Chapter 46: Noelle Is Scorned by Mr. Sloan and Almost Dies of Anger

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Noelle Is Scorned by Mr. Sloan and Almost Dies of Anger

Nathaniel didn’t catch his mumbling. "Zachery, there’s something I’ve always been curious about."

Zachery figured this man was up to no good. If he hadn’t shown up to save Mia today, Zachery wouldn’t even bother giving him the time of day. "What is it?"

Nathaniel looked at the boy who was a carbon copy of Yara Lockwood. The emotions in his heart were churning, but his tone was exceptionally calm, as if he were just asking a casual question.

"What is your relationship with Estelle Lockwood?"

His tone was so utterly ordinary and indifferent that Zachery’s tense nerves relaxed for a split second. "Oh, Es—"

Wait! Zachery suddenly snapped back to his senses, alarm bells blaring wildly in his head.

"What’s going on?" he thought frantically. "Why did the scumbag dad suddenly mention Mommy’s real name? Did he figure it out? No, no, no, that’s not right. If he had, as the ’accomplice who killed Mommy,’ he definitely wouldn’t be this calm. He’s testing me!"

With that in mind, Zachery sharply pivoted. "Oh? Who’s Estelle Lockwood? I remember your fiancée is named Noelle Lockwood, Uncle Sloan. Could they be sisters? Wow, Uncle Sloan, you’re quite the player!"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes.

After a long while, he finally said hoarsely, "Estelle Lockwood is my wife."

Zachery’s intellect peaked at this moment. He deliberately scoffed with disdain, "Why are you asking this? Don’t tell me you suspect Mommy is Estelle Lockwood? Or that you suspect I’m your son?

"Uncle Sloan, that’s just lame. No one scrambles to be someone else’s dad. Even if you’re handsome and rich, you don’t just get a great son like me out of nowhere.

"Also, I know Mommy is amazing, and a lot of people like her. If you want to date her, you should just pursue her directly. Claiming she looks like your ex-wife is no way to hit on someone... oh wait, no, to run a scam."

Zachery cleverly swapped his choice of words at the very end.

"Hmph, who told the scumbag dad to treat Mommy like a scammer the first time they met?" he thought.

Pressing his advantage, Zachery added, "Besides, even if Mommy really is your ex-wife, you should take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why she refuses to acknowledge you. Is it because you treated her too terribly?"

Having dropped that bomb, Zachery quickly ran upstairs, not giving the scumbag dad a chance to respond.

"That was close! He definitely suspects something," Zachery thought to himself. "But... when I said that last sentence, why did his expression look so sad? Does he actually have feelings for Mommy? If he does, why did he kill her?"

On second thought, Zachery figured it was for the best if Nathaniel had feelings. "If he had absolutely no feelings and no guilt, he might just think it saved him a lot of trouble when he found out Mommy returned but refused to acknowledge him. But if he has feelings and feels guilty toward her... then Mommy’s coldness and deliberate concealment of her identity will be a poisoned blade to him."

The next morning at eight o’clock.

Estelle dragged herself out of bed, fighting off a heavy wave of exhaustion.

Thinking about how she still had to "take care" of Nathaniel today, she gritted her teeth. "It’s just two days. I can endure it!"

After washing up, she was about to head downstairs when she suddenly heard a highly affected, pretentious female voice.

"Chapman, Nathaniel being injured is such a huge deal. Why didn’t you tell me?

"I’m sorry, I really didn’t know things would turn out like this. It’s all my fault... Chapman, I’ll stay at Imperial Crest for the next few days to take care of him. I’ll just sleep in my old room, so please make the arrangements."

Estelle raised an eyebrow. This woman had been kicked out countless times, yet she still kept clinging to them like a leech. Her shamelessness was truly astounding.

Chapman hesitated. "Miss Noelle..."

Just then, Nathaniel walked out of the study and into the living room. His brows instantly furrowed. "Why are you here?"

Noelle’s eyes brimmed with tears. She looked as though she wanted to speak but held back, her red, teary eyes gazing at Nathaniel with deep, lingering affection.

"Nathaniel, I never expected you to get hurt at the kindergarten that day. It’s all my fault...

"I just couldn’t put my mind at ease, so I wanted to come over and take care of you. You don’t have anyone attentive and considerate by your side, and Chapman is getting old. It wouldn’t be right to trouble him with certain tasks."

"I don’t need your care," Nathaniel said coldly.

"It’s okay. I’m more than willing to take care of you." Noelle bit her lower lip. "Nathaniel, have you changed your dressing yet? Let me help you."

As she spoke, she stepped forward to grab his wrist.

Estelle let out a light chuckle, practically flying down the stairs. She smoothly hooked her arm through Nathaniel’s and feigned intimacy. "Nathaniel, so this is where you were. How’s your arm doing?"

Nathaniel stiffened.

Noelle’s eyes widened drastically. Her lips trembled as if she had just witnessed something utterly unbelievable. "You..."

"Oh, so Miss Lockwood is here too. Does Miss Lockwood want to take care of Nathaniel? There’s no need; I can take care of him myself. You’re a wealthy young lady who’s never had to lift a finger in her life. How could you possibly know how to take care of someone? Please don’t add to the chaos."

Estelle rested her head on Nathaniel’s shoulder, playing up the affection. "Isn’t that right, Nathaniel?"

The living room descended into a sudden silence.

Estelle still remembered an incident shortly after they got married. Nathaniel had been injured at a banquet, and a massive crowd had swarmed around him, squeezing her—his actual wife—to the very outside.

Noelle had hovered around him, bustling about anxiously, and the group had respectfully made way for her.

Estelle had tried to step in to help, but Noelle had loudly reprimanded her. "Sister, you came from the countryside! Do you even know how to bandage someone? You don’t know anything! At a time like this, can you please stop causing trouble!"

The guests had also pointed fingers at her, criticizing her for lacking grace. They wondered why, during such an emergency, she still wanted to compete for favor with Miss Noelle—and if she even thought she could win.

But back then, Estelle had merely wanted to help...

Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Estelle swept a glance over Noelle’s pale face, feeling a profound sense of satisfaction.

Noelle trembled all over, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. "Miss Yara, Nathaniel’s injury is no small matter. It can’t be treated like a joke. Over the years, I’ve been the one taking care of all his illnesses, both major and minor. I know exactly how to look after him, and you won’t be able to do it properly..."

"Is that so?" Estelle blinked innocently. "But Mr. Sloan only wants me to take care of him."

Noelle desperately forced a gentle smile, though it strained at the edges. "Miss Yara, please stop joking. Nathaniel... say something..."

Estelle also turned to look at Nathaniel. She lowered her gaze, the threat in her eyes glaringly obvious.

Nathaniel’s lips suddenly curled up. He leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. "What does Miss Lockwood want me to do?"

Estelle raised an eyebrow. "You can’t tell what I want you to do? Are you playing dumb with me?"

Nathaniel’s eyes shifted thoughtfully. The scene that just played out and the words she used—he had an impression of them. At a banquet six years ago, he had been injured, and Estelle had wanted to help bandage him, only to be shoved aside by Noelle.

Since Yara still refused to admit that she was Estelle, his only option was to...

A playful smile tugged at the corners of Nathaniel’s lips as he decided to push the test to its absolute limit. "I can help you. But Dr. Lockwood, give me a kiss. How about that?"