Chapter 391: Haha, You Guys Continue, Continue

Chapter 391: Chapter 391: Haha, You Guys Continue, Continue

Nathaniel smiled. "Yes, a reward. I set the trap and lent a hand. Even if I don’t get the credit for success, I at least deserve some for my hard work... Aren’t you going to reward me, Mrs. Sloan?"

The man’s lips drew closer, his hot breath brushing against her neck. Nathaniel’s unique scent enveloped her entirely, sending an indescribable shiver down her spine.

Estelle bit her lower lip softly, uncontrollably tilting her head back. "...Back off."

However, this very movement exposed her fragile neck; she looked like a delicate white swan, raising her chin high. Though his lips hadn’t touched her, his overwhelming presence made her skin tingle and flush.

A fresh wave of tremors wracked Estelle’s body. "...Nathaniel, that’s enough."

Nathaniel twirled a strand of her hair around his fingertips. "No reward at all?"

Estelle pursed her lips, her eyes darting around. Before she could speak, the man suddenly pressed a finger against her lips.

His voice was clear, yet tinged with a low, husky murmur. "Then I’ll just have to take it myself."

Estelle instinctively shrank back, but it was too late. He leaned in, pulling her into his embrace, and his burning lips descended upon hers.

It was hard to imagine that such a seemingly cold man could have such soft, scorching lips.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside the door. Panic flared in Estelle’s chest, and she reflexively pushed against Nathaniel’s chest. The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he kissed her again. "It’s fine. They wouldn’t dare come in without my permission."

BANG!

The moment the words left his mouth, the door was forcefully pushed open.

Liam burst in like a whirlwind. "Nathaniel, let me tell you, I just saw the Yeats family... What are you two doing?!"

Before Liam could finish his sentence, he was stunned by the sight before him. The two were locked in a tight embrace. Estelle was nestled in Nathaniel’s arms, her cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen, hair disheveled, and eyes darting away in embarrassment.

The rest of his words died in his throat. Liam was speechless for a moment before bursting out, "I mean, can’t you two show a little restraint in broad daylight? Why did you have to let me see this? Why?!"

A dead silence instantly fell over the office.

Estelle shot Nathaniel a vicious glare. Unfazed, he methodically and leisurely helped tidy her collar and hair before casting a calm gaze at Liam.

Liam froze. He wondered why Nathaniel’s gaze was so terrifying. All he had done was forget to knock when coming in...

Had he interrupted their intimate moment?!

Liam wanted to slap himself right then and there. He cursed his own stupidity. His brother had finally managed to win over his wife, so what if they shared an impassioned kiss? Now that he had interrupted them, he might have scarred his brother for life! He felt like he would wake up in the middle of the night just to slap himself two more times!

Overcome with remorse, Liam promptly rolled right back out the door. "I didn’t see anything! Carry on, carry on!"

Estelle gently closed her eyes. How could they possibly "carry on" after that? Wasn’t that just fooling themselves?

Eventually, Liam slinked back into the room.

His gaze wandered evasively, repeatedly stealing glances at Nathaniel. When their eyes finally met, he let out an awkward, sheepish laugh. "Haha, it’s—it’s nothing major. I just... I just saw Old Mrs. Yeats and it looked like the Yeats family was celebrating something internally, so I came over to check... So, what exactly are they celebrating?"

That was what Liam was most curious about. As far as he was concerned, the Yeats family had absolutely nothing worth celebrating.

Estelle’s lips curled into a faint smile. Nathaniel nodded and recounted what had just transpired.

Realization dawned on Liam. "So the jade token you gave Claire is real? That’s way too much of a loss! How could you bear to part with it? That was left to you by Miranda!"

Nathaniel rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling that his younger brother was a bit dense. "Of course it’s a fake."

Liam was curious. "A fake... and Claire actually fell for it?"

Nathaniel smiled imperceptibly and slowly lifted his gaze, his expression placid. "Why wouldn’t she?"

Sometimes, the human mind filters out the truth, only allowing a person to see what benefits them, or what they desperately want to see. Had Claire ever considered that she might be getting scammed? Had she suspected it was a conspiracy?

She had.

Perhaps Claire even realized the glaring inconsistencies. A manager had already been confirmed, yet an assistant suddenly appeared; Mr. Lynch departed abruptly, and this new assistant somehow didn’t even know the previous manager’s last name... Was that realistic?

No corporate group should ever make such a massive oversight—least of all Aethel’s. But Claire chose to selectively blind herself to it all, choosing only to believe what she wanted to believe. That was exactly why this scheme, this entire setup, was so successful.

Liam frowned in deep thought, still struggling to believe that anyone could be so stupid. But then he remembered his own mother, and it suddenly made sense.

Yes, there really were people that stupid in the world.

After Liam quietly drifted away, Nathaniel chuckled softly and asked, "You don’t just want to know who administered the poison; you also want to know who is backing Claire, don’t you?"

Estelle rested her chin in her hand. "Yes. Grandpa always seemed to be hiding from someone in the past. Coupled with my mother’s unnatural death—the cause of which is still unknown—and my father’s unknown whereabouts, I’m somewhat suspicious of the Yeats family.

"And then there’s what Mrs. Yeats said... Even though she might not be telling the truth...

"But if what she said is true, then Old Mr. Yeats is the problem. If she was deliberately lying to bait me, then she’s the one with the problem.

"There’s someone standing behind Claire. I don’t know who this person is yet, but if she’s pushed into a corner, will that person show up?"

Nathaniel’s gaze softened, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.

The partnership ceremony was scheduled for the following day, so Estelle planned to head home early. Unexpectedly, the rain grew heavier, and she and Nathaniel ended up stuck in traffic.

Glancing at the navigation map, the road ahead was even more congested. What was usually a short thirty-minute drive home was now estimated to take two hours.

Nathaniel hadn’t asked the chauffeur to drive, so it was just the two of them in the car.

Estelle leaned over to take a look, slightly surprised. "It seems we picked the wrong time to head home today."

It was already rush hour, and the torrential rain made the roads slick and visibility poor. Every vehicle was driving with extreme caution, moving at a snail’s pace. Unless they took a detour at the intersection ahead, they would be stuck in traffic the whole way back.

But here was the problem... every route back to Imperial Crest was jammed.

Estelle’s eyes darted thoughtfully. "Two hours, huh..."

Nathaniel nodded. "It’s fine. I’m driving, so you can rest for a bit."

"That won’t be necessary."

Estelle smiled radiantly and tapped the navigation screen. The car’s automated voice promptly announced, "Destination changed. Now heading to Serenvale Community."

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "Mrs. Sloan, what’s this?"

Estelle smoothed her hair and replied leisurely, "Imperial Crest is too far. I’m taking you home with me."