Chapter 458: Chapter 458: Some People Are Too Narcissistic
Estelle spoke, "I think both the Sloan family and the Lancaster family have severely underestimated you.
"Besides Aethel, Radiance is actually one of your companies too. Although an entertainment company is nothing compared to a financial conglomerate, it controls public opinion. And as the top entertainment agency, Radiance’s profitability is nothing to scoff at.
"Yet you never revealed a word. Were you planning to keep it a secret for the rest of your life, Mr. Sloan?"
Nathaniel pondered for a moment. "Aethel cannot be exposed for the time being, but Radiance can.
"But Mrs. Sloan, are you sure you want to be so high-profile?"
Estelle thought about it. The boss of an entertainment company was indeed subject to much more public scrutiny—and backlash—than the chairman of any other kind of corporation.
"Never mind," she decided. "I’ll just be a behind-the-scenes boss. Well then, Mr. Sloan, I’m off to accept your gift."
"Go ahead."
Meanwhile, at the Yeats family home.
Evan Yeats had locked himself in his room all day, refusing to come out. Old Mrs. Yeats was at her wit’s end and could only pin her hopes on Claire.
"Claire," she called out. Her eyes were filled with resentment, yet her face held a glimmer of hope. "You must drive Estelle out of the Yeats family! You absolutely must! Grandma can only rely on you now!"
Claire bit her lip slightly, feigning shyness. "Grandma, Estelle was personally brought back by Grandpa, after all. No matter what, she’s tied to the Yeats family..."
Old Mrs. Yeats’s face twisted with disgust, and she ground her teeth. "No matter what, we cannot let Estelle turn this household upside down! Is this family named Yeats or Lockwood? What right does she have?
"By the way, Claire, hasn’t word gotten out that the mysterious boss of Radiance is going to gift the company to someone? It must be you! Right? It has to be you!"
Claire’s expression stiffened.
Old Mrs. Yeats, however, was caught up in her own excitement. She desperately grabbed Claire’s wrist and spoke with fervor. "You knew the boss of Radiance from before! You used to say he was developing his career abroad. Now that he’s returned to the country and wants to give Radiance away, he must be planning to give it to you!"
Claire gently bit her lower lip, maintaining a smile. "Yes, the boss of Radiance and I are indeed good friends."
Old Mrs. Yeats looked smug. "Then I’m right! Ever since the news broke, no one has stepped up to claim the title of his ’friend’. Besides, do you even know who the boss of Radiance is?"
Claire’s heart pounded. "Who is it, Grandma?"
A gleam of triumph flashed in Old Mrs. Yeats’s eyes. "You would never guess it. It’s Nathaniel Sloan!"
Claire’s heart skipped a beat. "Mr. Sloan?"
"Yes, Nathaniel Sloan himself." Old Mrs. Yeats looked immensely satisfied, though a surge of bitterness quickly followed. Why did such a powerful and influential man have to marry Estelle?!
But on second thought, this morning’s trending news wasn’t entirely fake. Although Evernight International had issued a clarification, it might just be a stalling tactic. Evernight claimed the photographer photoshopped the images, but couldn’t Evernight have doctored the photos themselves? Perhaps the woman strolling through the night market with Nathaniel wasn’t Estelle at all, and her face was simply edited in.
Claire’s cheeks flushed pink. "To think that my pen pal of so many years turned out to be Mr. Sloan... But even if we are friends, he wouldn’t go so far as to give me Radiance. If he were to give it to anyone, it would be to Estelle."
"That’s where you’re wrong!" Old Mrs. Yeats felt she had completely figured out the man’s intentions. "Think about it, Claire. The boss of Radiance is Nathaniel Sloan, yet not a single peep about it was leaked. Now that he’s giving the company away, Estelle hasn’t been flaunting it at all. So tell me... could Radiance possibly be a gift for her?"
Claire’s heart began to go THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, hammering wildly against her ribs once more. "Grandma, you mean..."
Old Mrs. Yeats’s eyes darted around. "Furthermore, I had to hire someone specifically to dig up the fact that Nathaniel Sloan is the boss. Outsiders have absolutely no idea.
"Why do you think he kept it a secret from everyone? He clearly doesn’t want Estelle to find out!
"Since Estelle is in the dark, she won’t be able to pick a fight with you when the boss of Radiance gives you this gift, right?"
Claire understood. "Could it really be true?" she wondered.
It made sense. Yesterday, Nathaniel’s identity had been exposed. He was actually Miranda Lancaster’s biological son, the grandson of the Lancaster family. But the Lancasters already had Theodore Lancaster, so they looked down on Nathaniel. If Nathaniel had more bargaining chips up his sleeve, he would have announced them yesterday to show the Lancasters his worth.
Yet he hadn’t. He had kept it under wraps, only to announce today that he was giving Radiance away.
Thinking it over, she realized he could only be doing this to keep it a secret from Estelle! Because once his identity was made public, if he gave Radiance to someone else, Estelle would definitely throw a fit.
Believing she had a firm grasp on Nathaniel’s true feelings, Claire’s cheeks burned bright red.
Old Mrs. Yeats was incredibly pleased. "Claire, go to Radiance right now and take over the company. I want everyone to know that you are the true hope of the Yeats family! That little tramp Estelle should have dropped dead out there on the streets!"
Claire’s heart pounded furiously. A voice in her head warned her that this didn’t belong to her, and going there would only end in humiliation. But another voice whispered, "What if?"
"Everyone says Nathaniel loves Estelle, but wasn’t he keeping another woman company last night?" she reasoned. "Besides... the person in charge of Radiance and I really are friends..."
She just hadn’t expected that friend to be Nathaniel.
Claire’s face flushed. Unable to resist the overwhelming temptation, she said with a bashful, rosy-cheeked smile, "Grandma, I’ll go take a look then. Not that I’m eager to accept a married man’s gift, but... given our many years of friendship, I shouldn’t let Mr. Sloan’s kind intentions go to waste."
It was Estelle’s first time visiting Radiance Entertainment.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?" the receptionist approached and asked respectfully.
Estelle’s appearance caused a momentary hush to fall over the entire Radiance Entertainment lobby. This was an entertainment agency; the people coming and going were all industry insiders. If there was one thing the entertainment circle didn’t lack, it was beautiful women. Yet, upon seeing Estelle, they were still taken aback.
"Holy crap, who is that? A new signee?"
"Her aura doesn’t seem like a rookie’s... But if she’s a veteran, she would’ve blown up ages ago with a face like that."
"I swear, you guys don’t watch the news at all. She’s no celebrity—she’s a wealthy socialite wife."
Estelle didn’t even bat an eyelid. She replied to the receptionist, "I’m looking for President Kerr. I have an appointment. My last name is Lockwood."
President Kerr was the second-in-command at Radiance, someone personally groomed by Nathaniel. Once Estelle took over the company, he would be her working partner.
"Understood, please wait a moment. President Kerr is currently in a meeting, so you may need to wait half an—"
Before the receptionist could finish her sentence, a snide, sarcastic voice suddenly drifted over from nearby.
"Mrs. Sloan, please don’t cause trouble for us. We’re welcoming our new boss today, and President Kerr is swamped. He has absolutely no time to entertain you."
Estelle raised an eyebrow slightly. Turning her head, she saw a heavily made-up woman in her thirties.
"Even if you have business to discuss, come back tomorrow... Oh, wait! I completely forgot. What would you wealthy, clinging socialites know about business? *Sigh*, only us poor, unfortunate women actually have to work for a living."
Estelle was speechless. She wondered who this lunatic was, throwing a random fit in front of her.