Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Nathaniel Sloan Opens the Car Door for Her, "My Heart Aches Only for You.

The high-society gossip? Laura Jennings had heard some of it, of course. None of it was flattering. Even her close friends had started avoiding her. "I don’t want to know!"

Estelle Lockwood acted as if she hadn’t heard the protest. "They all say that while you may be the matriarch of the Sloan family and Nathaniel Sloan’s own mother, in reality, you’re just Noelle Lockwood’s—"

She paused for a beat. "Dog."

...

...

It took a moment for Laura Jennings to process that, but then she erupted. "What did you just say?!"

Estelle Lockwood lifted her chin slightly. Nathaniel Sloan stepped in, blocking the furious Laura Jennings and letting her rage and flail a few feet from the hospital bed.

"See things clearly, Ms. Jennings. I’m not the one making things up. After all, you’re the one who acts with no regard for the Sloan family’s dignity or Nathaniel Sloan’s reputation. All you care about is Noelle Lockwood, isn’t it?"

"Noelle Lockwood said I set the fire, and you believed her instantly. You brought her fans and reporters here to hound a patient to death. When the truth finally comes out, Ms. Jennings, have you considered the consequences?"

A sudden chill ran down Laura Jennings’s spine. To her own surprise, she was actually frightened by Estelle Lockwood!

"Y-You’re just twisting things! You were the one who set the fire! Noelle would never lie to me!"

Estelle Lockwood smoothed back her hair. "Why don’t we make a bet? If I’m the one who set the fire, I’ll get on my knees and apologize to Noelle Lockwood. But if the fire had nothing to do with me... Ms. Jennings, you’ll get on your knees and apologize to me. Do you dare?"

Still fuming, and with absolute faith in Noelle Lockwood, Laura Jennings immediately puffed out her chest. "Why wouldn’t I dare!"

Estelle Lockwood nodded and glanced at the man beside her. "Did you hear that?"

Nathaniel Sloan, Zane Grant outside the door, and the crowd of doctors were all silent for a long moment.

’What is wrong with Laura Jennings? Estelle Lockwood was clearly prepared when she proposed that bet, yet she accepted such terms just for Noelle Lockwood’s sake.’

Nathaniel Sloan’s expression remained impassive as he gave a cold glance.

The next moment, Laura Jennings’s phone rang. It was Ethan Sloan, furiously ordering her to get back to the Sloan estate and to stop associating with that mob of fans.

Laura Jennings was reluctant to leave, but her mood brightened at the thought that soon, Yara Lockwood would be on her knees apologizing to Noelle Lockwood.

After Laura Jennings left, the police dispersed the fans outside, and a new topic immediately blew up on the trending charts.

Noelle Lockwood’s fans had gone to harass Yara Lockwood. Some people thought the fans went too far, but within the fandom itself, they believed the dozens who had shown up were heroes enacting divine justice.

Seeing Estelle Lockwood open the social media app again, Nathaniel Sloan felt his chest tighten. "...You really want to read all that?"

Estelle Lockwood read the vitriol directed at her, completely unfazed. "Is that all you’re going to ask me?"

Nathaniel Sloan lowered his gaze. "What else does Miss Lockwood think I should be asking?"

Estelle Lockwood replied breezily, "For example, you could scold me for being so harsh with your mother. Tell me I should respect my elders and shouldn’t have proposed that bet. After all, if I really make your mother kneel and apologize, how could the Sloan family ever show its face again?"

Nathaniel Sloan watched her with a heavy gaze.

After a long moment, the man finally spoke, his voice raspy. "I won’t."

Estelle Lockwood didn’t understand at first. "What won’t you do?"

"Do whatever you want to do. I won’t stop you, much less object."

Nathaniel Sloan glanced at Estelle Lockwood’s phone. "Release the recording. Ruin Laura Jennings’s reputation. The Sloan family will worry about the fallout. It has nothing to do with me."

Estelle Lockwood blinked.

’Nathaniel’s relationship with his mother was clearly different from what she had imagined. She remembered her aunt once cryptically mentioning that Laura Jennings and Nathaniel Sloan were not like a typical mother and son.’

’But then why, in the past, no matter what happened, had Nathaniel always taken Laura Jennings’s and Noelle Lockwood’s side?’

’That was why she, as Mrs. Sloan, had been disappointed time and time again.’

