Chapter 158: From Today On, I Will Be Myself Again
Chapter 158: Chapter 158: From Today On, I Will Be Myself Again
Estelle Lockwood asked nonchalantly, "So, President Lockwood and Ms. Lowell, you want me to go back to the Lockwood family with you?"
For some reason, Austin Lockwood saw a hint of horror in Estelle Lockwood’s smile.
He shivered instinctively, but then reminded himself that the person before him was just his daughter. There was nothing to be afraid of.
Austin said hypocritically, "That’s right, Estelle. The Lockwood estate is your home, after all."
Estelle smiled and turned her head. "And is Ms. Lowell willing?"
Rose Lowell, of course, was not. ’I hate Estelle Lockwood’s guts,’ she thought. ’It’s all her fault that my Noelle was exposed as a fake heiress. Noelle is still at the police station, and yet I’m supposed to welcome Estelle back? What kind of twisted justice is that! Estelle wants to be the Lockwood heiress? Dream on!’
But Austin dug his fingers into her arm and then smiled. "Of course your mother is willing. Right, Rose?"
Rose had no choice. She forced down her anger and stammered with a forced smile, "Y-Yes, of course, Estelle. We’re so glad you’re coming back. We’ve always kept your room ready for you!"
Austin Lockwood looked at Estelle Lockwood with anticipation.
Right now, they absolutely had to mitigate the damage to the Lockwood Group’s reputation. If the Lockwood Family didn’t make a statement, things would only get worse.
But if Estelle Lockwood returned to the family, they could frame it as a private family matter!
’See? Their own daughter, Estelle Lockwood, has forgiven them. What right do you outsiders have to criticize?’
But Estelle Lockwood suddenly broke into a smile. "As your daughter, I’d love to return to the Lockwood family with you. It’s just a shame that what happened before was so... heartbreaking for me. How about this, President Lockwood? Why don’t you show me your sincerity?"
Austin Lockwood nearly shattered his teeth from gritting them so hard.
Steeling himself, he said, "Sincerity? Of course we’re sincere. Estelle, you are our real daughter. I will give the inheritance... I’ll give the inheritance rights to you."
"From now on, you will be the sole heir to the Lockwood Group, and we will publicly announce your identity to everyone!"
Rose Lowell immediately wanted to scream, but Austin clamped his hand tightly over her mouth.
Estelle Lockwood watched the couple with a smile that wasn’t a smile. After a long moment, she finally gave a slow nod.
"In that case, President Lockwood, I’ll be watching your performance... I’m not a very patient person, so I can’t wait too long."
"Of course, of course."
...
This whole "memorial" farce finally came to a close with Noelle Lockwood and Laura Jennings being taken away in a police car, and Estelle Lockwood making her return.
The reporters were asked to leave. Rose Lowell and Austin Lockwood, likely feeling humiliated, covered their faces and hurried away. For a moment, the scene fell silent.
Estelle Lockwood glanced at her phone.
The news, Weibo—every platform was providing wall-to-wall coverage of the event. Almost everyone now knew that the famous designer and international psychologist, Yara Lockwood, was actually Estelle Lockwood.
Nathaniel Sloan stood beside her, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "Now that you don’t have to hide your identity anymore, do you want to go back to using your own name?"
Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow and said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Of course. From this day on, I’m going to be myself again."
Her name was Estelle Lockwood. It was the name her adoptive grandfather had given her, and it hadn’t changed even after she returned to the Lockwood family.
But because of that fire five years ago, she had been forced to hide her identity.
Now, she could finally use her own name again.
A lump formed in Nathaniel Sloan’s throat, thick with a bitter feeling. He opened his mouth to speak.
He wanted to say that it was wonderful she could be Estelle Lockwood again.
He wanted to say that from now on, he would be by her side for everything, whether it was for revenge or for returning favors.
But for some reason, he couldn’t get the words out. Perhaps because he owed her too much, Nathaniel Sloan didn’t even dare take a single step forward at that moment.
Estelle Lockwood bent down and picked up the "suicide note" that had fallen on the ground.
