The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Their Only Photo Together, Torn

Nathaniel Sloan’s gaze was icy. "What are you trying to say?"

Noelle Lockwood bit her lip and called out softly, "Brother-in-law."

Nathaniel Sloan’s head snapped in her direction.

Back when Estelle Lockwood was still alive, Noelle Lockwood used to call him brother-in-law. He was only willing to look after her because she was Estelle’s sister.

Noelle Lockwood’s breathing grew tense. She carefully played the Estelle card. "Brother-in-law, ever since Yara Lockwood arrived, you’ve cared so much about her. But what about my sister? Have you forgotten her?"

"Yara Lockwood is clearly an imposter, yet she’s staying by your side with my sister’s face... Auntie realized this too, which is why she was uneasy about entrusting Christian to her."

"After all, Christian is my sister’s biological son. Who knows if that Dr. Lockwood will try to use him?"

Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes were cold and profound, and the look sent a chill of fear through Noelle Lockwood.

After a long moment, she finally heard the man’s hoarse voice. "You’re right."

A flicker of joy ignited in Noelle Lockwood’s heart. ’It seems Nathaniel listened to me. As long as I can get Yara Lockwood driven away—’

"But my mother was clearly targeting Yara Lockwood today. She had never met her before this. How would she know that Yara was deliberately imitating Estelle Lockwood?"

Nathaniel Sloan’s tone was calm, completely unruffled.

"Besides, when Estelle was alive, my mother didn’t like her. On what grounds would my mother suddenly start standing up for her five years after her death? Who she was really standing up for... Noelle Lockwood, you know better than I do."

The man’s words made Noelle Lockwood’s face turn pale. "Nathaniel, are you suspecting that I deliberately bad-mouthed Dr. Lockwood in front of your mother? I didn’t..."

"You and Yara Lockwood don’t get along. That’s your business. But using me to get rid of someone you hate... Noelle Lockwood, you’ve overstepped."

Nathaniel Sloan brushed past her and gave a cool command, "Chapman, see our guest out."

As if she had been grievously wronged, Noelle Lockwood ran out crying.

...

「That evening.」

Estelle Lockwood waited for the three little dumplings to fall asleep before having Henry Kendrick deliver the paper shredder.

Henry Kendrick was waiting outside Imperial Crest, acting as sneaky as a thief. "I brought this all the way here for you in the middle of the night. Don’t I get some kind of reward?"

Estelle Lockwood shot him a look. "I told you to have the driver bring it, but you insisted on coming yourself."

Henry Kendrick rubbed his nose. "No way. I have to be careful with your things, or my parents would kill me. Hey, don’t you think... us meeting secretly outside Imperial Crest late at night, it’s like we’re having an aff—AH!"

Estelle Lockwood rapped him on the head. "If you don’t know how to talk, then shut up. Give me the shredder."

Henry Kendrick rubbed his forehead, a hint of worry in his voice. "Are you really... going to shred that photo?"

When Old Mr. Kendrick first rescued Estelle Lockwood, she was in a terrible state. If it weren’t for her two children, she might not have survived.

One time, Henry Kendrick had found a photo on her phone.

That was the first time Henry Kendrick had seen the face of that heartless bastard, Nathaniel Sloan. Estelle had said it was the only photo they had together.

Estelle Lockwood frowned, not understanding his question. "What else? Did you think I had you buy a paper shredder because I was bored?"

Henry Kendrick was instantly relieved. ’Right. She definitely has no feelings left for that ex-husband of hers!’

After saying goodbye to Henry Kendrick, Estelle Lockwood went upstairs with the paper shredder in her arms.

Everyone else in the villa was asleep. She made her way unimpeded to Nathaniel Sloan’s study and began to search.

’Strange... where’s the photo?’

’It’s just an ordinary photo. He wouldn’t keep it in a locked drawer, would he? There’s no need.’

Suddenly, Estelle Lockwood’s gaze fell on a safe.

As if guided by some unseen force, a thought suddenly popped into her head. ’Could the photo be in here? After all, the future mistress of the Sloan family is Noelle Lockwood. It wouldn’t be good to leave my photo lying around, so keeping it locked in a safe would be normal.’

’But the password...’

Estelle Lockwood tried Nathaniel Sloan’s birthday first, but it was wrong. Then, in a flash of inspiration, she entered Noelle Lockwood’s birthday.

CLICK. The safe opened. Inside, as expected, was the photo.

’How deeply in love he must be, to even use Noelle Lockwood’s birthday for his safe.’

Estelle Lockwood turned on the paper shredder and, without any expression, fed the photo into it. Two seconds later, the photo was reduced to a pile of confetti.

And just like that, the last remaining photograph in the world of the Estelle Lockwood from five years ago was completely gone.

In a great mood, Estelle Lockwood left the paper shredder at the "crime scene," not caring in the least what expression Nathaniel Sloan would have when he saw it, and went back upstairs.

...

「Midnight.」

Nathaniel Sloan startled awake from a nightmare, the heavy dread pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

He subconsciously reached for the other side of the bed.

Empty.

In the two years he was married to Estelle Lockwood, he hadn’t come home often. But even when she was the only one in the house, she would only sleep on the left side of the bed, leaving the right side for him. freewebnovёl.ƈom

For the past five years, Nathaniel Sloan had also only ever slept on the right side, hoping that when he woke up, he would see Estelle Lockwood sleeping peacefully beside him.

But that hope was always dashed.

An immense sense of loss flooded his heart. Nathaniel Sloan shot up and went to look for that photo they had together.

However, their only photo together lay in a pile of confetti inside the paper shredder.

...

BANG!

Estelle Lockwood was jolted awake by a loud bang. She sat up in bed, not yet fully processing what was happening. "Who... Mmph! Nathaniel Sloan! If you’re sick, go see a doctor! What’s with this midnight madness?!"

The man’s tall frame pinned her down, his strong fingers wrapped around her throat, making it impossible for her to breathe for a moment.

"Yara Lockwood, where is the photo?"

Estelle Lockwood met the man’s bloodshot eyes, and most of her sleepiness vanished.

She understood at once. ’Oh... so Nathaniel Sloan found out.’

Estelle Lockwood tilted her head back slightly, utterly fearless. "In the shredder... Ngh! Let go!"

Nathaniel Sloan’s knuckles tightened as he suppressed his rage. "You destroyed the photo?"

Estelle Lockwood didn’t understand what Nathaniel Sloan was so angry about. ’He hid the photo so Noelle Lockwood wouldn’t find it, right? Isn’t it better now that I’ve destroyed it?’

Estelle Lockwood raised a hand, pushed Nathaniel Sloan away, and in a reversal of roles, tapped her fingertips against his Adam’s apple.

"That’s right, I did it. What about it? Is Mr. Sloan looking to settle scores with me?"

Estelle Lockwood sighed softly. "You can’t really blame me. Who was it that sided with Mrs. Sloan, letting Mia suffer such a great injustice? If you couldn’t bear to make your mother apologize, you had to be willing to part with something, right?"

"It was just destroying a photo. Why does Mr. Sloan look like he’s about to eat someone alive?"

’It was just destroying a photo...’

Nathaniel Sloan suddenly closed his eyes.

For five years, Estelle Lockwood had never once appeared in his dreams. Other than Christian, she had left him nothing.

Imperial Crest was the only place that still held traces of her life, so he had preserved it with painstaking care. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

She had never liked having her picture taken. Whether group photos or solo shots, that was the only one left...

But now, it was gone.

Nathaniel Sloan suddenly realized that he had truly lost Estelle Lockwood.