The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Three Little Ones’ Shared Birthday Raises Nathaniel’s Suspicions

Nathaniel Sloan raised an eyebrow. "Fortune-telling? What did you divine?"

Zachery: "..."

Zachery’s excited expression froze on his face.

’No, wait.’

’Shouldn’t the person outside be Uncle Kingston? Isn’t he Mommy’s one true love, our future daddy?!’

’Why did that scumbag dad just walk in? Where’s Uncle Kingston?!’

Mia was stunned too. She stared at Nathaniel Sloan with wide, clear eyes, as if in disbelief and denial.

After two seconds of shock, she suddenly let out a wail and threw herself into Estelle Lockwood’s arms. "Mommy, I’m so sorry! My art isn’t refined enough! SOB SOB SOB!"

Nathaniel Sloan narrowed his eyes, glanced around the room, and understood.

’...So, Mia is crying because the divination said I’m Yara Lockwood’s future husband?’

Nathaniel Sloan: "..."

’Am I really that repulsive?’

Christian, standing in the corner, pursed his lips. ’Dad, do you really have no idea how unlikable you can be?’

...

「A few days later」 Estelle Lockwood was discharged from the hospital.

Nathaniel Sloan had her move back into the room on the second floor.

At nine o’clock that night, she was about to wash up for bed when a cell phone suddenly started ringing in her room.

It wasn’t her ringtone.

Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow. She walked into the walk-in closet and discovered it was Nathaniel Sloan’s phone. He must have left it there when he helped her move her things.

She was about to have the butler come and get the phone, but then she glanced at the caller ID.

Noelle Lockwood...

Estelle Lockwood picked up the phone. As a thought crossed her mind, her eyes went cold. Then, her lips curved into a faint smile, and she answered the call.

Noelle Lockwood, on the other end of the line, probably hadn’t expected the call to be answered so quickly; there was a hint of pleasant surprise in her voice.

"Nathaniel, it was my fault the other day. I think Christian might have misunderstood me. I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection, and since his birthday is coming up, I bought him a gift. Christian, he..."

"Oh, I’m so sorry, Nathaniel isn’t here right now~" Estelle Lockwood drawled, interrupting her after letting her talk for a good half-minute.

Noelle Lockwood froze. The moment she realized who had answered, her voice turned shrill. "Why do you have Nathaniel’s phone?!"

Estelle Lockwood nonchalantly twirled a strand of her hair. "Nathaniel’s in my room, taking a shower. So, of course, his phone is here with me."

"Yara Lockwood!! You’re shameless!" freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Noelle Lockwood shrieked, seemingly unable to process it. Her face flushed with rage. "Give the phone back to Nathaniel!"

"Now, now, Miss Lockwood, don’t get so worked up. Nathaniel is just taking a shower in my room, that’s all. Nothing’s going on. You really mustn’t get the wrong idea."

Estelle Lockwood’s voice was all smiles. "It’s so late. If you need something, Miss Lockwood, perhaps you should try again tomorrow?"

Noelle Lockwood was trembling, her face crimson with rage, so furious she could barely hold her phone steady. "You shameless bitch..."

Estelle Lockwood just smiled.

’What right did Noelle Lockwood have to complain?’

A little over five years ago, when she had just found out she was pregnant, a thunderstorm had kept her awake, filling her with anxiety. Mustering her courage, she had called Nathaniel Sloan.

However, the person who answered was Noelle Lockwood.

Noelle Lockwood’s cloyingly sweet voice had answered: "Sister, it’s so late. Do you need something from my brother-in-law? Even if it’s important, it can wait until tomorrow. He’s about to go to sleep."

"What? Where is he...? Oh, he’s taking a shower at my place. He really didn’t mean to ignore your call."

"Sister... can you please stop being so unreasonable? What could possibly be going on between us? He was just tired tonight and didn’t feel like going back to Imperial Crest, so he’s resting here, that’s all."

"We’re family. So what if we’re in the same apartment? Sister, if you keep making a fuss like this, you’ll just make him angry."

"Okay, Sister, I can’t talk anymore. He’s out of the shower. We’re going to bed now."

