All Chapters of The Queen Stands Uncoquered : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I moved in.Not the Project Manager office. The CEO office. My grandfather's office. The one my father had occupied for three years after Grandpa died.My father was forced to move to the Vice President office downstairs. He didn't argue. After seeing the new will last night, he knew if he argued, he would lose everything.I sat in Grandpa's leather chair, wearing a simple black suit today, hair tied up, jade ring still on my finger. The red qipao was carefully hung in the closet behind me.Alexander was gone. He had a board meeting at Knight Empire, but he left me with 10 bodyguards and a black card with no limit. "Buy the building if you want," he said.My assistant knocked."Mrs. Knight, the intern is here to bring coffee.""Send her in."The door opened.Chloe Lane walked in wearing the cheapest intern uniform — white shirt, black skirt that was too big, her hair in a low ponytail, no makeup to cover her swollen cheek from my slap. She held a tray with two coffees, hands shaking.

9:00 PM. New York Private Hospital, VIP 8th floor.The hallway smelled like disinfectant. Too clean. Too quiet.I hated hospitals. In my last life, I died in one.My mother, Elena Lane, had been in this room for three years. Three years of white sheets, beeping machines, and flowers that died before she could see them.Lisa always said she visited every week. The nurses told me today she never came once.Alexander pushed the wheelchair — I didn't need it, but my legs were shaking — and stopped at Room 801.Dr. Patel was waiting outside."Mrs. Knight, good news. After you sent us the vitamin bottle this afternoon, we tested it. It contains Compound-7, a slow poison that causes stroke-like coma. We flushed her system. Her brain activity is spiking. She is trying to wake up."My heart stopped."Can... can I see her?""Five minutes. Don't excite her."I entered alone. Alexander stayed at the door like a guard.The room was dark except for the machine light. My mother lay there, thinner th

11:30 PM. Hospital again.My mother was sitting up this time. The nurses had changed her sheets, combed her hair, even put a little pink lipstick on her that I left in her drawer three years ago.She looked alive."Sophia," she said when I ran in, "you left your coat in the mansion. You will catch cold."Only a mother would worry about a coat after waking up from three years of poison.I hugged her, careful of the IV."Mom, you said something about a diamond?"She nodded and looked at Alexander, who was standing politely by the door with two cups of hot milk — one for me, one for her."Alexander, can you... can you close the door? This is Lane family secret."Alexander closed the door and stood outside like a soldier. He knew when to give us space.My mother took my hand and placed it on the jade ring."This ring is the key.""What key?""Your grandpa didn't just leave Starlight. He left Starlight's heart. The first diamond he ever cut when he came to America in 1975. 100 carats. Perf

12:00 AM. Knight Old Mansion.We should have gone back to the hospital. But Alexander got a call in the car.His face changed. The soft boyfriend from rooftop disappeared. Cold Knight CEO was back."My grandmother is here. She landed from London 2 hours ago. She is at the old mansion. She wants to see us. Now."The Knight old mansion was not like Lane mansion. Lane was warm, wood, sewing machines. Knight was glass, stone, and silence. $200M house with no photos on the wall.Grandmother Knight — Margaret Knight, 78, former CEO of Knight Group London, the woman who made the Knights billionaires — was sitting in the main hall in a wheelchair, but she sat like a queen on a throne. White hair, pearls, eyes like Alexander but harder.Next to her stood a woman I didn't know. Tall, blonde, model, late 20s, in a red Dior dress. Very pregnant. At least 6 months.My stomach dropped."Sophia Lane," Grandmother said, voice with British accent, no smile. "So this is the girl my grandson married for

One year later. Same garden, same sewing machines, but now with a new sound.Crying. Baby crying.Not me. Not Mom.A tiny baby in a red basket, right next to Grandpa's first sewing machine.Her name is Stella Knight. 3 months old. 7 pounds. Hair like mine, eyes like Alexander's — cold at first, then soft when she sees milk.I was on maternity leave for 2 weeks. That's it. CEO Lane-Knight doesn't get 6 months. The board tried, I said no. Starlight has a new collection — Starlight Baby.Alexander was officially the worst CEO in history for the last 3 months because he left Knight Group board meetings to change diapers.Grandmother Knight said, "Alexander, you missed a $500M merger call for a diaper?"He said, "Grandmother, the merger can wait. My daughter's first laugh cannot."He was holding Stella now, in a baby sling on his chest, while trying to read a contract. He looked ridiculous and perfect.Mom came out with milk — two cups again, but now three. One for me, one for her, one sma