Chapter 298: Chairman Sloan, a Fake Will Always Be a Fake

Chapter 298: Chapter 298: Chairman Sloan, a Fake Will Always Be a Fake

Ethan Sloan’s expression shifted unpredictably. "Actually, this matter... it’s just..."

Laura Jennings, unwilling to back down, demanded, "Estelle, if you’re still alive, why... why didn’t you contact us?! We truly thought you were dead. That’s the only reason we held this funeral for you..."

Estelle Lockwood tilted her head. "And how exactly was I supposed to contact you, Ms. Jennings?"

She added pointedly, "I couldn’t even reach Nathaniel... As for why I couldn’t, perhaps you should ask Mr. Lancaster?"

Theodore Lancaster’s face had been exceedingly grim from the very moment Estelle appeared. He glared fixedly at her, seemingly unable to believe that his plan had gone awry.

How could she have possibly escaped? She had been strictly guarded, tied to a chair by his own hands. The entire Sloan family estate was under his control, making it impossible for Nathaniel Sloan’s men to infiltrate and rescue her. Besides, Nathaniel hadn’t even known she was at this funeral—

At this thought, Theodore’s expression twisted stormily.

He realized that Nathaniel must have known all along! Nathaniel had deliberately feigned weakness and played the fool simply to lower his guard, buying himself an hour to search for Estelle unrestricted. It had to be during that specific hour that Nathaniel found a clue or managed to contact Estelle, allowing him to make full preparations for the day of the funeral. He had thought Nathaniel was the clown in this game, but it turned out he himself was the real fool.

Theodore’s face turned pale and rigid. He stared so hard at Estelle that his gaze could have burned a hole right through her.

Sensing his intense glare, Estelle turned her eyes toward him with a smile. She parted her lips slightly, mouthing the words soundlessly, "Mr. Lancaster, are you surprised?"

Reading her lips, Theodore narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "What is it that you want to do, Miss Lockwood?"

Estelle offered a faint, enigmatic smile.

Theodore was indeed far more intelligent than the couple before her. It was hard to imagine that Ethan and Laura could actually produce a son like him. However, in Estelle’s eyes, when compared to Nathaniel, Theodore was still nothing but arrogant and foolish. Perhaps that was simply the power of genetics.

Estelle spoke with heavy implication. "As long as Mr. Lancaster can satisfy me, I can give everyone a reasonable explanation.

"Otherwise, what would outsiders think upon seeing me show up at my own funeral?

"Would they think the Sloan family couldn’t wait for me to die, or that they were just putting on a theatrical show? Or perhaps..."

Estelle’s gaze suddenly sharpened. "Or perhaps they might think my ’death’ was the Sloan family’s doing?"

That last sentence was the true crux of the matter. After all, Laura knew exactly who wanted Estelle dead.

Even if Theodore hadn’t intended it, the men Laura dispatched had genuinely moved in for the kill. Even if Theodore and Ethan were willing to throw Laura under the bus, she was currently still Mrs. Sloan. In the eyes of the public, even if Laura confessed, she would only be seen as a scapegoat pushed forward by the Sloan family. Therefore, Estelle was blatantly intimidating and threatening them.

Once Ethan and Theodore figured this out, their faces darkened drastically. The gazes they directed at Laura were now laced with sheer malice. They fumed, thinking that if Laura hadn’t insisted on killing Estelle, none of this mess would have happened in the first place!

But right now, Estelle had them entirely cornered. Theodore coldly asked, "What do you want?"

Raising an eyebrow, Estelle cut straight to the chase. "Don’t Chairman Sloan and Ms. Jennings feel guilty for usurping someone else’s son?"

Ethan’s brow twitched.

Laura, however, reacted as if a raw nerve had been struck. She instantly flew into a violent rage, her features twisting hideously. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! I’m warning you to shut your mouth, or I’ll tear it to shreds—"

"Shut up!" Ethan bellowed in fury.

