Chapter 74: Revoking Noelle Lockwood’s Privileges

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Revoking Noelle Lockwood’s Privileges

Zane Grant hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "But Mrs. Sloan, the Sloan family, and the Lockwood family probably won’t just let this go.

"Besides... Nathaniel, making Christian’s identity public means you’ll face a massive backlash from public opinion. I know you don’t care, but if Christian gets cursed at... do you think he can handle it?"

In the fire five years ago, although Estelle Lockwood was the only fatality, over twenty medical staff and patients were injured. The hospital also lost a lot of equipment, several wards were destroyed, and the medical treatment of hundreds of people was delayed, causing an extremely severe negative impact. Once the cause of the fire was determined to be Estelle committing arson to commit suicide, almost everyone cursed her. They cursed her to die a horrible death, said she deserved it, and cursed her for harming others even in death.

Because of the public sentiment at the time, Rose Lowell proposed claiming publicly that Christian was Noelle Lockwood’s child. That way, even if people insulted Estelle, it wouldn’t implicate Christian. Due to Noelle’s status as a celebrity, this matter caused a huge uproar online. Only five years had passed, so there were definitely still people who remembered.

If Christian’s identity were made public now, he would undoubtedly face intense scrutiny and questioning. He might not even be able to go to kindergarten. Furthermore, there was one most important point.

"When Noelle found Christian back then, he had been thrown into the fire and was barely breathing. Can we tell Christian about this? Tell him that his mother wanted to commit suicide and didn’t want him to survive either? So many people saw it; we can’t hide it...

"If Christian knew, how heartbroken would he be?"

As Zane was sighing, Nathaniel suddenly spoke up. "But Christian has grown up."

"What?" Zane clearly didn’t understand, but Nathaniel didn’t elaborate.

Perhaps sometimes, he really should listen to his child’s opinion. Back then, "for Christian’s own good," he had hidden the fact that his biological mother was Estelle, causing him to suffer grievances under Noelle... Was this kind of "for his own good" truly good?

The next day, at Evernight International.

The perfume launch had already been put on the schedule. The entire perfume department was bustling with activity, their admiration for Estelle growing by the day, while they completely ignored Noelle. Hearing that Nathaniel was looking for her, Noelle finally felt a sense of vindication. Under the envious gazes of the crowd, she walked toward the CEO’s office.

"Nathaniel, you’re looking for me? Is your headache feeling any better?"

Noelle walked in as if there was no one else around and reached out, wanting to give Nathaniel a massage. Nathaniel coldly raised his eyes and waved his hand, dismissing the secretaries before cutting straight to the chase.

"You’ve seen Christian’s attitude toward you. Since he doesn’t like you, you should interact with him less in the future. I will choose an appropriate time to announce Christian’s true identity. From then on, you will no longer be his mother, but his aunt. You also don’t need to come to Imperial Crest anymore."

Noelle’s expression suddenly froze.

She wondered, "Did I hear that right? Announce Christian’s identity? And revoke my privilege to freely enter and exit Imperial Crest?!"

Outsiders believed she was the future Mrs. Sloan precisely because of the existence of Christian, her supposed "biological son"!

"Nathaniel... isn’t this decision too hasty? Christian is still young, and making it public now won’t do him any good. Didn’t we discuss in the beginning to wait until he comes of age..."

"I am not asking for your opinion," Nathaniel said, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

Noelle clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh, but her face still displayed a look of pure worry.

"But... Nathaniel, I’m worried that Christian will be cursed at. He’s young, and his mental resilience isn’t strong enough... You know that what my sister did back then was wrong, and those who were injured still harbor resentment against her..."

Nathaniel’s eyes suddenly darkened.

Noelle’s heart skipped a beat. She hastily shook her head with tears in her eyes. "Nathaniel, of course I don’t mean to blame my sister. I just mean that we can understand her committing arson to end her life, and our hearts can ache for her.

"But outsiders—those who were injured and had their treatments delayed because of my sister’s fire—won’t understand her. They are still saying it’s good that she died... Under these circumstances, wouldn’t announcing Christian’s identity just give those people an outlet to vent their anger?

"Over the years, the Lockwood family has faced immense controversy due to my sister’s arson. But Mom, Dad, and I are adults, after all, so it doesn’t matter if people gossip about us. But Christian..."

Noelle was full of worry, making it seem as if she truly had Christian’s best interests at heart. However, she was bursting with joy on the inside. The hospital arson would forever be the shackle weighing down on Estelle. Even in death, she would be reviled by millions! But who would care about who actually started the fire? Estelle was dead anyway, and everyone in the Lockwood family insisted that she had suicidal tendencies. Naturally, the blame for the arson fell entirely on her. She was a dead person anyway. What did it matter if she took on a little more blame?

She thought, "But since Estelle is already dead, couldn’t she just stay dead and not cause trouble? Why would Nathaniel suggest revealing Christian’s identity? Did someone say something to him?!"

"Noelle." Nathaniel suddenly spoke, interrupting Noelle’s train of thought. "I am only Christian’s father; I cannot interfere with his entire life. Whatever he thinks or does, as his father, I only have reason to support him. Therefore, I am here to inform you—it is Christian who no longer wants to be your son. Do I need to make myself any clearer?"

Noelle said anxiously, "But Christian is still young. Making decisions on his own..."

"Whatever consequences his decisions may have, I will bear them for him. Do you have any other objections?"

"I..." Noelle never expected that even after saying all this, Nathaniel still wanted to make it public!

She thought, "No... Even though I hate that little bastard Christian, he is my only path to marrying Nathaniel!"

Biting her lip, Noelle burst into tears. "Nathaniel, since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t stop you. I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn just now. I am, after all, just an outsider..." With that, she ran out crying.

Once outside, Noelle made a frantic phone call. "Mom, Nathaniel doesn’t want me anymore. What should I do..."

Rose was equally anxious. "What happened? Damn it! I heard that little bastard Christian Sloan has been getting very close to Yara Lockwood recently. Could it be that Yara instigated this?! Noelle, you have to think of a way to make everyone sympathize with you right now, and while you’re at it, trample on those two bitches, Estelle and Yara!"

Noelle fell deep in thought. Was there a way to kill two birds with one stone... Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her. "Mom, I know what to do!"

After hanging up, Noelle went straight to the perfume department, accessed some files, secretly took a bottle of perfume, and mailed it to the Lockwood Group.

One week later.

The Lockwood Group released their perfume one hour earlier than the Star Group’s.

Estelle had been working day and night these past few days. This was the first collaborative perfume between Star and Evernight International. She had poured countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears into formulating it. After signing her name in the Perfumer section, the perfume went on sale right on time.

Her assistant complained from the side, "The Lockwood Group also launched a perfume an hour ago. Rumor has it that Noelle is the perfumer, and her fans are going crazy buying it. What is she trying to do? She knows full well that we are launching our perfume today too... Is she trying to pick a fight with us?"