Just as she was lost in thought, Zane Grant burst in without knocking, a grim look on his face. "Nathaniel! The Lockwood Group has decided to hold a press conference tomorrow!"

Nathaniel Sloan’s expression instantly hardened.

’With the police yet to identify the arsonist, if the Lockwood Group held a press conference now, all eyes would be on them. They could completely control the narrative and all speculation about the culprit!’

’Nathaniel knew exactly why they would hold a press conference at a time like this.’

A surge of cold fury rose within him.

Estelle Lockwood, however, wasn’t the least bit surprised. ’It would be stranger if Noelle Lockwood *didn’t* use this chance to kick her while she’s down.’ "What time is the press conference?"

Zane Grant answered instinctively, "Huh? Tomorrow at two in the afternoon..."

Estelle Lockwood nodded. "The Lockwood Family invited me, didn’t they."

Zane Grant was stunned. "How did you know?"

That was precisely why Zane Grant had rushed in! The Lockwood Group’s official social media account had posted the time of the press conference and had added a line: "We sincerely invite Ms. Yara Lockwood to attend."

’Weren’t they just blatantly trying to pin all the blame on Yara?!’

’Besides, Noelle Lockwood’s fans would definitely be at the press conference. If they got impulsive and Yara ended up getting hurt, who would take responsibility?’

Estelle Lockwood’s lips curled into a sneer. "Same old tricks."

Zane Grant didn’t catch what she said, but Nathaniel’s fingertips twitched. He knew that when she said ’same old tricks,’ she was referring to what happened five years ago.

Estelle Lockwood said nonchalantly, "It’s fine. I’ll be there tomorrow."

"But..." Zane Grant started to object.

Nathaniel Sloan stood up, his gaze calm. "I’ll go with you."

Zane Grant was aghast. "Wait, under these circumstances..." ’Yara is being treated as the prime suspect and has no way to prove her innocence. Why would she go? To be everyone’s punching bag?’

...

「The Lockwood Estate.」

Rose Lowell grumbled, "Why are we inviting that bitch Yara Lockwood over? She’s the one who set the fire and caused our Noelle to go deaf in her right ear! My poor daughter!"

Noelle Lockwood soothed her gently. "Mom, for better or worse, Yara looks so much like my sister, and both Nathaniel and Christian are protective of her... We can’t be too ruthless."

Noelle Lockwood sighed, as if she were shouldering an immense injustice all on her own.

"Tomorrow, as long as Yara can admit her mistake, I will forgive her. I’ll even ask my fans not to bother her anymore..."

Rose Lowell hugged Noelle Lockwood, weeping. "Noelle, you’re just too kind!"

Austin Lockwood, however, hesitated for a moment before asking seriously, "Noelle, are you certain that the one who set the fire was really Yara Lockwood?"

A flash of venom, mixed with guilt, crossed Noelle Lockwood’s eyes before she put on a pitiful expression. "Dad, of course it was Yara. I saw her with my own two eyes. Don’t you believe me?"

Before Austin Lockwood could reply, Rose Lowell cut in. "What do you mean by that? Our daughter has suffered so much, and you’re questioning her!"

Seeing Noelle Lockwood’s tear-streaked face, Austin Lockwood decided he was probably overthinking things. "Alright, then. Tomorrow, Dad will help you. We’ll make sure Yara Lockwood apologizes."

Noelle Lockwood’s lips curled into a faint smile.

’An apology? That’s nowhere near enough! What she wanted was for Yara Lockwood to be utterly disgraced, to die alone and in despair!’

...

「The next day, 1:50 PM.」

The press conference was scheduled for two o’clock. By 1:50 PM, the venue was already packed wall-to-wall with a massive crowd of reporters and fans. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Nathaniel Sloan parked the car in a discreet corner.

Estelle Lockwood watched calmly as Noelle Lockwood appeared on stage, flanked by bodyguards. A slow smile spread across her face.

"Mr. Sloan, arson is no small matter... Since Noelle Lockwood dared to go this far, I won’t be holding back. You won’t feel too sorry for her, will you?"

Nathaniel Sloan opened the car door for her. "You’re the only one my heart aches for."

Estelle Lockwood’s lips curved as she narrowed her eyes, watching the happy little family of three on the stage.

’The time for revenge had come.’