Chapter 193: Going to See Mr. Lynch, But Why Is Nathaniel Sloan the One Opening the Door?

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Going to See Mr. Lynch, But Why Is Nathaniel Sloan the One Opening the Door?

Celestine Pavilion fell silent.

Enzo Kendrick was left speechless. He couldn’t help but recall what Nathaniel Sloan had told him on the phone yesterday: "If I’m cold-blooded, I inherited it from Laura Jennings. It’s just genetics; there’s nothing I can do about it."

Enzo looked at Estelle Lockwood, thought about Nathaniel, and gave a firm nod. They truly were a match made in heaven when it came to ruthlessness!

Rose Lowell almost choked on her own breath. In her eyes, Estelle was a nobody. How dare this wretched girl mock her? It was sheer insubordination! Screaming, she charged forward, raising her hand to strike. Her face was flushed, her eyes wide with fury. "I am your mother! Let us in, right now!"

Unable to find any other justification, she could only repeat those four words like a broken record.

Estelle raised an eyebrow. She had always suspected that she wasn’t actually Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell’s biological daughter, but looking at Rose’s genuine, visceral reaction... could the woman’s acting skills really be that good?

As dinner time approached, the entrance to Celestine Pavilion gradually grew crowded. A nearby lady glanced repeatedly at Rose before whispering to her daughter, "That should be Mrs. Lockwood."

The young lady immediately wore a look of disdain. "Hah, Mrs. Lockwood? The same Mrs. Lockwood who neglected her biological daughter, physically and verbally abused her, and even let her adopted daughter set a fire?"

Hearing this, the crowd instantly connected the dots. In the past, Noelle Lockwood had been quite famous in their social circles, always flaunting herself as the ultimate socialite. Naturally, when a scandal broke out around her, everyone remembered. They also remembered Austin and Rose as a pair of incredibly biased parents.

The young lady sneered. "How can she have the nerve to claim she worked so hard to raise her biological daughter? She only stayed with the Lockwood family for two years, and during that time, you bullied her half to death. The audacity!"

The surrounding onlookers frowned, filled with righteous indignation. "Mrs. Lockwood, Celestine Pavilion requires a reservation. Miss Lockwood is under no obligation to dine with you. After everything the Lockwood family has done, how can you shamelessly try to guilt-trip her?"

The Lowell family relatives immediately took offense and clamored to shout back, but the crowd’s mocking voices drowned them out.

"If she’s cursing Estelle out in public like this, who knows what goes on behind closed doors!"

"I heard that when Austin brought Estelle back to the Lockwood family just for show, Rose and Noelle actually forced her to sleep in the servants’ quarters!"

"Huh? Really? Is that how a biological mother acts?"

"Exactly! Everyone in our circle has been saying that Rose isn’t Estelle’s real mother at all. She’s just desperately insisting they’re blood-related because she wants to snatch up some kind of benefit!"

"If she wants a benefit, she should at least treat the girl well. What on earth is she doing..."

The crowd’s speculations flooded into Rose’s ears. Estelle narrowed her eyes with amusement. She wondered how Ms. Lowell would respond.

To her surprise, upon hearing people guess that she wasn’t Estelle’s biological mother, Rose didn’t look guilty in the slightest. Instead, she lashed out furiously. "Are you dead, Estelle? Can’t you say something when you see your mother being insulted! The master was right; you really are a Jinx! I was right to tell you to get lost back then, you wretched curse! You absolute menace!"

Enzo examined Rose’s facial features and frowned in warning. "Loose lips sink ships, Ms. Lowell. If you continue to insult Estelle, you’re going to suffer a bloody misfortune."

Rose only grew more agitated. Planting her hands on her hips, she roared, "I’ll insult her if I want to! So what? The master I consulted said Estelle was born with a worthless fate and needs to be cursed out frequently just to stay alive! Who the hell are you to... Ah!"

Failing to watch her step, she tripped over the curb and plummeted forward.

THUD.

By the time the crowd looked over, Rose’s forehead was covered in blood. Two of her teeth had been knocked out, and her face was contorted in agony.

Enzo remained perfectly calm. "Karma strikes fast. Come on, Estelle, let’s go."

Estelle blinked. She hadn’t even lifted a finger yet, so how did Rose end up looking half-dead already? She looked down at the woman from her vantage point, observing her for a moment before speaking.

"Ms. Lowell, although we’re mother and daughter, there are still areas where we differ greatly—like our brains, for instance." She sighed softly. "If I were you, especially now that the Lockwood family is in its twilight and its reputation is in ruins, I’d hide away and keep a low profile. You’re so utterly stupid, Ms. Lowell. How did you ever give birth to me?"

With that, she strolled away gracefully, completely ignoring whatever expression Rose might have been wearing.

As they walked, Enzo remarked, "Listening to Rose, it sounds like she found some ’master’ to read your fortune? What a joke. Just an incompetent fraud out to ruin lives!"

Estelle shook her head. "I’m not sure, but looking at her reaction, she seems absolutely convinced that she is my biological mother."

Enzo found it strange as well, but he couldn’t figure out the reason at the moment. So, he simply changed the subject. "Well, Estelle, wasn’t I right when I told you to return to the country? Now everything has been resolved perfectly."

Before returning, Estelle had sought out Enzo, and he had flown all the way to the USA just to cast a divination for her.

"Someone like me is a true master," Enzo grumbled. "Who knows what kind of trash Rose found..."

Before he could finish, a waiter hurried past them. "Hurry up, don’t delay. Mr. Lynch is a VIP guest."

"Hasn’t this Mr. Lynch always kept a low profile? Why is he suddenly being so flashy, buying out Celestine Pavilion and hosting an auction?" another attendant whispered.

The manager of Celestine Pavilion rushed out to scold them. "Stop gossiping! Whatever Mr. Lynch does is none of your business. Hurry up and look sharp!"

Estelle froze. Mr. Lynch was here too? In her memory, he had always been exceptionally low-key. If he was acting entirely out of character now, could something have happened to him? Since he was here, should she take this opportunity to see him and thank him in person for his help over the past five years?

Noticing her distraction, Enzo asked, "What’s wrong?"

Estelle explained the situation with Mr. Lynch. Enzo looked completely bewildered, stating that if she wanted to see him, she should just go see him. He wondered why she was so conflicted about going to see her own husband.

He had cast a divination before coming here, and the hexagram clearly indicated that the misunderstandings between Estelle and her husband had been cleared up. Why was she hesitating just to meet him? Was there something he had failed to foresee? That wouldn’t do; he needed to read Nathaniel Sloan’s face to be sure.

"I’ll go with you," Enzo declared solemnly.

Estelle asked the manager for the location of Mr. Lynch’s private room. The manager gave her a suspicious glance, then immediately replied with utmost respect, "It’s right at the end of this corridor. There’s no need to be so polite—you can go in whenever you please."

Estelle was speechless. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Was her relationship with Mr. Lynch already so close that the whole world knew about it?

Reaching the end of the corridor, Estelle looked at the room number. She steadied her nerves, took a deep breath, and prepared to push the door open. She and Mr. Lynch had been in contact for five years. They were pen pals, good friends, and comrades who had weathered hardships together. Meeting him should have been a joyful occasion, but for some reason, a subtle, strange sensation lingered in her heart.

Whatever. She was probably just overthinking it.

KNOCK KNOCK.

Estelle knocked on the door and heard a voice from inside. "Come in."