Chapter 120: Am I Some Kind of Monster?

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Am I Some Kind of Monster?

A dead silence fell over the elevator.

After a long while, Mia lowered her head. "Uncle Sloan, I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

Nathaniel Sloan chuckled silently, pinching the soft cushion she had tucked behind her back. "You don’t know what I’m talking about?"

Caught red-handed, Mia’s expression stiffened for a second. She immediately lowered her head again, feigning shyness. "Boo-hoo, you caught me."

Then, she passionately defended herself. "But if that bad woman hadn’t tried to frame me, I wouldn’t have deliberately framed her back!"

Nathaniel nodded. "I’m not saying you were wrong. However, you could come up with a better plan next time. If you didn’t have this cushion today and actually took a hard fall, your mommy’s heart would ache for you. And so would... mine."

Mia froze in stunned silence.

HUH? Was her scumbag dad teaching her how to do bad things in the future?

Sensing something amiss, she asked, "Aren’t you going to discipline me?"

Nathaniel cast a glance at her. "I don’t plan on it."

Mia rolled her eyes thoughtfully. "Uncle Sloan, you’re so indulgent with me. Is it true what others say? You really don’t mind that Zachery and I are extra baggage?"

Nathaniel paused, his voice turning slightly husky. "You’re not extra baggage."

He didn’t know which man had fathered Zachery and Mia, but since they were Estelle Lockwood’s children, he would treat them as his own.

Mia fell deep into thought. She felt that her scumbag dad was quite different from the rumors outside.

An idea popped into Mia’s head. She let out a small cough and decided to push her luck. "Uncle Sloan~ I want to eat the cupcakes downstairs, and I want you to go buy them for me yourself!"

Outside the elevator doors, the secretary thought, "This Miss Mia really knows how to push her luck, but Mr. Sloan would never—"

Nathaniel smiled gently. "Alright."

The secretary was speechless.

In the lounge of Evernight Tower.

Quite a few people were covertly observing Noelle Lockwood.

The secretary wore a gentle, polite smile. "President Lockwood, Mrs. Lockwood, please take Miss Lockwood home. Furthermore, we hope you properly educate her. One must never harbor malicious intentions. If she offends again, a simple apology won’t be enough to smooth things over."

Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell had already been informed of what had transpired earlier. Both wore grim expressions.

"Noelle didn’t do it on purpose..." Rose said stiffly.

The secretary’s smile remained unwavering. "How does Mrs. Lockwood know Miss Lockwood didn’t do it on purpose? Years ago, when Miss Noelle fell, she claimed the true daughter of the Lockwood family pushed her. Miss Estelle insisted she didn’t, yet Mrs. Lockwood forced Miss Estelle to apologize, citing that ’one must never harbor malicious intentions.’

"Since Mrs. Lockwood was so strict with the biological daughter—demanding an apology without any proof—then you should treat the adopted daughter with the same standard, shouldn’t you?

"Oh, right. Back then, Mrs. Lockwood also told Miss Estelle, ’Noelle is inherently kindhearted. She’s not a schemer. Estelle Lockwood, you must admit when you’ve done something wrong.’ Since Mrs. Lockwood is such a champion of justice, I’m sure you won’t play favorites."

With that, the secretary gave a slight bow and gestured toward the door. "President Lockwood, Mrs. Lockwood, Miss Lockwood, please."

The three Lockwoods were publicly thrown out.

Noelle’s face drained of color. Her body swayed unsteadily as the whispers of the crowd behind her reached her ears.

"The Lockwoods must be blind. ’Inherently kindhearted,’ my foot... She’s even willing to lay her hands on a little kid..."

"Noelle isn’t a schemer? If she really wasn’t a schemer, how could she have completely fooled the Lockwoods into abandoning their biological daughter to coddle and spoil an adopted one?"

Austin’s expression remained rigid. The Lockwood Group’s shares were currently being bought up by a mysterious individual. He had come to seek Nathaniel’s help today, only to be kicked out.

For the first time, he snapped at his beloved daughter. "Noelle! It’s not like you don’t know the situation at home. Did you really have to pull a stunt like this today..."

"Noelle didn’t do it on purpose!" Rose shrieked. "What do you mean by that? Are you blaming our daughter now? Nathaniel is clearly blinded by that Yara Lockwood. How can you blame Noelle?"

Furious, Austin stormed right into his car. Only after he left did Rose lower her voice.

"Noelle, when the time comes, just act cute and coax Nathaniel a little. And really, if you can’t stand that little bastard, you could have just finished her off in private. Why did you have to make a move in front of so many people?"

Noelle felt sick to her stomach. "Mom, I told you, it wasn’t me! That little brat fell on her own!"

"Alright, alright," Rose placated. "Mom isn’t blaming you. I’m just telling you to be more discreet next time."

Noelle was completely speechless. A heavy lump formed in her chest. She was forced to swallow a bitter pill in silence!

Rose added, "Don’t blame your father, either. We’ve already made the arrangements. Ten days from now, on the anniversary of Estelle’s death, we will hand the company over to you."

Hearing this, Noelle finally felt her mood improve.

At Star Corporation.

Henry Kendrick mentally calculated for a moment. "We’ve acquired just about enough shares. When do you plan to make a move against the Lockwood family?"

Estelle Lockwood took a calm sip of her tea. "Ten days from now."

Henry looked puzzled. "Ten days? Why then?"

Was there something special about ten days from now? His train of thought abruptly halted as sudden realization dawned on him.

Ten days from now was the anniversary of Estelle’s "death."

Henry had found out that the Lockwoods planned to make a public announcement on that exact day: since their biological daughter had been dead for five years, they decided to pass the company down to their adopted daughter.

As for why they insisted on announcing it on their biological daughter’s death anniversary, Rose’s excuse was that Estelle had "always cared" about the Lockwood family and her sister while she was alive. Announcing it on that day was supposedly meant to put her soul at ease.

In reality, Henry knew exactly what Rose was doing. She was just doing it to spite Estelle!

He simply couldn’t understand it. Estelle was their flesh and blood. Even if she had been separated from them for eighteen years, did they really need to harbor such deep-seated hatred? They treated her as if she were their sworn enemy.

Estelle, however, didn’t care what the Lockwoods thought. "By the way, did you get any results from the surveillance footage I asked you to check?"

Henry pulled himself from his thoughts. "I asked a few assistants. They all said someone did indeed show up that day, but they didn’t see her face. From the back, they assumed it was you, so they let her through.

"As for who this woman is... we don’t have any answers yet."

Estelle furrowed her brows in deep thought.

RING RING RING.

Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Estelle arched an eyebrow at the caller ID.

Nathaniel Sloan?

Downstairs at Evernight Tower.

Nathaniel had just bought the cupcakes and was about to head back when he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure from behind.

The man arched an eyebrow. Why was Estelle here?

She had clearly seen him, yet she walked right off without even saying hello.

With a light chuckle, Nathaniel dialed her number. "Miss Lockwood."

Estelle, who was working in her office at Star, answered in an even tone. "Speak."

Holding the cupcakes, Nathaniel leaned against the glass window of the bakery and laughed softly. "Miss Lockwood saw me but turned around and walked away. Am I some kind of monster?"

"..."

Estelle pulled her phone away slightly to double-check the caller ID. It was indeed Nathaniel Sloan.

What was going on? Nathaniel said he saw her? She was sitting perfectly fine in her office at Star!

She chose her words carefully and asked in a cordial tone, "Is there something wrong with your eyes?"