The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: New Boyfriend? I Can Be Your New Boyfriend, Too

The person on the other end of the line said something else that made Estelle Lockwood chuckle. "Okay, got it. Bye-bye."

When the call ended, Nathaniel Sloan’s expression tightened slightly. "Who were you on the phone with?"

Estelle Lockwood answered without a second thought. "Family. Is there a problem?"

Nathaniel Sloan recalled the word "sweetheart," and Estelle Lockwood’s gentle tone. A tickle rose in his throat, and he spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. "Family? As far as I know, Miss Yara Lockwood has no relatives. Where did this ’family’ come from?"

Estelle Lockwood was about to retort that the Kendricks were indeed her family.

But when she turned back, her eyes met Nathaniel Sloan’s. His gaze was aloof and restrained, yet tinged with a crimson intensity. She was suddenly intrigued.

Estelle Lockwood deliberately put on a sweet smile and gave an ambiguous reply. "Mr. Sloan, when it comes to family, there are two kinds: the family you’re born into, and the little family you build later."

"What you investigated was my family of origin—that’s right, I was born without parents. An old man found me, and I grew up on the charity of many families. Now that he’s passed away, it’s true I have no relatives, but..."

Estelle Lockwood had taken acting lessons for a few months from that superstar celebrity, the Second Young Mr. Kendrick. While her skills weren’t exactly profound, they were more than enough to fool Nathaniel Sloan.

"But...who says I haven’t built a little family of my own?"

Estelle Lockwood’s tone was full of meaning. "I already have two children, Mr. Sloan. The person on the other end of the line is also my children’s guardian. So, who do you think I was just on the phone with?"

’Mrs. Kendrick is my guardian, which also makes her Mia and Zachery’s guardian. My logic is flawless!’

Nathaniel Sloan’s fists clenched, and his expression darkened bit by bit.

The car drove through the rainy night, the sound of the downpour PITTER-PATTERING against the windows filling their ears.

After a long moment, Nathaniel Sloan slowly lifted his gaze and said in a hoarse voice, "Miss Lockwood, if I recall correctly, you once said that the grass on Mia and Zachery’s ’father’s’ grave was already three feet high."

Estelle Lockwood clicked her tongue. "I already told you, that was a figure of speech. Didn’t Liam Sloan tell you that my ex-husband and I aren’t divorced?"

Nathaniel Sloan seized on the loophole. "Even if you’re not divorced, you call him your ex-husband. That’s enough to prove you wouldn’t be on the phone with him." freewebnσvel.cѳm

Estelle Lockwood frowned, suddenly realizing her lies were full of holes.

So she decided to just make something up. "Actually, I was lying. The person I was on the phone with is my new boyfriend from abroad. He knows about Zachery and Mia, but he doesn’t mind. As soon as I divorce my ex-husband, I’m going to marry my new boyfriend. So, it’s not wrong for me to say he’s Zachery and Mia’s guardian, right?"

Nathaniel Sloan shut his eyes abruptly. ’Fine. Just fine.’

’This woman will stop at nothing to hide the truth.’

’She even fabricated a ’new boyfriend’.’

A ghost of a smile played on Nathaniel Sloan’s lips. "I see. So, that means the person you were on the phone with wasn’t Zachery and Mia’s biological father, either."

Estelle Lockwood felt this conversation was getting stranger and stranger. "What’s it to you?"

Nathaniel Sloan rubbed his fingertips together and then said something shocking. "If he’s a new boyfriend, that means you’re not married yet. Anyone still has a chance."

"Miss Lockwood... why not consider me?"

Estelle Lockwood’s eyes flew wide. "What?"

Nathaniel Sloan acted as if he had no idea he’d just said something utterly scandalous. "Since your goal, Miss Lockwood, is to find a father for Mia and Zachery, I believe I’m a pretty good candidate. I should be more competitive than your ’new boyfriend,’ don’t you think?"

If Liam Sloan were here, he would definitely say that Nathaniel Sloan was hopelessly lovesick!

