Free Web NovelChapter 87: Chapter 87: Teaming Up to Get Even for Estelle Lockwood
Nathaniel Sloan raised an eyebrow.
Laura Jennings’s eyes flew open, her fingers trembling. "You... you shameless hussy! Get away from my son!"
Noelle Lockwood’s eyes reddened as well, putting on the perfect air of a long-suffering wife. "Nathaniel, you and Miss Yara Lockwood... Auntie, please don’t be angry. Perhaps this is all just a misunderstanding..."
Laura Jennings couldn’t bear to see Noelle Lockwood acting so meek and wronged. She roared, "Yara Lockwood, know your place! How could my son possibly be having a meal with you!"
Estelle Lockwood smoothed her hair. "If Ms. Jennings doesn’t believe it, why not ask Mr. Sloan? Mr. Sloan, what do you say?"
Nathaniel Sloan calmly averted his gaze, his expression indifferent. "Yara Lockwood is my guest."
Laura Jennings was clearly stunned by his words. She couldn’t believe her own son would dine with this shameless bitch.
When she turned and saw Noelle Lockwood silently shedding tears, Laura Jennings’s heart swelled with indignation.
"How is a seductress like her worthy! Nathaniel, don’t let a shady vixen like her bewitch you. Noelle is the one who’s right for you..."
"As the matriarch of the Sloan family, you shouldn’t be using such language," Nathaniel Sloan cut in coldly.
Being reprimanded by her own son, Laura Jennings felt utterly humiliated and grew even more indignant. "On what grounds does she... she..."
"Grandma, that’s a question you should be asking Aunt Noelle!"
Just then, a little boy’s voice piped up.
They turned to see ’Christian’ standing beside them. He must have appeared at some point, and his eyes were practically overflowing with disdain.
Zachery and Christian had swapped clothes and immediately run over. frёeωebɳovel.com
Laura Jennings was taken aback. "Christian, you’re here too? Nathaniel, you brought Christian with you? Aren’t you afraid this seductress will be a bad influence on him!"
Zachery let out two cold laughs. "Grandma, you’ve misunderstood Daddy. He didn’t invite Aunt Yara to dinner for himself, but for the company."
Laura Jennings snapped, "Nonsense! She’s just a woman. What does she have to do with the company..."
"Because Aunt Noelle plagiarized, Star Group became very unhappy with Daddy. The partnership almost fell through."
Zachery said gravely, "The initial investment in this partnership was huge. If it collapses now, everything will be lost. That’s why Daddy specifically chose today to apologize to Aunt Yara."
Estelle Lockwood blinked, her gaze shifting to him instinctively.
’Wait, what is Christian saying?’ But she quickly realized what was happening. ’This little guy is standing up for me.’
Nathaniel Sloan, however, gave the boy a second look, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Before Laura Jennings could speak, Zachery continued:
"I heard everyone at the company has been running ragged because of this. I couldn’t bear to see Daddy so exhausted, so I came along, hoping I could put in a good word with Aunt Yara and help save the partnership."
As Zachery spoke, his gaze drifted pointedly toward Noelle Lockwood, his voice loud enough for every other guest in the restaurant to hear perfectly clearly.
"Daddy has to clean up the mess caused by the Lockwood Group. And yet Aunt Noelle, one of the main culprits, isn’t thinking about how to apologize. Instead, she’s in the mood to go shopping with Grandma."
"If I had caused so much trouble, I would’ve been trying to find a way to fix the damage long ago. I just don’t understand how Aunt Noelle can still be out enjoying herself with a clear conscience."
After Zachery finished speaking, the restaurant fell into a dead silence.
After a long moment, people began to whisper. "So, Mr. Sloan booked the Celestial Room to apologize to Miss Yara Lockwood..."
"That makes sense. Star might not be a huge name here, but they’re very prestigious internationally. When you think about it, this whole perfume plagiarism issue happened because Evernight International didn’t guard against Noelle Lockwood, allowing her to steal the formula. It’s completely understandable that Yara Lockwood wouldn’t want to work with them anymore."
