Chapter 107: Miss Yara Lockwood, The Person I Am Inviting Is You

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Miss Yara Lockwood, The Person I Am Inviting Is You

The ball began. The crowd saw Noelle Lockwood dressed in her finest, standing beside Laura Jennings.

A sharp-eyed guest took a few glances and suddenly spoke up. "It looks like Miss Noelle and Mr. Sloan are wearing matching outfits!"

"You’re right! Miss Noelle is even standing next to the Head of the Sloans and Mrs. Sloan. It seems Mr. Sloan will definitely invite her for the first dance, won’t he?"

"Is there even a need to ask? After all, she’s the daughter-in-law Mrs. Sloan has her eye on."

Although there had been a minor incident outside the doors earlier, everyone present was smart enough not to bring it up again, giving Noelle plenty of face.

Laura patted Noelle’s hand in satisfaction. "Noelle, later you’ll enjoy a nice dance with Nathaniel. Let’s show those blind fools who the person Nathaniel cherishes most truly is!"

Ethan Sloan frowned at her words, but he didn’t say anything more.

Noelle smiled shyly. "I’m quite surprised that Nathaniel will invite me, too."

Laura looked as if it were a matter of course. "What’s there to be surprised about? For so many years, it’s always been you and Nathaniel dancing the opening dance. This is what you deserve. Even if certain people want to steal it, they can’t!"

Estelle Lockwood let out a mocking smile. It was true. Laura had said the exact same words five years ago.

At the banquet that day, she had waited full of anticipation for Nathaniel to invite her. Instead, he had walked right past her, and Laura had begun to mock her. Laura’s mocking voice had grown louder and louder until everyone around them could hear. Everyone had watched her husband and her sister dance on the floor while she was reprimanded by her mother-in-law.

"Know your place," "Don’t covet things that don’t belong to you," and "It’s always been Noelle and Nathaniel dancing. Who do you think you are to try and steal it?"

Estelle’s lips curled into a faint, dark smile. Nathaniel’s eyes were light and indifferent as he glanced at her, then slowly walked over.

The surroundings quieted down, and many people secretly envied Noelle. No matter what had happened in the past, and no matter how many scandals Noelle was currently embroiled in, as long as she had Nathaniel protecting her, no one could afford to offend her. Today’s dance was a signal. Nathaniel was using this opportunity to tell everyone that Noelle was under his protection and no one could touch her.

Nathaniel walked closer and closer. A blush crept up Noelle’s face.

Laura was overjoyed. "Oh, Noelle, what are you so shy about! Hurry, Nathaniel is coming!"

Noelle couldn’t help but shoot a glance at Estelle, feeling increasingly smug. She thought her sister was so capable, but wasn’t Nathaniel going to dance with her in the end? Noelle had already arranged for people to flood the internet with press releases the moment she and Nathaniel started dancing!

Nathaniel had reached her side. Noelle shyly extended her hand. "Nathaniel..."

Nathaniel hummed in acknowledgment. He gave a gentlemanly bow and reached out his hand as well.

Noelle grew excited, her heart pounding like a drum. She thought, "Hold my hand, let that bitch Estelle die of envy!"

The next moment, under the gaze of everyone in the room, Nathaniel turned slightly and looked at the person beside Noelle.

"Miss Yara, may I invite you for a dance?"

The entire hall fell dead silent; one could hear a pin drop. The crowd wondered if they had misheard. Wait! Who did Nathaniel just invite? Yara? Not Noelle?!

Noelle’s hand was still suspended in mid-air. Her expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and she looked up in disbelief. Nathaniel invited Yara? He actually invited Yara? Then what about her?!

Laura abruptly snapped back to reality, the smile on her face instantly turning fierce. "Nathaniel! Did you invite the wrong person? Noelle is right here!"

Right on cue, Noelle let tears fall down her face.

Laura immediately turned her head, shooting a sharp, furious glare at Estelle. "Was it you? Did you pull some dirty trick! Today’s first dance was supposed to be Noelle and Nathaniel. Who do you think you are!

"Seducing my son right in front of me... Yara, you’re quite the schemer!"

The guests looked at each other in dismay. The first dance at Sloan Group banquets was always led by Nathaniel, the man in charge, and in the past, his partner had always been Noelle. Today, Nathaniel suddenly invited Yara. Coupled with Mrs. Sloan’s absolute certainty that Yara had seduced Mr. Sloan, could it be...

"Does my previous dance partner dictate who my partner must be for the rest of my life?" Nathaniel said flatly.

Noelle’s face paled, a sense of foreboding rising in her chest. "Nathaniel..."

Laura didn’t even think before answering, "Of course it does!"

Nathaniel chuckled softly. Then, he spoke slowly, "Then do you remember, Mother, who my partner was supposed to be in the first place?"

Noelle’s face turned deathly pale. "Nathaniel—"

Nathaniel said coldly, "My dance partner was supposed to be my wife. It was never Noelle Lockwood!"

The crowd was in an uproar. Everyone knew Nathaniel had been married, and they knew his ex-wife had died—and died in a rather undignified manner. But no one expected Nathaniel to bring up that dead woman on an occasion like today. Come to think of it, though, it had always been highly irregular that Nathaniel’s partner remained Noelle even when he was married...

"What... what do you mean..." Laura’s face was ashen, her entire body trembling violently as she threw a fit and shrieked without any regard for her image. "You’re still thinking about that bitch! What do you expect Noelle to do? Ah!"

Nathaniel looked calmly at Ethan Sloan. "Father."

Ethan only felt a headache coming on, his disgust for Laura deepening. He wondered how he had ever fallen for such an ungrateful shrew back in the day!

Ethan dragged Laura away, leaving Noelle all alone to make a fool of herself. Waves of dizziness washed over her, and she felt like she was about to pass out. No, she couldn’t... If she wasn’t Nathaniel’s dance partner today, she would be humiliated to death!

"Nathaniel, Nathaniel, I..."

"Having played the cuckoo in another bird’s nest for so long, Miss Noelle would do well to keep a low profile. Otherwise, it will only end in greater humiliation, won’t it?" Estelle interrupted calmly.

The phrase "played the cuckoo in another bird’s nest" carried profound implications.

Nathaniel didn’t even spare Noelle a glance as he extended his hand to Yara again. "Miss Yara?"

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the scene. The crowd was still sighing internally; it seemed Noelle wasn’t as favored as they thought. Rumor had it that this Miss Yara bore an eighty-percent resemblance to Mr. Sloan’s ex-wife. Perhaps...

Before they could finish their thoughts, they saw Estelle smile brightly. Her red lips curled up slightly as she slowly uttered two words.

"I decline."

The crowd thought that no one could refuse Mr. Sloan’s invitation... Wait, what did Yara just say?

She refused?!

Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Estelle slowly walked toward Jasper Kingston, beaming with a smile. "Mr. Kingston, may I invite you for a dance?"

The crowd was speechless.

What on earth??

Huh?!

Noelle had invited Nathaniel, Nathaniel had invited Yara, and Yara had invited Jasper.

What... what kind of game were they playing?

Nathaniel’s eyes instantly turned ice-cold.