Chapter 276: Estelle Lockwood: What Gives Miss York the Right to Say He Stole?

Chapter 276: Chapter 276: Estelle Lockwood: What Gives Miss York the Right to Say He Stole?

...Everything aligned perfectly.

After Thea York finished speaking to the streamer, she turned to Scott, urging him in a helpless tone:

"Scott, be a good boy and return the watch. If you want one, Auntie will buy it for you after the autumn trip is over.

"Mia must be so anxious not being able to find it."

With that, Thea looked at Estelle Lockwood. She hurried over, apologizing the moment she opened her mouth.

"Estelle, I’m so sorry. Look at the trouble this child has caused... I know Mia must feel terribly wronged right now. Later on, I’ll definitely make Scott apologize to her.

"I don’t know why, but he simply refuses to be taught. Before we left, he explicitly promised me he wouldn’t cause any trouble, but now he’s gone and stolen..."

"I didn’t!" Scott, who had been silent until now, interrupted Thea.

He felt incredibly wronged. He wondered, "Why did Mia predict everything so perfectly? Why do they immediately assume I stole the watch just because I’m wearing it? I didn’t!"

Although this was part of their "plan," Scott was, after all, only five or six years old. Unable to control his emotions, he looked as if he were genuinely on the verge of tears.

Thea narrowed her eyes in displeasure. "This little bastard actually dares to talk back?" she thought.

But his defiance wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It would only make others loathe Scott more, drawing their sympathy toward her instead.

"Scott..." Thea shook her head, appearing utterly shocked. "How could you become like this? The watch is right there on your wrist, yet you still deny it. How do you expect your aunt to handle this?

"Mia’s daddy and mommy are right here. If they had found out on their own, what would you have me do?

"Scott, I know the family spoils you, but it’s time you learned to be sensible. Give the watch back, okay?"

Scott clutched the watch tightly, his face tense as he tried to hide his vulnerability. "I told you, I didn’t steal it!"

Thea looked entirely at her wit’s end, shaking her head with tear-filled eyes.

The two streamers were somewhat famous travel influencers. Others might not know it, but Thea was well aware that they were backed by a subsidiary company of the York Family. They were here today specifically to coordinate with her.

Thus, the male streamer casually remarked, "Sigh, kids are so hard to raise these days!"

The live stream chat instantly flared up.

[What’s going on? Some brat stealing things?]

[Ugh, another brat. Honestly, I don’t hate kids, I just hate bad parents.]

[But this parent seems pretty reasonable. She found out her nephew stole something and immediately told him to return it. It’s just that the kid is so stubborn.]

[This woman looks really familiar...]

[I remember now! That’s Thea York!]

Thea had always heavily marketed her persona online. "Genius designer," "composer," "published author"... She piled every prestigious title imaginable onto herself, amassing tens of millions of followers on Weibo.

Despite utilizing typical influencer marketing tactics, she genuinely believed herself to be inherently superior. Her fans shared this sentiment; they felt that stanning a wealthy heiress was much classier than idolizing regular celebrities or influencers, leading them to act quite haughtily online.

Moreover, the fact that the internet only knew of Thea and was completely unaware of Stella York was entirely due to Thea’s deliberate marketing.

[I just heard Thea say that’s her oldest brother’s son... But she and her brother don’t even share the same mom. She actually has to help her brother babysit?]

[I heard Mrs. York was a mistress who married into the family, and that Thea is an illegitimate daughter...]

[What are you talking about?! The first wife was the shameless one! She used her powerful family background to tear apart Mrs. York and Chairman York, who were truly in love. She had a son, but because Chairman York didn’t love her, she ended up digging her own grave. And now you’re blaming Mrs. York?]

[If you ask me, Mrs. York and Thea are practically saints. To protect that dead woman’s reputation, they willingly took on the labels of ’mistress’ and ’illegitimate daughter,’ and they’re even helping raise her grandchild.]

[No wonder this Scott kid looks so wretched. You can just tell he’s a bad seed. So he’s *that* woman’s grandson!]

[Thea has already apologized, yet this Scott kid still refuses to admit his mistake!]

Looking helpless, Thea glanced at Estelle. "Estelle... I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry. I never expected Scott to steal..."

She turned back to the boy. "Scott, take the watch off right now and give it back to Mia’s mother!"

Having said that, she turned to Estelle again, as if trying earnestly to smooth things over. "Estelle, you know Scott’s background. It’s not my place to discipline him harshly, which is why he’s developed such an arrogant, self-centered personality. I know Mia must be very upset, so I’ll apologize to you first.

"Rest assured, in a little while, I will absolutely make Scott return the watch and apologize to Mia.

"After all, good children shouldn’t steal, but... sigh..."

Many people nearby turned their gazes toward Scott.

The two streamers, their assistants, the viewers in the live chat, and the oblivious bystanders passing by—hearing Thea say all this, none of them harbored a shred of doubt.

After all, what kind of parent would deliberately falsely accuse their own child of stealing? Since the guardian had already stepped forward to apologize, it had to be true.

Feeling the judgmental stares from the crowd, Scott’s eyes filled with tears. He hadn’t done it! He wondered, "Why doesn’t anyone believe me? Why does everyone trust Thea, this wicked woman?"

Seeing that the situation was set in stone, Thea couldn’t help but reveal a subtle smile. She was just about to play the victim card again. "Estelle, look at this child, my hands are tied. He’s still young, so please don’t hold it against him..."

"Miss York," Estelle suddenly spoke, setting down her book.

Though she was seated on a lounge chair, her imposing aura was somehow leagues above Thea’s.

"Miss York, when did I ever say I was going to hold anything against Scott?"

Thea choked on her words for a moment before offering a helpless smile. "Well, he did steal Mia’s watch, after all..."

"And when did Mia ever accuse Scott of stealing?" Estelle’s eyes were indifferent. "Mia hasn’t even made an appearance from start to finish. How can you be so certain that Scott stole anything?"

A bad premonition bubbled up in Thea’s chest. Biting her lip, she gently shook her head.

"Estelle, I know you have a kind heart and can’t bear to see me punish the child in front of so many people, but this isn’t the first time Scott has stolen something. He never learns his lesson. I’m only doing this for his own good."

Estelle’s icy gaze seemed capable of piercing right through a person’s soul. "Miss York, I’m not pleading on Scott’s behalf. I am genuinely curious.

"When you saw this watch, why didn’t you assume it was a gift from Mia? Why jump straight to the conclusion that Scott stole it?

"You claim to be his guardian—is this how a normal parent thinks?"

Thea cursed Estelle countless times in her head. "Mind your own damn business!" she thought.

But it didn’t matter. Scott bullied Mia constantly at kindergarten. Once Mia came out, the truth would be revealed for all to see. By then, she could even accuse Estelle of neglecting Mia. It would be two birds with one stone!