Editor: Henyee Translations
Why was Nathaniel here? How much had he heard?
The gossiping group panicked. "Mr. Sloan, we... we were just..."
Nathaniel merely gave them an indifferent glance. Soon after, their phones rang one by one with calls from their families. Their faces instantly drained of color.
Evernight International had suddenly cut off all partnerships with their families—just because of those few words?! Wasn’t it said that Nathaniel’s unforgettable true love was Noelle, and that he didn’t care about Estelle at all?
On the other side of the venue, Noelle saw the swimming pool, and an idea sparked in her mind. She instructed a waiter, "Please invite Miss Yara over."
After the waiter relayed the message to Estelle, she instantly understood what Noelle was planning. Fine. She would give Noelle a taste of the helpless suffering she had endured back then.
Estelle walked to the edge of the pool. "Did you need me for something?"
Seeing her languid demeanor filled Noelle with irritation. She reached out slightly. "Dr. Lockwood, I truly want to apologize to you. If you..."
Estelle grabbed her wrist directly. "Are you trying to push me into the pool again, then tearfully tell everyone that I jumped in on purpose to frame you?" She leaned in closer. "You’ve been using the same trick for seven years. Haven’t you improved at all?"
"You... Ah!" Under the grip of shock and terror, Noelle screamed. How did this woman know about what happened seven years ago? Just who was this Yara?
The next moment, Estelle gave a forceful shove. SPLASH! Noelle was pushed straight into the pool!
Everyone immediately turned around, utterly shocked. What was going on? Everything had been fine just a second ago; why did Noelle fall into the water?
"Yara, what are you doing? I wanted to apologize to you. If you’re truly angry, you could have just rejected my apology. Why did you push me into the water without saying a word?" Noelle’s eyes were red. She struggled to stand up in the water, only to fall back down in a miserable state. "Cough... Nathaniel... save me... I can’t swim..."
The crowd exchanged uncertain glances. Even though Noelle had gone a little overboard earlier, Yara shouldn’t have done this.
"Mr. Sloan..."
"Mr. Sloan, look at this..."
Nathaniel’s deep, dark eyes slowly landed on Estelle. He stayed silent for two seconds before looking away, instructing a nearby bodyguard, "Save her."
Choking on the water, Noelle looked incredibly weak. "Miss Lockwood, I don’t understand. I only said a few wrong words. What did I do to deserve being targeted by you like this... My health is poor... I..."
Estelle almost applauded her in her mind. She truly was a masterful manipulator; even after being pushed into the water, she could still keep up the act. However—who didn’t know how to play the innocent victim?
Estelle instantly dropped the sharpness from her eyes and feigned shock. "Noelle, did you really have to jump into the water just to frame me?"
Those who had been about to condemn Estelle all froze.
Noelle bit her lower lip, looking unbearably wronged. "I’m the one who fell into the water, yet you’re saying I framed you. What kind of logic is that?"
Estelle furrowed her brows, appearing extremely confused. "You just asked me to come to the pool, saying you had something to tell me, so I came. Then you suddenly jumped in. How is that not framing me?
"Unfortunately, there are no security cameras here, so I really can’t prove my innocence."
The scene suddenly fell eerily quiet. Nathaniel sharply raised his eyes. Everyone remembered the gossip that those ladies had just been discussing.
Estelle, having just returned to the Lockwood family, had fallen into the water in the dead of winter, claiming Noelle had pushed her. Noelle, on the other hand, had claimed that Estelle jumped in herself just to frame her.
How strikingly similar it was to this very scene.
Noelle was practically dying of anger. She truly wasn’t lying this time—she had been outsmarted by this woman!
"Nathaniel, it really was Dr. Lockwood. She was the one who..."
"Noelle, you’re being utterly unreasonable." Estelle feigned helplessness. "If you claim that I hate you, couldn’t I have just kicked you out? I’m Star’s Chief Perfumer. I can have you thrown out at any time. Why would I go through all the trouble to stage something like this?"
Nathaniel’s lips pressed into a tight line as Noelle’s words from seven years ago echoed in his mind.
"Estelle, you’re being utterly unreasonable. Why would I intentionally frame you? I’m the eldest daughter of the Lockwood family. If I didn’t like you, Mom and Dad wouldn’t have brought you back. I can decide whether you stay or leave. Why would I go through all the trouble to stage something like this? Sigh, unfortunately, there are no security cameras here, so I really don’t know how to explain myself."
Right before his eyes, Estelle sighed again. "Noelle, the rumors all say you’re gentle and kind. I don’t know why you’re acting like this. First, you spread rumors that I was the mistress, and then you intentionally fell into the water to falsely accuse me. Forget it, I don’t want to hold this against you. I forgive you."
"Estelle, I thought you had a kind heart. How could you do this? First, you spread rumors that I was a fake daughter, and then you intentionally fell into the water to falsely accuse me. Forget it, we’re all family. I don’t blame you."
Inside the banquet hall, someone else chimed in, "Exactly. Miss Yara is the host of this banquet. If she wanted to kick Noelle out, she would have done it already. How could she stoop to such underhanded methods?"
"And Miss Yara even forgave Noelle. She’s so kind..."
"My God, Miss Noelle is truly kind. Estelle framed her like that, yet she isn’t even holding it against her."
"No wonder the Lockwood family dotes on Miss Noelle so much and despises Estelle!"
Nathaniel suddenly closed his eyes, feeling as though a large hand was gripping his heart tightly.
Everything was crystal clear now. Back then, Estelle had just returned to the Lockwood family. She didn’t understand anything and had no one to rely on, yet he had actually believed Noelle’s words! If he had only thought about it a little harder, he would have uncovered the truth. He could have been the one she relied on back then...
Yara had perfectly recreated the scene, laying the truth bare right before his eyes!
Noticing the contemptuous gazes from the people around her, Noelle felt like she was going to faint. "Nathaniel, Nathaniel, you have to believe me! It really was Yara who pushed me in! You have to believe me!"
Nathaniel’s eyes were glacial as he coldly questioned, "If I believe you now, shouldn’t I have believed Estelle back then?"
Noelle’s legs instantly gave out from terror, and she collapsed miserably onto the ground. "Na... Nathaniel..."
Nathaniel slightly raised his hand, and a bodyguard stepped forward to drag Noelle away. He nodded to Henry Kendrick. "I will take my leave now."
He had only come here for Estelle’s "wish"—to look after the Lockwood family and negotiate this business deal on their behalf. But there was no need for that anymore.
The crowd had enjoyed a free spectacle. As the banquet came to an end, they dispersed one by one. Estelle waited until most of the guests had left before heading to the parking lot in an excellent mood.
Not bad. Today went very smoothly, and her revenge plan had advanced another step. Exposing Noelle was not her ultimate goal. She wanted every single person who had hurt her in the past to pay the price, one by one.
As she pondered this, she searched for her car. Just as she walked past an extended luxury car, the door suddenly flew open—
"Ah!"
Estelle cried out as she was forcefully pulled into the vehicle. Her tight-fitting evening gown let out a sharp RIP, tearing open at the seam. Her mind instantly went blank.
"Nathaniel, what are you doing?!"
The man’s hand rested lightly on her waist, his tone hoarse. "Who are you?"