Chapter 523: Finding a Breakthrough

Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Finding a Breakthrough

Nathaniel gently pulled her into his arms, his voice hoarse. "It’s all in the past."

Estelle couldn’t imagine that someone who looked exactly like her was living in some corner of the world, using her identity. Everything that person did would eventually become things she herself had done. Like that fire. But... why? Could two people in the world really look exactly the same? Even if they did, why would she use Estelle’s name to live?

Nathaniel said, "During those five years, I never saw you, nor did I see that person."

Estelle hesitated for a long while. "Do you think... that person has looked like me since childhood, or... did they have plastic surgery?"

Was it possible for two people with no blood relation to look identical? It might be possible, but the chances were incredibly slim. So, if that person had looked like her since they were young... could it be her sister? But how did Zion Yeats fit into this?

Nathaniel’s voice was low. "Many things haven’t been cleared up yet. It’s too early to make these guesses."

Estelle indeed felt a bit shaken. She stood up and paced around the room. It was true; just as Nathaniel had said, an adult man taller than her had once lived in this house. If this man was Zion, then it proved that there were actually two people sharing the identity of ’Zion Yeats.’ After all, once ’Zion’ succeeded as the Head of the Yeats, he had never left Capital City or the Yeats Family for any extended period. How could he have lived here?

Nathaniel leaned over. "I also found something interesting."

Estelle raised an eyebrow and crouched down beside him. She noticed that a few floor tiles here were loose, and beneath them, there seemed to be a box.

"Grandpa didn’t tell me about this."

"Look at the handwriting. Your mother probably hid it." Nathaniel looked around. "The reason Claire was able to steal the painting back then was likely because someone who looked identical to you opened the basement door for her. However, accessing the basement doesn’t require passing through the rooms. I’m guessing they didn’t search this villa thoroughly. After all, the villa is registered under your name. They certainly wouldn’t want you to discover their tracks, so they only took the painting."

That was indeed possible.

Estelle pulled out the box hidden beneath the floor tiles. Opening it, she found some diary entries.

[Father has gone missing... I can’t find him anywhere...]

[Uncle said Father was dead. He had been in poor health and had long suffered from an incurable disease.]

[My brother told me I would have him from now on, and he would treat me well.]

[Now, Uncle has become the Head of the Yeats. Even though everyone says Father was in poor health and the position of Family Head would eventually go to Uncle anyway, his family gives me a very eerie feeling... except for my brother.]

[Quentin looks so much like my brother. Even though he’s only three, he’s quite cute.]

[Why do I feel like Melody’s gaze is a bit strange?]

[I think I’m going to leave the Yeats Family. This is not my home. After Father passed away, the Yeats Family had nothing to do with me anymore. But my brother is still here...]

[My brother has turned into a different person.]

Seeing this, Estelle let out a soft sigh.

It seemed to be true. Her mother could sense that the brother she grew up with had turned into someone else. This meant that aside from his face, Zion had undergone a significant, fundamental change.

But did the rest of the Yeats Family know about Zion’s changes? They must have known. Their own son, their own husband, had turned into a cowardly and timid person. As family members who lived together, how could they not have noticed? Hadn’t her mother noticed? Yet, the Yeats raised no objections and even let him continue serving as the Head of the Yeats. They never showed any urgency over ’Zion’s disappearance,’ to the point where the real Zion became an invisible person with no identity. What exactly was the Yeats Family trying to do? Was her mother also... because she discovered the Yeats Family’s secret?

"Your mother might not have found a breakthrough back then, but now..." Nathaniel paused. "Claire Yeats is the breakthrough."

Estelle brought the wooden box back to Imperial Crest.

Christian quietly poked his head out. "Mommy."

Estelle immediately pulled the little boy into her arms.

Christian whispered, "Zachery said you’re in a bad mood. What’s wrong? Can you tell me?"

Estelle’s heart melted. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Christian, how do you think your great-grandfather treats you all?"

"You mean Grandpa Yeats?" Christian asked.

Estelle fell silent. Wasn’t the generation gap completely messed up here? But she didn’t point it out, merely nodding. "What do you think of him?"

Sometimes, children could observe a person from a different perspective, noticing angles that adults missed.

Christian thought for a moment. "I think... Grandpa Yeats seems very conflicted."

"Conflicted?"

"Grandpa Yeats always seems to be waiting for someone, looking out for someone, but there’s clearly no one outside the window. People say Grandpa Yeats has a happy family, his sons are all there, and he even found you, Mommy. But I always feel like he’s very lonely."

Was that so? Estelle narrowed her eyes. Put that way, he was indeed very conflicted.

"Also, I think Grandpa Yeats cares about Grandma," Christian suddenly threw himself into Estelle’s arms. "He often unconsciously mutters, ’Eleanor, Eleanor.’ That’s Grandma’s name, right?"

Estelle nodded. "Apart from that... is there anything else?"

"There’s also..." Christian racked his brain, while Mia chimed in as she ate a lollipop, "There’s also Zion."

Estelle’s head snapped up!

Mia looked unfazed. "But sometimes I feel like he’s just frustrated with his incompetence. That tone of his... tsk, tsk. One moment he’s guilty, the next he’s frustrated. I seriously suspect Grandpa Yeats has dementia."

Estelle was speechless. She took away the candy in Mia’s hand. "Mia, open your mouth and let Mommy see."

Mia froze, her eyes darting around. "I-it’s nothing! I don’t have cavities. I don’t! I don’t!"

Zachery tattled, "Mia does have cavities! You told her not to eat them, but she still did!"

Mia exploded with anger instantly. The little strategist lost her previous composure. "Who said that! Zachery, you little idiot, how dare you laugh at me! Mommy, I want to tattle too! He failed his mid-term math test!"

Zachery’s expression changed immediately, the cool little boy completely losing his cool. "Mommy, don’t listen to Mia’s nonsense!"

Nathaniel found the scene amusing, a gentle warmth tinting his eyes.

After the three children had fallen asleep, Nathaniel asked softly, "What were you thinking about just now?"

Estelle had just finished her shower. Wrapped in a bathrobe, she sat on the balcony, looking up at the starry sky. After the high-intensity back-to-back competitions, it had been a long time since she had experienced such a relaxing and comfortable moment.

"I was thinking... Christian is so cute, Zachery is so cute, and Mia is so cute too.

"I love them so much. I really, really love them. They are my flesh and blood, and I won’t allow anyone to hurt them.

"If..."