The Triplets My Ex Never Knew About
Chapter 178: When Rose Lowell Is Unhappy, She Is Happy
For some reason, Rose Lowell suddenly put on an Oscar-worthy performance, tears welling up in an instant. "Estelle, you’re the most important person to us. Please, come home with us!"
Estelle Lockwood’s gaze flickered. After a long moment, she smiled with a faint hint of sarcasm. "Alright."
...
「Evernight International.」
Luke White leaned in. "Sir, your wife is about to head back to the Lockwood residence with President Lockwood."
Nathaniel Sloan stared at Rose Lowell’s childbirth records, his expression unreadable. "Have you found anything on Noelle Lockwood’s origins?"
It was hard to believe Rose Lowell was Estelle Lockwood’s biological mother. In every respect, Noelle Lockwood seemed more like the kind of daughter Rose Lowell would have.
Luke White replied, "Noelle Lockwood and Rose Lowell are confirmed to have no blood relation. She is indeed their adopted daughter. Sir, why are you investigating this?"
A dangerous smile played on Nathaniel Sloan’s lips.
’Rose Lowell only gave birth to one daughter, but he always felt there was an ’invisible person’ who looked identical to Estelle.’
’For instance, when Estelle’s fate was uncertain in that fire, someone sent him a video. In it, a woman identical to Estelle claimed she wanted to kill herself.’
’For instance, when Noelle Lockwood took Estelle Lockwood to that banquet, where Estelle was treated like a servant and ridiculed by everyone, a woman who looked just like Estelle video-called him, insisting she was having a wonderful time.’
Nathaniel Sloan’s lips pressed into a thin line. ’Does the Lockwood family not know about this? Or is this ’Estelle’ who keeps sending me videos just an imposter hired by the Lockwoods and Noelle Lockwood?’
His gaze was cool. "Keep a close watch on the Lockwood family."
Luke White replied, "Yes."
Nathaniel Sloan added, "And don’t let Estelle actually kill anyone. We still need the Lockwood family to get to the bottom of this."
Luke White: "...?"
*
「Outside Star Tower.」
With all the employees watching, Estelle Lockwood leisurely strolled over to the car with Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell.
But as they were about to get in, a small problem arose.
The Lockwoods had arrived in a luxury vehicle. A car like that has spacious seating, but very few seats.
A typical sedan could squeeze in five people if needed.
But a luxury car like this was all about comfort, not capacity.
So while the car looked large and opulent, it only seated four.
The chauffeur was in the driver’s seat, Austin Lockwood had already claimed the front passenger seat, and Rose Lowell, oblivious, had settled into the back. That left only one available spot: the seat on the left side of the rear row.
But both Estelle Lockwood and Noelle Lockwood were still outside the car.
After getting in, Rose Lowell called for them to hurry. When Noelle didn’t get in, she glanced out the window and finally noticed the issue.
But that seat in the Lockwoods’ car had always been reserved for Noelle. So, without a second thought, Rose Lowell said matter-of-factly:
"Noelle, you get in first. Estelle Lockwood, you know where the Lockwood estate is, don’t you? Just find your own ride..."
Before the words were even out of her mouth, Estelle Lockwood, a step quicker than Noelle, had already yanked open the car door, slipped inside, and slammed it shut and locked it—all in one fluid motion, leaving Noelle stranded outside.
Noelle Lockwood’s expression stiffened.
Rose Lowell, her words cut off, choked with indignation. Her face darkened. "What do you think you’re doing!"
Estelle Lockwood said nonchalantly, "Aren’t we going home? Let’s get a move on."
"I told you to let Noelle get in first! Don’t you have your own car? You know the way to the Lockwood estate, don’t you? Just drive yourself back!"
The more Rose Lowell thought about it, the angrier she became. Or perhaps, feeling certain Estelle was wrapped around her little finger and would obediently play the part of a Lockwood daughter, her anger erupted.
"I said get out! Can’t you understand plain English? Get out now!"
Estelle Lockwood’s lips curled into an even deeper smile as she began to speak, her tone laden with meaning.
"Ms. Lowell, you want me to get out of the car? But... weren’t you here to bring me, the *true* heiress, home? How is it that now, you’re planning to take Noelle Lockwood with you and leave me, the *true* heiress, behind?"
