Free Web NovelChapter 60: Chapter 60: Ethan Lockwood Is Her Employer
Cecilia Quincy’s smiling voice drifted over, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"I think it’s quite nice. And the location of this building is great. Even though it’s in the courtyard, it’s very quiet. Perfect for creative work."
"You’ve put it perfectly, Miss Quincy! I messaged the owner in advance last night, so we can go right in. The owner is a very kind lady. You and Mr. Lockwood can feel free to mention any thoughts or requests you have later on."
Cecilia Quincy: "Okay."
"Mrs. Preston!" Before anyone appeared, Lawrence called out first.
"Yes! Coming!" Mrs. Preston put down her spatula and trotted out from the kitchen.
Sonia Quincy put away her phone and stood up with Mrs. Preston’s help, her icy gaze fixed on the corner of the hallway.
"Mrs. Preston." The agent, Lawrence, came around the corner, followed by Ethan Lockwood and Cecilia Quincy.
"Heh..." Sonia Quincy’s lips curled into a sarcastic smirk. ’Just as I thought. I recognized that voice.’
"Sonia?" Cecilia Quincy, on the other hand, looked rather surprised, as if she hadn’t expected to see Sonia Quincy here at all.
"What are you doing here?" She lifted a delicate hand, her long, slender fingers theatrically covering her mouth. Her glistening eyes were wide with exaggerated surprise.
Sonia Quincy just watched her put on an act, an exasperated look in her eyes. "This is my mom’s house. Of course I can be here."
"Your mom’s house?" Hearing this, Cecilia Quincy subconsciously glanced at Ethan Lockwood beside her, the astonishment in her expression looking completely genuine. "This house... it belongs to Mr. Preston’s mother?"
Ethan Lockwood raised an eyebrow, seemingly glancing at Ms. Armstrong by the wall out of the corner of his eye. "It should be."
"What a coincidence! The house we’re here to see belongs to the Prestons." Cecilia Quincy broke into a smile, bright and ostentatious. "Sonia, hurry up and show us in. We’re the clients Lawrence was supposed to bring."
Lawrence stood to the side, forcing a smile. "Oh, so you all know each other."
Cecilia Quincy nodded. "More than just acquaintances. Our families are very close."
"Ah..." The smile on Lawrence’s face froze, and his expression immediately turned a little strange.
The manager following behind them sighed and put a hand to his forehead, exchanging a helpless look with Lawrence.
’How could it be them?’ Mrs. Preston thought. Even though she led a quiet life, she had heard of Ethan Lockwood and Cecilia Quincy. Their relationship with Sonia was complicated, and now that they were here to see her house, she was actually a little unhappy about it.
"Let’s go, let’s go." The clients were already here. Even with the risk of them cutting him out of the deal, Lawrence had to bite the bullet and proceed with the showing. He was smarter this time; he didn’t even bring any shoe covers. He just adjusted his glasses and prepared to start his presentation.
"Wait a minute!" Ms. Armstrong, who had been silent for a while, suddenly stood up from the floor, holding up a banner to block Ethan Lockwood’s path.
"None of you can see this house! There was an accident inside that hasn’t been resolved, so don’t even think about buying it!"
"Hey, lady, why are you still here?" Lawrence already had a headache, but now, seeing Ms. Armstrong stubbornly making a scene with that tattered banner, his head instantly felt like it was about to explode.
"Can’t you resolve your personal grudges in private? Stop disrupting our work! You’ve already scared off five of my clients. Isn’t that enough?!"
"No!" Ms. Armstrong stretched the banner out, screaming at the top of her lungs, "We were the first ones interested in this house! If you want to sell it, you have to wait until my issue is resolved and I agree to the sale!"
"Besides, this house isn’t clean! My husband was perfectly fine when he went in, and he somehow just fell! His arm is still in a sling!"
"This house is haunted! Whoever buys it is asking for trouble! Get out, get out, get out!"
These were all Ms. Armstrong’s usual lines. Sonia Quincy had heard them so many times in the past few days, she felt she could recite them by heart.
She rolled her eyes while holding her belly. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Cecilia Quincy ask in a clueless tone, "What is she talking about? An accident? Haunted? Did something happen in this house?"
Lawrence, at his wit’s end, explained, "The house is perfectly fine. Nothing happened. This lady’s husband accidentally took a fall while viewing the house, and now they’re in a dispute with Mrs. Preston..."
Ms. Armstrong: "What do you mean ’accidentally took a fall’? There really is a ghost in this house! My husband was pushed by a ghost..."
Lewis joined in, "Look at you, spouting nonsense again..."
In the span of a single sentence, the hallway devolved into chaos. Sonia Quincy watched the disorderly group with a numb expression, suddenly feeling that human beings shouldn’t have been created with mouths.
’So noisy...’
"Shut up!"
After what felt like an eternity of arguing, Ethan Lockwood suddenly let out a low growl, his voice tight.
"..." The hallway fell silent in an instant.
Sonia Quincy lazily lifted her eyelids and glanced toward Ethan Lockwood. She saw the CEO protectively holding his delicate little wife in his arms, radiating an intense, hostile aura.
And Ms. Armstrong, the star of the argument, was actually frightened by his voice. She timidly folded up her banner, stealing glances at Ethan Lockwood’s expression as she backed away to make room for them.
Watching her, Sonia Quincy’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
"This house belongs to Mrs. Preston; it has nothing to do with you. You have no right to stop us from going in to see it." Ethan Lockwood’s eyes were fierce as he stared unblinkingly at Ms. Armstrong.
"If you have a problem, call the police or get a lawyer. Don’t come to someone’s doorstep and cause trouble. Do you understand?"
"..." Ms. Armstrong shrank back, not making a sound.
Sonia Quincy’s thoughtful gaze shifted back and forth between her and Ethan Lockwood. A moment later, she suddenly let out a laugh.
’This Ms. Armstrong, who feared nothing and nobody, had scared away a total of eight potential buyers while making a scene at their home over the past few days. Among them were three burly men with tattooed arms and two muscle-bound women.’
’All five of them were tall and strong; a single punch could have knocked Ms. Armstrong flat. But she wasn’t the least bit afraid of them. She even dared to brandish a slipper and face off against them.’
’And yet now, a refined-looking man like Ethan Lockwood just has to yell at her a little, and she’s scared silent? He tells her to shut up, and she actually shuts up. Did his bad breath knock her out? Or does she just happen to be very obedient when it comes to Ethan Lockwood?’
Sonia already knew the answer.
BUZZ BUZZ—
Just then, the phone Sonia Quincy was clenching in her hand suddenly vibrated twice.
She glanced down at the screen. It was a WeChat message from Felix Preston.
—Sonia, that Ms. Armstrong and her husband aren’t real estate agents. They both have their own legitimate professions.
Sonia Quincy unlocked her phone, tapped into WeChat, and replied to Felix Preston.
—I know who’s behind her now.
