The Killer Queen

Palmer and Stirling positioned themselves protectively on either side of Noella, like she was some kind of damsel in distress w needed sheltering

Yasbel and Nolan couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows in surprise.

who

was their first time witnessing someone actually standing up for their boss!

Back in the day, it was always their boss who was front and center shielding them from harm

Vasbel cast a curious glance at Stirling, suddenly eager to see his reaction if he ever witnessed their boss, rifle in hand, single–handedly dismantling a dozen members of a rival gang. Given Stirling’s skills, if it ever carne down to an actual fight, chances are he wouldn’t stand a chance against their boss. Poor Stirling’s jaw might just hit the floor!

Stirling’s voice hardened, “Director, what was that all about? Noella’s right. I’ve overlooked your antics before, thinking we had future projects to consider and didn’t want things to get too tense. But if you speak to my sister like that, consider our cooperation over!”

Stirling was the entertainment industry’s youngest superstar to achieve a grand slam of awards. Losing out on a project with this crew wouldn’t be a loss for him; there were plenty of others lining up to work with Stirling

The only reason Stirling was working with the director was out of nostalgia for the first movie they did together when Stirling was just starting out. If not for that, given Stirling’s current status, the director wouldn’t stand a chance of collaborating with him again!

The director was at a loss for words.

Palmer’s gaze tumed icy. “If the head of your company can’t even speak properly, I doubt you can produce anything of quality. Just misleading the audience. We won’t be needing your movies on our platforms anymore.”

Stirling nodded in agreement. That’s exactly what I’m thinking!”

He turned, taking Noella by the hand. “Let’s go, Noella. We’ll have Jasper sue them, including those obsessed fans. I’m curious to see what’s stronger the law or your so–called industry rules!”

The director and the producer were in panic mode! This was tantamount to blacklisting their entire production! Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The assistant director humedly approached Yasbel. “Yasbel, please, say something. You’ve invested in this movie too.”

They couldn’t believe everyone was siding with Ms. Schnabell

Yasbel dusted off her clothes, standing up. “Boss, when do we start suing? That creep Ellsworth climbing into my room in the middle of the night scared the life out of me! The crew’s been terrifying!”

The issue with Ellsworth was genuinely unknown to the crew.

The Fullers were locals in Glen Village, and they found out about the movie shooting from the townsfolk

Upon seeing Yasbel’s poster online, Ellsworth was immediately taken. A celebrity, beautiful and rich – a dangerous combination that sparked a wicked idea in Ellsworth’s mind!

Might as well pin that on the production crew too!

Noella raised an eyebrow slightly. “Let’s sue together. That way, we can get a discount on lawyer fees.”

She didn’t want the Schnabel family to find out about her real relationship with Yasbel and the others.

Those entertainment companies were initially set up to support Yasbel’s debut but ended up producing several well–known stars, making a name in the industry. If the Schnabel family knew those companies were hers, they’d probably be worried.

To avoid complications, she decided to just proceed with the lawsuit normally, covering the lawyer fees herself. After all, Azure and Sylvie had already made a fortune off the Schnabel family.

The Schnabel family, noticing that Azure’s clothing line suited Noella perfectly, were among the top buyers. Noella couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty every time she saw their names on the order list, followed by significant figures.

Palmer was always the top spender

Sometimes, Noella wondered how much of her pocket money came from the Schnabel family and Palmer.

Yasbel was silent

Wasn’t their company also owned by their boss? Suing their own company and charging lawyer fees! No wonder they said their boss was ruthless, sparing no one, not even herself.

Stirling quickly added, “No, no, we won’t charge. I’ll cover Jasper’s lawyer fees!”

Yasbel gave him a light look, “At least you’re sensible…

But then turned to face Noella’s somewhat cold gaze and quickly added, “But we should still go by the industry standard! Whatever Jasper’s rate is, just give us a discount, and we’ll be good!”

09:54

Yasbel was worried if she didn’t say this, Noella might give her a hard time when they got back!

Watching their departing figures, the crew members were left spinning in circles, anxious and confused. Hadn’t Stirling and Yasbel always turned a blind eye to their practices? Why the sudden change of heart? The director, desperate, pulled out his phone to dial a secure number.

“Boss, we’ve got a problem here because of Ms. Schnabel. She’s not letting this minor issue go!”

A pleased chuckle came from the other end.

“Understond. I’ll have someone speak with Ms. Schnabel, If she backs down, we can avoid the lawsuit.”

The director’s mood quickly changed!

On their way back, Stirling looked at Noella with a concerned gaze, thinking she was still troubled by the recent events.

“Noella, don’t worry. With me here, no one can bully you”

He had grown accustomed to the dirt and grime of the entertainment industry over the years, but that didn’t mean he would let it affect his sister!

Noella shook her head. “Stirling, has it been tough for you, all these years in the industry?”

Stirling didn’t expect Noella’s concem to be directed at him, and his heart melted instantly

“It’s all part of the job! I got into acting because I genuinely enjoyed it. Plus, let’s be honest, I wasn’t exactly the brainiac my older. brothers were. Jasper went straight from undergrad to a Ph.D., and here I

am, barely scraped through with my bachelor’s…”

Stirling said, a touch embarrassed. “Grandpa always claimed he didn’t want an actor in the family, but deep down, he was my biggest fan! I caught him once, making a late–night call to his old buddy in the PR department to give my career a nudge!”

Marcel was a stickler for tradition, much like Merrick, both were considered quite the intellectuals

The family was initially against Stirling’s decision to pursue acting. Yet, one night, as Stirling stayed up late reading scripts, he caught Marcel, squinting through his reading glasses at Stirling’s lines and even calling up an old army pal who worked in public relations! The pride and admiration in his voice were as if Stirling had already made it big!

*About that crazed fan incident, that was on me. I won’t let that worry you again.”

Yasbel chimed in. “Stirling, your biggest flaw is that you’re too soft–hearted. Remember Yvonne Gruber? She caused trouble on set left and right, and there you were, pulling strings for her tsk tsk.”

Speaking of Yvonne visibly annoyed Stirling. He had just found out it was Yvonne who had paid off Ellsworth to sneak into Verdant Garden with those obsessed fans in the dead of night!