Chapter 414: Putting on an Act, Probing Thea York

Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Putting on an Act, Probing Thea York

A few minutes later, Thea strutted upstairs, her head held high.

As soon as she entered, she saw Nathaniel and Estelle standing on opposite sides of the room. The atmosphere between them was thick with tension.

Thea’s eyes darted between them. Pinching her voice into a sickly sweet tone, she asked, "Nathaniel, did you and Estelle have a fight?"

Estelle’s face was ice-cold. "Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Miss York?"

Nathaniel’s frosty expression softened the moment his eyes landed on Thea. "You’re here."

Thrilled, Thea couldn’t help but probe further. "Nathaniel, why are you fighting with Estelle?"

Estelle let out a cold scoff.

Nathaniel shot her a displeased glare.

Thea’s heart leaped with even greater excitement. In the past, Nathaniel had treated Estelle like his most precious treasure. When had he ever glared at her so fiercely? But today, he had actually smiled at her and been mean to Estelle. Did that mean...

Thea’s eyes shifted again, and she spoke in that same cloying tone. "Nathaniel, is it because of what happened downstairs just now? Please don’t blame Estelle. It’s all my fault. I came without an appointment. As Mrs. Sloan, she had every right to teach me a lesson. I..."

She forced a choke into her voice, putting on an expression of deep grievance masked by brave resilience.

"I’m fine, really. I don’t feel wronged at all. You absolutely mustn’t get mad at Estelle over such a trivial matter, Nathaniel."

As her voice faded, silence fell over the office for a few seconds.

From an angle Thea couldn’t see, Estelle rolled her eyes so hard they nearly rolled to the back of her head. She thought, "Your fake sweetness is practically suffocating."

Nathaniel closed his eyes briefly. From Thea’s perspective, it looked like he was trying to tolerate Estelle’s attitude. But only Nathaniel and Estelle knew the truth.

Nathaniel was clearly losing his patience with Thea. However, for the sake of their plan, he didn’t say much. He merely said evenly, "From now on, you will never need an appointment. Estelle, you’ve crossed the line."

Thea rejoiced inwardly. It was true! That drug was working!

At that moment, Thea watched as Estelle spun around "furiously," retorting with a cold sneer, "I crossed the line? What is your relationship with her, and what is your relationship with me? You’re revoking my right to come upstairs freely just for her? She’s allowed in your office, but I’m not?"

Nathaniel stood with his hands behind his back, his tone eerily calm. "You knew she was my childhood friend, yet you deliberately made things difficult for her in front of all those people. I haven’t held you accountable for that. Revoking your free access upstairs is already sparing your dignity out of respect for our marriage."

Thea was absolutely ecstatic. She understood now!

Nathaniel had found out that Estelle humiliated her downstairs and had immediately reprimanded her! He had even revoked her privileges. From now on, without an appointment, Estelle couldn’t come upstairs either.

But she was different. From now on, she could visit Nathaniel’s office whenever she pleased. She would have free rein at Evernight International.

Wasn’t this decree essentially telling everyone that *she* was the woman by Nathaniel’s side?! No wonder Estelle was so furious.

She laughed inwardly, "Haha... Estelle, your day of reckoning has finally come!"

Laying her fake sweetness on thick, Thea appeared to be playing peacemaker but was actually fanning the flames.

"Nathaniel... please don’t be angry. Estelle was just doing what’s best for me. She’s right. She is Mrs. Sloan. What am I? I’m nothing but... Never mind. After all, Estelle is your wife. She still has to accompany you to the annual gala in a few days. If you two fight because of me, I’ll feel terribly guilty."

Estelle was speechless.

So was Nathaniel. He looked at Estelle, raised an eyebrow, and mouthed, "Your brilliant idea."

Estelle made a subtle hand gesture, signaling to him, "Just hurry up and get this over with."

Nathaniel let out a soft chuckle, thoroughly amused by Estelle’s cuteness.

Thea, however, assumed the smile was meant for her. Growing even more excited, she murmured softly, "Nathaniel, I’m really okay. You should hurry up and comfort Estelle..."

"The annual gala?" Nathaniel asked calmly, his voice flat. "Who said Estelle is going to be my date for the gala?"

Thea was pleasantly surprised but feigned ignorance. "Then... then who is..."

"You." Nathaniel declared, "Of course, it’s you."

Estelle’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Nathaniel Sloan, what is the meaning of this?"

Nathaniel replied coldly, "If you could be as well-behaved and obedient as Thea, I wouldn’t have grown so sick of you. I already told you I have no love left for you. You don’t need to attend the gala, and you don’t need to come to Evernight International anymore. Not divorcing you immediately is the last shred of dignity I’m offering you. What more do you want?"

Estelle forced two teardrops to fall and cried in utter disbelief, "Nathaniel Sloan! Are you crazy? What kind of madness has gotten into you? We were perfectly fine this morning! Why is it that after just an hour apart, you’ve turned into a completely different person? What kind of love potion did Thea slip you?!"

Thea’s heart skipped a beat as she caught the key phrases.

At least until this morning, Nathaniel had been perfectly normal. But after being apart from Estelle for an hour, he had suddenly changed his tune.

That meant the drug had taken effect!

She knew there would be no issues with this drug. As long as he ingested it, no matter how strong his willpower was, he would morph into exactly the kind of person the one who administered it wanted him to be. Uncle Sloan had told her that he would implant a hypnotic suggestion making Nathaniel believe that the person he loved most was Thea, that he would divorce Estelle, and that he would grandly make Thea the new Mrs. Sloan!

It had worked like a charm! She had to share this wonderful news with Uncle Sloan!

The more Thea thought about it, the happier she became, and she couldn’t resist twisting the knife in Estelle’s wounds.

"Estelle, really... You only know how to accuse Nathaniel of changing his heart. Why don’t you reflect on yourself and think about what you might have done wrong?

"Nathaniel likes me... because I have qualities worth liking.

"You should be looking for your own flaws instead of standing here questioning Nathaniel hysterically."

Estelle knitted her brows. "Since when is what happens between Nathaniel and me any of your business?"

Tears instantly welled up in Thea’s eyes. "Did... did I say something wrong? Nathaniel, I didn’t mean it."

Nathaniel looked at Estelle icily. "Who said it’s just between you and me? We’re getting a divorce in a few days. I’m going to marry Thea."

Estelle bit her lower lip, her voice trembling with rage. "Nathaniel Sloan, you really have gone mad!"

"See yourself out. I don’t want to make a scene," Nathaniel ordered, demanding she leave.

Putting on a masterful performance of being entirely devastated, tears swirling in her eyes, Estelle spun on her heel and ran out of the room in a furious huff.

Soon, only Thea and Nathaniel were left in the office.

Thea gazed tenderly at Nathaniel once more. "Nathaniel, don’t be angry anymore. Estelle just has a bit of a temper, but she doesn’t have a bad heart. How did things escalate to divorce..."

Nathaniel was practically out of patience. Seeing Estelle’s tears, he had desperately wanted to step forward and comfort her. But here, he still had to finish the task Estelle had assigned him.

"If I want a divorce, I’ll get a divorce. You don’t need to worry about it. Oh, right. Get ready to accompany me to the annual gala in two days.

"At the gala, I will announce our marriage."

Nathaniel paused, deliberately testing the waters. "I just don’t know if the Sloan Family will object."