The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: The Wife-Chasing Crematorium Begins

Noelle Lockwood was about to lose her mind. ’What is this conniving little brat doing?!’

Meeting the disdainful stares from the crowd and Nathaniel Sloan’s icy eyes, Noelle Lockwood shivered and hurriedly tried to explain:

"Nathaniel, listen to me, it’s not like that! Christian... Christian just likes to play games with me lately..."

In her panic, Noelle Lockwood tried to chalk it all up to ’Christian playing a game with her.’

Christian pouted. The little manipulator added more fuel to the fire. With a tremor in his voice and a look that screamed ’I’m being forced,’ he said meekly: freёwebnovel.com

"Yes, that’s right, Daddy. I was just playing a game with Aunt Noelle. Everyone... please don’t get the wrong idea."

Nathaniel Sloan’s expression darkened.

Sensing things were going badly, Rose Lowell stammered, trying to smooth things over, "Nathaniel, this is a misunderstanding, it must be. You’ve seen for yourself how well Noelle usually treats Christian. Besides, Mrs. Sloan is Christian’s grandmother! It’s not like Mrs. Sloan would mistreat Christian, would she?"

Laura Jennings snapped to her senses. "Right, it’s a misunderstanding! Nathaniel, someone must have put Christian up to this. Don’t be deceived!"

Tears began to stream down Christian’s face again.

The onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore. "Mrs. Sloan, your grandson is crying his eyes out, and you’re still calling it a misunderstanding! How can there be so many misunderstandings?"

"It makes one wonder if Mr. Sloan is really your son, and if Young Mr. Sloan is really your grandson!"

As if they had struck a nerve, Laura Jennings raised her voice, "Of course they are!"

"If they are, then why can’t we see you showing any concern for them? In fact, Noelle Lockwood seems more like your daughter!"

"Exactly! If you like Noelle Lockwood so much, why don’t you just marry her and cut out the middleman..."

"The Sloan Family is a prestigious one, after all. How did they ever end up with her?"

"I don’t get it. Don’t tell me the Sloan Family was attracted to her pettiness, her troublemaking, her sharp tongue, and her malicious, overbearing nature?"

"Well, now I kind of get why Mrs. Sloan wants Noelle Lockwood as her daughter-in-law."

"It’s because Noelle Lockwood is even pettier, more malicious and overbearing, and more sharp-tongued than she is. By bringing Noelle Lockwood into the Sloan family, it makes Mrs. Sloan look not so bad by comparison."

These words made both Laura Jennings and Noelle Lockwood grind their teeth in fury.

Rose Lowell was truly in a panic, speaking without thinking. "Nathaniel, they’re all slandering my daughter! My daughter is kind by nature, how could she bully Christian? It’s all them..."

Nathaniel Sloan’s face was grim. "Are you saying Christian is lying?"

Rose Lowell looked as if she were being choked, suddenly rendered speechless. "No, no... I just, I just..."

"That’s enough! Young Mr. Sloan is so little, and his health is poor—how could you have the heart to abuse him! And to think Noelle Lockwood is always marketing herself as this kind person, yet she could bring herself to harm a child!"

"The hypocrisy runs in the Lockwood Family. Have you seen the news? Look at what President Lockwood did."

"HISS... President Lockwood caused a scene at the hospital for no reason, disturbed the patients, and got kicked out? Is this really the president of a publicly traded company?"

"Now I know why Noelle Lockwood is so stupid and vicious. After all, she’s the biological daughter of President Lockwood and Rose Lowell. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!"

Noelle Lockwood glanced at the news notification and nearly fainted.

’God knows how badly she wanted to tell everyone that Estelle Lockwood was Rose Lowell’s daughter, not her!’

ARGH!

As the farce came to an end, Nathaniel Sloan took Christian and left directly.

Once in the car, Luke White spoke up, "Sir, there’s some trouble with Miss Yara Lockwood. She may have been frightened. Would you like to go see her?"

