The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

CHapter 10

[Boss, are you doubting that there was something fishy about you being switched at birth?]

Noella nodded and replied: [The Schnabel family is no ordinary wealthy family. A mix–up like swapping kids that goes unnoticed for over a decade just doesn’t happen in families like that, especially when it involves several children.]

[Gotcha, I’ll dig into it right away.]

Five minutes later, thanks to the intel network Noella had set up herself, there was fresh news.

The mix–up with Noella, Briony, and Elara happened because the hospital where their moms. gave birth had a major medical mishap that year.

The delivery room was moved next door to the orphanage, where there were too many people to keep track of, and the security wasn’t exactly tight, leading to the baby switcheroo.

Noella: [Give me the location of that orphanage; I’ll check it out personally later.]

[Boss, the orphanage and the hospital are at the same place, but the hospital has been shut down for years and is now abandoned, while the orphanage is still up and running. Still standing after all these years and in Imperial City, too? That’s no small feat. Be careful, Boss.]

Noella had a hunch that something was off about that orphanage! She checked the address of the orphanage and put away her phone.

Tristan’s voice came from the doorway. “Darling, come down for dinner. Not sure what your taste is, so see if it suits your palate.”

Tristan looked at Noella with eyes full of fatherly love, anxious that she might not like the dishes.

Walking beside him, Noella asked, “With our family’s connections, didn’t you guys want to dig into my past after finding me?”

Tristan chuckled. “It was your sister Elara who said investigating beforehand might bias us, and if your past was rough, it’d be harder for us to make it up to you. So she suggested we get to know you slowly after you came home.”

Noella nodded in understanding.

The grand dining hall was bright, luxurious crystal chandeliers scattered light across the marble walls like a gathering of stars, a fireworks display of light forming the words “Welcome home, darling.”

The dining table, worth thirty million, was made of fragrant ebony and filled the air with its natural aroma, making the food on the table look even more exquisite.

Standing in front of the table were four men, all looking at Noella with eager and cautious eyes.

Then they saw a girl who resembled their mother standing on the stairs, dressed in a light

purple dress with a luminous Amethyst bracelet on her wrist.

Her demeanor was elegant and otherworldly, calm and poised, as if she stepped out of a painting with a touch of ice lotus–like pride and purity.

This was their sister!

Tristan introduced. “Noella. these are your brothers. Come on, Beckett, say hello.”

The man at the front had a refined and easy–going appearance, a true gentleman, dressed in a custom–made Italon suit, sporting a pair of precious ruby cufflinks that had fetched sixty. million at last year’s auction.

Noella remembered Beckett Schnabel the boss of Rising Glory Industry, bought those cufflinks. Not only was Beckett the youngest at the top of the new rich list, but he was also a well–known oil tycoon on the deep web!

Beckett handed Noella a black card.

His gentleness was unbelievable; the smile was a product of careful practice on the way home. perfectly elegant.

“Noella, I’m your big bro, Beckett. This is a welcome gift from me. Buy whatever you like, there’s no limit.”

Noella took it and nodded politely. “Thank you, Beckett.”

The smile on Beckett’s face was more touching than striking gold ten times over.

The second man to step forward was fair, with impeccable features and hands that looked like fine jade, tempting to be cherished as works of art.

“Little sister, I’m your second eldest brother, Ulrich. Here’s my welcome gift for you.”

He handed Noella a box made of pearwood, pleasing to the touch and polished to perfection at Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

every corner.

There were wood shavings on Ulrich’s hands; it was clearly his handiwork.

Inside the box was a hairpin and a card.

Ulrich smiled. “The card lets you access any medical facility worldwide freely. Whatever the situation, if you need it, you’ll get the best care possible. Of course, I hope you’ll never need it. I’m not as wealthy as our oldest brother, but I made this hairpin myself, and I hope you like it.”

Ulrich Schnabel was a name Noella had seen in medical journals. The youngest medical genius in the world, the only one capable of performing surgeries with a hundred percent survival rate, an international sensation who many organizations tried to poach with high bids, all in vain.

