The Killer Queen by Noella Briony

he cleared her throat and spoke up confidently. “Tve made up my mind! I'll acknowledge the Pollacks, but i am Elara Schnabel, always Elara Schnabel, Grandpa Sexton will be an extra grandpa who adores me, so guess I'm winning here! As for him... | don’t want to see him just yet, but | don’t blhim.” Sexton looked at Elara, nodding relentlessly. “Eh, you decide. It’s all up to you. You stick with the nSchnabel, a fine nindeed! Marcel, | owe you thanks for raising such a granddaughter.” Marcel snorted, his face softening a bit. “Of course she’s wonderful, my granddaughters are the best! Just so you know, Elara’s only being kind. She's still a Schnabel through and through.” “I know, and the Pollacks will provide for Elara whatever she needs. Whatever she chooses to do, both the Pollack and Schnabel families will be her home!” Merrick muttered, “How did this becyour win? | was hoping Elara might take on my last none of these days, but you old coot got lucky” Elara hugged Merrick’s arm, “Grandpa, | may have two paternal grandpas, but | only have one maternal grandpa like you!” “That's more like it.” Freya coughed. “In the future, maybe Elara and Noella should just stay with us. The Schnabel family is quite Erowded, and our place could use sliveliness” | Sexton chimed in, “Sure thing, | could move in too, keep Noella and Elara company.” Freya snapped, “Have you no shame?” “Why would | be ashamed? Marcel, you tell them Noella is going to be our granddaughter-in-law, and Elara’s our own flesh and blood. They'll be part of my family EELS [ES right?” “Beat it! Getting too big for your britches, are ya? All these treasures belong to the Schnabel family, now scram!” Marcel could feel his blood boiling just looking at Sexton, cursing under his breath as he shooed him and Palmer out the door.

“I get sick just hearing the nPollack!” “And the Schnabel’s aren't any prize either! Except for Noella and Elara, the rest of you are no-good troublemakers!” The Schnabel family pretended they didn’t hear a thing.

Elara surreptitiously tugged at Noella’s hand, shielding her face as she whispered, “Noella, | need to get out for a bit. Cwith me, will you?” “Where to?” As Elara pulled Noella into the car and buckled her seat belt, she explained, “I want to check out the 11:54 Richardson family. Noella, you can drive, right?” can.

Noella didn’t hesitate, firing up the engine and driving a good distance before admitting. “But | don’t have a license.

Elara was struck silent. She should've thought this through, maybe casually dragged one of their brothers along.

Noells didn’t have a license; what if something happened? “Should we get Jasper to come? Should | call him?” Noella’s gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, her driving smooth, her eyes calm. “You didn’t want them to know, right? My driving is not bad, and | know where the Richardson family lives.” “But it's not safe. Should we take a cab?” Noella glanced at a motorcycle parked on the roadside, tilting her chin up slightly. “Let’s take that. | have a motorcycle license.” Half an hour later, a sleek black motorcycle pulled up outside the Richardson Manor, coming to a stop by the flower beds.

Elara had clung to Noella’s waist the whole ride, the chilly wind calming her frazzled nerves.

As they beheld the estate, Elara’s gaze grew complex.

“Is this the place?” Was this the place where her mother had lived? A gentle voice floated from inside the gate. “Isn't that Ms. Schnabel? What brings you to our doorstep? And who might this be?” Panor’s front door swung inward with a creak of old hinges.

roman, draped in an elegant, floor-length evening gown and clutching a parasol, greeted them with a smile, her face exuding gentle calmness.

Ma, Schnabel, since you've call this way, why don’t you and this young lady cin for a bit?” Nolls, gripping Elara’s hand, nodded towards the woman, “Lavinia, this is my sister, Elara.” Lavinia wasn’t in the best of health, rarely venturing out of the Richardson family estate. This was her first encounter with Elara.

Her gaze settled on Elara, taking in the girl looked vaguely familiar.

poised figure standing before her. For sreason, Lavinia felt the She beamed, “I've heard tell of another formidable Ms. Schnabel, a researcher despite her tender years. The rumors clearly don’t do you justice. Please, cin. The house tends to be quite empty, it’s rare we have guests.” Apart from the buzz during Lucian’s birthday, the vast estate remained largely desolate.

Noella led Elara into the heart of the Richardson Manor.

2222FF95 “Then we'll be imposing on your hospitality, Lavinia.” “Think nothing of it. It’s my pleasure, truly.” Lavinia ushered Noella and Elara across the manicured lawns of the garden, eventually reaching the drawing- room where she invited them to sit.

Her smile was especially warm, eyes shimmering, tiny laugh lines adding character to her visage.

“Ladies, what would you fancy? I'll have safternoon tea sent over.” Elara found herself captivated by Lavinia’s features, reminiscent of someone they both knew - Sienna, perhaps.

Both bore the mark of scholarly breeding, an air of refined gentleness about them.

