Chapter 197: Thea York Is Up to No Good

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Thea York Is Up to No Good

After her tirade, Mrs. Keaton observed Mrs. York’s expression and went on even more fervently:

"Your elders offer you a bit of guidance, and you resort to cursing them? How can you be so petty? Mrs. York was just trying to help you. The least you could do is be grateful, but what is this attitude! If you ask me, someone like you is destined for misfortune—a worthless piece of trash nobody wants!"

Enzo Kendrick’s deadpan expression turned even colder. "Slandering others will bring you terrible misfortune. Ma’am, I suggest you restrain yourself."

But Mrs. Keaton just laughed more brazenly. "That’s hilarious! What century are we in? Who still believes that nonsense! Estelle Lockwood, where did you dig up this charlatan?"

Estelle Lockwood said leisurely, "You don’t believe it?"

Mrs. Keaton shook her head. "Mrs. York, you see? She’s a lost cause. We were just being kind, and she hires a charlatan to curse us!"

Mrs. York feigned concern. "Estelle, I know you hold a grudge against Thea, but it’s all your own misunderstanding. Our Thea is magnanimous and didn’t hold it against you... AHH!!"

"Mrs. York, watch out!"

"Miss York, get out of the way!"

"Mrs. Keaton, are you all right?"

Before she could finish her sentence, cries of alarm suddenly rang out!

For some reason, ink bottles placed on the very top shelf of a counter suddenly tipped over, splashing red and blue ink all over the three of them! SPLASH!

The once high-and-mighty ladies were now a complete mess. An ink bottle had even hit Mrs. Keaton on the head, and she howled in pain.

Instantly, the store fell deathly silent.

Into the dead silence, Enzo Kendrick calmly turned his head and said with profound meaning, "Estelle, you see? This is what happens when you gossip."

Thea York’s throat tightened, her expression suddenly turning sour.

Mrs. Keaton was about to explode with rage. Her outfit today was one of her absolute favorites, and now it was ruined. She immediately wanted to lash out. "Estelle Lockwood, you knew those ink bottles were right above our heads and you didn’t say a word! What are you playing at?!"

Estelle Lockwood smoothed her hair, her expression serene. "Well, we’re just charlatans, aren’t we? Even if I had warned you, Mrs. Keaton wouldn’t have believed me."

"You!" Mrs. Keaton was about to let loose a torrent of curses, but Thea York grabbed her by the wrist.

Thea York offered a gentle smile. "Estelle, you go ahead and shop. We’re going to go change. Mrs. Keaton is just a bit blunt; she says whatever comes to mind and doesn’t mean to target you. Please don’t take it to heart."

A smirk played on Estelle Lockwood’s lips. "For a top student, Miss York can’t seem to tell the difference between being blunt and being stupid. I stand corrected."

"Estelle..." Thea York bit her lower lip, putting on a tolerant and magnanimous act as if she didn’t want to argue further. She shook her head softly. "Never mind. Mom, let’s go change first. Estelle is probably still angry."

After the three women left, Enzo Kendrick muttered under his breath, "No need to be angry. Every single one of them will come to a bad end."

Estelle Lockwood nodded, unconcerned. She considered it a minor interruption.

「Twenty minutes later.」 Estelle had picked out a dress and was walking to the card reader. Before she could pay, Thea York and the other two returned, having changed their clothes.

Thea York’s eyes flashed when she saw the card in Enzo Kendrick’s hand. Her smile was gentle, but her tone was laden with insinuation.

"Estelle, who is this... uncle? Aren’t you going to introduce us? I heard him say he wants to buy you clothes, but as far as I know, that’s a special card from the Kendrick Family of Capital City. Only the Kendricks can use it, and I’ve never heard of any of the Kendricks coming to Crestfall. So..."

Thea York looked deeply concerned. "So, that card probably won’t work. Estelle, have you been scammed? Is this a family elder of yours, or... someone else?"

Her tone was gentle, but she deliberately emphasized the word ’uncle’, as if afraid people wouldn’t misunderstand their relationship.

Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow. ’Some people get put in their place and still come back for more. Are they asking for a second helping of humiliation?’

Mrs. Keaton scoffed with contempt. "Thea, you’re too naive. What uncle? He’s probably some old man Estelle Lockwood latched onto. How disgusting. I can’t believe she’d stoop so low!"

"And what’s more, this old man is a fraud! He’s using a fake Kendrick Family card to trick Estelle Lockwood into thinking he’s one of them so she’ll cozy up to him!"

Thea York shook her head. "Mrs. Keaton, please don’t say that. Maybe he really is her uncle."

Mrs. Keaton burst out laughing. "HAHAHA! Thea, you said it yourself! Only people from the Kendrick Family of Capital City can have that card. If Estelle Lockwood had relatives in the Kendrick Family, would she have been a country bumpkin for all these years?!"

Enzo Kendrick looked genuinely curious, his face a mask of surprise. "Ladies, you just had a bout of bad luck twenty minutes ago. Are you really going to keep this up?"

Thea York bit her lip and spoke to Estelle Lockwood with an apologetic air:

"Estelle, I was in the wrong before. I brought Christian to the York Family home without your permission. I just thought, since Nathaniel and I are such good friends, that helping him look after his child would be no big deal. I never expected you to get so angry."

"How about this? Let me pay for the clothes you’ve picked out today. Consider it my apology. After all, you’re a married woman. It’s best you keep your distance from this... uncle. Even if I don’t misunderstand, it wouldn’t be good if Nathaniel did, now would it?"

Thea York sighed, then turned back with a smile and nodded to the sales associate. "Put whatever Estelle is buying today on my tab."

The sales associate, who had thought the sale was lost, immediately beamed upon hearing Thea York’s words and started fawning, "Miss Thea is as kind as she is beautiful. Not like some people who cozy up to old men only to get scammed by them. Utterly stupid..."

She viciously shoved Enzo Kendrick, causing the unprepared man to stumble, and sneered in disgust, "If you don’t have money, get lost!"

Estelle Lockwood’s eyes darkened. She took out her phone and dialed a number, then said expressionlessly, "I don’t want these clothes anymore."

Thea York was the picture of gentle grace. "Estelle, it’s all right. It’s just a few clothes; I can afford it. Don’t be embarrassed. Worst case, I’ll just have Nathaniel pay me back next time..."

"I’m not embarrassed."

Estelle Lockwood stated calmly, "It’s just that there’s no need to *buy* things in my own family’s store. If I like something, I can just take it. Wouldn’t you agree, Miss York?"

Enzo Kendrick instinctively glanced at the store’s name and had a sudden realization. ’This is one of my family’s stores!’

He’d been up in the mountains for so many years that he’d forgotten. This chain of stores belonged to the Kendrick Family. The Kendricks had 100% controlling interest, and both he and Estelle had shares. They really didn’t need to pay.

’How careless of me! So careless!’

Before Thea York could respond to Estelle’s statement, Estelle turned her gaze to the sales associate. "And also, you’re fired."

The sales associate was stunned for a moment, unable to react, just as Mrs. Keaton burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What did you say? You’re saying this store is yours? HAHAHAHA, that’s hilarious! Don’t tell me you’re also going to claim that you and this old man are part of the Kendricks?"