The Killer Queen

Standing in front of a vermilion gate worth three million, Elara in her white lab coat dropped her suitcase.

“Mom, Dad, Bro, and sis, I’m back.”

Sienna dashed over like a shot, grabbed Elara’s hand, and gave her the once–over with the same serious scrutiny she’d given Noella earlier, her heart aching with concern.

“Elara, have you lost even more weight? Aren’t you eating well in Emerald County? Mom’s got some soup ready to beef you up.”

Elara shook her head, “No need, I’m doing great.”

She turned around, her gaze zeroing in on Noella, who was surrounded by the four sons of the Schnabel family.

Noella stood gracefully, her delicate face bearing a high resemblance to Sienna, but her brows and eyes held Marcel’s sharp authority, making her seem like a rare orchid in a deserted valley. breathtakingly beautiful.

Elara couldn’t help but admire inwardly; her sister was indeed a Schnabel through and through, her beauty was enough to make one’s heart skip a beat!

“Hey there, I’m Elara, and this is a little something for you.”

Elara took out a small box from her suitcase, revealing a colorful feather hair clip inside. Each feather shimmered like gold under the lights, casting enchanting, fleeting glimmers, dazzling enough to rival diamonds.

“This came from one of my experiments, not worth much. If you don’t like it, no sweat…”

After all, her experiments involved tens of thousands of chickens.

Upon hearing that the hair clip was extracted from those chickens, Yvonne took a big step back.

“Elara, it’s cool you love your research and all, but bringing something like this straight from the lab? Gross!”

Noella was taken aback. She knew about this hair clip: just last month, Emerald County’s Research Institute No. 3 reportedly bred a specimen closest to a chicken breed from 3000 years ago, the Phoenix Lab No. 6.

Institute No. 3 was a top–secret project within all of Harmonia Country’s research initiatives, and who would’ve thought Elara was its head honcho!

The value of this feather hair clip wasn’t something that could be measured in money; it was a significant leap for human research, bound to have a profound impact on various fields in Harmonia Country!

Noella accepted the hair clip and said, “Thanks, Elara, I really like it, but isn’t it too precious?”

What she meant by ‘precious‘ was probably the hassle of getting it out of the research institute. Yvonne rolled her eyes.

Typical country bumpkin, treating a chicken feather like a treasure.

Elara’s face lit up with a smile for the first time, her slender figure and neatly trimmed short hair complementing her delicate and graceful visage, dimples popping as she smiled.

Indeed, a sister is the sweetest, softest creature!

“If you like it, that’s all that matters. The procedure’s no biggie. If it wasn’t such a pain to get out, I would’ve been there to welcome you home too. It’s so annoying. I might just blow up the lab one day and try to make it home every day!”

Noella was speechless.

Blowing up the lab was definitely overkill. It was a big deal for Elara to come out, always escorted by a bunch of special forces to keep Elara safe, and even Marcel had to file a report to see her. Over time, Elara got so fed up with the hassle that she just stopped coming home.

Elara couldn’t resist and hugged Noella tightly.

Ah, her sister smelled so good! Nothing like her stinky brothers!

The four sons of the Schnabel family looked on with envy and resentment. They wanted to hug their sister too!

But fearing her anger, they only dared to ruffle the fluff on her head, helplessly watching Elara snuggle with Noella.

Yvonne was dumbfounded.

Had Elara lost her marbles? She was actually hugging that country bumpkin!

Clearly, too much time in the sticks had rubbed off on her. A bookworm and a bumpkin, and the most beautiful, elegant daughter of the Schnabel family could only be her, Yvonne.

“Elara, I need to talk to you about something.” said Yvonne.

Elara let go of Noella and turned to Yvonne, “Why are you still dressed so badly? People know you like that rustic charm, but others might think you’re a country girl trying to be a city slicker. Don’t be an eyesore and go take care of Grandma.”

Yvonne was on the verge of tears! She tugged at Elara’s sleeve and said, “Elara, I really have something important to tell you.”

Elara was fed up. Yvonne just couldn’t take a hint, always interrupting her sisterly bonding time. “Alright, to the study then.

Each of the Schnabel kids had their own private study, and Tristan and Sienna never pried into their affairs, allowing the kids to forge their own paths.

Once in the study, Yvonne burst into tears as soon as she entered.

“Elara, don’t be fooled by Noella; she’s nothing but a sly fox, pretending to be all pitiful on her first day back to make Mom, Dad, and the brothers feel guilty. Today, she was even flirting with several guys on the street. We’re the true daughters of the Schnabel family, and she’ll definitely rob you blind, leaving you with nothing! Elara, you’re the real deal, a true Schnabel daughter. why should you give up everything for someone else? We should team up and kick Noella out: having a daughter like her is just shaming the Schnabel family. Grandma was so upset she’s in the hospital now.”

To prove her point, she pulled out her phone and showed a video she’d taken of Ashlyn in the hospital. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

In the video, Ashlyn was full of vigor, munching through a dozen oranges, showing no signs of

illness.

Elara raised an eyebrow and said, “Grandma seems to have a good appetite. At her age, she shouldn’t be eating so much sweet stuff. How are you taking care of her? And those cupcakes, are they really something she should be eating?”

Yvonne was at a loss for words. She only bought all that stuff to show off to Ashlyn, trying to look like the dutiful granddaughter!

But Ashlyn was clearly having a blast eating it too, so what gives Elara, who’s hardly ever around Ashlyn, the right to throw shade?

“Grandma got sick because of Noella! Elara, did you not hear what I said? The moment she got home, she snagged Mom’s Amethyst gem and banned any food with onions or ginger from the kitchen!”

Elara nodded and said, “Oh, so Noella’s not into onions and ginger, huh? And she digs Amethyst gems? I’ve got a set too, and I’ll bring it to her later!”

Finally, she’s getting the picture about what Noella liked!

Yvonne was speechless.

Seriously?

Elara’s been nothing but cold to her forever, always ragging on her for either being too dumb to crack calculus in third grade, or for being so ugly it’s embarrassing, never including her in anything.

And now she’s all buddy–buddy with Noella?

She must think she’s not a real Schnabel and is sucking up to Noella just to stick with the Schnabels!

Elara, all pleased with herself, went to get the Amethyst gems. “Close the door on your way out.

I’m off to give Noella the Amethyst gems,”

Yvonne watched Elara’s back, her eyes full of spite, and then they landed on the laptop flere had just opened.

Half an hour later.

Noella was surprised to see a whole set of top–notch Amethyst gems right in front of her,

She remembered these were the ones she won at a gemstone auction two years ago, fetching a price of a hundred million dollars, and it turned out the Schnabels had bought them for Elara,

Elara, rubbing her hands together in anticipation, looked at Noella and said, “Noella, 1 heard you’re into Amethyst gems. This was a graduation present from Mom and Dad when 1 finished my PhD a couple of years back. It’s all yours now!”

She’d thought hard about it and decided the Phoenix Lab gift card was way too tacky, Petter to give something with real value, right?

“Thanks, Elara.”

Elara was grinning from ear to ear, happler than when she had a breakthrough with her research data.

The Schnabel parents were all smiles seeing their daughters getting along so well.

They knew it! Elara, raised by them, would surely love and care for Noella just like they did!