Chapter 119: Nathaniel Sloan Picks Up His Daughter

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Nathaniel Sloan Picks Up His Daughter

Noelle Lockwood’s expression stiffened, though she maintained a fake smile. "Mia, what are you talking about?"

"So what if I am?" she thought. "This little bastard should have died a long time ago!"

Mia cast a glance at her. A look of disdain appeared in the five-year-old’s eyes. "We both know how to play the game, so drop the innocent act."

Terrified that Mia Lockwood’s voice would attract the attention of bystanders, Noelle let out an awkward laugh. "Mia, I didn’t know you had such a huge problem with me..."

"You didn’t? Well, you’re about to find out." Mia gave a sweet little warning. "Aunt Noelle, I’m going to fall down now."

Noelle didn’t react in time. She wondered what the little bastard meant. What did she mean she was going to fall down now?

"Waaah..."

Suddenly, Mia fell to the ground with a loud THUD. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Her large eyes were filled with pure, innocent disbelief. With just a couple of blinks, tears streamed down her little face.

The bystanders were completely dumbfounded.

Mia secretly touched the cushion tied to her bottom. Although the fall hadn’t hurt at all, her acting skills were incredible—she could cry on cue. "Aunt Noelle... boohoo..."

"Mia!" Christian was the first to rush forward. Following the script, he began his impassioned performance. "Aunt Noelle, how could you bully her!"

Feigning terror, Mia shrank back and grabbed Christian’s hand. "Zachery, I’m fine. Don’t blame Aunt Noelle. She probably just couldn’t control her strength. It’s all my fault..."

Several female employees nearby finally reacted and hurriedly rushed over. "Does it hurt, sweetie?"

"Can you stand up? There’s a clinic over there. Do you want me to take you to see a doctor?"

Tears welled in Mia’s eyes. She looked like she was in too much pain to speak, but she still managed to whimper politely in response.

The female employees’ hearts melted. When they looked at Noelle, their gazes were no longer so friendly.

"Miss Noelle, we’ve heard some of the rumors going around, but no matter what, Mia is just a five-year-old child. How could you..."

"If she dares to lay a hand on a child in front of so many people, who knows what she does behind closed doors!"

"Oh, that’s right. I heard Noelle was kicked out of Imperial Crest because she abused Young Mr. Sloan, not because Yara Lockwood forced her out."

"How can anyone bully a child? When it comes down to it, it’s just a grudge between adults. Since she can’t compare to Yara, she’s taking it out on Yara’s daughter..."

As Mia sat on the floor, wiping away her tears without a shred of real emotion, she recalled a conversation she had overheard outside her mommy’s room half a year ago.

At the time, Uncle Henry Kendrick had learned that Mommy wanted to return to the country for revenge. He had been very supportive and mentioned an incident.

"Yara, back then, Noelle was so favored," he had said. "She faked a fall to frame you, and as a result, the entire Lockwood family and your scumbag ex-husband all protected her. I’m worried that even if you go back, getting revenge won’t be that easy."

Later, Mia had pestered her uncle with many questions until she learned the whole story.

That day, also at Evernight Tower, Mommy had come to deliver lunch to her scumbag dad, only to run into Noelle and those biased parents.

Noelle had fallen in the hallway. Even though no one had seen how she fell, she looked at Mommy with teary eyes and deliberately said, "I’m fine, don’t blame my sister." Rose Lowell had immediately stepped forward and slapped Mommy twice, telling her to remember her place.

Thinking of this, Mia doubled down on her performance. She cast a timid, fearful glance at Noelle and said, "Please don’t say that, everyone. Boohoo... I know Aunt Noelle didn’t mean to do it..."

Noelle finally realized what was happening. Her face drastically paled.

"This little bastard is actually framing me!!" she thought. She hadn’t even touched Mia Lockwood just now. The girl had thrown herself down!

Usually, it was Noelle who framed others. To think she was now being framed by someone else! Gritting her teeth, she retorted, "Mia, how can you say that? I didn’t..."

