnabel family's young master for a date. Mom threatened to starve me if I didn't. I've really had a tough time."

Noella gently patted Millie's head. "Well, how about you come back to the Schnabel estate for dinner with me? As for the date... that'll depend on whether my brother's up for it. No pressure.”

“Uh-huh! Jasper's just too intimidating. I'm really scared of him.” Jasper: "..."

Who's the intimidating one here? Who exactly cornered him into this cramped alleyway, refusing to let him leave?

Millie's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, a hint of mischief in her expression. “Jasper and I used to be classmates. We were pretty close, right. Jasper?"

Rubbing his sore arm and meeting his sister’s concerned gaze, Jasper gritted his teeth and managed to say, "Yes. very close!”

Millie, getting the response she wanted, affectionately rubbed against Noella. “Master, I'm about to finish what I set out to do. But right now, I need to lean on the Schnabel family's strength a little.”

Noella responded calmly, "I'm a Schnabel too. Whatever you need, I'll help you."

Millie's eyes lit up! Master is the best! But then she hesitated, "...But you can't marry me, right?”