Estelle Lockwood was stunned too. She coughed twice. "I know you’re fond of Zachery and Mia, but everyone is saying that I deliberately brought them near you so that you, the richest man in Crestfall, would take on another man’s children."

Nathaniel Sloan said slowly and deliberately, "Yes. I am willing."

Estelle Lockwood: "..."

Estelle Lockwood frowned. "Even if they’re not your children?"

Nathaniel Sloan gave a faint nod.

Just then, the car arrived at Imperial Crest.

Estelle Lockwood had originally wanted to provoke Nathaniel Sloan, but now it seemed she was the one who was shocked.

She hurriedly got out of the car and ran back to the villa without a backward glance.

Nathaniel Sloan watched her retreating figure, lost in thought for a long time.

The person he wanted was Estelle Lockwood, so he didn’t care who Zachery and Mia’s biological father was.

But... seeing how protective Estelle Lockwood was of them, Nathaniel Sloan couldn’t help but think of the two children who had died in a fire five years ago.

Everyone said Estelle Lockwood started that fire. There was even a suicide note from Estelle proving she had intended to kill herself. People cursed her, saying that if she wanted to die, fine, but why harm others? Why take the children with her? That woman must have been a lunatic, no wonder the Lockwood Family disliked her.

But...

"Sir, we’ve arrived," the driver reminded him.

Nathaniel Sloan snapped back to reality and got out of the car, his expression unreadable.

...

「The next day.」

Estelle Lockwood dropped the three little ones off at kindergarten. Just as she was about to leave, she overheard other parents muttering nearby.

"She’s deliberately having her kids go to school and play with Young Mr. Sloan. So scheming..."

Estelle Lockwood’s eyes narrowed.

"Who knows which man fathered those two burdens. And she’s so brazenly trying to get Mr. Sloan to take them on. Tsk, tsk."

"But Yara Lockwood is certainly beautiful. It’s no wonder she has Mr. Sloan completely bewitched."

"But she can’t just bring two bastards along with her. Mrs. Sloan herself said she would never allow that woman to marry into the Sloan Family."

Estelle Lockwood shot them a cool glance, and the gossiping parents immediately scattered.

Her phone buzzed twice. After seeing the message from Penelope Sullivan, she let out a cold laugh.

It turned out that after going home yesterday, Noelle Lockwood and Laura Jennings, unwilling to accept defeat, had deliberately spread rumors—saying that not only had she stolen Noelle Lockwood’s future position as Mrs. Sloan, but she was also planning to marry into the Sloan Family with two burdens in tow. They called her shameless, and they called Zachery and Mia shameless too.

Estelle Lockwood made a phone call. "The plan has changed. I’m planning my comeback."

"Yes, as ’Estelle Lockwood’."

The person on the other end of the line was surprised. Estelle Lockwood chuckled. "What’s so surprising...? How is the acquisition of the Lockwood Group coming along?"

It’s unclear what the person on the other end said, but two minutes later, Estelle Lockwood’s lips curved into a smile. "Excellent."

...

「Inside the kindergarten.」

Most children are simple-hearted, and besides, Mia was incredibly popular with other kids. So, even though the parents were gossiping, it didn’t affect the children in the kindergarten.

However, Mia still found out what had happened.

She pouted and muttered under her breath, "Since we’re trying to set up Daddy and Mommy, what do you guys think? Should we test Daddy?"

Zachery: "Huh?"

Mia: "Since everyone’s saying we’re some other man’s children, and that we’re just burdens, why don’t we go see what Daddy thinks."

"If Daddy looks down on us too, then let’s just stop trying to set them up."

Zachery asked worriedly, "But the divination you did said we have to set them up."

Mia said fearlessly, "Then it just means my skills are still lacking!"

Zachery: "..."

Zachery: "..."

Mia used to be a little crybaby about her ’lacking skills,’ but now she was so brazenly confident about it.

’What in the world has she been through?!’ ƒrēewebnovel.com

Still, Zachery thought Mia’s idea could work. His eyes darted back and forth. "How are we going to test him?"