Chapter 295: Meeting

Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Meeting

Liam indicated that everything was perfectly fine, so Estelle rested for a while in his room.

Before long, almost all the guests attending the funeral had arrived.

The entire Sloan family villa was draped in black and white. It seemed the Sloan family was taking this funeral very seriously.

Standing on the third floor, Estelle looked down from her vantage point, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

Theodore was by Ethan’s side, Laura Jennings was wiping her tears as she put on her act, and Liam was getting ready to start his own performance.

Estelle waited leisurely. Just as she expected, Theodore had not realized she had escaped.

Theodore had indeed worried about whether Estelle would take the opportunity to escape.

Half an hour ago.

Theodore parked the car and ordered his bodyguards, "Take her upstairs."

Estelle followed the bodyguards obediently the entire way. Theodore narrowed his eyes. "Has Miss Lockwood not thought about escaping?"

Estelle scoffed. "How would I?"

Theodore curled his lips. "After all, we are no longer at my villa. This is the Sloan family’s home. If Miss Lockwood finds someone to help, you might just slip away right under my nose."

Estelle hummed in acknowledgment. "But who could I possibly find?"

She seemed to have accepted her fate. "My ’death’ is full of suspicious circumstances. Nathaniel, Aunt Iris, and Old Mrs. Sloan probably all believe I’m still alive. They also know how hypocritical the Sloan family is for holding this funeral for me, so they won’t even attend. Am I right?"

Theodore once again marveled at Estelle’s intelligence.

She was right. Nathaniel, Iris, and Old Mrs. Sloan were completely absent. Since they firmly believed she was still alive, they naturally wouldn’t attend her funeral. And by doing so, hadn’t they just missed their only chance to rescue her?

A smile played on Theodore’s lips. "It is good that Miss Lockwood has come to this realization. Since that is the case, please stay put and behave."

Estelle simply sneered.

The moment the door closed, she climbed out the window, shimmying along the bodyguards’ blind spot until she reached Liam’s window.

Theodore was indeed far too overconfident. Today, not only had she escaped, but Nathaniel was here as well.

Her thoughts returning to the present, Estelle suddenly heard a CLICK from outside the door.

She immediately turned her head. A handsome yet slightly haggard face instantly caught her eyes.

For Estelle, time seemed to stand still. Nathaniel... They had only been apart for half a month. How had he lost so much weight?

Nathaniel’s eyes flickered with emotion. He desperately suppressed the agitation in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to pull Estelle fiercely into his arms. It had only been half a month, yet he felt as if he had lived through another life-and-death parting.

"Estelle." Nathaniel’s voice was hoarse as he slowly closed his eyes. "I’m sorry. I let you suffer."

The next moment, something collided into his chest. Nathaniel lowered his gaze.

Estelle blinked up at him from within his embrace. "Mr. Sloan, there’s no need for you to apologize. It’s not your fault, so what are you apologizing for?"

Nathaniel’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Estelle spoke nonchalantly, her words carrying a pointed implication. "The ones who truly should apologize are elsewhere."

Downstairs in the mourning hall.

The mourning hall was massive. To make the event as grand as possible, the Sloan family had even set it up in the outdoor garden.

The guests who had come to pay their respects dressed entirely in black out of courtesy to the Sloan family.

Someone voiced their confusion. "Didn’t they say the Sloan family was very dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law? Why are they putting in so much effort now that she’s dead? Such a massive spectacle, inviting so many people... Every prominent figure in Crestfall is here."

"Hush, stop talking! It’s not your place to gossip about what the Sloan family does!" another person nearby quickly reprimanded. "Besides, everyone is here to pay their respects not just for the Sloan family’s sake. This Miss Lockwood was Mr. Sloan’s wife. Mr. Sloan was so deeply in love with her, and they share three children. Everyone is here to show respect to Mr. Sloan."

"But I haven’t seen Mr. Sloan... Has he not arrived yet?"

The guests each harbored their own thoughts.

At the front, Laura Jennings was dabbing at her red, teary eyes. Someone beside her asked, "Mrs. Sloan, why haven’t we seen Mr. Sloan?"

Ethan and Theodore were also at the front. Strangely, not a single person close to Estelle had come to this funeral. Instead, it was being managed by Ethan and Laura—the parents-in-law who despised her—along with Theodore, a complete outsider. It inevitably made people feel suspicious.

Laura’s eyes darted around before tears fell once more, and she began to wail loudly.

"Sigh, Nathaniel just can’t accept the news of Estelle’s passing. These past few days... he has been so utterly depressed, and my heart breaks for him as his mother! Forget about the funeral—he hasn’t even been to the company in half a month. On top of that, there are three children at home who also can’t accept it. Nathaniel just..."

Ethan sighed and added, "As for my mother and Iris, they also can’t cope with Estelle’s death. Mother was so heartbroken she almost ended up in the hospital, and Iris went to take care of her since she was worried.

"But the funeral couldn’t be delayed, so they had no choice but to be absent."

So that was it... Some sighed in admiration at the Sloan family’s deep loyalty and affection, while others began to hatch their own schemes.

Ethan was now keeping Theodore by his side at all times, while Nathaniel was supposedly so heartbroken that he couldn’t even manage the company. Did this mean the Sloan family was truly about to undergo a massive shift in power?

After all, rumors had already spread that Nathaniel refused to accept the news of Estelle’s death, coldly rebuking the shareholders at the company and insisting she was still alive.

That shareholder had outright declared on the spot that Nathaniel had gone mad—mad over a woman.

Even though the Sloan family had suppressed the incident, the shareholders remained highly dissatisfied, threateningly claiming that a man who made foolish mistakes for a woman was unfit to inherit the Sloan family!

In that case, wouldn’t the most suitable heir for the Sloan family be the unfazed Theodore?

With Nathaniel failing to appear at Estelle’s funeral, everyone was left to their own speculations.

In a corner where no one else could see, Laura couldn’t hold back a smug smile. This was it. Everything was developing exactly according to their plan. Perfect!

Now that Estelle was ’dead’ and Nathaniel had lost his qualifications to inherit, who could possibly block her son’s path?

Laura couldn’t wait to announce, "Ethan, it’s time. Let us bid our final farewell to Estelle..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, an earth-shattering wail suddenly echoed from not too far away.

"WAAAH! Estelle, how could you just die like this!"

The crowd blanked in stunned silence.

Everyone turned their heads, only to see Liam sprinting over. He threw himself at the mourning hall and screamed at the top of his lungs, giving the performance of his life. "Estelle, you just left us like this! What are Nathaniel and Christian supposed to do now!

"Your departure was too sudden! No wonder Nathaniel refuses to admit you’re dead! WAAAH, you are so cruel!"

Laura’s eye twitched. She was absolutely desperate to send ’Estelle’ off to the cemetery right this instant. As long as she reached the cemetery, all the procedures would be complete, and Estelle would truly be considered a dead woman! But when did Liam charge out here?! He had forcefully halted Laura right in her tracks!

Laura’s lips twitched slightly. "Liam, I know you feel bad for Nathaniel, but right now, you shouldn’t delay the time for Estelle’s burial."