Chapter 267: Noelle Lockwood’s Attempted Murder

Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Noelle Lockwood’s Attempted Murder

And that was how she ended up in this state.

Phoebe Hale’s trip down memory lane came to an end. She looked at Noelle Lockwood in silence.

The sight of that disfigured face, paired with eyes as placid as a corpse’s, sent a violent shiver through Noelle Lockwood. She stumbled back in terror. "Y-You, stay away!"

"Noelle Lockwood, are you afraid of me?"

Phoebe Hale’s voice was raspy. The fire had not only destroyed her face but also her vocal cords. In her youth, she’d had a beautiful voice; her grandfather used to say she sang like a warbler. Now, her hoarse tone was painful to hear.

Noelle Lockwood shrieked in terror, "I don’t know you! Go away! Get lost!"

Phoebe Hale said calmly, "Noelle Lockwood, perhaps you haven’t forgotten. To earn my trust, you agreed to a maternity test with me. At the same time, you gave me a copy of a paternity test between you and Austin Lockwood."

The terrified scream died in Noelle Lockwood’s throat.

Phoebe Hale looked at her daughter and said, word by word, "I still have it."

Phoebe Hale had lost all hope for her daughter. She just wanted everyone who had harmed her grandfather to go to hell.

She revealed everything, including what Noelle Lockwood had said to her—"It’s not like this is my first time setting a fire anyway. You can just die in there!"

"No!!"

Austin Lockwood grabbed the swaying Noelle Lockwood, his sinister eyes fixed on Phoebe Hale. "You didn’t die. What are you doing back here?! Did you really think you could get revenge for yourself and that old man all alone?!"

[OMG, Austin Lockwood just admitted it!!]

[Well, he has no idea this is being live-streamed. He probably thinks Phoebe Hale is all alone and an easy target.]

[What a villain! He killed her grandfather and ruined her life, and he’s still acting so high and mighty!]

[If you ask me, Noelle Lockwood is just as rotten! She knew everything. To all of Noelle’s fans out there, open your eyes and see the truth! Noelle has known all along that she’s Austin Lockwood’s illegitimate daughter and that Phoebe Hale is her mother.]

[She knew exactly what Austin Lockwood did to her mother, she knew her great-grandfather died at Austin’s hands, but for the sake of wealth and status, she tried to kill her own mother!]

[Did you guys not catch what Noelle Lockwood said? She said it’s not like this is her first time setting a fire—]

[Phoebe Hale was disfigured three years ago. Back then, Estelle Lockwood had already ’disappeared’ because of a fire. That must have been Noelle Lockwood’s first fire!]

[Noelle’s second fire was an attempt to kill Phoebe Hale. That means five years ago, she obviously wanted to kill Estelle Lockwood too!]

[And Noelle’s fans are still defending her? I’m gonna puke. How shameless can she be?!]

The shareholders of the Lockwood Group had been desperately trying to contact Austin Lockwood. But now, they realized it was useless even if they got through.

Austin Lockwood was finished. Noelle Lockwood was finished. And the Lockwood family was finished.

Nathaniel Sloan gave Phoebe Hale a slight nod. The woman seemed to let out a breath of relief, her body slumping.

Estelle Lockwood caught her. "Why don’t you sit down and rest for a moment."

Nathaniel Sloan said meaningfully, "Princess Avery."

No one had expected Nathaniel Sloan to suddenly turn his attention to Princess Avery.

Everyone had been so caught up in the shocking revelation about Noelle Lockwood’s parentage that they had momentarily forgotten Princess Avery was even there.

A terrible premonition suddenly washed over Noelle Lockwood—

And sure enough!

Nathaniel Sloan said coolly, "Princess Avery, the daughter-in-law you wanted was Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter."

The man paused, then added nonchalantly, "Now, you tell me, who is Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter?"

Finally, everyone remembered the purpose of today’s ’family reunion’ banquet—

To marry ’Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter’ to Mr. Reno.

"Since Noelle Lockwood is Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter, then the one who should be marrying Mr. Reno... is Noelle Lockwood, isn’t it?"

A shockwave went through the room. Old Mr. Lockwood’s expression darkened instantly, and Austin Lockwood shot to his feet.

The color drained from Noelle Lockwood’s face, and she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

Just moments ago, the entire Lockwood family had emphasized time and again that Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter had to marry into Avery Manor. Back then, Noelle Lockwood had been certain her true parentage would never be exposed!

But now...

Now, it was set in stone that Noelle Lockwood was Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter! Estelle Lockwood, meanwhile, had become an irrelevant bystander to the whole drama.

Noelle Lockwood glared at Nathaniel Sloan, her eyes practically bursting from their sockets. ’I get it now,’ she thought. ’I finally get it! This was his goal all along!’

’Nathaniel, how could you be so cruel!’

Rose Lowell finally snapped back to reality and shrieked, "No, no... Noelle can’t! Noelle can’t get married!"

"And why not?" a reporter who had arrived with Estelle Lockwood asked, looking as though he’d just heard the world’s greatest joke. "Didn’t Ms. Lowell just say that all illegitimate daughters deserve to die?"

—Just a moment ago, when Rose Lowell had believed Estelle to be Austin Lockwood’s illegitimate daughter, she had verbally assaulted her, calling her a jinx and a slut who seduces men.

But now that the illegitimate daughter was revealed to be Noelle, Rose Lowell had changed her tune and was defending her.

Rose Lowell’s face alternated between red and white. ’Noelle... How can Noelle be compared to Estelle! Even if Noelle is an illegitimate daughter, I’m the one who raised her! Besides, Austin is a good man. How could he cheat? That shameless Phoebe Hale must have forced herself on him!’

The reporter shook his head. He knew Rose Lowell was a lost cause.

Noelle Lockwood shook her head in terror. "No, Dad, I don’t want to! I don’t want to get married! Grandpa, save me!"

She knew what awaited her if she married Reno. She would be killed! Just like all those other women who had died at his hands—she would die!

Estelle Lockwood spoke slowly. "Noelle, my dear sister, I truly don’t understand. Why aren’t you willing?"

All eyes snapped toward Estelle Lockwood.

Estelle Lockwood repeated a line that was very familiar to everyone:

"Mr. Reno is handsome and poised. You couldn’t find a better man in the whole world, could you? To think you’d look down on such a fine man, Noelle... what am I supposed to say to you?"

Those were the exact words Noelle Lockwood had once said!

Noelle Lockwood’s face was ashen. "You..."

Estelle continued leisurely, "All those things you mentioned, Mr. Reno will change them. He genuinely cares for you. Can’t you see past his exterior to the beauty of his heart?"

"You haven’t forgotten these words, have you, my dear sister? Since you think Mr. Reno is such a catch, why... are you so unwilling?"

Noelle Lockwood cried and hid behind Rose Lowell.

Even though Rose Lowell now knew the truth, she had defended Noelle for so many years that she couldn’t just stop. "Noelle... How can Noelle get married? The most suitable woman for Mr. Reno is Estelle Lockwood! Our Noelle, she... she’s still so young!"

Nathaniel Sloan ignored Rose Lowell’s desperate plea, turning to Princess Avery with a faint, mocking smile.

"You spent two billion, plus countless betrothal gifts, to marry Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter—"

Nathaniel Sloan paused. "If the person you take home in the end isn’t Noelle Lockwood... Your Highness, wouldn’t that be a terrible loss of face?"