Estelle Lockwood stressed the words "true heiress," and everyone nearby heard her loud and clear. The looks they cast toward Rose Lowell and Noelle Lockwood grew even more disdainful.
Austin Lockwood inwardly cursed. ’This is bad.’ But as usual, Estelle was one step ahead.
She raised an eyebrow, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Ms. Lowell, you claim that I’m your biological daughter and that you’d never favor Noelle, yet here you are, asking me to give up my seat for her. It seems that in your hearts, your own flesh and blood still can’t compare to your adopted daughter. Do you think that just because I wasn’t raised in the Lockwood home, I’m not fit to ride in a Lockwood car?"
Estelle paused, her tone shifting abruptly. "Or maybe..."
"...the two of you came to pick me up with all this fanfare just to manage public opinion, stabilize the Lockwood Group’s stock price, and sell this narrative of me and Noelle being the dearest of sisters? All so that people forget you helped Noelle fake my suicide?"
...
A dead silence fell over the scene.
For a moment, the expressions on Noelle Lockwood’s, Austin Lockwood’s, and Rose Lowell’s faces were ghastly.
Two minutes passed before Noelle Lockwood was the first to react.
She bit her lip, shaking her head with a look of fragile helplessness. "Mom, Estelle is right. I’m just an adopted daughter; I don’t have the right to ride in the same car with you all. You guys go on ahead... don’t worry about me."
Rose Lowell’s heart ached for her and she was about to speak, but Estelle Lockwood had already nodded with satisfaction.
"Ms. Lowell, look how self-aware your adopted daughter is. She knows her place. Since she put it that way, you, as her parents, can’t very well force her into the car, can you? Alright, driver, let’s go."
After Estelle Lockwood spoke, both Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell stood there with their mouths hanging open, speechless for a long moment.
Estelle Lockwood settled into a comfortable position in the car, waved to Noelle Lockwood outside the window, and said with a beaming smile:
"Goodbye, Noelle! Nothing to be done about it, since you’re just the adopted daughter~ We’re all family, so don’t be so fussy, okay?"
Once upon a time, Rose Lowell had done the very same thing—ushering Noelle into the car while leaving her, her own biological daughter, outside to figure out her own way home. And back then, Noelle had tossed out a parting shot:
*Goodbye, Estelle. I know I’m the adopted daughter, but everyone likes me better. You’ll just have to deal with it. We’re all family, so don’t be so petty.*
Noelle Lockwood’s face alternated between pale and flushed.
’Bitch!!’
’She could feel everyone’s mocking gazes. How dare these peasants laugh at her? She was the young lady of the Lockwood family! What were these Star employees anyway? Just a bunch of nobodies working for a paycheck!’
Noelle Lockwood suppressed her fury and humiliation, forcing a smile that suggested she had suffered the world’s greatest injustice. With a sob in her throat, she said:
"Dad, Mom, it’s alright. You go first. I know I don’t deserve it... I’ll be fine on my own..."
Rose Lowell’s heart broke for her. ’Noelle is always so obedient and understanding, yet she has to suffer Estelle’s bullying.’
’But for the sake of the family, she had to endure it for now.’
’Once the Lockwoods are back on their feet, she would make Estelle pay!!’
Estelle Lockwood gazed leisurely at the passing scenery, sighing to herself. ’Even on the verge of bankruptcy, the Lockwoods sure know how to enjoy the high life. This car originally cost over eighty million—a top-tier luxury vehicle. Their finances are a complete mess, but instead of selling their cars or properties, they chose to ’sell’ their daughter instead. Tsk, tsk.’
About forty minutes later, the chauffeur announced, "President Lockwood, Madam, we have arrived."
Estelle Lockwood opened her eyes. The Lockwood villa, a sight she hadn’t seen in a very long time, once again filled her vision.
’The first time she came to the Lockwood villa, she had been full of hope, so careful and timid as she longed for her family. But she quickly discovered the impossible gulf between herself and the adopted daughter, Noelle. Even though she had been obedient and never fought for anything, she had still nearly lost her life.’
But this time, her second time arriving at the Lockwood villa, Estelle Lockwood simply curled her lips into a smirk.
She caught a glimpse of Rose Lowell’s face, purple with rage, out of the corner of her eye. Estelle Lockwood let out a soft chuckle.
’Perfect. As long as Rose Lowell was miserable, she was happy.’