"Mia, let it go. Let’s just leave."

Suddenly, Christian interrupted Noelle. He walked to Mia’s side, and it was time for the little drama king to take the stage and begin his performance.

"Mia, Aunt Noelle once said that she is superior to us. She said we’re just low-class people who aren’t even fit to carry her shoes. Let alone pushing you, even if she did something far worse, she probably wouldn’t face any consequences. We just have to swallow our grievances."

Noelle’s eyes widened in shock. "You..."

Mia whimpered. She carefully tried to stand up but failed twice. In the eyes of the crowd, the little girl’s figure seemed incredibly resilient.

"Boohoo, Zachery, I’ll listen to you. If we offend Aunt Noelle, we’ll get beaten, and I don’t want to get beaten."

Noelle gritted her teeth. How could she not understand what was happening? These two little wretches were slinging mud at her! "You’re sprouting absolute nonsense—"

"Noelle, this is going too far!" an employee who could no longer stand by interrupted loudly.

"You bullied a child right in front of all of us. Mia hasn’t even demanded an apology, yet here you are, shifting the blame onto them!"

"If you didn’t push her, did Mia throw herself onto the floor?"

"Don’t treat us like we’re blind!"

"Exactly! Falling hurts so much for a kid. How could Mia possibly do it on purpose?"

Noelle screamed silently in her heart. "That bastard did throw herself onto the floor! Why won’t anyone believe me?" she thought.

Just as the employees finished speaking, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed behind them. The crowd turned around and instantly went dead silent.

"P-President Sloan..."

"Mr. Sloan, what brings you here?"

They panicked, wondering if Mr. Sloan had heard them criticizing Noelle and had come over specifically to intervene.

With tears in her eyes, Noelle looked as if she had finally found her savior. Overflowing with grievance, she cried out, "Nathaniel..."

However, Nathaniel Sloan seemed to look right past her. He strode forward and picked Mia up from the floor. His voice was gentle and filled with concern. If one listened closely, they could even hear a slight tremble in his tone.

"Mia, does it hurt?"

Mia tilted her head. She wondered why her scumbag dad had arrived so quickly. Was he genuinely worried about her?

Holding Mia in his arms, Nathaniel looked at "Zachery" standing nearby and comforted him. "Don’t be afraid. Uncle Sloan is here. Uncle Sloan will make Noelle apologize to you two."

Noelle felt as if she had been struck by lightning. "Apologize?" she thought. "How are these two little bastards worthy of my apology?"

"Nathaniel, I didn’t do it. You have to believe me..."

"If I believe you, then why did Mia fall?" Nathaniel asked coldly.

Tears welled up in Noelle’s eyes. Looking frail and delicate, she cried uncontrollably, as though she had suffered an enormous injustice. "Nathaniel, I really don’t know. Maybe Mia just doesn’t like me, so... so she..."

"Are you saying Mia purposely fell to frame you?"

Something seemed to cross Nathaniel’s mind, and a scoff of pure mockery escaped his throat. He articulated every word clearly. "Mia is just a child. She doesn’t have that kind of manipulative mindset. Noelle, when you do something wrong, you must admit it."

Noelle’s eyes snapped wide open. She felt like she had heard that exact phrase somewhere before.

But Nathaniel didn’t give her a chance to speak. He turned to his secretary and asked, "Are President and Mrs. Lockwood here as well?"

"Yes, Mr. Sloan," the secretary replied. "President and Mrs. Lockwood are currently in the lounge."

Nathaniel shot Noelle a glance and calmly instructed the secretary, "Pass on a message to President and Mrs. Lockwood for me."

With that, he carried Mia into the elevator, with Christian following closely behind.

Mia buried her face in his chest, wailing, "It hurts so much, Uncle Sloan! It hurts so much, boohoo... That bad woman..."

"...There are no outsiders here. You can drop the act," Nathaniel interrupted.

Mia’s crying came to an abrupt halt. "Huh?"