Noe cradled a fallen Malvina in her arms, concern etched across her features.


    "You alright?"


    "I''m fine... sweetheart, you''re too amazing!"


    Noe shook her head, gently setting Malvina down, checking her pulse to ensure she was alright before breathing a sigh of relief.


    "Next time, have the nanny follow you. It''s too dangerous."


    Given the distance and the suddenness of the incident, it was a stroke of luck that a conveniently ced ledge at the stair''s turn broke her fall!


    Luna, witnessing Malvina unharmed, was a bundle of nerves!


    It was always Noe!


    She hurried inside the house, tripping over her own feet in her panic.


    Malvina, patting her chest, eximed, "Sweetie, that woman is evil! She was trying to seduce Beckett! When she heard I was pregnant, she wanted to harm my baby!"


    Malvina shuddered with the aftershock of the ordeal, her hand trembling as she clung to Noe.


    Had Noe not been there to find her, the thought of what could have happened was unbearable!


    "Sweetheart, you scared me to death!"


    Noeforted her with gentle pats on the back.


    "You''re safe, that''s what matters. Leave the rest to me."


    The restaurant manager, out of breath, rushed over, wiping the sweat from his brow.


    "Ms. Noe, Ms. Malvina, we''ve got everything on camera, including the private dining area! Our legal team is already on it!"


    Having dealt with Malvina''ste-night menu changes and Noe''s special requests, he knew how important they were to the Schnabel family. Thest thing he needed was trouble on his watch.


    Noe waved dismissively, "This isn''t on you. What were they here for?"


    "They said they wanted to apologize to Mr. Schnabel for a previous misunderstanding."


    Noe scoffed, “Apologize to Beckett instead of me? Their intentions couldn''t be clearer."


    In the dining area, Luna, flustered, urged her grandmother, "Let''s leave... I''m not feeling well..."


    “Mr. Schnabel hasn''t arrived yet. What''s the rush?"


    Luna, fearing Noe''s retribution, lied, "I saw Noe trying to push that pregnantdy down the stairs! I''m scared she''lle after me!"


    Pearl was astonished.


    Had the Schnabel family''s infighting escted to this level?


    "We should steer clear of this mess. You did the right thing. Let''s go."


    Upon receiving the news, Stirling and Beckett rushed over, concerned for Malvina and Noe.


    Stirling, visibly worried, insisted,


    "Malvina, tet''s go to the hospital for a check-up. And Noe, you should


    Co. You''re still recovering


    from yourst injury. How could you catch her like that?"


    Noe reassured, "I''m fine. I''m a doctor, remember? Malvina''s fine too, just shaken."


    Malvina, overwhelmed by the ordeal


    and the surge of hormones, broke down in Stirling''s arms, "I was so scared... If it weren''t for Noe, you might not have seen me again!"


    Beckett, seething with anger, remarked, "The Patel family, huh? Dillon dares to send assassins after Stirling, thinking we''re pushovers?"


    The revtion of an assassination attempt and the subsequent investigation pointed towards the Patel family''s internal disputes.


    Beckett mused, “Using their internal conflict to our advantage might be the way to go. Dog eat dog."


    Stirling nodded, his eyes glinting with a cold, hard edge.


    "They''re gonna pay before they vanish into thin air!" His voice wasced with a chill that matched his gaze.


    Daring toy a finger on his wife and kid? They clearly didn''t know who they were messing with!


    Noe chimed in, her tone equally


    firm. "When stepped out earlier, I bumped into some sketchy folks


    too. Palmer''s looking into it, turn et


    out they''re from a branch of the Patel family. They even had the nerve to hand me this."


    She revealed an invitation resting in the palm of her hand.


    Beckett took it, his voice dripping with disdain, "Hah! They''ve got the guts to invite the Schnabel family to a party?"


    Noe frowned, "It must be someone else pulling the strings. The Patels have always been brazen, but never bold enough to mess with us directly." ording to Dog-Head, the puppet master behind the Patel family has always been 7-yer!


    "Beckett, you nning on going to this shindig?"


    "You want to?" he shot back.


    Noe shook her head, "If I go, it''ll just inte their egos. If 7-yer wants to see us and the Patels duke it out, we''ll give him a show."


    Sending a ''gift'' might just spice things up.


    7-yer wasn''t in it to back the Patel family.


    He was breeding conflict!


    "A guy like 7-yer, he wants a family that''s been through the wringer, all battered and bruised from infighting and external battles. Only then can he pull the strings!"


    The Patel family was just thetest pawn, but what 7-yer really wanted was to get his hooks into the Schnabels.


    But the Schnabel kids weren''t so easily manipted.


    Beckett''s phone suddenly broke the tension with its shrill ring.


    A panicked scream bled through the speaker.


    "My boy! Come save me! SOS!!"


    Beckett eyed the unfamiliar number, his brow furrowed, "And you are?"


    That definitely wasn''t Tristan''s voice!Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.