...

The memories came flooding back.

Estelle Lockwood’s smile deepened. She tapped her finger on the desk, her voice taking on a feigned coyness designed to set one’s imagination racing. "Alright, Miss Lockwood. Nathaniel’s out of the shower. We’re going to bed now."

"Yara Lockwood—"

Estelle Lockwood hung up without a second thought.

She tossed the phone aside and, in a remarkably good mood, went to sleep.

...

Meanwhile, Zachery and Mia were huddled together.

Mia looked at the calendar and whispered, "Our birthday is only a month away. What do you want for a present, you little dummy Zachery?"

But the usually boisterous Zachery fell silent at the mention of the word "birthday."

He pouted. "Mommy almost died on that day. I don’t want to celebrate my birthday."

The day of their birth was the same day five years ago when Noelle Lockwood set a fire that had nearly killed Estelle Lockwood.

Normally, of course, the children would never have been told such things. But Zachery had pestered the patriarch of the Kendrick Family, and the old man, feeling sorry for Estelle Lockwood, had told him the story.

From that day on, Zachery decided he would never celebrate his birthday again.

"Chapman, this is a gift from the Lockwood Family for the Young Mr. Sloan..."

Just then, a maid’s voice came from outside the door, followed by Chapman the butler asking with a frown, "The Young Mr. Sloan’s birthday isn’t for another month. Why is the Lockwood Family sending a gift now?"

"They said it’s an apology to the Young Mr. Sloan..." freewёbnoνel.com

"Fine. Put it in the Young Mr. Sloan’s storage room. I’ll mention it to the master later."

As the voices faded, Zachery and Mia exchanged a glance.

Zachery looked puzzled. "The Young Mr. Sloan’s birthday is also in a month? What a coincidence."

Before Mia could answer, he suddenly recalled something else. "Oh, right! Uncle Henry Kendrick said that Noelle Lockwood and Mommy gave birth on the same day."

It was just that the evil Noelle Lockwood had given birth a bit earlier that day. Then, after her baby was born, she hired an arsonist to try and kill Mommy.

Hmph!

But now, the Young Mr. Sloan was their big brother.

’Since he’s our big brother, that makes him one of us. Now that I know Christian’s birthday is coming up, maybe I should get him a present...’

Zachery puffed out his cheeks, then lowered his head to confer with Mia.

...

「The next day」

When Estelle Lockwood came downstairs, she found Zachery and Mia already seated at the table.

Seeing her approach, they scrambled to pull out her chair. Zachery then reverently presented her with a bowl of porridge and announced solemnly, "Mommy, please dine."

Estelle Lockwood was speechless for a moment. "..."

She looked at them quizzically. "Been watching too many historical dramas?"

Zachery shot Mia a look. Mia immediately scurried to Estelle’s other side and said sweetly, "Mommy, I’ll eat with you."

Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning sharp. "Alright, spit it out. What trouble did you two get into?"

’They’re making such a big production of this.’

Every time these two put on a show like this to butter her up, it meant they’d done something wrong. Estelle Lockwood was used to it by now.

But this time, to her surprise, Zachery just lowered his head, his cheeks turning a faint pink. "Mommy, I’m sorry. The Young Mr. Sloan’s birthday is soon. I... I want to get him a present. Is that okay?"

Estelle Lockwood was taken aback, but then she understood why Zachery was apologizing.

It was because Christian Sloan was Noelle Lockwood’s son, and his birthday was the same day as Zachery and Mia’s.

’Their birthday...’

She wanted to celebrate her children’s birthday too, but Zachery and Mia were so painfully considerate that they always avoided the topic of that day.

A warmth spread through Estelle Lockwood’s heart. "Of course, you can. Mommy will get both of you presents, too. We’re going to have a proper birthday celebration this year."

Mia was about to protest that they weren’t celebrating their birthday, but before she could get a word out, a man’s voice interjected.

"Your birthday is in a month, too?"

Nathaniel Sloan was leaning against the doorframe, dressed in a light shirt and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

His eyes narrowed, a flicker of inquiry within them. "What a coincidence. The same day as Christian?"