Chapter 115: If You Pick Me Up, You Can’t Pick Up Noelle Lockwood

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: If You Pick Me Up, You Can’t Pick Up Noelle Lockwood

Liam Sloan hesitated. "Should I look into it?"

Nathaniel Sloan didn’t speak for a long time.

After quite a while, he calmly stood up. "No need. Leave it be."

He knew Estelle Lockwood still harbored many secrets. She had been gone for five years, and if she wasn’t willing to talk... he couldn’t force her.

By the time the banquet ended, it was already eleven at night. Rain had begun to fall.

The Sloan Family had prepared guest rooms for anyone needing to stay the night.

Iris Sloan suggested that Estelle stay, but since she wanted to take her three kids to kindergarten the next morning, she declined.

Estelle arrived at the entrance of Sloan Manor, where she received a message from her driver.

"Miss Yara, I’m so sorry. My daughter suddenly got a high fever, and I need to take her to the hospital. As for picking you up, I..."

The driver worked for the Kendrick Family. His daughter was only eight, and a child’s fever couldn’t be delayed. She hurriedly replied, "It’s fine. Hurry up and go to the hospital."

"Thank you, Miss Yara!"

Estelle didn’t think much of it and planned to hail a cab herself.

Not far away.

Nathaniel calmly watched Estelle. "Leo wants to go home?" he suddenly asked.

Liam froze for a second. "Ah, yeah. She said the manor feels suffocating, so she definitely wants to go home."

Leo had come alone today. Her parents were still abroad, and she had her own place in Crestfall.

Nathaniel nodded faintly. "Tell her to come over. I’ll take her home."

Liam was speechless.

He was completely shocked. He wondered if his own brother had lost his mind.

Although Leo was Nathaniel’s cousin, they had grown up seeing each other so few times he could count them on one hand. Moreover, the children of the branch families wouldn’t dare let Nathaniel chauffeur them, even if they couldn’t find a driver!

Nathaniel naturally noticed the shock in Liam’s eyes. "What? Is there a problem?"

Liam snapped back to his senses. "No, no, no problem! Right away, right away!"

When Leo heard that Nathaniel was going to take her home, she was thrilled. She bragged to her friends before scurrying over to Nathaniel, unable to hide her smugness. "Nathaniel!"

She usually didn’t dare act too familiar and would normally call him Mr. Sloan. But since he was taking her home, he surely cared about her as his sister!

Nathaniel merely gave her an unhurried glance. "Get in."

Nathaniel’s car was incredibly luxurious. Luke White wasn’t there, so it was just him and the driver. The passenger seat was empty, as was the back row. Usually, the front seats were for the driver and assistant, so Leo opened the rear door without a second thought.

Just as she was about to get in, the man’s voice rang out again. "Sit in the front."

Leo’s expression stiffened, but she didn’t dare argue. She obediently got into the passenger seat and sat properly.

It didn’t matter. Even if it was just the passenger seat, she was still crushing the rest of the Sloan Family’s branch members!

Nathaniel nodded, signaling the driver to go.

Liam watched the car drive off, completely bewildered. Zane Grant, however, clicked his tongue. "What a schemer."

"Huh?" Liam asked.

"You don’t get it?" Zane asked.

Liam shook his head. "I don’t."

Zane scoffed. "Just watch. You’ll understand in a second."

The car drove forward about fifty meters, arriving exactly at the main gates of Sloan Manor. "Stop the car," Nathaniel suddenly ordered.

The driver hurriedly braked. Leo had no idea what was going on.

Nathaniel had already rolled down his window. The veil of rain hid his features in the shadows, but he immediately spotted the person standing by the road with an umbrella, waiting for a ride.

"Yara, get in. Let’s go home."

Estelle froze and looked up.

The way Nathaniel sat in the car looked exactly like he did five years ago—noble and aloof. He looked like an unattainable celestial being, completely out of reach.

Estelle didn’t even think about it. "No."

Even though she was also heading back to Imperial Crest, she had absolutely no desire to share a ride with Nathaniel.

Nathaniel’s expression didn’t change as he calmly stated, "You won’t be able to get a cab here."

Sloan Manor was situated in the prime spot of a highly exclusive neighborhood. Starting five kilometers down the mountain, all outside vehicles were prohibited from entering. Hailing a cab here was nothing but wishful thinking.

Estelle choked on her words. It was true—she had completely forgotten about that.

"I’ll go find Aunt Iris. She’ll arrange a driver for me."

Liam had already jogged over, deciding to lend his brother a helping hand. "Miss Lockwood! You really can’t get a cab here. Most people have their own drivers to pick them up. With so many guests today and the rain on top of it, all the other Sloan Family drivers are already out dropping people off. If you want to wait for one, it’ll take a very long time.

"As it happens, you and my brother are heading the same way. Why don’t you just..."

Estelle quietly refused. "It’s fine. I can wait."

Liam coughed and silently backed away. He realized he wasn’t doing a very good job.

Zane, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, chimed in. "You’re just making unnecessary moves."

Liam wasn’t convinced. "I’m helping my brother win back his wife! How is that unnecessary? If it weren’t for me, how else would my brother get Estelle in the car?"

Zane gave the naive fool a look. It was hard to imagine someone with his brain could actually be a lawyer. Zane had seen through it all at a glance. "What do you think Leo is there for?"

Liam was completely lost.

With Nathaniel’s car stopped at the gate, quite a few people were already looking over.

Laura Jennings had been harshly reprimanded by Ethan Sloan, who had ordered someone to send Noelle Lockwood away. Just as Noelle stepped outside, she spotted Nathaniel’s car.

He... he was inviting Estelle into his car! And Estelle was actually refusing!

Estelle was practically dragging her pride through the mud!

Leo noticed Noelle immediately. "Noelle!"

Leo hadn’t been present during the calligraphy appraisal earlier. She had only heard that Noelle had been reprimanded, but she didn’t know the specifics and assumed it was nothing major.

"Nathaniel, Noelle is also by herself. Why don’t you give her a ride..."

Estelle narrowed her eyes.

Noelle looked like a fragile white flower standing in the wind and rain. With her pale face and delicate posture, any man who saw her would feel a pang of sympathy.

Yet Nathaniel didn’t so much as spare her a glance.

Leo grew anxious. "Nathaniel, are you really going to let Yara in the car? Noelle is watching! If you do this, she’ll definitely be heartbroken!"

She glared at Estelle with hostility, as if Estelle had committed some unforgivable sin.

Estelle suddenly found the situation amusing.

She watched Noelle slowly approach, then turned to look at Leo in the passenger seat, who was brimming with righteous indignation...

Estelle suddenly smirked. She leaned down, bringing her red lips close to Nathaniel’s ear, and breathed softly.

"Mr. Sloan, do you want me to get in?"

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

Estelle twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "But... if you let me in, you won’t be able to give Noelle a ride."

Nathaniel remained composed. "Yes. Get in."

Leo was absolutely furious. "Nathaniel!"

Seeing the tears in Noelle’s eyes while Estelle smirked and opened the car door, Leo grew even more enraged. Since she didn’t dare yell at Nathaniel, she vented her anger on Estelle instead.

"You shameless seductress!"

Estelle happily accepted the insult. "Generally speaking, seductresses are quite beautiful. I’ll just take that as a compliment."