The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Christian and Zachery Seem a Little Alike

Estelle Lockwood finished speaking and left without a backward glance.

Nathaniel Sloan watched her back, silent for a long time.

"Daddy."

Just then, a gloomy voice sounded beside him. He turned to see "Christian" looking at him with disdain.

Zachery wanted nothing more than to beat up his scumbag dad. "Daddy, do you know why the horses bolted, the flowers wilted, and the sun vanished the moment you showed up?"

Nathaniel Sloan was already used to Christian’s nonsensical words. "...Why?"

Zachery scoffed. "Heh, you really have no self-awareness, do you, Daddy? Of course it’s because they can’t stand you."

"Can’t you tell Auntie Estelle doesn’t want anything to do with you? Not that it’s surprising. Auntie Estelle is beautiful, rich, and a great businesswoman who runs her own company. Other men are lining up to pursue a woman that wonderful. Why would she ever want to deal with a scumbag like you?"

Nathaniel Sloan was silent for a moment before looking at "Christian."

Having praised his mommy without blushing or his heart skipping a beat, Zachery faced Nathaniel Sloan’s suspicion fearlessly. "Daddy, I’m just speaking from the heart! You can’t discourage a child’s enthusiasm for telling the truth!"

Zane Grant remarked at the right moment, "Christian really has changed. He’s so much more lively. If this keeps up, his illness won’t be a problem."

Zachery immediately nodded. "So, Daddy, just make a little sacrifice and let me have my say!"

Nathaniel Sloan closed his eyes, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

’...What kind of twisted logic is this?’

「Two days later」

With the inspection of Rosalind Garden complete and the project officially launched, Estelle Lockwood and Nathaniel Sloan were in the car on their way back.

During the ride back, Estelle Lockwood glanced at "Christian" several times.

’Strange, why does the way the young master is sitting look a bit like Zachery?’

Usually, Christian’s posture was ramrod straight, like a miniature version of Nathaniel Sloan. But now, he was slumped in his seat, looking exactly like Zachery.

’The young master has probably just spent too much time with Zachery.’

Estelle Lockwood shook her head and didn’t think much of it.

Back at Imperial Crest, she went to her room to change. Zachery immediately ran upstairs. "Young Mr. Christian, let’s switch back!"

Then he saw Christian and Mia sitting at a desk, counting gifts.

Mia was completely immersed in a sea of presents. "Zachery, you little dummy, come look! These are all gifts for Young Mr. Christian from the kids and teachers at kindergarten!"

After speaking, she picked out a small cake. "I want this one!" frёewebnoѵēl.com

Christian said dotingly, "Okay, it’s all yours."

"Thank you, big brother! You’re the best, big brother!"

Zachery: "..."

Zachery felt as if his home had been stolen from under him, like a bolt from the blue.

’Oh, so that’s how it is, Mia! I’m over there pretending to be the young master, protecting Mommy and dissing that scumbag dad, while you’re over here with him, even calling him ’big brother’! Who’s your real brother?!’

He shot an angry glare at Christian, the meaning clear: ’That’s my sister. Don’t you have your own? Why are you stealing mine!’

Before his anger could even fully form, Christian stood up and pushed a well-made jigsaw puzzle into his hands.

"Zachery, I saw you seemed to like this last time, so I bought it for you. Do you like it?"

Mia chimed in from the side, "Zachery, you little dummy, hurry and take it! Let me tell you, Young Mr. Christian totally won over all the teachers and parents, but they all think he’s you. Your reputation is amazing now!"

Christian smiled gently and offered the puzzle forward again.

Zachery: "..."

’Oh, crap. It’s that heart-fluttering feeling.’

’The young master is so good at charming people! This... who wouldn’t be dazed by this? Forget the kindergarten teachers, even I can’t resist!’

"O-okay, fine. I’ll take it..."

"Okay. In that case, Zachery, can I ask you for a favor?"

The bewitched Zachery: "Mhm, mhm, mhm, sure, sure."

Christian said softly, "Great. Then I’d like to stay switched with you for a while longer. Let’s not switch back just yet."

Zachery: "Mhm, mhm, mhm..."

Christian: "Then I’ll take that as a yes."

Zachery snapped back to his senses. "Huh? Wait, no..."

Before he could finish, Christian handed him a slice of cake. "Then I’ll thank you in advance. You’re so nice, Zachery. I really like you."

