Chapter 189: Zachery Tattles to Daddy
Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Zachery Tattles to Daddy
Mrs. York finished speaking, certain the matter was closed. Nathaniel Sloan would surely give her a way to save face.
However, Nathaniel Sloan’s expression remained impassive. "Outsiders say Estelle isn’t good enough for me? I wonder, Mrs. York, from whom did you hear this rumor? I’m quite curious."
Mrs. York faltered. "...Just... a lot of people."
Nathaniel Sloan gave a faint nod. "Who, specifically?"
Panic visibly flickered across Mrs. York’s face.
’She had just made up that excuse on the spot!’
"Well... I can’t remember the specifics. In any case, many people have said it..."
"You can’t remember?" Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes narrowed. "No matter. You’re only close with a handful of high-society ladies, Mrs. York. I can go to each of their homes and ask them personally if they’ve been spreading rumors in your presence."
Mrs. York’s expression froze.
’If Nathaniel Sloan were to approach those prominent families for such a reason, they would despise me!’
Mrs. York forced a laugh. "Nathaniel, I just overheard these things while I was shopping or at my beauty appointments. I’ve already forgotten who said them. I’m just a simple woman, you know, not very good at telling right from wrong. Otherwise, I would never have believed them!"
Thea York bit her lip, wanting to stop her mother, but Nathaniel Sloan was too quick.
The man’s eyes remained as impassive as ever. He let out a soft, humorless chuckle. "In that case, surely you remember when you went shopping and had these appointments, Mrs. York? Which mall did you go to? Which salon?"
Mrs. York’s smile was about to crumble. "It... It was so long ago..."
"Not so long ago," Nathaniel Sloan cut in. "Estelle’s identity was only made public a little over half a month ago. Just half a month. It’s hardly so long that you’d forget, Mrs. York. Besides, all transactions leave a record. If you truly can’t recall, why not check your receipts?"
This time, Mrs. York’s smile finally vanished.
’What records? She was just talking nonsense! Who knew Nathaniel Sloan would insist on getting to the bottom of it!’
Nathaniel Sloan shifted his gaze, his eyes landing on Zachery. He leaned down gently. "Christian, tell Daddy what they did to you."
Mrs. York answered hurriedly, "We didn’t do anything! We just thought Christian was adorable and wanted to have him over to play for a while."
Nathaniel Sloan’s gaze snapped back to her, cold as ice. Mrs. York snapped her mouth shut, cold sweat trickling down her temples as she frantically tried to signal Thea York to do something.
"They didn’t do anything." To everyone’s surprise, ’Christian’ seemed quite happy. "Aunt York and Grandma York gave me lots of yummy things to eat, and Aunt York made them all by hand!"
The knot in Mrs. York’s chest loosened, and she let out a huge sigh of relief.
However, ’Christian’s’ next sentence sent her heart leaping right back into her throat.
"I asked Grandma York why she was being so nice to me, and Grandma York said..."
Zachery pitched his voice high to sound innocent and pure. He widened his large eyes, looking for all the world like a naive child who knew nothing of its complexities.
"Grandma York said I should enjoy the good life while I can, because I won’t get another chance. She said that after Aunt York and Daddy get married, they’ll have their own son, and then I won’t be important anymore~"
...
...
Nathaniel Sloan’s expression turned grim.
Mrs. York felt as if she’d been struck by lightning.
’That little bastard! How dare he tattle to Nathaniel Sloan! What a heartless mongrel!’
But before her anger could fully form, the look in Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes made her stagger back in fright.
A dangerous smile slowly spread across Nathaniel Sloan’s lips. "So, Mrs. York has even planned for what happens after Thea York ’marries into the Sloan family.’"
Mrs. York was horrified. "No, that’s not..."
"Mom!"
Just then, Thea York strode forward anxiously, her tone disapproving. "Mom, what is there to hide from Nathaniel? Just admit you were wrong. Nathaniel won’t make things difficult for an elder like you."
Zachery snorted. ’He won’t make things difficult for an e~ld~er like you.’
Thea York then turned to Nathaniel Sloan, her expression one of feigned anger. "Nathaniel, my uncle is the one who said all this to my mom! He and his family are always coveting things that don’t belong to them, and they keep pushing Mom to get me to break off my engagement and marry you instead. As if that could ever happen!"
"But my mom is convinced that since we grew up together, it would be perfect for us to get married. But... *Sigh*!"
Reaching this point in her story, Thea York shot a meaningful look at her mother. "Mom, you need to stay away from Uncle and his family from now on!"
Mrs. York caught the hint and nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, I know. I never imagined your uncle and aunt had such designs. Honestly, since when is my daughter’s marriage any of their business?"
Thea York turned back, the picture of helplessness. "Nathaniel, I am so, so sorry. My mother and I are willing to make it up to Christian. My mom is just... she’s too impressionable. She believes anything anyone tells her..."
Nathaniel Sloan shot them a cold glance. "Since that’s the case, you two won’t mind if I take certain actions, will you?"
Though it pained her, Thea York hardened her heart. "Of course not. My uncle and his family deserve to be taught a proper lesson!"
’This mother-daughter pair really lives up to their reputation,’ Estelle Lockwood clicked her tongue in amazement. ’They clawed their way up as the mistress and the illegitimate daughter, even managing to control the narrative. And now they’re selling out their own family without a second thought.’
She smoothed down her hair. "Christian, it looks like Miss York and Mrs. York have no intention of actually apologizing. Let’s go."
’They’d said so much, yet not a single apology was actually directed at the child. They just kept changing the subject. Thea York knows that apologizing would mean admitting she was wrong, and when would she ever do that? After all, as far as this mother and daughter are concerned, anything they desire is rightfully theirs.’
Zachery sighed too, shaking his head. "Even a kid knows you’re supposed to apologize to the person you wronged. But they just kept trying to explain things to Daddy. *Sigh*~"
Nathaniel Sloan watched the two of them—one big, one small—walk away, and his gaze turned glacial. "Thea York," he said, his voice low. "You’d best watch yourself."
After Nathaniel Sloan had left, Thea York let out a piercing scream. CRASH! She swept everything she possibly could off the table.
’They wanted her to apologize? To admit she was wrong? To swallow her pride and pretend she had no designs on Nathaniel!?’
’That little bastard had spent the last three hours ordering her around, and now he had the audacity to act like the victim?’
’Thea York was about to explode with rage. Who said Christian Sloan was a gentle, autistic boy who could be easily manipulated?!’
’The more Thea York thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She was increasingly certain that Christian Sloan had done everything on purpose. He’d purposely agreed to come to their house, purposely dangled their hopes in front of them, purposely ordered her around until she was exhausted, and then, to top it all off, forced her to eat humble pie and apologize!’
Before Thea York could finish her tantrum, her phone rang. It was her uncle, and he was furious.
"Our family business has been ruined! I asked our partners, and they said I’ve offended someone I can’t afford to cross! You’re the ones who offended Mr. Sloan, so why am I the one taking the fall?!"
Mrs. York snapped back irritably, "Oh, that’s enough! Once Thea becomes Mrs. Sloan, what won’t you have?"
The York family’s butler had already left, leaving only a young maid in the living room. The maid shook her head. ’This mother and daughter are truly wicked,’ she thought, ’completely two-faced.’
’But I’m just a maid. Who would believe me if I told anyone?’
...
...
Once they were outside, Mrs. Kendrick, who had been quiet for a long while, finally spoke up.
"Christian, why did you agree to come to the York family’s home? Did that mother and daughter force you? Or did Laura Jennings say something to you?"
As she spoke, she shot a fierce glare at Nathaniel Sloan.