Estelle and Penelope moved to another private dining room, where a fresh spread of dishes had already been laid out.

Soon, there was a knock on the door and an assistant stepped in respectfully.

"Dr. Lockwood, hello. I’m Mr. Sloan’s assistant. Mr. Sloan sincerely wishes to meet you and hopes you can spare a moment to speak with him."

Estelle’s red lips curled up slightly. "I’m still eating. He can wait a bit."

An hour later, the assistant returned.

Estelle’s eyes were closed, and she was taking a nap.

"I’m taking a lunch break."

Another hour passed before she finally showed mercy and agreed to the meeting.

By then, Nathaniel had been waiting at the Dewdrop Garden Restaurant for two full hours. For a man like him, every minute was valuable, and no one would normally dare make him wait this long.

Still, when it came to Christian, he showed an unusual amount of patience.

When he was finally led into the private dining room Yara had indicated, he paused at the entrance. A silk screen separated him from the room, and behind it, a faint silhouette was visible.

The silhouette seemed unusually familiar.

Nathaniel frowned slightly at it but didn’t dwell on it much. He just stepped around the screen and walked toward the sofa.

At that moment, the woman sitting there looked up and said, "What a surprise."

Estelle rested her chin on her hand, her tone light and teasing. "It’s been only two hours, and yet we meet again, Mr. Sloan."

The room fell completely silent.

Nathaniel stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. "You are Dr. Lockwood!"

It was no wonder she had left just like that earlier. She was the doctor he had been expecting to see!

"That’s right." Estelle smiled faintly. "Surprised? I heard you’ve come to ask me for a favor, Mr. Sloan. Is that right?"

Nathaniel’s prayer rope felt faintly warm around his hand. He quickly composed himself and got straight to the point. "It seems that you already know why I’m here, Dr. Lockwood."

Estelle clicked her tongue. He was really shameless after all.

"Of course. You were hoping that I’d be your son’s private physician." Cupping her cheeks, she added with mockery, "But as you know, pediatricians are very cautious when it comes to difficult parents. Some people are far too arrogant. For example, they may see a doctor approach them and immediately assume she’s trying to throw herself at them. I’m sure you understand what I mean, Mr. Sloan?"

Everyone in the room was smart enough to understand exactly who that remark was aimed at. Yara was mocking Nathaniel for being difficult.

Upon hearing that, the assistant broke out in a cold sweat on her behalf.

Nathaniel calmly took a sip of coffee. He looked unaffected by the mockery as he said, "I have heard that you are kind and pretty, but it seems that most people have a very different definition of kind and pretty."

"Right back at you, Mr. Sloan. You still win, though. After all, one rarely gets to meet someone this self-righteous and arrogant these days. If you want me to treat your son, you’ll have to wait. There’s a waiting list."

Nathaniel’s eyes darkened slightly. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Estelle used to talk to him like this, too. She had always been sharp, always unwilling to back down.

This woman, Yara, had undergone plastic surgery to make herself look like Estelle, and now she was imitating her personality too. She must have done this for some vile reason.

Be that as it may, for Christian’s sake, he had no choice but to hire her. That meant that he would need to keep watch over her while she worked.

Nathaniel set down his cup and said, "You have quite the temper, Dr. Lockwood, but this is Crestfall. Are you sure you want to make an enemy out of me?"

Estelle smirked. "Maybe you should be asking yourself that question. Are you sure you want to make an enemy out of your child’s doctor?"

The assistant quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Dr. Lockwood, please. Mr. Sloan is really serious about hiring you. As long as you agree, you can name any price you want."

Estelle pretended to consider it, then turned to Nathaniel. "Anything I want?"

"Yes," Nathaniel replied, his expression unchanged.

"Okay." She rested her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment. "Then here it is, Mr. Sloan. You will have to wait on me. And when I’m pleased with your service, I will become your son’s private doctor."

The room was completely silent, and the assistant’s jaw nearly dropped open.

Yara had to be really bold to even make such a suggestion. Did she have any idea who Nathaniel was? She actually wanted him to act as her servant? That was never going to happen!

Estelle leaned back on the sofa, her legs crossed, meeting his gaze without fear. "Well, Mr. Sloan?"

For a brief moment, something flickered in Nathaniel’s lifeless eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.

Her confidence reminded him a lot of Estelle, who used to be infuriatingly smug, just like a spoiled princess who already knew she had won.

No. That woman was dead. The woman in front of him was just an imposter!

Nathaniel shut his eyes and reopened them before saying coldly, "Fine. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Estelle scoffed inwardly. Nathaniel was surprisingly good at swallowing his pride when it was absolutely necessary.

Estelle’s smile widened as she said straightforwardly, "I need a full-time nanny. I just moved here, and I’m not very familiar with the local nanny market, which makes it even harder to find a good nanny. So, while I treat your son, you’ll act as my full-time nanny. Transportation, meals, daily errands... You’ll do whatever I ask you to, and you must never disobey me. Does that sound good?"

Nathaniel lifted his gaze, his eyes too dark to tell what exactly was in his heart.

"A full-time nanny?"

Everyone in Nathaniel’s world feared him. No one had ever spoken to him like that or even demanded that he work as a nanny for them.

"No?" Estelle retorted, her tone rising slightly. "What’s with the long face, Mr. Sloan? Won’t you work as a nanny even for Christian? I thought you cared about your son. Well, never mind. I might as well tell Christian that your pride is more important than his health."

"Fine!" Nathaniel cut her off. "But there will be rules."

His next words were a clear warning. "I know why you had plastic surgery, so you will not come anywhere near me. And don’t get any funny ideas about me."

Estelle looked at him for a moment, then let out a slow breath. "Has anyone treated you for paranoia? Your condition is getting pretty serious. That neurological clinic I mentioned really is good. You should consider paying it a visit."

What on earth made him think that he was the most outstanding man in the world? Noelle’s words and behavior?

Nathaniel’s throat tightened. For once, he was speechless.

Then, he ordered his assistant, "Give Dr. Lockwood a lift home."

...

An hour later, a car pulled over in front of Imperial Crest.

Nathaniel stepped out, then noticed that she hadn’t moved yet.

"Get out."

Estelle rested her chin on her hand. "Mr. Sloan, have you already forgotten our agreement?"

Nathaniel halted as he pulled the door open with a sharp click.

Only then did Estelle step out gracefully and walk past Nathaniel without a second glance.

"A servant should be humble. Have you ever seen one walk ahead of their master? And when you open a door for me from now on, you must say please."

Nathaniel ground his teeth. "Please, Dr. Lockwood."

Inside the villa, Estelle’s eyes swept over the surroundings, and she let out a silent scoff.

Nothing had changed. Not the layout. Not the garden.

Even the Rosalind flowers she had once planted with her very own hands were still blooming in full color, and in the corner, the "love tree" she had once spent a fortune on still stood tall, its branches thick with leaves.

He had preserved everything else while letting her die.

What kind of disgusting man was he?

This was the man she had once treasured as much as her own life, the man she had poured all her love into.

And yet, look how she had ended up because of him.

Her expression cooled as she snapped, "I want fried fish with sweet and sour sauce for dinner tonight. Go make it for me."