Laura instantly clamped her mouth shut, but it was clear that beneath the fear and panic in her eyes, there was still a fierce reluctance to back down.

Estelle scoffed. "You really need to get your head checked, Ms. Jennings, if you think you can still throw your weight around in front of me now."

Ethan’s face darkened, stripping away the last remnants of his hypocrisy. "Estelle, you know perfectly well what should and shouldn’t be said."

Estelle didn’t hold back. "It seems Chairman Sloan understands exactly what I’m talking about. Chairman Sloan, a fake is a fake, no matter how beautifully you package it. You should understand that logic, shouldn’t you?"

Theodore’s expression remained perfectly neutral. He didn’t show a single hint of anger or embarrassment, as if he truly didn’t understand that Estelle’s insinuations were directed at him.

Laura, on the other hand, was engulfed in absolute fury, her face flushing crimson.

"Estelle," Ethan gritted his teeth, "you are threatening us!"

Estelle shrugged nonchalantly. "If Chairman Sloan insists on seeing it that way, you may do so."

Ethan fiercely flicked his sleeve. "Out of the question!"

Theodore, however, chuckled. "Miss Lockwood, regarding the Sloan family holding a funeral for you... the family can come up with many explanations. You know that."

His underlying implication was clear: if they couldn’t reach an agreement, Estelle was free to broadcast that the Sloan family had tried to kill her. Whether anyone believed it or not was another matter entirely, and the Sloan family would certainly have ways to deal with the fallout.

Estelle nodded. "Be that as it may, it certainly won’t do the Sloan family any good. Besides, can the Sloan family in its current state even afford such turmoil?"

She paused before adding meaningfully, "Mr. Lancaster, who knows what state the Sloan family will be in by the time it’s handed over to you? Don’t let it be that a perfectly good Sloan family is reduced to nothing but an empty shell by then."

Theodore’s face clouded over slightly; her words seemed to have hit a sore spot.

It was true that the Sloan Group was currently a valuable asset to him, but if its reputation continued to tank and its market share plummeted further, that might no longer be the case. He realized that if the Sloan Group turned out to be an empty shell by the time it fell into his hands, then all his years of scheming would have been for nothing!

Laura couldn’t stand the thought of the Sloan Group becoming an empty shell, especially since it was meant to be handed over to her biological son. She immediately shrieked, "What exactly do you want?!"

"Keep your voice down, Ms. Jennings. Don’t make a laughingstock of us," Estelle said flatly.

"My demand isn’t particularly difficult. In fact, it’s something you can easily fulfill," she continued. "Miss Miranda Lancaster left me ten percent of the Sloan Group’s shares back then, so I’m also one of the shareholders. Naturally, I wouldn’t want to watch the company fall into ruin.

"However, the men Ms. Jennings dispatched absolutely intended to kill me, and Mr. Lancaster’s imprisonment of me for the past half-month is an undeniable fact. To ask me to pretend nothing happened—wouldn’t that make me seem far too easy to bully?"

Estelle spoke slowly and unhurriedly, without a hint of anxiety. "Since Chairman Sloan and Ms. Jennings care so deeply for your son and have rejected my initial proposal, I suppose I’ll take a step back."

Smiling brightly, she said, "Chairman Sloan, I want the Sloan Group shares you hold. I’m not asking for much—just ten percent."

Ethan was left utterly speechless.

His face flushed bright red. How could anyone be this shameless?! And she called that ’not asking for much’?! He only held twenty-eight percent of the shares in total. Estelle’s exorbitant demand would snatch away more than a third of his holdings in one go. How did she even have the nerve to ask for that?!

Feigning confusion, Estelle asked, "What’s with that expression, Chairman Sloan? Are you unwilling? Fine then, let’s forget it. Moving forward, the Sloan Group will just..."

"That’s too much!" Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Estelle, the shares are negotiable, but ten percent is way too much!"

Estelle raised an eyebrow. He took the bait.