The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

At the Pollack family cemetery, a solemn atmosphere enveloped the air. Sexton and his beloved wife were to be laid to rest together, their coffins placed side by side in the chapel. The final rites were observed, awaiting burial. The wails of children punctuated the silence.

"I want my great-grandma, I want to see my great-grandma!" Gavin cried inconsolably in his mother's arms, gasping for breath between sobs. Too young to understand the concept of death, Gavin only knew that his great-grandma, who loved him dearly, lay still, her eyes forever closed to his gaze. Gavin found this unbearable! His little face turned a bright red as he bawled, demanding to lie next to Helen.

Palmer, with a gentle but firm grip, lifted Gavin, his broad hands soothing the boy's trembling back. "Gavin, your great-grandma is just sleeping," he whispered.

"Will we see her again?" Gavin asked, his eyes wide with hope.

"Yes. You can come visit her every year," Palmer reassured him. Wiping away his tears, Gavin leaned on Palmer's shoulder. "I want to see great- grandma and great-grandpa one last time."

"Of course." Holding Gavin close, Palmer approached the coffins, where the elderly couple lay dressed in elegant funeral attire, their expressions serene. Gavin wriggled, wanting to get closer. "Uncle, a little closer, please."

Horatio cautioned, "Don't let the child's tears fall on them." The thought was that sensing the presence of their great-grandson might make the departed souls hesitant to leave. Palmer nodded in understanding, slightly bending down so Gavin could gently hug and kiss his great-grandparents' faces, a gesture filled with affection and reluctance.

"Great-grandpa, great-grandma, I'll be very good, I promise. Please come visit me." Gavin's voice was shaky but determined. "I won't be picky with food anymore!" Everyone present turned away, their faces streaked with tears, moved by the child's simple, heartfelt farewell.

Palmer lifted Gavin. "Alright, great-grandpa and great-grandma need their rest. Let's not disturb them."

"Okay," Gavin agreed softly. As the coffins were lowered into the ground, the Pollack family and friends filled the air with the sound of bagpipes, marking the end of an era.

At the cemetery gates, a figure stumbled forward, disbelief and panic written all over his face. Emeric collapsed to his knees at the sight of the black and white mourning ribbons fluttering everywhere. Jacob glanced at him, his fists clenched, yet he refrained from striking Emeric in front of their parents' resting place.

"In front of mom and dad, I won't hit you, but from now on, the Pollacks will wash their hands off you! Palmer's in charge now, and no one will force you to come back." Emeric, always the black sheep, had returned not for family reunions but solely for Kendra's memorial services, blinded by his own pain, oblivious to the suffering of those around him.

Jacob wiped away a tear. "Emeric, think about what you've done! Your kids were so young when they lost their mother, and then you vanished. How could you justify that?"

Emeric covered his face, "Ulrich, I realize my mistake... I didn't get to see mom and dad one last time. Why couldn't they wait for me?"

"Wait for you? How many years did they wait! How many years did Palmer wait? Emeric, Kendra's death hurt us all, not just you!" With a heavy heart, Jacob eventually helped Emeric to his feet. "Let's go. Paying respects to mom and dad might bring them some peace."

Though unable to forgive, Jacob knew their parents would have wished for Emeric's return.

At the Schnabel Manor in Serene

Haven Phoenix Tower, Marcel had

skipped the funeral, preferring solitude

his room since bidding

farewell to his lifelong friend. Sienna expressed her concern, "Should we have the kids check on Marcel? He's been bedridden for days now."

Marcel's appetite had vanished, barely touching his meals, raising worry among his family. Tristan, contemplating a solution, announced, "Noella and the second one said dad seemed alright, but we can't just let him skip meals... I'll go check on him."

Carrying a tray of food, Tristan knocked on Marcel's door. "Dad, I brought you something to eat. Can you open the door?"NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

"No need, I'm not hungry."

"It's Sienna's cooking. If you don't eat, she'll consider divorcing me!" Reluctantly, Marcel got up, opening the door to find a marriage certificate among the dishes. Inspecting the certificate, Marcel's mood visibly lifted.

"Got married? Good, good, Malvina is a wonderful girl! How about the dowry?"

Tristan knew this news would cheer

e

Marcel up. "As for the dowry, Malvina said it wasn't necessary, but we insisted. Sienna worried shee might feel undervalued, so we made sure she felt cherished. Every daughter-in-law will be treated equally, no favoritism." Marcel nodded in approval. "As long as you've discussed it, come in."

Tristan followed Marcel inside and was shocked to find that his father hadn't been sleeping lately. Instead, the bed was covered in all sorts of documents!

"Dad, what's all this about?"

"Just getting my affairs in order, seeing what I've got." Tristan's lips quivered, and he was on the brink of tears! "Pack it in. You're too old to be crying!"

Marcel shuffled some papers

around. "I've got it all sorted.

Something for each of the six kids, but nothing for their kids. They can fend for themselves!" Tristan knew, though, Marcel was just worried he wouldn't be around much longer to see any future generations.

"Dad, don't talk like that. You're going to be around for many more years!" Marcel looked at his only son, feeling a mix of irritation and affection. "If you weren't Harriet's and my boy, I might strangle you!"

"Go get Noella."

Tristan's face went pale. "Dad! Are you feeling alright?!"

Before Marcel could answer, Tristan let out a shrill scream and dashed downstairs. "Noella! Come quickly!"