"So it’s perfectly reasonable for Mr. Sloan to treat Miss Yara Lockwood to a meal to try and save the partnership..."
"But from what I saw of Noelle Lockwood’s attitude toward Miss Yara Lockwood, she had no intention of apologizing. She was deliberately misleading everyone. What is she playing at?"
"And Laura Jennings! Does she even remember she’s Mr. Sloan’s mother? Her own son gets screwed over by Noelle Lockwood, but she sides with her instead and tries to sabotage the partnership? You’d think Noelle Lockwood was her biological daughter!"
Laura Jennings’s face flushed a deeper and deeper red. "I didn’t! Nathaniel, don’t listen to their nonsense!"
"Nathaniel, it’s not like that."
Noelle Lockwood suddenly stepped forward, her eyes brimming with tears as she shook her head helplessly. "I only called out to Miss Yara Lockwood because I wanted to apologize to her as well. Auntie was just a bit emotional. She doesn’t mean any harm."
With that, she turned to Estelle Lockwood, looking for all the world like the very picture of sincerity.
"I know the Lockwood Group was in the wrong. Since we’ve run into each other today, Miss Yara Lockwood, I hope you can give me the chance to apologize properly."
Estelle Lockwood narrowed her eyes as if she’d just heard a joke. "Apologize?"
Noelle Lockwood hid the venom in her eyes, presenting the image of a delicate and innocent flower.
"Miss Yara Lockwood, I truly don’t know how to make it up to you. You can treat me like a servant. Perhaps then, my heart can be a little more at ease..."
Her words made the people around them exchange uncertain glances, but Laura Jennings was deeply moved.
’Look at how kind Noelle is!’ she thought. ’It’s clearly not her fault, yet she’s still trying to make amends!’
’Then there’s that Yara Lockwood. So what if she was slandered a little? It’s not like she suffered any real loss. Why does she have to be so aggressive!’
Estelle Lockwood’s lips curled into a smirk. ’Treat her like a servant...’
The phrase reminded her of something.
Not long after she had returned to the Lockwood family, Noelle Lockwood had insisted on taking her to a party for socialites. At the party, Noelle pulled her forward and announced to everyone, "This is my family’s servant."
When Estelle protested that she was Noelle’s older sister, Noelle had just laughed helplessly and said, ’I’m so sorry, everyone. This servant of ours is always fantasizing that she’s a wealthy heiress. How embarrassing.’
Then, she had looked at Estelle and said, ’What are you waiting for? Get over here and shell my crab.’
The group of socialites had roared with laughter.
Estelle later told Rose Lowell what had happened, but Rose had only scolded her. "You’re so unrefined! Your presence at the banquet was an embarrassment to the Lockwood family. Noelle only said you were a servant to save face for the family! Everything she does is for the Lockwoods. Can’t you just endure it for a while?"
Her thoughts snapped back to the present. Estelle Lockwood suddenly smiled. "President Sloan, since this is an apology, you wouldn’t mind if I invited a few more friends, would you?"
Nathaniel Sloan raised an eyebrow slightly. He had no idea what she was planning, but he agreed. "Go ahead."
Estelle Lockwood nodded, made a quick phone call, and then added an order to the staff. "And a few more king crabs, please."
Before long, Henry Kendrick arrived at the restaurant, accompanied by a crowd of socialites and wealthy young heirs.
Noelle Lockwood’s face paled. She was overcome with a bad feeling.
The Celestial Room couldn’t hold so many people, so Estelle had everyone take seats in the main dining hall.
The three little ones sat beside Estelle Lockwood and Nathaniel Sloan, and so the bizarre dinner began.
Noelle Lockwood put on her most pitiful expression and walked to Nathaniel Sloan’s side to sit down, only to be stopped by Estelle Lockwood’s cold voice.
"Miss Lockwood, did I say you could sit?"