Zachery was instantly coaxed into a state of utter confusion.

Mia looked at him with an expression of world-weary wisdom.

’She just knew it. No one could resist the young master’s "green tea" assault.’

’...Is it that she can’t recognize a "green tea" person? No! It’s that the young master’s "green tea" act is simply irresistible!’

Christian lowered his eyes. At kindergarten today, he’d overheard someone say there would be an educational event about paternity testing soon.

’When the time comes, I’ll ask Mommy to do a test with me. Once it’s confirmed that we’re mother and son, I’ll reveal my identity and let Mommy know that I’m her child too.’

’And then, I can openly and righteously be affectionate with Mommy!’

A few minutes later, Christian went to find Estelle Lockwood, holding Mia’s hand.

Mia, excited, flew into her arms. "Mommy!"

Christian also stopped and said, "Mommy."

Estelle Lockwood was surprised. "Zachery, sweetie, why don’t you come over for a hug?" freēwēbnovel.com

Christian broke into a smile and immediately rushed forward for a hug.

’So this is Mommy. She smells so nice and feels so soft. I love it.’

"Have you been okay these past few days? How are you?" Estelle Lockwood picked Mia up, then asked, "By the way, Zachery, you had a fever a few days ago. What happened? Are you better now?"

Zachery had always been very healthy. He never even caught colds, let alone ran a fever. The sudden illness had made Estelle Lockwood terribly worried.

Mia and Christian exchanged a glance. Mia suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

’Uh-oh, what do we do? Of course Zachery is fine. The one who had the fever was Christian!’

Christian was very calm. "I’m all better now. Don’t worry, Mommy."

"That’s good." Estelle Lockwood was relieved.

Seeing that Estelle Lockwood wasn’t the least bit suspicious, Christian couldn’t help but ask in a small voice, "Mommy, you haven’t seen us for several days. Aren’t you afraid we might have been swapped?"

Estelle Lockwood was shocked. "Swapped? Little Zachery, do you think Mommy wouldn’t be able to recognize you?"

In fact, there was something that neither Zachery nor Mia knew, and Zachery himself probably didn’t remember it clearly either.

When Zachery was little, he had a very quiet and shy personality. But abroad, because they looked different from the other children, someone was always bullying Mia.

To protect Mia, Zachery’s personality had become more assertive and boisterous.

Now, he probably felt the environment was safe, so after returning to the country, his personality was gradually reverting to how it used to be.

Estelle Lockwood ruffled her two little ones’ hair. "Let’s go have dinner."

...

「The Lockwood Residence.」

Rose Lowell paced back and forth. "Noelle, what should we do? That Estelle Lockwood is such a vixen. Now you can’t even go back to Imperial Crest. We have to think of something..."

Noelle Lockwood had calmed down. "Mom, it’s not like there are no options. As long as Christian Sloan lets me go back, no one can stop me."

Rose Lowell hesitated. "But that little bastard..."

Noelle Lockwood smiled, confident of her victory. "Remember Christian Sloan’s piano teacher? Children can’t handle being provoked. When he’s learning piano, I’ll have that teacher mock and belittle him a bit, and then I’ll go in and comfort him."

"Once I’ve got him wrapped around my finger and completely dependent on me, will I still have to worry about him not listening to me?"

...

「The next day」

After eating, Zachery was about to go back to his room to get some affection from his mommy when he heard Chapman say, "Young Mr. Christian, the piano teacher is here."

Zachery: "...!"

’I don’t know how to play the piano! Is it too late to switch back with Christian now?!’

He flew up the stairs, but before he could even knock on Christian’s door, he heard the piano teacher speaking in a haughty voice.

"Has Young Mr. Christian not been practicing lately? Sigh. He’s already slow to begin with. If he doesn’t study properly, I can’t teach him either. All my previous students were brilliant and learned everything instantly. Young Mr. Christian can still only play a few pieces. If Miss Noelle hadn’t begged me to come, I wouldn’t even spare a student like him a second glance."

Zachery: "?"

’Buddy, who do you think you’re PUA-ing?’

’The young master is slow?’

’Aha! So this piano teacher was hired by Noelle Lockwood to deliberately put down the young master, wasn’t she!’

Zachery immediately turned around. ’Switch back? Switch back for what? There’s no way I’m letting the young master suffer this kind of psychological abuse.’

’I’ll be the one to fire the first shot in the anti-PUA war!’