Chapter 456: Chapter 456: Doting Husband Persona Collapses??
Estelle Lockwood was a little moved.
She didn’t have biological parents and didn’t know if they would care for a biological daughter this much. However, Nathaniel Sloan had truly made up for the insecurities she harbored regarding family and love.
Nathaniel waited for Estelle to finish opening her presents before speaking again. "As for your twenty-sixth birthday gift..."
Estelle couldn’t even lift her head from the pile of gifts. "Hmm?"
Nathaniel handed her a contract. "A surprise for you, Estelle."
Estelle looked down, her eyes widening instantly. "Radiance is your company?!"
Radiance Entertainment was currently the largest company in the entertainment industry. Countless celebrities fought tooth and nail just to get their foot in the door. It was said that the boss behind Radiance was extremely mysterious. Since its inception, the company had experienced nothing but smooth sailing, yet despite everyone’s endless speculations, no one knew who the owner actually was.
Founded seven years ago, Radiance Entertainment had spent those seven years blazing a trail through the entertainment industry, firmly securing its throne as the industry leader.
Estelle had naturally heard of Radiance’s reputation. Her brand was Star, and Radiance’s name also evoked the imagery of stars. Many people had speculated whether Radiance and Star were connected. Estelle, of course, had always denied it.
But she never expected it to be a property under Nathaniel’s name.
Estelle blinked.
Nathaniel explained calmly, "It was founded seven years ago. I originally intended to hand it over to you once it matured, but..."
But by the time Radiance Entertainment came into its own, Estelle was abroad.
Nathaniel glossed over the past lightly. "Now is a good time too. It’s your twenty-sixth birthday gift."
Estelle caught the key point. "Seven years ago, to give to me... Is this a gift you created just for me?"
Nathaniel nodded, offering a noncommittal response. "At the time, I just thought about how you had no foundation in the Lockwood family. The Lockwood family’s assets wouldn’t be left to you. Even though we were already engaged back then...
"You still needed a family to back you up. Since the Lockwood family didn’t qualify, I decided to give you that confidence myself.
"With your own business and your own source of income, you would feel more secure when we eventually got married.
"If you ever suffered any grievances with me, you would have the confidence to leave me without being mocked by others.
"I’ve already signed the transfer agreement. From now on, Radiance has nothing to do with me. All the board members have also signed agreements ensuring that they will follow your orders completely once the company is transferred to you."
Estelle tilted her head. "Actually, I..."
Nathaniel looked at her. "You are not allowed to say you don’t need it. This is what I’m giving you, and you can’t refuse."
There was one more thing Nathaniel didn’t say.
Among the wealthy couples in high society, people came and went. How many of them actually had long-lasting marriages? Almost none. In the end, even if they didn’t divorce, they would often part on bitter terms, living separate lives. Financially, they were naturally divided.
If a wife’s only source of income was her husband, such a marriage would not last.
Even though Estelle was now glamorous and successful—with her own company, studio, properties, and businesses—this was a gift from the Nathaniel of seven years ago to the Estelle of seven years ago. Even after a seven-year delay, it still had to be delivered.
Seven years ago, Estelle had nothing. Even if Nathaniel firmly believed back then that she would eventually have it all, he still wanted to help her and give her confidence in those early days.
Therefore, he would not allow her to say no.
Estelle understood his intentions. Blinking, she said slyly, "I never said I didn’t want it... Mr. Sloan, I love it. I really, really love it."
It wasn’t the money she loved, but rather the heartfelt sentiment behind it. She truly loved it.
Those past traumas, insecurities, and memories she still didn’t dare to look back on—it turned out they held warmth, too. She had always been afraid to think back carefully on the first two years of their relationship. Did Nathaniel like her back then? Was his treatment of her out of a sense of duty or true love?
Now she understood. Regardless of the reason, Nathaniel had always been protecting her in his own way.
While the Lockwood family left everything to Noelle Lockwood, he had personally created a myth to gift to Estelle.
"Yes, this has always been yours. Radiance was named after you." Nathaniel’s eyes crinkled with a smile, his gaze incredibly gentle. "At the time, I thought you must be a star—shining dazzlingly, yet belonging to no one.
"Later, this star willingly fell into the palm of my hand, telling me that she belonged to me."
Estelle raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I belong to you."
RING RING RING.
The intimate atmosphere was suddenly broken.
Estelle paused and looked at her phone. It was a call from Liam Sloan.
It was eight in the morning. Why was Liam calling her so early?
Nathaniel clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly exasperated with Liam.
Estelle answered the call, bewildered. "Liam..."
"Estelle!!!" Liam sounded as if the sky was falling. Anxious as a little puppy, he paced back and forth in his room. "I’m going to tell you something, but you must absolutely not freak out!"
Estelle was speechless. "...Alright, go ahead."
"Take a deep breath. Yes, yes, deep breaths. No, wait... find a place to sit down first," Liam urged.
Estelle looked at Nathaniel and raised an eyebrow, thinking, "Why is your brother acting crazy this early in the morning?"
Nathaniel remained expressionless. Truth be told, he also wanted to know why Liam was acting crazy this early in the morning.
Liam’s frantic episode continued. "Are you sitting down?"
"I’m sitting. I’m on the living room sofa right now, getting ready to head to the company. If you have something to say, just say it," Estelle replied.
"Good, good, good." Hearing that she was on the sofa, Liam felt it was safe. He then asked cautiously, "Um... where were you last night?"
Estelle fell silent for two seconds, not understanding why this question required such caution. Besides, where else could she have been last night? "I was sleeping at home."
"Hiss—" Liam gasped sharply.
CRASH BANG.
The sound of something tumbling to the floor echoed through the phone. Liam suddenly raised his voice. "Sleeping at home?!"
"I knew Nathaniel was a scumbag! He, he, he—"
Nathaniel shot a questioning look at the phone.
Liam’s voice grew distorted with panic. "You must absolutely not freak out about what I’m going to tell you, and don’t take it to heart! Save any questions for when you see Nathaniel in person! No matter what happens, don’t do anything impulsive, okay?"
Estelle looked up at Nathaniel. "Uh, okay. What do you want to say?"
"I’m going to say it!!" Liam declared forcefully, his voice trembling with fury. "Last night! Nathaniel was out shopping! With a woman!
"There are already over a dozen trending topics about it! Estelle, look... No, wait, don’t look yet. Don’t go on Weibo! The media nowadays just jumps to conclusions. You should ask Nathaniel about the situation first before doing anything. Don’t freak out, just don’t freak out."
Estelle raised an eyebrow, put the phone on speaker, and tapped into Weibo.
Sure enough, whether it was the entertainment news or the financial section, Nathaniel’s name flooded her screen. The financial section had a few trending topics about "Radiance rumored to change leadership soon," but with such massive gossip dominating the headlines, barely anyone paid attention to it.
Consequently, Estelle shifted her gaze to the trending topics in the entertainment section.
[SHOCKING! Evernight International Helmsman’s Doting Husband Persona Collapses! Suspected of Cheating!]
Estelle stared at the screen, bewildered.