Noella spoke up, “Thank you. | have a fondness for honey cakes, and my sister here adores strawberry shortcake.” “I'm quite partial to strawberry shortcake myself. I'll fetch sright away.” Watching Lavinia retreat, Elara scooted her chair closer to Noella, the entire seat scraping along the floor.

“Noella, do you think she could be my mother?” “The Richardson family only has the one daughter,” Noella said, having done her research on the way over.

Lucian had but a son and a daughter, the former an ambassador hardly ever in Imperial City.

“And she does look quite a bit like you,” Noella added, almost understating the resemblance. From the moment she laid eyes on Lavinia, Noella felt an uncanny familiarity, an unforgettable blend of features and demeanor.

The similarities to Elara were striking! But Elara, raised by the Schnabels, had a liveliness that Lavinia lacked.

Elara responded with her usual cool logic, “Without DNA evidence, it's just a theory. | need data before | draw any conclusions.” Years of research had honed her mind to trust only in empirical evidence, emotions trailing far behind in The sound of coughing and the whir of an electric wheelchair approached, and Lucian, in the driver's sest, aped over to them.

Elara was taken aback.

Returning with the afternoon tea, Lavinia scolded, “Dad! How many times have | told you not to zoom around so fest indoors? Have you not seen the news about those old gentlemen getting hospitalized doing Just that?” Lucian waved her off. “I'm well past my salad days; | won't be drag racing. Besides, | was excited to see Noella here!” “You're aware of your age, yet you act like a child. You never make it easy, do you?” easy.do Lucian covered his ears, feigning deafness, and navigated his wheelchair towards Noella.

“This is?” His eyes landed on Elara and suddenly froze.

Elara met Lucian’s gaze, one of shock and disbelief, and introduced herself confidently, “Hello. I'm Elara, the daughter taken in by the Schnabel family.” As Lavinia arranged the cakes on the table, she chimed in with a smile. “Don’t underestimate Miss Elara here.

She's quite the researcher. | remember reading one of her published papers - a very thoughtful piece!” Lucian’s eyes flickered with curiosity.

A child taken in by the Schnabels? And so brilliant, too, an experimenter...

But it was her face, the spitting image of his daughter in her youth, though Elara exuded more confidence, her short, smart haircut adding a touch of modern chic.

0000 000 00 000 000 00

So, Marcel raised you? And yourbirth parents, have you found them?Lucian's voice trembled unknowingly.

his fists clenched on his lap as he i lara’ h awaited Elara’s response. Elara grinned. “Just found them recently. Turns out my dad’s my boss, and I'm still getting used to that idea! As for my mom... she’s gone.” Lucian’s grip on the wheelchair tightened, his voice eager, “Which lab? Which number? Your boss, is his surnPollack?” “How did you know? | work at Phoenix Lab, number three, under Jacob. But perhaps not for much longer.” Jacob! Lucian’s hands fell away as he slumped back in his seat. “Why might that change?” “I'm being transferred back to an Imperial City lab. It'll be easier to visit home.” Lucian nodded, exhaling heavily.

Watching Lucian’s emotional reaction, Lavinia asked with surprise, “Dad, what's gotten into you? Do you know Mr. Pollack?” “It’s nothing. Could you fetch the photo album from my room? I'd like to show these young women how dashing | was in my day.” Lavinia rolled her eyes. “You always want to show off when we have guests. Fine, I'll get it.” As she left, Lucian’s gaze returned to Elara. “It might be a bit forward ofto ask, but it’s important. Elara, could you share your life story with me?” Of course, Elara sald, willing to share, Noella gently lifted her mug of coffee to her lips, taking a soothing sip as she sat beside Elara in quiet companionship,

With a voice as calm as the evening breeze, she recounted tales of hen childhood antics,her hands trembling ever so slightly. Thankfully, A q . i they were intertwined with Noella's steady ones. Having a sinter like Noella by her side was truly a blessing.

As she spoke of her seamless academic and personal life, Lucian silently nodded in approval.

The mention of being punished by Marcel for a misdeed caused Lucian to Inwardly curse Marcel for treating a young girl so harshly.

So what if she had broken a few antique vases? They weren't worth a fortune!

Hearing her speak of her brothers kindness, Lucian blurted without thinking We've got a couple of grandson too, they're like brothers ” : to you as well.” Catching Elara’s puzzled gaze, Lucian realized his slip and quickly waved his hand. “Keep going, I'm listening.” When Elara mentioned Sienna and Tristan, Lucian let out a soft sigh. “They're good parents, certainly better than the ones you started out with!” Lavinia cdown with Lucian’s old photo album, chuckling. “Dad, what are you rambling on about?” “Oh, nothing much. Con, let's show the kids how dashing | was back in the day!” With a smile, Lavinia flipped through the album, sharing each memory with Noella and Elara.

One particular photo caught their attention a young Lavinia.

In the picture, Lavinia, dressed in a white sundress, stood on the deck of a cruise ship, her hair elegantly coiffed to appear short from the front.

“Hey, doesn’t this photo look a lot like Miss Elara?”