Chapter 157: The Truth Is Revealed, Yara Is Estelle
Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The Truth Is Revealed, Yara Is Estelle
As the police moved in to restrain her, Laura Jennings stumbled back, screaming in a panic, "Get away! Get away from me! Noelle, why did you say those things?!"
Noelle Lockwood willingly approached the police, her eyes brimming with tears. "Auntie, we can’t keep compounding our mistakes."
Laura Jennings felt as if her entire world was collapsing. Her glare, so intense it seemed her eyes would burst, fell on Nathaniel Sloan.
"They’re slandering your mother! Are you a corpse? Why aren’t you reacting?! Get me out of here! I’m innocent! And even if I did kill Estelle Lockwood, she deserved it! Aaaah—!"
Nathaniel Sloan gave the officers a cold, indifferent nod.
In short order, Laura Jennings was bundled into a police car, which then sped away.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. The reporters Noelle Lockwood had hired didn’t know what to do. They had been brought here to viciously slander Estelle Lockwood and prop up Noelle, the fake heiress.
But now, in a complete reversal, Noelle Lockwood was being taken to the station herself. Were they supposed to continue with their reports?
RING RING RING...
Just then, Rose Lowell’s and Austin Lockwood’s phones began ringing off the hook!
Austin Lockwood subconsciously answered a call. A business partner’s voice came through the receiver, "President Lockwood, about that partnership we discussed... things have become a bit inconvenient..."
"Ms. Lowell, SE is a high-end luxury brand. Our ambassadors must have a top-tier image and be free of scandals. And now Miss Lockwood has been taken to the police station..."
"Ms. Lowell, about that leading role you secured for Noelle Lockwood, I’m afraid it’s no longer possible. The investors don’t dare! Now that Miss Lockwood has been taken in for questioning... it would be one thing if she’s released without charges, but what if that fire really was her doing?"
"It’s really not personal against Noelle Lockwood, but look at this mess. You dote on the adopted daughter while ignoring whether your real daughter lives or dies. The public reaction online has been massive. That variety show she’s on promotes a gentle, kind-hearted persona, which is completely at odds with Noelle now..."
"President Lockwood, the reason I partnered with the Lockwood Group was that I saw how well you and your wife treated your daughter. I’m a doting father myself, so I figured we’d have a lot in common! But who knew? The daughter you cherish is your adopted one, while you beat, curse, and wish death upon your own flesh and blood. My wife said your hearts are too cruel; we can’t do business with people like you."
"Austin Lockwood! I must have been out of my goddamn mind to ever work with you! Deal with your own damn daughters!"
...
The angry calls kept coming, one after another, too many to answer.
Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell’s faces turned ashen.
Partnerships, gone. Investments, gone. Noelle’s leading roles, variety shows, and film projects... all gone.
"President Lockwood!" an employee exclaimed, rushing over in a panic. "The shareholders are furious with Miss Noelle! Right now... many of them are dumping their shares at low prices! We’re losing control..."
One of the shareholders present pointed a finger right in Rose Lowell’s face and yelled:
"When the true heiress returned, we told you again and again not to show favoritism. But you just had to, didn’t you! Look at the mess you’ve made! Are you happy now?!"
"President Lockwood, take a good look at your fine wife and your precious adopted daughter!"
"Aah!!" Rose Lowell had never been berated and pointed at like this in her life. Blood rushed to her head, and waves of dizziness washed over her. The image of Noelle’s wronged, tearful eyes as she was led to the police car flashed in her mind, and Rose suddenly shrieked:
"Estelle Lockwood! This is all your fault! All of it! Why did you have to come back alive?! You ruined Noelle! I’ll make you pay with your life!"
Without thinking, she lunged forward, viciously raising her hand to slap Estelle Lockwood across the face—
Nathaniel Sloan seized her wrist in an iron grip.
The scene fell utterly silent. Nathaniel Sloan’s gaze grew colder, sharper. Each word he spoke landed like a hammer blow on the hearts of Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell.
"Ms. Lowell, just fifteen minutes ago, your own daughter’s name was cleared. And yet, the very first thing you do after the truth is revealed is to demand why Estelle is still alive."
Nathaniel Sloan’s features were cold, but his presence was immense. "Noelle Lockwood reaped what she sowed. You, Ms. Lowell, abandoned your own daughter. And now you’re playing the victim? President Lockwood, there’s no principle on Earth that would justify this, is there?"
As he finished, Nathaniel Sloan abruptly released her. Rose Lowell crumpled to the floor like a wilted leaf.
The crowd around them instantly caught on.
Everyone had heard Rose Lowell scream the name "Estelle Lockwood" at Yara Lockwood a moment ago.
No one in attendance was a fool. Connecting the dots, they immediately figured out the truth.
"So Yara Lockwood is Estelle Lockwood?"
"Look at President Lockwood and Mrs. Lockwood. They must have known all along!"
"Definitely! Why else would Rose Lowell have screamed that at Yara Lockwood? What a joke these parents are. Their own daughter comes home after suffering countless grievances, and not only do they feel no sympathy, they even indulge their adopted daughter’s schemes to murder her for the inheritance. Now that their real daughter is alive, they’re playing dead, pretending not to recognize her. It’s absolutely ludicrous!"
"Their real daughter is standing right here, and they have the gall to hold this hypocritical memorial for her. Who are they trying to kid?"
"Wasn’t there that incident before, with Noelle Lockwood plagiarizing Yara Lockwood? I bet the Lockwood family knew the truth back then. That’s why they tried everything to get rid of Yara, terrified that their precious adopted daughter might get the slightest stain on her reputation!"
"No wonder the Lockwoods have been targeting Yara Lockwood this whole time. For that adopted daughter, they’ve abandoned all sense of humanity!"
Rose Lowell’s face alternated between flushed red and deathly pale. Amidst the crowd’s unconcealed scorn, she abruptly came to her senses.
’What did I just say? How could I have blurted out what I was really thinking!’
’What do I do... Noelle is still at the police station, and now... now...’
"Estelle!" Just then, Austin Lockwood put on the face of a doting father. He strode forward, his voice thick with emotion.
"Estelle... I never thought it was really you. I didn’t think you were still alive... It’s good that you’re alive. It’s so good..."
Then he turned and berated Rose Lowell, "Favoring Noelle is one thing, but to act like this when Estelle has returned! I know you love both your daughters equally and just have a hard time expressing it. But you have to make that clear to Estelle! It doesn’t matter if outsiders misunderstand you, but we can’t let our own daughter misunderstand you!"
As if jolted, Rose Lowell scrambled up from the floor. "Right, right! I... how could I not love my own daughter? I’m just... I’m just not good at showing it! Estelle, the truth is, your mother loves you very much. I’m happier than anyone that you’re alive..."
Nathaniel Sloan’s gaze flickered downward as he glanced at Estelle Lockwood.
Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow, her tone nonchalant. "Is that so? You both ’love’ me very much, you say... Then how is it that I’ve been back for so long, yet neither of you has come to take me home?"
A vein throbbed on Rose Lowell’s forehead. She was on the verge of spewing curses but was stopped when Austin Lockwood gripped her wrist tightly.
Austin Lockwood plastered on a fake smile. "Estelle, it’s not that your mother and I didn’t want to bring you home. Things have been a mess here, so the timing wasn’t right. But now... now it is. The Lockwood home will always be your home. We would be overjoyed to have you back."
Estelle Lockwood paused for a moment before a knowing smile spread across her face.