The Killer Queen

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 company’s place to swipe their trade secrets?

And they even knew about the time he swiped the competitor’s 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.

“Ow, 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!”

Wedding plans!

Hearing those words, Briony’s heart skipped a beat. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

If Vincent thought the money was from the Rosenberg family, he’d definitely start hashing out her marriage to Milford with them. And as for that five million, someone like Yvonne surely wasn’t hurting for cash. Worst case scenario, she could just hit up the Rosenberg family for it once she was hitched to Milford.

“Don’t sweat it, Dad. I’ll figure something out. I bumped into Stirling and the moment he heard Noella’s name, he kicked me out. Looks like the Schnabel family really has it out for her. Better

to steer clear from now on.”

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 would’ve dragged the Lambert family down.

“I even saw Noella chatting it up with the owners of East Sea and West Ocean. Seemed like they knew each other.” 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.

“Forget her. She’s made her bed and she’s no concern of ours! Belinda, forget about revisiting the ancestral estate. I’ve sold it!” Vincent announced.

Belinda shot up in panic and stared at Vincent, “You sold our ancestral estate? And what about old lady’s graveyard?”

“That too! Some sucker insisted on buying it all, even the graveyard. Beats me why!”

12:22

Vincent was over the moon thinking about the sucker who bought the family estate and Old Mrs. Lambert’s 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, “You sold the old lady’s graveyard as well? Some old psychic told us the spot could protect our wealth!”

“Huh? It’s just a graveyard, what’s the big deal?”

Belinda couldn’t 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 mother’s graveyard?

“Hubby! 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!”

“Really? No wonder the guy coughed up three million for an old house. I gotta see if I can buy it back.” Vincent, ignoring his pain, whipped out his phone and called the buyer of the estate.

In the car, Beckett’s assistant handed him the phone.

“Boss, it’s Vincent.”

Beckett glanced at the caller ID, then eyed Noella beside him.

Noella nodded subtly, signaling him to take the call.

“Hello? Martin, the guy who bought our family estate, right? So here’s the thing. You bought the estate and a grave along with it, but I just remembered that’s my mother’s resting place, my own mom!”

It’s been eating at me these days and I just feel wrong. After all, it’s just a graveyard, and you guys have no use for it. Maybe you could give it back or something?“”

Beckett snorted, “Give it back for free? I paid good money for that land! The contract’s signed. Mr. Lambert. If you want it, you’ll have to buy it back.”

“Name your price, Martin.”

“Ten million.”

Vincent nearly jumped out of his skin despite his wounds, “Martin, you’re being a total highway robber here! You only spent three million on our estate and my mother’s graveyard; why should I cough up a million to get it back?”

“Because that land and house are both mine now. If you’re not willing to pay, let’s not waste each other’s time.”

12:22

Vincent, thinking of the land’s potential to bless the Lambert family with never–ending wealth, couldn’t bear to let go.

“Martin, that’s my mother’s burial place, for heaven’s sake! You can’t just dishonor her like that!”

“Your mother? I’ve already dug her up and buried her somewhere else, no big deal. I’m hanging up now if there’s nothing else.”

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 Martin’s. What gave him the right to say he dug her up?

“Martin, how could you treat my dear mom like this? You’re way out of line!” he cried out.

Beckett frowned and said with annoyance, “If you want your mother’s coffin, dig it up yourself. That graveyard’s mine now. If you want it back, pay up and cut the chatter.”

He hung up the phone and tossed it to his assistant, “Blacklist his calls from now on, unless he’s ready to cough up the cash for that plot.”

“Yes, Mr. Schnabel.”

Vincent, left with a dial tone, was fuming. “How can someone be so heartless and hogging our family’s burial plot just like that? It’s ours!”

Belinda, with her swollen face, sucked in a breath of cold air. Who knew why those guys were aiming for her face?

“Hubby, what if we sneak over sometime and bury the old lady back? That way the land will be ours again, and we won’t have to shell out.” She said.

Vincent thought about it and it made sense. “But we’ve both got no time to go back lately.”

“Let’s get my parents to do it. They’d definitely agree for the family’s sake.” Belinda added.

The key was they could secretly bury the Fuller family elders‘ ashes there, so the plot would bless the Fuller family forever.

Vincent, realizing he didn’t even have to lift a finger, was touched and thrilled. “Big thanks to the

in–laws. When the Lambert family hits it big, they’ll get their fair share!”

“What are you talking about? We’re all family.”

Meanwhile, Beckett turned to Noella, “Noella, do you think Vincent will go after Old Mrs. Lambert’s coffin?”

“No, but they’ll definitely sneak back to bury whatever they’ve got in mind.” She answered.

Old Mrs. Lambert’s 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

12:22

bought for her.

Vincent couldn’t care less about where Old Mrs. Lambert’s casket was; he was probably after the benefit of that plot.

Since they weren’t going to look for where Old Mrs. Lambert was buried, whoever they wanted to bury in secret definitely wasn’t her.

“I’ve got people watching the area, so don’t worry.” Beckett said.

Seeing Beckett’s warm smile on his chiseled face, Noella felt a warmth in her heart too.

“Beckett, did you arrange something else in that burial plot?”

Beckett smiled mysteriously and patted Noella’s head, “You’ll find out when the time comes. Come on, we’ve reached the music store.”