Chapter 237: Estelle Gives No Face, A Direct Slap

Chapter 237: Chapter 237: Estelle Gives No Face, A Direct Slap

Kian’s expression stiffened once more. He muttered softly, "I told you, it’s no one..."

"Young Mr. Winslow, you’re waiting for Noelle Lockwood, aren’t you?"

The corners of Kian’s mouth stiffened. Immediately realizing that his expression had betrayed his inner thoughts, he averted his gaze. "Th-this is between Noelle and me. I can’t say."

Estelle Lockwood smiled, the screen of her phone emitting a faint glow.

Meanwhile, on the internet.

Ever since the video titled "They Don’t Look Like They’ve Been Kidnapped" was posted, it had amassed millions of views. The public watched as the three children strolled through a private, luxurious garden accompanied by maids. There were no marks of restraint on them, nor did it look like anyone was restricting their freedom.

Following this, an "insider" from the kindergarten claimed that the Sloans’ chauffeur had come to pick up the children that day. Since the kindergarten strictly forbade outsiders, the children must have been taken by the chauffeur.

Then, someone claiming to be an insider in high society sent an anonymous tip to a gossip account. They alleged to know the true story: the three children weren’t kidnapped at all. Instead, they were just being mischievous and malicious, deliberately leaving with someone else.

The blogger asked, "But the situation online has blown up so much, and Noelle Lockwood is even at the police station. The children should know by now, right? Why haven’t they come forward to clarify things for her?"

"You have no idea," the insider replied. "Those three children wish Noelle would go to jail. The second son and youngest daughter of the triplets were raised by Estelle Lockwood and have held an extreme grudge against Noelle since they were little.

"As for Young Mr. Sloan, Christian, even though Noelle raised him, he’s just an ungrateful wretch. Noelle treats him so well, just like her own flesh and blood, but all he does is drive a wedge between her and the Sloans."

"But weren’t there rumors before about Noelle abusing Young Mr. Sloan?" the blogger asked.

"That news came from the Sloans. Doesn’t that just mean whatever the Sloans say goes?" the insider replied.

"So you’re saying today’s incident was likely a setup by those three children against Noelle?"

"Sigh, I don’t think kids could scheme like that. They were probably just playing around; it’s the adults who are doing the dirty work."

Later, the "kindergarten insider" liked this post. They even left what seemed to be a highly emotional comment: "When I was at the kindergarten, I used to hear those three children constantly expressing their disdain for Noelle. I used to join in criticizing her, but looking at it now, I owe her an apology."

Soon, this post trended on the search charts. Normally, a post’s popularity wouldn’t climb this quickly, making it obvious that someone was manipulating things behind the scenes. But Noelle’s fans didn’t care. Blind to the unnatural speed of the trending topic, all they knew was that their idol had suffered a massive injustice.

"So this was all Estelle Lockwood’s scheme!"

"She deliberately used the children to grab attention. Noelle is so kindhearted that she had to grit her teeth and plead guilty just to avoid hurting the kids. Estelle really played her cards well!"

"Noelle even ended up at the police station! We can’t let this go! Those three kids must be punished too. Don’t use their age as an excuse. If they know how to frame someone at this age, imagine how bad they’ll be when they grow up!"

Public opinion completely reversed, instantly changing the tide of the situation. Noelle became the innocent victim, while Estelle became the sinner.

It was at this exact moment that the official verified account of Evernight International suddenly started a live stream. No one expected Nathaniel Sloan’s company, Evernight, to go live at the height of this scandal. Curious if Nathaniel was going to distance himself from Estelle, people clicked on the stream, only to hear a cold, clear female voice ask a question.

"Young Mr. Winslow, you’re waiting for Noelle Lockwood, aren’t you?"

The netizens were baffled.

"Who is this?"

"And who is Young Mr. Winslow? Why did she mention our Noelle’s name?"

"Wait, I see Christian and those other two kids..."

"I remember now, that voice belongs to Estelle Lockwood!"

In an instant, a massive swarm of Noelle’s fans flooded the stream, clamoring to sue Estelle.

At the Villa of the Winslows.

Completely unaware that Estelle had started a live stream, Kian curled his lip. "This is between Noelle and me. I can’t say."

Estelle smiled. "Young Mr. Winslow, you may say you invited the children over as guests, but you should have at least informed Nathaniel and me."

Kian’s expression became incredibly rigid, clearly unwilling to answer. "I-I already told you, we’re all friends. So what if I brought them over? Aren’t they perfectly fine?"

Estelle chuckled. "So Young Mr. Winslow admits that you were the one who brought Mia and the others to the Villa of the Winslows, and it wasn’t Mia being playful and getting into your car on her own?"

Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes were icy, his voice carrying immense pressure. "Kian, Evernight’s legal department isn’t just for show."

Kian genuinely couldn’t understand. Hadn’t they just cleared this up a moment ago? Why was she asking again!

Chairman Winslow and Mrs. Winslow, however, seemed to have realized something and signaled for Kian to tell the truth.

Kian puffed out his cheeks, appearing furious. "I was the one who insisted on bringing them to my house, but I didn’t want to hurt them either!"

Estelle nodded. "So, why did you bring them here?"

As Estelle questioned him step by step, Nathaniel glared with oppressive intensity, and Kian’s own parents anxiously urged him to spit it out. Having never suffered much grievance in his life, Kian’s anger flared up instantly.

He pointed at Estelle. "It’s all because of you! Miss Lockwood, this is all your fault. Noelle and Christian aren’t allowed to see each other. She practically raised Christian since he was a baby; she’s practically a mother to him! You’re so heartless! To see him and mend her relationship with the three children, she had no choice but to resort to this method!

"You know why I refused to say anything at first, don’t you? I knew that if I told you Noelle arranged this, you’d definitely interfere. How could someone as petty as you—"

"Kian." Nathaniel calmly looked up, a storm brewing in his eyes.

A chill ran down Kian’s spine.

"What does this mean? Why can’t I understand what this guy is saying?"

"Is he saying Noelle told him to take the three kids away and deliberately not inform Estelle? Then isn’t it completely normal for Estelle to be worried about her children?"

"You guys believe whatever he says? This guy is definitely a paid actor hired by Estelle. How sinister!"

"That man who hasn’t shown his face but has a really nice voice... is that Mr. Sloan? Mr. Sloan called him Kian. Does anyone know who Kian is?"

Noelle’s previously triumphant expression plummeted the moment she heard Kian’s words.

Rose Lowell’s face turned dark and sinister. "Quick, get them to cut the live stream!"

Her assistant kept wiping away cold sweat. "Ma’am, Mrs. Sloan said... said that Evernight International won’t listen to her at all. We can’t stop this live stream..."

Noelle had never imagined that Estelle would actually dare to start a live broadcast. Did she have no regard for Kian’s reputation at all? Didn’t she know that once this was exposed, Kian would become a target of public criticism?

Estelle was so ruthless!