Free Web NovelChapter 77: Chapter 77: Nathaniel Sloan Defends His Wife: Suing Noelle Lockwood
Estelle Lockwood walked into the underground parking garage, and her expression immediately darkened.
A dozen or so teenagers surrounded her car, each holding a long club and furiously smashing it.
The car’s body was dented and its doors had been violently ripped off. Forget driving it—it was impossible to even put back together.
"Look, that’s Yara Lockwood! Surround her! Don’t let her get away!"
Just then, the leader’s eyes lit up. Pointing at Estelle Lockwood, she declared righteously:
"Back then, when Estelle Lockwood plagiarized, we couldn’t stand up for Noelle. Everyone must think our Noelle is a pushover! That’s why this Yara Lockwood is plagiarizing so blatantly!"
"As members of Noelle’s Knight Order, we have to teach her a lesson!"
Several of Noelle Lockwood’s fans immediately stepped forward, forming a tight circle around Estelle Lockwood.
Estelle Lockwood narrowed her eyes. "You’ve idolized someone to the point of losing your minds! Do you have any idea what the charges are for assault and destruction of property?"
The girl leading the group wasn’t afraid in the slightest. "We’re underage. Nothing will happen to us, even if we break the law! You should be more worried about yourself!"
The other underage fans also looked furious. "You plagiarist! Go die!"
"Noelle might be a pushover, but we’re not!"
"Charge! Kill her! Noelle said we’re underage, so it doesn’t matter even if we kill someone!"
Estelle Lockwood’s expression was ice-cold.
’Noelle Lockwood really planned this out well!’
’If something were to happen to me here today, people would just think I deserved it. After all, I’m the one who supposedly plagiarized Noelle Lockwood. It would be perfectly understandable for her fans to get emotional!’
’Five years ago, Noelle Lockwood used her fans countless times to twist the truth. It was the Lockwood Family and these fans who put her on such a high pedestal that she no longer gave a damn about human life!’
In a few swift moves, Estelle Lockwood took down all the fans and slammed the parking garage’s alarm button.
"What are you doing! I’ll kill you!"
Just then, the girl leading them got a crazed look in her eyes. Screaming, she brought her club crashing down on Estelle Lockwood—
THUD!
The pain she’d braced for never came. The girl was sent flying by a kick, and Estelle found herself landing securely in someone’s arms.
She froze.
’Is this... Nathaniel Sloan...?’
Nathaniel Sloan spun around, pulling her behind him. His expression was full of fury. "Call the police! And find out exactly who let them in!"
Luke White quickly replied, "The parking garage security guard took a bribe from Vivian Lowell..."
Nathaniel Sloan’s voice was grim. "Take Vivian Lowell to the station with them. We’re not accepting bail or any settlement. Let the law sentence them as it sees fit!"
Before Luke White could even speak, another assistant secretary cut in urgently, "President Sloan, they’re just a bunch of kids; the sentence won’t be harsh. Besides, they only did it because they felt bad for Miss Noelle. It was Yara Lockwood who plagiarized, after all..."
Before he could finish, Nathaniel Sloan shot him a cold glare. "You can get lost with them."
"I..." The assistant’s face fell. He never imagined he’d get fired just for saying a few words in Miss Noelle’s defense!
After saying his piece, Nathaniel Sloan had Luke White drag away the crying and shouting fans. Then, his icy gaze fell on the woman in his arms.
Estelle Lockwood’s heart clenched when she met his gaze.
’This was the same look Nathaniel Sloan gave me five years ago when Noelle Lockwood framed me for plagiarism!’
’She could take it when other people framed or misunderstood her, but she couldn’t take it from Nathaniel Sloan!’
Memories flooded her mind, and her eyes began to burn. Bristling like a cornered porcupine, Estelle couldn’t suppress her anger. "Are you here to accuse me of plagiarism too?!"