Nathaniel Sloan pressed the bridge of his nose. "Did Austin Lockwood go see her?"

Austin Lockwood was President Lockwood. Luke White nodded.

Nathaniel Sloan frowned. ’He had a gut feeling that woman wouldn’t let herself be bullied, but she was sick and running a fever...’

The man said hoarsely, "To the hospital."

Christian was sitting in his seat, secretly communicating with Zachery, when he suddenly heard Nathaniel Sloan call out, "Christian."

He immediately put his phone away. "Daddy." freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Nathaniel Sloan didn’t scold him, just watched him calmly. "This whole performance today—who taught you to do that?"

’He wasn’t a fool; how could he not see that Christian was deliberately scheming against Noelle Lockwood?’

Christian wasn’t the least bit afraid of being caught. He met Nathaniel Sloan’s gaze and said frankly:

"Aunt Noelle taught me by example. I’ve seen her do it so often, I picked it up. Daddy, would you like me to go make you a cup of ’green tea’?"

The driver and Luke White, who was in the passenger seat, almost burst out laughing. "..."

Luke White nodded to himself. ’Young Mr. Sloan is right,’ he thought. ’Noelle Lockwood really is a classic ’green tea’!’

Nathaniel Sloan was silent for two seconds, then said with a hint of resignation, "Learn something worthwhile."

Christian pouted. "Can’t do that. Daddy, you had Aunt Noelle ’take care’ of me. Didn’t you want me to learn from her? This is only the beginning."

Nathaniel Sloan didn’t answer, his eyes narrowing slightly.

For some reason, his thoughts suddenly turned to Yara Lockwood.

’If the woman taking care of Christian had always been Yara Lockwood...’

"Sir, we’ve arrived at the hospital," Luke White suddenly said.

Nathaniel Sloan snapped out of his thoughts and slowly got out of the car. "Christian, Daddy is going to check on Dr. Lockwood."

Christian immediately followed. "Daddy, I want to go too!"

At the same time, he sent a text to Zachery: [Zachery, we’re here.]

Zachery replied excitedly: [!!! Your daddy came too? Excellent, excellent, get over here! Let the groveling begin!]

Christian: [...]

’What groveling?’

’No, wait, why would there be any groveling? What just happened at the hospital?’

...

「Half an hour earlier.」

"Sir, Miss Lockwood just took her medicine and fell asleep. You can’t go in," the nurse pleaded.

An unyielding male voice replied, "Move. I just want a few words with Miss Lockwood."

The nurse looked troubled. "But Mr. Sloan instructed..."

"I am Nathaniel’s future father-in-law. If you get in the way of our family matters, will you take responsibility for the consequences?"

Before the nurse could say more, Estelle Lockwood had been woken by the noise. She shook off her grogginess, her eyes focusing on the newcomer—

Austin Lockwood.

Her biological father.

’This was the first time she had seen Austin Lockwood since returning to the country.’

Estelle Lockwood waved the nurse away, then looked up with a mocking smile. "Barging into someone’s hospital room, President Lockwood. That seems rather ill-mannered, don’t you think?"

Austin Lockwood’s pupils contracted.

’Even though Rose Lowell had told him that Yara Lockwood and Estelle Lockwood looked very much alike, and he had been mentally prepared...’

’...seeing it now, he was still shocked. How could they look so alike?!’

’She was Estelle Lockwood... No, impossible. They had watched Estelle Lockwood burn to death. It couldn’t be her. The dead can’t be resurrected!’

Austin Lockwood put on a gentlemanly smile. "It was my mistake to come uninvited. However, Miss Lockwood, I came to give you a reminder. My daughter is about to marry Nathaniel. Pestering a man who’s about to be married... isn’t that a bit shameless?"

Estelle Lockwood suddenly recalled the news articles she had seen. A smile touched her lips as she raised an eyebrow.

"President Lockwood, I wonder which daughter you’re referring to? Is it Noelle Lockwood, or... Estelle Lockwood, who has been dead for five years?"

Austin Lockwood’s expression froze.