Chapter 130: The Results of the Last Paternity Test Are Out

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: The Results of the Last Paternity Test Are Out

Noelle Lockwood gritted her teeth.

She was a massive star, the pampered daughter of the Lockwood family, and the future daughter-in-law of the Sloan family. Her reputation could not be ruined!

That’s right, there was no evidence. There was no proof of anything Rosalie Carter had done! When she had given Rosalie the orders in person, she had specifically made her leave her phone outside. There were no recordings. Yara had no evidence!

However, seeing the increasingly suspicious gazes of the audience, Noelle gritted her teeth again and suddenly collapsed straight to the floor.

"Noelle!" Rose Lowell cried out.

The venue instantly devolved into chaos.

Rose wept bitterly. "Because of the fire, Noelle hasn’t been able to eat or sleep for days. She has to rely on sleeping pills every night. She’s been going everywhere to visit the victims and negotiate compensation, and yet... yet you’re all bullying her like this!" She burst into loud sobs.

The fans were also filled with righteous indignation, worked up into an absolute frenzy.

Estelle Lockwood scoffed, her gaze shifting mockingly. She knew it was impossible to completely convict Noelle today. However, securing a definitive conviction wasn’t her goal right now anyway. After all, there was still another fire to settle the score over.

This time, Noelle had used her manager as a meat shield. Who would she push into the line of fire next?

Without another word, Estelle turned and left. Nathaniel Sloan cast a cold glance at the unconscious Noelle on the floor before turning to follow Estelle.

With Rose wailing and lamenting, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Outside the press conference venue.

Nathaniel caught up to Estelle. "Is Miss Lockwood satisfied with my performance today?"

Estelle stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Performance?"

Nathaniel smiled gently. "I said I believed you."

"Oh..." So that was what he meant.

Estelle gave him a profound look. "Mr. Sloan, whether I’m satisfied or not isn’t important. What matters is whether the person you care about still has the chance to be satisfied."

If she hadn’t been saved by the Kendricks five years ago, she would be dead by now. Nathaniel wouldn’t even have the opportunity to ask her if she was "satisfied."

"Oh, and one more thing," Estelle added pointedly. "Although the mastermind is currently Rosalie, I haven’t settled the score for the overwhelming barrage of PR articles these past few days that deliberately led netizens to suspect me."

With that, Estelle got into her car and sped off into the distance, leaving Nathaniel without a chance to reply.

Nathaniel rubbed his fingertips together. She was right; this score was far from settled.

At the Lockwood family home.

Noelle didn’t feebly "wake up" until she was safely back at the house.

Looking at Rose and Austin Lockwood through tear-filled eyes, she whimpered, "Dad, Mom..."

"Oh, my precious daughter, hush now, don’t speak. That wretched Yara just had to target you..."

Noelle maintained her kind-hearted facade. "Mom, Yara is a victim too. It’s just my right ear... I’m afraid it will never recover."

"An internationally renowned ear specialist will be coming to Crestfall in a few days. I’ll take Noelle to see her then," Austin interjected.

Rose had also heard of this ear specialist. Everyone spoke of the doctor with reverence. Rose had shared that sentiment at first, but upon accidentally discovering that the doctor was a woman, her respect had soured into disdain. A woman ought to stay home, serve her husband, and raise her children. Why was she out practicing medicine? Who knew if she actually had any real skill.

Austin furrowed his brows, seeing right through his wife’s thoughts. "Put away those ignorant ideas of yours! That doctor is highly respected. Even I might not be able to book an appointment with her. Everyone has to wait in line! Right now, we have to find a way to get on her good side. Otherwise, do you expect Noelle to join the queue and wait for years?"

Rose clamped her mouth shut.

"Also, Noelle." Austin took a deep breath, finally voicing the question he had been pondering the entire way home. "Since this fire was set by your manager in collaboration with your fans, then what about five years ago?" He stared directly into Noelle’s eyes. "Did Estelle’s suicide really implicate you in that fire five years ago?"

Noelle’s throat tightened, and her pupils shrank violently.

Five years ago... Why was her dad asking about five years ago?!

Estelle was already dead! Why were they bringing up a dead person again?! She was the true daughter of the Lockwood family. She was the treasured darling of her parents and grandparents. Could those shameless bitches who tried to steal her place just stay dead and gone?!

Rose shrieked, "Austin, why are you asking this?! What do you mean by that? Are you saying our daughter is lying?! If Estelle didn’t set that fire, who else could it be? You can’t possibly think Noelle deliberately tried to kill that country bumpkin!"

Austin didn’t even glance at Rose. "Tell me, Noelle."

Noelle was incredibly nervous. She didn’t know where she had made a mistake. Why was her dad getting suspicious? What gave her away?

Despite her inner panic, Noelle feigned surprise. "Dad... why would you ask that? I don’t want to believe the fire five years ago was caused by Estelle’s deliberate suicide either, but all the evidence pointed to it. If you think there’s something suspicious about her death, why don’t we track down the doctors and nurses from back then and ask them?"

She secretly rejoiced. Thank goodness she had already bribed and dealt with all the medical staff involved.

Austin stared intently at Noelle’s face. After a long while, he finally looked away. "Alright, Noelle. I believe you."

Noelle breathed a heavy sigh of relief, though her hatred for Estelle only deepened. There had to be many people who still suspected her now. Perhaps it would be best to leak the events of five years ago...

Back at Imperial Crest.

As soon as Estelle returned, she was met with the red, teary eyes of her three little ones.

She hugged them one by one. "Alright now, Mommy’s fine. I’m really fine, don’t worry."

Zachery pursed his lips, his bright, dark eyes gleaming like glass marbles coated in a layer of moisture. "Mommy, we wanted to visit you at the hospital, but Grandpa Chapman wouldn’t let us go. We missed you so much."

Estelle was briefly puzzled, but she quickly reasoned that Chapman was probably worried the fans and reporters lurking outside the hospital might hurt the children, which was why he had kept them from visiting.

"Mommy knows my precious Zachery was very worried, so how about we stop crying now, okay?"

Zachery whimpered softly. "Okay." He then clenched his little fists. "Next time that bad lady comes around, I’ll definitely protect you, Mommy!"

Estelle’s heart warmed. She shared some good news with the children. "By the way, Grandma Vance will be coming over in the next couple of days. Are you excited?"

Mrs. Kendrick, whose maiden name was Eleanor Vance, was an internationally renowned ear specialist who had been invited to Crestfall to attend a medical seminar.

"Yes! Oh, right, Mommy!" Zachery remembered something, his eyes lighting up. He pulled Christian over to his side and cleared his throat. "AHEM. Mommy, I have something to tell you!"

Estelle crouched down and looked at Zachery and Christian. Hmm? What was so important that he had to drag Christian over? Did it have something to do with Christian?

Then, she heard Zachery say, "Mommy, the results for the paternity test we did at kindergarten that time are out!"

That time at kindergarten...

Right, during that science popularization event at the kindergarten, Zachery had dragged her into taking a DNA test.

But what did that have to do with Christian?