Nathaniel Sloan was stunned for a moment, then he frowned. "You think I came here to interrogate you?"
’Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?’ Estelle wanted to retort. ’That’s what you did five years ago! You listened to Noelle Lockwood’s side of the story and forced me to apologize to her without asking a single question!’
’Because I was from the countryside, because I didn’t grow up with the Lockwood Family, everyone just assumed I was a country bumpkin. They thought there was no way I could be a Perfumer, that I was inferior to Noelle Lockwood.’
’Even my accomplishments had to be handed over to Noelle Lockwood, because she was the apple of everyone’s eye!’
’It was like that five years ago. Does it have to be this way five years later, too?’
Sensing her misunderstanding, Nathaniel Sloan said in a taut voice, "You know Noelle Lockwood’s fans are trouble. Didn’t you think to run when you saw them?" freewēbnoveℓ.com
"Did you think you have three heads and six arms? That you could fight off more than a dozen people and not get hurt?"
Estelle Lockwood’s mind was a mess. His cold, frosty tone made her anger flare. "I don’t need your concern!"
Nathaniel Sloan was so exasperated he had to laugh.
’That temper... Is she as stubborn as a mule?’
’He saves her, and all he gets is an earful of complaints. He really must have had nothing better to do!’
But when he met Estelle Lockwood’s red-rimmed, hurt-filled eyes, Nathaniel Sloan’s voice grew hoarse.
"Not my concern? Miss Lockwood, you are my partner. If I don’t look out for you, who will?"
Hearing the word ’partner,’ Estelle Lockwood instinctively looked up. "The partnership is off. I’ve already moved out of Evernight."
Nathaniel Sloan’s brow furrowed sharply. "Who said it’s off? You’re the Perfumer that Evernight hired for a generous salary. Evernight International still hasn’t cleared your name, so who told you the partnership was canceled?"
Estelle Lockwood trembled, looking at Nathaniel Sloan in disbelief.
’What did Nathaniel Sloan just say? Did he mean what I think he means...?’
"Yara Lockwood." Nathaniel Sloan set her down. "I believe you."
Estelle Lockwood’s pupils contracted violently.
It was as if a giant hand were squeezing her heart, and a painful ache filled her chest.
In her two years of marriage and five years of separation from Nathaniel Sloan, this was the first time she had ever heard him say those three words.
’I believe you...’
’Nathaniel Sloan believed she hadn’t plagiarized.’
But for some reason, Estelle Lockwood felt no joy, only a rising bitterness in her heart.
’Why did this "I believe you" have to come so late?’
’Why didn’t he say it five years ago? Why didn’t he say it when I needed someone to believe in me the most?’
’So what if he says it now? Do I need him to believe me?’
’Or was Nathaniel Sloan going to do the same thing as before—pacify her first, then force her to admit to the plagiarism and stop causing trouble for Noelle Lockwood?’
Estelle Lockwood was completely unable to calm down. It was as if all the grievances from the past five years, and the present, were about to erupt out of her all at once.
"I’ve done nothing wrong and my conscience is clear. They’re the ones who should feel guilty! So whether you believe me or not, I will not let Noelle Lockwood and the Lockwood Family off the hook. If you still plan on protecting them and forcing me to confess, then I’m telling you now, it’s out of the question!"
She turned and walked away. Nathaniel Sloan didn’t look away until her back had completely disappeared from sight.
He gave Luke White a grim order: "Pull the surveillance footage from the Perfumery Department, prepare for a press conference, and have the legal department on standby."
Luke White nodded. "Yes, sir. But the legal department...?"
Nathaniel Sloan said coldly, "Yara Lockwood didn’t plagiarize. The real plagiarist is someone else."
Luke White froze. The two perfumes were identical. The plagiarist had to be either Yara Lockwood or Noelle Lockwood.
’When he said ’someone else,’ could he have meant... Noelle Lockwood?’
’He’s going to sue Noelle Lockwood!’
