Chapter 496: Public Opinion Escalates, Claire Yeats Is Eliminated

Chapter 496: Chapter 496: Public Opinion Escalates, Claire Yeats Is Eliminated

"So what does Old Mr. Yeats mean?" Estelle asked with a light laugh. "Do you mean that my design is doomed to be eliminated? No, let’s look at the reality—Claire took my design, defeated all competitors along the way, and won first place in the preliminary round."

"I..." Zion choked on his words.

That was exactly what he thought. Yes, he admitted Estelle was excellent, but compared to Claire, she still fell a bit short.

"Furthermore, the rules of the design competition are the rules," Estelle continued. "Claire made a ’mistake’ due to her own reasons and got eliminated. Elimination is elimination. Are you saying that because of her status, anyone with a better design has to just accept their bad luck when they encounter her? Then it really is exactly as Ms. Foster said—this isn’t a design competition, it’s a battle of family backgrounds."

Zion wanted to deny it, but the words died on his lips. He felt incredibly distressed, seemingly unable to understand how Estelle could have grown up to be so crooked. They were sisters. It was just a design competition. Claire liked it, so why couldn’t she just let Claire have it? What was so wrong with that?

"Estelle, your uncle can compensate you in the future, but right now..."

"I’m a little curious. When exactly is this ’future’ the Yeats Family keeps talking about?" Estelle asked faintly. "When I’m dead?"

"Estelle!" Zion was shocked.

"Your good son, Evan, stole my father’s work, and you said you would give me an explanation in the future. Your good ’daughter,’ Claire’s assistant hired a hitman to kill me, and you said you would give me an explanation in the future.

"Claire hijacked my design and used underhanded methods to eliminate me. You want me to just swallow it and step aside for her, and you said you would give me an explanation in the future.

"Old Mr. Yeats seems to only make verbal promises. In reality, you haven’t delivered on a single explanation you agreed to give. Tell me, how do you expect me to believe you?"

Zion collapsed back into his chair with a heavy THUD. "No, it’s not..."

Ms. Foster couldn’t tolerate it any longer. "Now I see just how biased the Yeats Family is. Rest assured, Miss Lockwood, I will make this matter public in its entirety. Claire, you are eliminated!"

"No, no..." Claire suddenly stood up. "Estelle, my dear sister, please forgive me this once. I really didn’t know... I really didn’t know anything. Please don’t steal my spot in the competition. I really want to participate. I’m begging you..."

She thought, "I am the champion. I will let everyone know I am the champion. Whether it’s stolen or snatched, the championship must be mine!"

Seeing that Estelle remained silent, Claire weakly and helplessly gritted her teeth, then suddenly fell to her knees with a loud THUD!

"Claire!" Zion hurriedly helped her up. "You’re in poor health! Why are you kneeling?!"

The scales in his heart tipped with bias once again. "Estelle, I’ve already told you, Claire is in poor health. Can’t you be considerate of her? With her condition... she might not have the strength to participate in the next competition. This could be her very last one. But you still have opportunities ahead of you. Can’t you... can’t you just let her have this?

"We are all a family. Why must it come to this!

"If your mother were still here, do you think she’d want to see you fighting with your biological sister like this?"

Estelle’s face instantly turned cold.

"First of all, I don’t have a biological sister. What blood relation does this Miss Yeats have with my mother? How dare she try to claim kinship with me?

"Secondly... since the Yeats Family insists I am one of the Yeats, and therefore I must step aside for Claire, then I apologize." Estelle smoothed her hair. "From today onward, I have absolutely no ties to the Yeats Family."

The surrounding crowd fell silent, exchanging glances. It seemed Estelle was truly infuriated. Old Mr. Yeats had personally announced her identity, yet now she was tossing it away without a second thought. Then again, the Yeats Family had crossed the line. She would have to be a saint to endure this any longer. Logically speaking, at a time like this, any normal person would reflect on their actions.

Yet, Zion still felt that Estelle was making a fuss over nothing. "Can’t you just do it for my sake..."

"Miss Lockwood, let’s change to another private room so you can show me all the evidence again," Ms. Foster interrupted.

Estelle curled her lips into a smile and calmly walked out. She suddenly turned back. "Old Mr. Yeats, I didn’t understand why my mother chose to leave the Yeats Family all by herself before, but now I think I get it...

"The Yeats Family is unworthy."

Zion slumped down, his expression filled with sorrow.

How did things end up like this... How...

Eleanor had left. She had walked away without looking back. He was clearly her brother, yet she insisted on seeking out someone else, claiming he wasn’t her brother, but that other person was.

And now Estelle...

He really didn’t want to treat Estelle this way either. But Claire had grown up by his side—couldn’t Estelle just show a little understanding?! He would have plenty of time to compensate Estelle in the future. Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn’t a single person understand his good intentions?

"Dad, what do we do now? Claire can’t be eliminated..." Evan kept chattering away on the side, completely oblivious to the gazes of others.

Claire gritted her teeth and walked off to the side to make a phone call.

"Grandma, I’ve been eliminated...

"Yes, I was originally going to advance, but Estelle...

"Grandma, please don’t be angry. After all, Estelle is the true eldest daughter of the Yeats Family, and I’m nothing...

"But... but I’m just worried that the Yeats Family will suffer losses because of this..."

Meanwhile, the official website of the XM Design Competition announced the incident.

[? What?? Claire was eliminated?]

[The one who advanced is Estelle? That’s hilarious. Our Claire is the real champion. Don’t tell me the judging panel was bribed by Estelle!]

[To Claire’s fans: I suggest you go listen to the audio recording, OK? The evidence is all laid out. You guys look like absolute clowns.]

[Oh my God! So disgusting! Do Claire and Evan think this design competition is their backyard?]

[If Claire can arbitrarily pick her opponents and steal their design drafts, then how exactly did she win the championship last time?]

[Cloud Sea Building was clearly Estelle’s work... So many people saw it that day, but when it was made public, it had Claire’s name on it, and not a single person mentioned it?]

[Haven’t you heard? Anyone who dares to bring it up is going against the Yeats Family. At the end of the recording, the Yeats Family even tried to threaten Estelle into compromising.]

[That Claire is such a manipulative green tea b*tch. She even kneeled and said stuff like, ’This competition is very important to me, please let me have it.’ I mean, who does she think she is? It’s important to you, so it isn’t important to anyone else? You stole someone else’s work, used dirty tricks to eliminate them, and now that they’re demanding justice, you’re playing the victim?]

[I’m just saying... The Yeats Family hasn’t gone bankrupt under this Family Head’s hands?]

[They can’t distinguish right from wrong and they twist the truth. Liam Sloan was right—Claire and Evan did all these things, and Old Mr. Yeats didn’t know?]

[By the way... the mother Estelle mentioned must be that eldest daughter of the Yeats Family who ran away from home, Zion’s sister.]

[Don’t you guys find it weird? The Yeats Family claimed they doted on Eleanor so much, yet Eleanor gave up her identity and wealth just to leave the Yeats Family... Sheesh, could she have been forced out too?]