Chapter 506: Claire Yeats Is Certain Estelle Lockwood Has No Evidence

Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Claire Yeats Is Certain Estelle Lockwood Has No Evidence

The design competition announced her permanent ban, and Benjamin Carter was removed from the judging panel. Many people were cheering.

Estelle also noticed a contestant named Liza Shelby in the comment section demanding that the organizing committee reallocate the advancement spots. Since she had placed twenty-first and Estelle was disqualified, the twenty-first place should move up and advance. The committee quickly agreed to her request.

Estelle tilted her head in thought. This Liza Shelby... The Shelby family was close to the Yeats family, and Liza was also Claire’s friend. Liza’s design style was known for being "versatile," with every piece showcasing a completely different vibe—a striking similarity to Evan’s reputation as a "painter."

"I really can’t believe Estelle Lockwood would seduce a judge. She’s Mrs. Sloan! How could she cuckold Mr. Sloan like that?"

"I used to think her work was decent and she could compete with Claire for the championship. But now, it looks like Claire is definitely going to win."

"Congratulations to Claire! Hahaha, seeing that bitch get permanently banned makes me so happy!"

"Don’t even debate if it’s true or false. Benjamin Carter wouldn’t gamble his entire career just to frame Estelle. Is it worth it? What kind of grudge does he even have against her?"

"Even if they have a grudge, she brought it upon herself. Congrats, Claire~"

"Didn’t we hear before that this Estelle is also from the Yeats family’s bloodline? As soon as she returned, she stole Claire’s spot as the eldest daughter of the Yeats family. Are they regretting it now? If you ask me, they shouldn’t bother bringing back kids left wandering outside. Isn’t it better to just leave things as they are?"

...

At the Yeats’ villa.

Claire looked at the direction of public opinion and, certain that Estelle had no chance of making a comeback, finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, when facing Zion, her expression shifted to one of deep worry.

After mulling over the gossip about the Yeats family’s favoritism, Zion felt he still needed to apologize to Estelle. For the first time, a sense of guilt toward her had sprouted in his heart. He was just about to head out when he suddenly noticed Claire looking preoccupied. He couldn’t help but ask, "Claire, what’s wrong?"

Claire looked as if she had been startled. She bit her lower lip lightly like a frightened rabbit. "N-Nothing."

"What exactly is going on?" Zion doted on Claire the most, terrified that outside influences were affecting her. "Claire, don’t overthink things. I will handle the matter with Veridian Retreat. You just need to focus on your competition for now."

"It actually has to do with the competition..." Claire seemed unable to hide it any longer and looked as if she had made up her mind. "Uncle Yeats, I need to tell you something, but please don’t get angry. It’s about Estelle..."

"What about her?" Zion was confused.

Claire feigned hesitation, her face showing reluctance. She finally sighed. "Estelle had originally advanced, but now her ranking has been canceled, and she’s been permanently banned... Everyone out there is calling her shameless. I... I just can’t bear to see it..."

"What happened?" Zion began to panic.

Tears welled up in Claire’s eyes, making her look entirely innocent of the whole ordeal. "Uncle Yeats, I tried to persuade Liza, but she insisted on reporting it, saying she wanted justice for herself. On one hand is my sister, and on the other is my best friend. I really didn’t know what to do... And now, I don’t even know how to face Estelle..."

Zion turned stern. "What exactly happened? What report?"

He knew this Liza girl. She was Claire’s best friend and had visited the Yeats’ villa many times before.

Claire’s face was streaked with tears. "Uncle Yeats, in this competition, Liza placed twenty-first. She missed advancing by just one spot... Originally, she didn’t want to make a fuss about it and thought she would just try again in three years. But who knew... who knew Estelle actually...

"She actually seduced a judge to advance!"

"What?!" Zion was in disbelief.

Old Mrs. Yeats, who was sitting nearby, jumped to her feet. Her face was full of excitement. "I knew it! I knew Estelle was a tramp who would seduce a judge! How does someone like her deserve to stay in the Yeats family!"

Zion snapped his head toward Claire. "Claire, is what you’re saying true? Why would Estelle do such a thing?"

Claire opened the official website and handed the evidence over to Zion, sobbing. "Liza was just too angry, which is why she reported her. Now that Estelle has been disqualified, Liza gets to advance. I know I let Estelle down in this matter. I failed to stop Liza..."

"What does this have to do with you? That tramp has no morals and no shame!" Old Mrs. Yeats roared.

Claire cried and shook her head. "Estelle probably just... wanted to prove herself too badly.

"Because I am the champion, Ember, she felt overshadowed by me. That’s why she was unwilling to accept it and resorted to extremes...

"Why would she do this? If she had just told me, I would have willingly withdrawn from the competition for her. But now, how is the Yeats family supposed to face anyone!"

Zion’s face turned deathly pale. Trembling all over, he stared at everything on the phone in disbelief. "How... how could this happen? Why would she do this?!"

To advance, a married woman had actually seduced a judge. What would others think? The Yeats family had just brought her back, only for such a scandal to erupt. What would everyone think of the Yeats family?

Zion’s mind exploded with a loud BOOM, and any guilt he had harbored toward Estelle vanished instantly. "I had originally thought that since I misunderstood her before, I should give her some face. I even planned to go see her during the finals to let everyone know she is a member of the Yeats family and cannot be bullied...

"I never expected her to give me such a massive surprise!"

At that moment, Claire suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Zion and Old Mrs. Yeats.

"Grandma, Uncle Yeats, there’s still one way out of this. That is... I will take the blame. We can say I was jealous of Estelle and intentionally conspired with Benjamin Carter to frame her. That way, the design competition will disqualify me and let Estelle back in.

"This way, our family’s reputation might still be salvaged...

"For the sake of the family, I am willing to sacrifice myself. I’m just a daughter from a branch family; my upbringing doesn’t reflect on the main Yeats family... I’m willing to sacrifice myself to save everyone and help Estelle!"

"Claire, what kind of nonsense are you spouting!" Old Mrs. Yeats was the first to object, jumping up sharply. "Estelle made this massive mistake out of her own jealousy of you! Why should you sacrifice yourself to fix her mess? Does she even deserve it?!

"I say the Yeats family shouldn’t even intervene. Let Estelle fend for herself! That little bitch—she should have been strangled the moment she was born... No, we should have killed Eleanor! Eleanor’s parents are dead, so she should have died too! Why did she have to live just to be a thorn in our side? Making people think that everything we have now was stolen from her hands!"

Zion showed no reaction whatsoever to his mother’s abusive words. In his eyes, his mother was a senior elder who was just cursing Eleanor and Estelle out of extreme anger. As juniors, no matter what their elders said, they simply had to endure it.

He nodded, his face fraught with exhaustion. "Claire, no matter what, the blame for this cannot be pinned on you. Don’t ever say things like that again. I know you are inherently kind-hearted and could never conspire with Benjamin Carter. Even if you intended to take the fall for her, no one would believe it if you said it."

Claire secretly revealed a faint smile.

The truth was, she was the one who had bribed Benjamin Carter to deliberately frame Estelle. But so what?

Just as Zion had said, she was inherently kind-hearted, and everyone knew how magnanimous she was. If the truth got out, would anyone even believe it? Benjamin had already confessed, and Estelle had no proof. This time, Estelle was dead meat!