Chapter 327: You Idiot, Stop Embarrassing Yourself in Front of Me

Chapter 327: Chapter 327: You Idiot, Stop Embarrassing Yourself in Front of Me

Was it reasonable for a real, living person to leave absolutely no trace behind? Why would someone consciously erase their existence? Estelle felt that the person had done it on purpose—intentionally making themselves invisible. But what was the point? What was there to gain by living in this world without leaving a single mark?

She guessed that this person was also a member of the Yeats family, yet they hadn’t left a name in the family records. Estelle believed that only Claire’s immediate family knew about this person; if she asked Quentin, he definitely wouldn’t know.

It was far too bizarre.

As Estelle fell into deep thought, Nathaniel gently tapped her forehead. "Don’t overthink it for now."

"Okay."

A few days later, the Yeats family announced that they would be hosting a small banquet in Crestfall. They had invited a few friends from their social circle. In reality, though, the Yeats had been rooted in Capital City for years and had almost no friends in Crestfall. However, because the banquet was hosted by the Yeats family, Crestfall’s wealthy and influential families still scrambled desperately for an invitation.

The banquet was held at one of the Yeats family’s manors. On the day of the event, numerous luxury cars gathered outside the estate, presenting an incredibly grand scene. Unaware of the true purpose of the banquet, the guests couldn’t help but wonder why the Yeats family seemed to be shifting their focus to Crestfall.

But the Yeats knew the real reason.

Old Mr. Yeats had arrived at the manor ahead of time. He brewed a pot of tea and played chess against himself, looking entirely relaxed.

"Sir," the butler said, pouring him some tea. "Miss Claire has been waiting outside the door for quite some time."

Old Mr. Yeats replied nonchalantly, "Oh? Has she been released from prison?"

The butler fell silent for a couple of seconds before gently reminding him, "Sir, Miss Claire was only taken to the police station for questioning. She didn’t go to prison."

"Oh, right," Old Mr. Yeats nodded. "How long has she been waiting?"

"Two hours."

"Then let her wait a little longer. Don’t think I don’t know what she’s up to."

It was another two hours before Claire was finally allowed into the old man’s courtyard. She adjusted her expression and practically threw herself at him. "Grandpa, I missed you so much!"

Old Mr. Yeats calmly watched Claire flash a sweet smile, trying her hardest to show off. Knowing the answer full well, he asked, "What is it?"

Seeing that Old Mr. Yeats wasn’t going to comfort her, Claire’s expression momentarily stiffened before she quickly resumed her coquettish tone. "Grandpa, didn’t you miss me at all?"

Old Mr. Yeats stared at her with a scrutinizing gaze, making her feel a wave of guilt. "What exactly do you want to say?"

Claire gritted her teeth.

She had already made her inquiries. Although today was a gathering for the Yeats family, Old Mr. Yeats actually intended to announce Estelle’s identity. From now on, Estelle would become Miss Yeats, while Claire’s own status would plummet.

She had managed to extricate herself from the police station with great difficulty, only to be met with this terrible news the moment she got out. Anxious, she had asked her ’teacher’ what she should do. The only reply she received was to wait and see—that there was nothing wrong with letting Estelle return to the Yeats family, because the higher Estelle’s status became, the more advantageous it would be for Claire.

Claire simply couldn’t understand it. She was neither convinced nor resigned to this outcome. It was then that her ’teacher’ suggested she could appropriately mention Eleanor in front of Old Mr. Yeats.

Therefore, Claire feigned concern. "Grandpa, is Miss Lockwood really Aunt Eleanor’s daughter?"

Old Mr. Yeats paused mid-sip, looking at Claire meaningfully. "Why? Does she not look the part?"

Claire hastily shook her head. "No, I didn’t mean anything bad about Miss Lockwood, it’s just that she... I heard from my parents that Aunt Eleanor was a proper lady from a distinguished family with a gentle temperament, but Miss Lockwood..."

Having weathered countless storms in his life, Old Mr. Yeats could easily tell that Claire was trying to sow discord. He let out a scoff, his eyes sharpening. "You truly are your father’s daughter."

Claire stiffened all over.

"Have you ever met Eleanor?" Old Mr. Yeats asked.

"No..." Claire replied instinctively.

"Since you’ve never met her, how do you know she had a gentle temperament and that Estelle is nothing like her?"

Claire was completely dumbfounded by the question. Didn’t everyone say Eleanor was gentle and that Old Mr. Yeats loved her like a daughter?

Old Mr. Yeats took a slow sip of his tea. "Before you try to stir up trouble, you should at least gather your facts straight. Brainless fools shouldn’t embarrass themselves in front of me, should they?"

Claire’s expression turned rigid. "Grandpa, I didn’t..."

"The door is over there."

"Grandpa..."

"Get out," Old Mr. Yeats ordered.

Claire left, looking extremely wronged. Seeing her, Evan asked anxiously, "Claire, does Grandpa still refuse to forgive you?"

She lowered her eyes. "Perhaps Grandpa feels that as a member of the Yeats family, I embarrassed him by ending up at the police station... Forget it, Evan. Today is our family’s banquet, after all. We are the hosts, so we can’t go around crying. I’m fine. Let’s go greet the guests."

Evan looked relieved and proud. "Claire, you always look at the big picture."

Upon arriving at the gates of the manor, Estelle stepped out of the car. Many people had heard rumors that the Yeats family had a long-lost eldest daughter, but they didn’t know it was her. Seeing Estelle, the other guests simply smiled and didn’t think much of it. It was perfectly normal for the Yeats family to invite Nathaniel and Estelle to attend.

At the entrance, Claire stood in a gorgeous evening gown. All traces of the haggard look she had at the police station were gone. Now, she was once again the most highly anticipated daughter of the Yeats family, greeting guests alongside Evan.

As the guests handed over their invitations, they couldn’t help but offer a few flattering remarks to curry favor.

"Mr. Yeats truly is a man of striking appearance! I heard you’ll be holding a painting exhibition soon. What a brilliant young talent!"

"Miss Yeats, your studio is on the agenda too, right? To be such a famous designer with your own independent brand at such a young age is incredibly impressive."

"Indeed. My own children just can’t compare to you. Every single one of the Yeats children is so outstanding. I wonder what the secret to raising you all is!"

Claire had always enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention. Listening to everyone’s praises, she felt the lingering gloom in her heart completely dissipate.

"You flatter me, everyone. I’m just an ordinary person," she replied gracefully.

"Oh my, Miss Yeats is not only talented but also so humble!"

"If my kid were as outstanding as Miss Yeats, I’d be over the moon!"

Claire offered a bashful, soft smile.

However, her good mood didn’t last long.

Seeing Claire greeting guests at the entrance with such fanfare, Estelle couldn’t help but click her tongue. It seemed the threat she posed was quite significant. Didn’t the self-proclaimed noble Miss Yeats usually look down on the job of greeting guests? Yet today, to emphasize her status as a member of the Yeats family, she had actually stationed herself at the door. She wanted to ensure that every guest who entered knew that she, Claire, was the true Miss Yeats—the real host of the family.

Noticing Claire’s sudden change in expression, Evan instinctively turned to follow her line of sight. He frowned instantly and demanded bluntly, "What are you doing here?"