The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

They had all scrambled their way to a position where they were stuck in limbo, neither rising nor falling in the ranks. They had long lost any real interest in putting in an honest day's work at the lab!

After punching the clock, they would skedaddle out to fish, play cards, or find some other mischief. Little did they know, their shenanigans were being captured in crystal clear detail!

“You’re invading people's privacy!” one of them protested.

Mizar just shrugged. “You’re fishing in my pond. I haven’t even billed you for that pleasure. And the card games? They're held at my own tavern. Tell me, what rules have I broken?”

When the whiz kids from Polaris Star arrived in Emerald County, they embraced the laid-back lifestyle with gusto. They leased a few ponds for casual fishing and bought some storefronts to dabble in business. Before they knew it, they had snapped up an entire block.

And in the process, they also managed to catch Zack and Ryker's fun-seeking escapades on camera.

“Speaking of which, you still owe for last month's card game and yesterday's fishing. We run a tight ship here, right, Boss?”

“Of course, payment is due.” Noella faced the pair's panicked attempts to shut down the central monitor with a sneer. “I’ve come to ask Mr. Pollack whether the security network at your lab has fallen so far behind that even experimental data can be intercepted?”

Just minutes ago, her freshly minted experimental data had been pilfered, still warm from the lab!

Turning to Elara with a softened tone, Noella continued, “Ms. Schnabel, have all the recent experimental results from Phoenix Lab been your doing?”

“Yes, it's all my and my team's sleepless work, but…” Elara’s face turned ashen, her words trailing off.

The data were hers, but for reasons unknown, they had vanished overnight!

The assistant, indignant on her behalf, chimed in, “Our director Elara hasn’t had a proper night's sleep in a week, living in the lab, and now the data's gone.”

Zack fumbled with the controls, trying to stop the endless loop of video on the central screen. As he neared the controller, Noella's cool, detached voice rang out.

“I’ve forwarded a copy of that video to Mr. Pollack. It’s the full, unedited high-definition version. As for its contents, maybe it's time to reflect on what you've been saying.”

Zack, realizing the gravity of her words, collapsed onto the floor, legs turning to jelly.

What had they been saying?

Of course, they had bad-mouthed Elara, and not even their boss Jacob Pollack was spared. They claimed he had climbed the ranks on looks alone, lacking any real expertise, and now was probably trying to keep Elara as a... Well, the words they had used were far from flattering! Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

If Jacob ever saw that video, their careers were as good as over!

Ryker, mustering what little spirit he could, challenged Elara. “Just because Ms. Schnabel claims to have done the experiment, we should believe her? You don't have any data to show for it!”

The lack of data was indeed Elara's biggest problem.

These two were dead set on using that point to force her out of Phoenix Lab, weren't they?

Noella rested her chin on her hand, eyeing Elara with a gleam in her eye. “Ms. Schnabel, do you remember your experimental results?”

“Of course, I remember, but results without data... they're useless.” Elara’s expression was tinged with a resigned bitterness.

At Phoenix Lab's caliber, a single experimental result must be underpinned by countless pieces of validating data. Results derived from too few or no samples would not be acknowledged!

Noella nodded. “That’s enough for me. I came because I discovered data from Phoenix Lab and our own lab being intercepted, and it's an inside job.”

Her announcement stunned everyone.

Someone from within the lab had stolen their colleagues' data? In the world of research, this was nothing short of scandalous!

Ryker looked at Noella, his voice strangled. “You’re not even part of our lab. What gives you the right to spout such nonsense?”

“Whether it's nonsense or not, you'll soon find out.” Noella turned to the large screen behind her and switched the display. “These two sets of data, one of them was submitted by Ryker, correct? I remember it well; it was from the experiment I conducted half an hour ago and sent to Phoenix Lab.”

As Ryker compared the data on the screen with the email he received, he nodded after confirming it matched.

“Yes, I submitted it. What's the issue?”

Noella smirked, her demeanor a mix of contempt and confidence. “The issue is, the results in the email I sent was fake, and you, Ryker, have used this fake results as your own. If the experiment was truly your work, you’d recognize which results were your own, wouldn't you?

Everyone here is a scientist. Don’t you know what results your experiments should yield? How could samples 'aa' and 'bb' possibly produce 'c'? Has Phoenix Lab's staff lost their minds over the last two years, or is it just old age causing forgetfulness?” The sarcasm in her tone was palpable.

Ryker's face was slick with sweat. “It's... I forgot... I chose the wrong one. The other set is my data!”

“Are you sure? Have you made your choice?”

“I’m sure! The other one is my data!”

Noella looked to Elara with a smile. “And you, Ms. Schnabel, which do you choose?”

Elara’s gaze was fixed on the data displayed on the screen, her conviction unwavering. “I choose neither. My data, with minimal error, could not possibly yield these two results. If it were mine, it'd look something like this.”

With a pen and paper handed to her by her assistant, Elara quickly jotted down her predicted results.

Although it was supposed to be Polaris Star's job to handle this stage of the experiment, she always double-checked every step in her mind to ensure the final outcome was accurate.

Elara held up her own data. “Roughly, it should look like this. Both sets of data from this boss are incorrect.”

Mizar, standing by Noella’s side, was full of admiration.

The boss's sister was a gem, a true asset to research. No wonder these lowlifes wanted her out. With Elara around, the lab would soon be under her name!

Noella produced the correct experimental data. “Coincidentally, my results match Ms. Schnabel’s.”

Elara's nerves had been on edge, but when she saw that Noella was holding data identical to her own, a wave of relief washed over her, tinged with a pleasant surprise.

She had been worried about causing offense; after all, her years at Phoenix Lab had earned her Mr. Pollack's constant criticism for lacking people skills. What if she had somehow upset the big boss from Polaris Star? What would happen if they severed their collaboration?

But it turned out, this was all orchestrated by the boss herself!

Elara's gaze shifted to Ryker and Zack. Her usually delicate brows furrowed, her tone uncharacteristically sharp and biting. "I never would've pegged you two for the moles. I've ignored your petty schemes in the past, but stealing my data, slandering me, trying to tarnish the lab's reputation—that's where I draw the line!"

Ryker and Zack exchanged a glance, both seeing the panic and fear in each other's eyes.

If Elara exposed them, not only would their research careers be over, but they'd likely be blacklisted from the entire science community.

"Ms. Schnabel! We just lost our way, please, we're begging you to forgive us!"

Noella had no time to indulge in their melodrama. She stood up and handed Elara the prepared dossier.

"Ms. Schnabel, we look forward to continuing our experiments together, but please take care of your health," she said.

Elara nodded, her gratitude evident. She could tell that the boss of Polaris Star Lab had come specifically to back her up.

But why? She didn't even know the woman.

Noticing Elara's puzzled look, Noella withdrew her gaze, speaking coolly. "Make sure they settle their debts. I've already contacted Jacob; he'll handle the rest."

"Of course, that's a given. Even if they don't pay up, the lab will cover it," Elara assured her.

Still puzzled, Elara wondered if Noella had come just to collect a debt.

How much did Ryker and Zack owe, anyway? It had to be about lab data security, right?

Suppressing her curiosity, Elara dismissed the silly notion that Noella had come for her sake.

That couldn't be right.

Watching Noella and Mizar exit, their unique lab coats seemed to shimmer in the light, as if they were the true stars of Polaris, gleaming in the firmament above.