"Rose Lowell must have been very secretive when she forged this note. How did you find those witnesses?"
Nathaniel Sloan lowered his eyes, hiding his expression. "I ran a check on everyone at the hospital and found that a few of them had suddenly struck it rich."
The phrase "suddenly struck it rich" made Estelle Lockwood laugh. "Ah... so why did it take Mr. Sloan so long to think of that?" she asked nonchalantly.
Nathaniel Sloan’s fingertips twitched.
He didn’t want to explain. His failure to realize the suicide note was problematic was a grave mistake, and bringing up that video now would feel like he was just making excuses for himself.
It was Luke White who couldn’t help but interject, "Miss Lockwood... Mrs. Sloan, sir was just too heartbroken back then. The video you left made it impossible for him to face things for days. Later, sir suspected you were still alive and looked for you, but..."
"What video?" Estelle Lockwood asked, surprised.
Luke White blurted out, "The one you sent to sir before you left..."
"Luke, get out," Nathaniel Sloan said, suddenly realizing something was wrong and cutting him off sharply.
Estelle Lockwood froze for two seconds. "What video can’t you show me?"
Nathaniel Sloan remained impassive. "At the time, the Lockwood family all said... that you couldn’t go on living. I was drowning in the grief of your death and was lost for some time."
"In the suicide note the Lockwood family gave me, you supposedly accused me in your own words of not caring for you, of not loving you. You felt your life was hopeless and that you couldn’t go on."
Estelle Lockwood’s brow furrowed. "The Lockwood family said that, and you just believed them? Nathaniel Sloan, what gives you the right to think so little of me? To think I would kill myself over a man?"
She had only wanted to leave Nathaniel Sloan, but she had never once thought of giving up her own life.
Her call to Nathaniel Sloan about a divorce, with Noelle Lockwood as the trigger, was a fact.
But she had never, for a single moment, thought about dying. She was abandoned as a child, and her grandfather adopted her, raising her bit by bit. Her life was important to some people. If her grandfather knew she had died for a man, he would be heartbroken. So, she would never give up her life for anyone.
And Nathaniel Sloan had actually believed she would willingly take her own life.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Estelle Lockwood got into the car with a frown and slammed the door. A chill laced her voice. "It seems Mr. Sloan still doesn’t know me well enough. I’m a coward who clings to life and fears death. You think I’d die for you? Not even in my next life."
Nathaniel Sloan watched the car speed away, his gaze burning. A suspicion began to form in his mind.
After returning to Imperial Crest, he went straight to his study, pulled up the video from five years ago, and sat down at the computer.
He had sent the video to a forensic analysis agency. It hadn’t been edited or synthesized. The "Estelle Lockwood" in the video had that exact face; there were no post-production alterations.
’Unless the woman in the video had plastic surgery to look like Estelle when it was filmed.’
But what would be the point? At the time, aside from the title of "Mrs. Sloan," what else about Estelle Lockwood was worth coveting enough for someone to deliberately get surgery to look like her?
This video... it had cost them five years.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...
Just as he was lost in thought, Nathaniel Sloan’s phone rang.
The man glanced at it casually, and his eyebrows shot up.
The message was from a friend he had made in the USA. He had traveled to many places in search of Estelle’s whereabouts. While in the USA, he had casually helped someone and, after hearing about her difficulties, exchanged contact information. Not wanting to reveal his real name, Nathaniel Sloan had offhandedly said his surname was Lynch.
A few months ago, she had left a final message, saying she was returning to her home country to take care of something. And now, a new message arrived...
[Dear Mr. Lynch, I have good news. My business has been successfully taken care of.]
...
Estelle Lockwood returned to her room. She wanted to rest, but she couldn’t fall asleep.
The three little ones were being good and not disturbing her, wanting to give her space to calm her emotions.
But everything rushed into her mind, and Estelle Lockwood felt an overwhelming sense of agitation.
She had an urgent need to talk to someone.
Suddenly, Estelle Lockwood thought of a certain Mr. Lynch who had helped her once back in the USA.