The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Pearl leisurely sipped her Ceylon tea, savoring the moment.

"This meeting with Mr. Schnabel is about making amends. Remember, humility is key," she advised with a tone that brooked no argument.

Luna murmured under her breath, "But the mess at the venue wasn't even my fault..."

If it weren't for the Patel family's connections bailing her out, she'd still be tasting the bitter reality of a holding cell right now.

Pearl wasn't concerned about the incident at the venue. Luna was her granddaughter, the heir she was grooming, and she knew her temperament better than anyone. The mishap was due to Luna's naivety and underestimation of the Schnabel family's influence a mistake of youth and inexperience.

"You're still young, Luna. There are many things you don't understand about men," Pearl continued. "Especially someone like Beckett. He's one in a million. Women flock around him, and showing your temper like that won't get his attention."

Luna felt indignant. "But I've been holding back my temper!"

"Holding back? Was embarrassing his sister in front of him 'holding back'? Forget that Ms. Schnabel is set to marry into the Pollack family for a second. Considering how much Beckett adores his sister, why would you antagonize her?"

Pearl saw Luna's behavior as petty. Such matters were hardly worth getting upset over.

"I'll tell you this once: A man like Beckett won't be drawn to your true self. He's attracted to talented and capable women who can handle themselves. You're too greedy; tone it down."

Luna clenched her teeth. "But Grandma, that bumpkin proposed to Beckett right there at the event, and he accepted... Isn't he into those kinds of dramatic gestures?"

Pearl smiled knowingly. "Even marriage has its end in divorce. Why worry? These things don't matter. Besides, being friends with Beckett will still benefit you in the long run. Every man has his close female friends. You don't necessarily have to marry him. Sure, being Mrs. Schnabel would be nice, but even as the mother of his child, the baby would still bear the Schnabel name."

Luna's eyes widened with realization. "You're amazing, Grandma!"This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Next door, through the ornate partition separating the dining spaces, Malvina couldn't help but overhear the entire conversation.

These two were plotting openly as if the walls were soundproof.

Lately, Malvina craved nothing but the dishes from Rising Glory Group's restaurants, a craving heightened by her pregnancy. Beckett, ever the doting husband, had arranged a private dining room for her, ensuring every meal was perfectly tailored to her whims.

As Malvina indulged in her dessert, her phone discreetly recorded the neighboring conversation.

"I never thought dinner out would include a live comedy show," she mused to herself, amused by the audacity of planning to become a mistress so openly.

The discussion about securing a Schnabel heir was particularly entertaining. Malvina smirked, ready to enjoy the unfolding drama.

Pearl checked her diamond-studded watch, growing impatient. "Why hasn't Mr. Schnabel arrived? He wouldn't miss a meeting arranged by me." "Shall we call him?" Luna suggested.

After several unanswered calls, Pearl's demeanor soured.

Luna, frustrated, knocked over the tableware. "What's his problem? Not even the courtesy of a response!"

"Calm down. Once you marry into the Schnabel family, you'll have plenty of time to throw tantrums," Pearl reassured her.

Suddenly, Malvina's voice carried over from the next room, feigning surprise at Beckett's generosity toward her and their unborn child.

"Indeed, the baby will carry the Schnabel name. After all, Beckett's already ensured our child's inheritance," Malvina announced loud enough for Luna and Pearl to overhear, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The revelation stunned Luna, causing her to drop her spoon.

Beckett already had a child on the way?

And had provided for this unborn child?

Then what future did her potential offspring have?

As Malvina prepared to leave, she couldn't resist a parting shot. "The Patel family s is bold. With all this

scheming, it's a wonder not all their

children bear the Patel name."

In the world of the wealthy, such family dynamics were not uncommon, but they often became the subject of gossip and ridicule.

Malvina let out a mocking laugh. "Clearly, Mrs. Pearl's tricks are just that, tricks. The Schnabels would never settle for anything less than brilliance in their offspring."

With that, Malvina turned on her heel and exited the private dining room.

Pearl, always so proud of her emotional composure, felt it crumble in an instant!

If it weren't for her husband, pushing

seventy and suddenly wanting a

divorce to split their assets, she

ет

would never have agreed to such a preposterous and humiliating

scheme of trying to secure an heir in such a desperate manner!

Luna was livid too.

And then, a thought struck her...

If something were to happen to the child Malvina was carrying...

Then she might have the chance to give birth to the Schnabel family's prized first grandchild!

Once this idea took root, it grew wildly, consuming Luna with a feverish intensity. She quickly stood up and followed Malvina out!

Malvina, in the early stages of her pregnancy, liked to take the stairs after meals as a form of light exercise.

Eyeing Malvina's retreating figure,

Luna spotted the stairs ahead. They

weren't particularly high, but it was

the corner turn with a

two-to-three-meter landing that caught her attention.

It wouldn't be fatal for most, but for a pregnant woman, it could be deadly!

Luna smirked and moved towards Malvina.

Just then, Noella walked into the restaurant and immediately spotted Malvina greeting her.

"Over here, darling!" Noella called out, her eyes then falling on the woman behind Malvina.

A sense of foreboding washed over her, and she quickened her pace towards Malvina!

Luna, so fixated on Malvina, hadn't noticed Noella enter. Her eyes were bloodshot with obsession.

"Die, you wretched woman! You think you can threaten me?!"

With a shove against Malvina's back, Luna's expression was one of near madness as she watched Malvina tumble over the railing, her smile twisted in triumph!

Leaning over the railing to look down, Luna anticipated the scene that would unfold before her...