The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Her Heart Is Beating Very Fast

Noelle Lockwood took a terrified step back.

’Everyone is forcing me to apologize. Why? Wasn’t I the chosen one? So what if I plagiarized? That should be an honor for Yara Lockwood...’

’No... I can’t apologize now. If I do, everything I have will be ruined! Absolutely not!’

Noelle Lockwood’s eyes darted. She spun around and slapped her agent hard across the face.

"How could you frame me? And after I trusted you so much! You told me that perfume belonged to a friend of yours. You said you hoped I would release it under my name."

"I agreed out of consideration for your many years of service. I never thought you would have stolen it from Miss Yara Lockwood! Now... how am I supposed to face anyone!"

Tears streamed down Noelle Lockwood’s face. Crying inconsolably, she shook her head desperately. "I’m sorry, Miss Yara Lockwood. I’m sorry. I really had no idea my agent would do something like this. I really didn’t know..."

She bowed to the camera. "I also never imagined my fans would get so emotional that they’d go and corner Miss Yara Lockwood. I’ll do a better job of guiding my fans from now on. This is all my fault..."

The agent stared, dumbfounded. "Noelle, you..."

"I knew it! You’re the one who framed Noelle, you damned agent!"

Rose Lowell charged forward like a madwoman, punching and kicking the agent. "It’s all your fault! You’re the reason my daughter was forced to apologize! It’s all because of you!"

The agent opened his mouth to protest, but the thought of his family still working for the Lockwood Group made him tremble and swallow his words.

"I... I wasn’t in my right mind, Miss Yara Lockwood. Don’t blame Noelle. It’s all my fault. If you must blame someone, blame me..."

Noelle Lockwood finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Estelle Lockwood couldn’t help but scoff. ’It’s always the same. No matter what Noelle Lockwood does, there’s always a scapegoat. Before, it was me, the true heiress. Now, it’s her agent.’

Her expression turned mocking. "Mr. Sloan, what’s your take on this?"

Rose Lowell’s head whipped around. She said in a fawning tone, "Nathaniel, you see? Noelle was just trying to help out of the kindness of her heart. This really has nothing to do with her! She’s already apologized, she’s innocent! So why don’t we just let this go..."

"So, Noelle Lockwood just believes whatever her agent tells her? Even if the agent gave her the perfume, she didn’t bother to investigate at all before releasing it as her own work. And after causing such a huge scandal, you, Ms. Lowell, are saying she’s innocent?"

Nathaniel Sloan cut in coldly.

The venue fell silent once more.

’Noelle Lockwood stared in disbelief. ’I’ve already cleared my name, so what is Nathaniel trying to do? Is he trying to drive me to my death?’’

Nathaniel Sloan’s cold gaze swept over the members of the Lockwood family.

"Because Noelle Lockwood uttered the words ’Yara Lockwood plagiarized,’ her fans smashed Yara Lockwood’s car and laid siege to Star’s headquarters, causing tens of millions in property damage. And under the Lockwood Group’s campaign of lies, Star’s perfumes were returned and its reputation plummeted, resulting in nearly fifty million in additional losses."

"And you, Ms. Lowell, think that all of this can be cancelled out with a simple declaration that ’Noelle Lockwood is innocent’?"

Rose Lowell’s face went pale. "Na-Nathaniel, what are you saying..."

Nathaniel Sloan shot her a chilling, sideways glance. "Compensation. An apology. Make full restitution for all of Star’s and Yara Lockwood’s losses. After that, we can discuss whether or not you’re innocent."

Luke White immediately stepped forward with a lawyer. "President Lockwood, Mrs. Lockwood, Miss Noelle Lockwood, this public relations crisis was caused entirely by the Lockwood Group."

"Therefore, you are required to provide full compensation to Miss Yara Lockwood and Star Group for emotional distress, property damage, loss of work, public relations expenses, and other related costs. The total comes to two hundred and fifteen million yuan. Here is the itemized bill. Please review it and sign."

Rose Lowell froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

’How... How could the compensation be over two hundred million?’ freewebnσvel.cøm

Henry Kendrick was also taken aback. He looked at Nathaniel Sloan in shock, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

’Wasn’t the ex always so protective of this fake heiress, his supposed one true love?’

’So why is he exposing her, forcing her to apologize, and now hitting her with a two-hundred-million-yuan compensation bill today?’

’This doesn’t look like someone who cares about Noelle Lockwood at all.’

But that wasn’t all. Nathaniel Sloan spoke again, his voice light.

"As a member of the Evernight Group’s perfume department, Noelle Lockwood has caused the company immense losses. I hereby announce that you are fired."

"Henceforth, Noelle Lockwood is forbidden from setting foot in the Evernight Group without an appointment."

The venue fell silent again as everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

The rumors all said that Noelle Lockwood was Nathaniel Sloan’s fiancée.

Yet now, Nathaniel Sloan had fired her and even banned her from entering the company’s doors.

Estelle Lockwood instinctively looked up, her gaze meeting the man’s. She immediately averted her eyes.

Her heart was pounding.

’Nathaniel Sloan had defended her and avenged her. But she hadn’t forgotten how, five years ago, he had forced her to apologize, telling her coldly that she had brought it all on herself.’

The memory was so suffocating she could barely breathe...

Over with the Lockwoods, the three of them were in utter shock.

Rose Lowell shrieked instinctively, "Fired?! H-how could you! Nathaniel, hasn’t everything been cleared up? It was the agent’s fault! It has nothing to do with Noelle!"

"She... she could be a great asset to you if she stays at Evernight! She started creating fragrances seven years ago and has so many famous works to her name. Are you really going to be this merciless over a single mistake!"

Noelle Lockwood bit her lip. "Nathaniel, are you really firing me? You know how skilled I am at creating fragrances... It was my fragrance that helped manage your headaches."

The crowd nodded. Noelle Lockwood did have genuine talent.

Estelle Lockwood’s eyes darkened. ’How laughable. Even now, Noelle Lockwood is still taking credit for my work!’

’But I have no proof.’

’Besides, even if I had proof, Nathaniel Sloan wouldn’t have believed me back then.’

Estelle Lockwood couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She turned to leave.

"Yara..." Henry Kendrick couldn’t bear it, but he also knew they could prove Noelle Lockwood plagiarized Yara Lockwood, but they couldn’t prove she plagiarized Estelle Lockwood. All the evidence had been destroyed five years ago.

But just then, everyone present heard Nathaniel Sloan’s cold voice ring out with a question.

"Noelle Lockwood, that custom fragrance from back then... was it really your creation?"

Estelle Lockwood whipped her head around, her eyes wide with shock.

Noelle Lockwood flinched. Terror washed over her like a tidal wave, and she began to tremble uncontrollably. "Nathaniel, what are you trying to say? Of course, it was me... Otherwise, who... who else could it have been?"

"Back then, I poured my heart and soul into developing that fragrance to help with your headaches, only to have my sister steal it... Nathaniel, don’t tell me you think that fragrance was hers?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," the man said decisively.

Nathaniel Sloan’s single sentence plunged the venue into absolute silence. Even the live stream chat went quiet.

After a long moment, a single comment quietly scrolled across the screen.

[What does he mean... Wait, so five years ago, Noelle Lockwood was the plagiarist then, too? The real heiress was the original creator?]