Noella picked up the hairpin, finely carved with orchids, made from top–grade wood that cost a hundred grand a piece.

“Thank you, Ulrich, I like it.”

Seeing Noella actually wearing the hairpin he made, Ulrich’s smile bloomed like spring flowers, more satisfying than snatching a hundred lives from the jaws of death.

“Noella, I’m your third brother, Stirling. You’ve probably seen me before, right? This is the welcome gift from me!”

Stirling Schnabel was the most handsome of the brothers, with piercing eyes and a sculpted nose; even his hair spelled elegance. The youngest grand slam actor in Harmonia Country, he swept all the acting awards since his debut, and his songs were known in every nook and cranny of Harmonia Country, a superstar red–hot on the charts.

Noella accepted the luxurious yacht keys from Stirling, expressing her gratitude. “Thank you. Stirling, I like it.”

Stirling’s eyes sparkled! He had been worried all the way that his sister wouldn’t like his gift, but her saying she liked it was just perfect!

The last man couldn’t wait and strode forward, scooping Noella up in a whirl.

Tristan exclaimed in alarm, “Jasper, put your sister down! If you drop her, I’ll kill you!”

Sienna screamed and rushed forward, wishing she could kick Jasper a few times for fear he would be too rough and hurt their precious gem.

Jasper Schnabel was dressed in a floral shirt, the top button undone, revealing a sexy Adam’s apple.

The Schnabel family folks were all pretty much the cream of the crop when it came to looks. and Jasper, with his slightly roguish charm, was no exception. Thanks to his handsome mug. you just can’t find it in you to dislike the guy.

Jasper, the world–renowned hotshot lawyer, had strutted his stuff in international courts and never met a case he couldn’t knock out of the park. His cut from a single case could hit the eight–figure mark – talk about every word being worth its weight in gold.

“Noella, this is a little welcome gift from me – what’s a young lady like you doing with a yacht?”

He claps his hands, and a parade of servants stream in, wheeling in a massive clothes rack.

It was organized by color and type into six sections, decked out with this season’s haute couture from top–tier designers. Matching shoes, bags, and necklaces were all there, too, saving Noella the hassle of mixing and matching.

Next to the rack, six professionally dressed individuals bowed to Noella. “Miss, we’re here to tailor these to your taste. We’ll tweak the sizes right away to suit your style.”

Noella was pretty blown away by the spread. She was starting to think she might have underestimated just how loaded the Schnabel family was.

Jasper waved. “Take it to her room. Let her try them on after she’s had some rest.”

“Yes.”

Noella looked at Jasper with genuine gratitude. “Thanks, Jasper. This is the first time I’ve ever gotten so many clothes. I really love them.”

If Jasper had a tail it would be wagging through the rool.

Sienna was wiping away tears.

That bit of shopping from earlier was just a chump change to her, and she was feeling pretty second–rate about Jasper’s gift. But here was her daughter, saying she had never even had that much before!

Just how dirt–poor were the Lamberts to let their precious girl live like a beggar? It broke her heart!

A cutesy voice floats in from the doorway.

“Dad, Mom, brothers, I’m home.”

The mood flips from cloud nine to lukewarm in an instant.

Jasper pulled Noella to her seat, and Tristan responded with a nonchalant “Oh, when are your leaving?”

Noella was speechless.

At the door stood a girl in a fluffy pink dress, her hair in elegant curls, topped with a dainty little crown. She had the looks down pat, but those thin lips and petite nose gave her a bit of a Sourpuss vibe.

Yvonne was feeling super wronged but didn’t dare make a peep. “I heard big sis was coming home today, so I wanted to pop by and see her. After all, she’s from the country and might not get our family’s ways.”

Her eyes locked onto Noella, putting extra emphasis on “our family.”

Jasper snorted dismissively, speaking faster than he could think. “She’s my real sister, our parents‘ real daughter, the one and only princess of the Schnabel family. Whatever che says goes for the Schnabel family rules, and even if it didn’t, we’d change them on the spot. She might not get it, but do you?”