Chapter 442: Chapter 442: The Truth of the York Family Back Then
Nathaniel Sloan said meaningfully, "Chairman York is the very person whose reaction to the drug you witnessed with your own eyes."
Thea York trembled all over, looking as if her deepest, darkest secret had just been exposed. "No, no!"
"Miss York, you and Mrs. York spent all these years believing you had earned Chairman York’s doting love and high regard. In reality, however, it was nothing more than the effect of the drug..." Nathaniel feigned a sigh, though a smile lingered in his eyes. "Tell me, what do you think would happen if outsiders were to find out about this?"
What would happen? What would happen indeed?
Thea could already picture it. If people found out, she and her mother would become the biggest laughingstock in the world!
For years, Mrs. York had flaunted herself as his "true love." Thea had constantly claimed that, despite being an illegitimate daughter, she had worked tirelessly to outshine Stella York and win Chairman York’s affection. If word got out that their beloved status was solely due to a drug, Thea couldn’t even fathom the fallout!
"Miss York, I can keep my mouth shut, but..." Nathaniel paused slightly. "Can you guarantee that Stella won’t speak up? Or that I won’t tell her about this?"
Thea’s face twisted in terror. "No, no, no, Nathaniel... We grew up together! You can’t take Stella’s side! No, it wasn’t the drug, it was because I was exceptional! Yes, yes, I’ve been better than Stella since we were kids, and that’s why the Yorks favored me! I earned everything through my own hard work!"
"That depends on whether Stella believes you," Nathaniel drawled slowly.
Thea stumbled back half a step. "Nathaniel, what... what do you mean?"
Nathaniel brazenly laid out his scheme in broad daylight.
"I mean that I will absolutely inform Stella. I will ensure she, as the victim, learns the truth. After that, I won’t interfere with whatever she chooses to do to you.
"Allow me to remind you that you are now under attack from all sides, Miss York. The York Group doesn’t belong to you, and with Chairman York and Mrs. York in prison, there is no one left to help you. Think about it. How are you going to escape Stella’s wrath?"
Thea shook her head frantically. "I won’t go to prison..."
"There are other ways to make someone wish they were dead besides throwing them in prison. You can’t possibly be oblivious to that, Miss York," Nathaniel said with a smile. "Besides, Chairman York’s first wife isn’t the only person who died at the hands of you and your mother. Do I need to refresh your memory?
"Of course, you could always pin everything on Mrs. York, considering you were a minor at the time. However...
"As I said, Stella’s current power won’t make things easy for you. Think it over carefully, Miss York."
Thea’s teeth were chattering. Nathaniel didn’t say the rest, but Thea understood perfectly. Her only option now was to become Ethan Sloan’s woman and use his power to eke out a miserable existence.
Estelle Lockwood realized the truth. "No wonder she agreed."
However, this entire plan had been proposed by Stella. Thea thought that becoming Ethan Sloan’s woman would secure her wealth and glory, but Stella’s goal was definitely not to let Thea live a life of luxury.
Nathaniel nodded. "I’ll have someone inform Stella about this first."
"Alright."
Chairman York and Mrs. York had already been taken into custody for their involvement in the murder of his first wife, pending trial. Stella paid them a visit.
Mrs. York was consumed by rage. "What are you doing here?! You little bitch, how dare you show your face here?!"
Stella didn’t pay the slightest attention to the hysterical woman. "I’m here to share some good news with you both."
Good news? What good news could she possibly have?
Stella chuckled softly. "Congratulations. Thea has managed to secure her wealth and glory, and I ’temporarily’ lack the energy to deal with her anymore. Your daughter is safe. Are you happy?"
Mrs. York shuddered. With that tone of voice, there was no way Stella was here to make them happy!
Stella looked thoroughly amused. "Why aren’t you two asking me how Thea pulled it off? Logically speaking, with the York Group’s collapse and the empire crumbling around her, Thea is under attack from all sides. She has no backing left, and she has to deal with me... Who would still be willing to protect her? Aren’t you curious?"
At a time like this, who still had the power to protect Thea—and was someone even Stella wouldn’t dare cross?
Two words flashed across Mrs. York’s mind: the Sloans!
Yes, it had to be the Sloan family!
Mrs. York grew agitated. "The Sloans..."
"Hmm?" Stella interrupted her, looking completely at ease as she feigned surprise. "My dear stepmother, you aren’t going to suggest that the person protecting Thea is Nathaniel Sloan, are you? Should I call you naive, or just plain stupid? At a time like this... how could you possibly think it’s Nathaniel?"
Stella didn’t bother hiding the truth, smiling as she continued. "It is indeed a Sloan family member. Although this man is a spineless loser, keeping Thea safe isn’t a problem for him. Furthermore, Nathaniel and Estelle Lockwood have no reason to completely tear apart their relationship with this person just for Thea’s sake."
Who... who could it be?
A terrifying guess surfaced in Mrs. York’s mind, but she was too horrified to voice it out loud.
"It seems Mrs. York has already figured it out," Stella said, leaning in to stare directly into Mrs. York’s eyes. "That’s right. It’s Ethan Sloan.
"Are you happy, stepmother? Your daughter has perfectly inherited your mantle. Following right in your footsteps, she’s become a rich man’s mistress... Oh, wait, she’s actually his second mistress, seeing as Laura Jennings is the first.
"Does your daughter becoming a rich man’s second mistress count as carrying forward your legacy?
"You can rest easy now. Thea is out of danger for the time being. Since she was a minor back then, the law might not actually be able to help me bring her down. However, I’m a very vindictive person. While the two of you are rotting in prison, you won’t be able to protect Thea out there in the real world."
"Stella York!!! You are so ruthless!! She is your sister!!" Mrs. York finally broke down, screaming at the top of her lungs. "How dare you! How dare you send her to the bed of an old man like that?!!"
Stella scoffed. Just like Thea, Mrs. York never believed she had done anything wrong.
When Thea and her mother tried to send Stella to an old man’s bed in exchange for resources, they felt that everything in the world existed solely to serve them. Therefore, they believed Stella deserved to die. But now that Thea was the one being "sent to bed," Stella was suddenly the ruthless one.
Setting aside the fact that she was merely giving them a taste of their own medicine, even if she truly was ruthless... so what? On the day her mother died, this pair of mistresses had already driven her to the brink of madness!
Stella sneered. "I forgot to mention—I didn’t send Thea to that old man’s bed. She crawled in there all on her own."
Mrs. York pounded the table desperately, weeping uncontrollably. Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why was heaven being so cruel to them? Thea... her precious Thea! She had raised Thea with the sole purpose of marrying her into a wealthy family as a legitimate first wife! Why did it have to be Ethan Sloan?!
Wait, that was right!
A glimmer of hope flashed in Mrs. York’s eyes. "The York family won’t allow you to do this! Thea’s grandparents won’t..."
"The York family?" Stella repeated meaningfully. "You two don’t actually think the York family still exists, do you?
"You aren’t still waiting for Old Mr. York and Old Mrs. York to come and save you, are you?
"Well... there’s no need for that. Because very soon, your entire family will be reunited in prison."