The moment Nathaniel Sloan finished speaking, the people around them gaped, wondering if they’d misheard.

Pull Mr. Sloan out from where?

The blacklist?

This woman put Mr. Sloan on her blacklist??

What was even more astounding was that not only was Mr. Sloan not angry, he was gently asking if she had calmed down and if she could let him out.

So subservient, so meek... This was Mr. Sloan?!

"Ah, I get it..." someone suddenly whispered to the person next to them. "Mr. Sloan and Yara Lockwood must be dating!"

Estelle Lockwood: "?"

To top it off, the other person replied, "That makes sense... No wonder Mr. Sloan showed Noelle Lockwood no consideration earlier. Turns out Yara Lockwood is his sweetheart."

Estelle Lockwood snapped back to reality, glaring at the man before her with a hint of reproach. "Mr. Sloan, could you please conduct yourself with some dignity?"

Nathaniel Sloan nodded. "I’m asking my business partner to remove me from her blacklist. How is that undignified?"

Estelle Lockwood instinctively frowned. "Your tone of voice could easily lead to misunderstandings..."

Before she could finish, she suddenly realized she had fallen into a trap set by Nathaniel Sloan’s words and snapped her mouth shut.

A slight smile touched Nathaniel Sloan’s lips. "What about my tone? What was it that I said to make Miss Lockwood overthink things and decide I was being ’undignified,’ hmm?"

Estelle Lockwood: "..."

’He has the nerve to ask?’

’Because of what he just said, everyone thinks we’re a couple. How is that not a huge misunderstanding?’

"But they’re not mistaken," Nathaniel Sloan said slowly. "In fact, Miss Lockwood, I have been pursuing you."

Liam Sloan nearly spat out his Coke. "??"

Zane Grant was also stunned for a moment. The two exchanged a look. ’What kind of ploy is this?’

Though Liam Sloan was a lawyer, he was rather naive and had never met Estelle Lockwood before, so he believed whatever Nathaniel Sloan said.

But Zane Grant couldn’t shake the feeling that Yara Lockwood and Estelle Lockwood were different. Nathaniel was pursuing Yara now, but what if he was mistaken?

But Nathaniel Sloan had said this after careful consideration.

He could see from various clues that a significant misunderstanding existed between him and Estelle Lockwood.

Perhaps these misunderstandings were why Estelle Lockwood was unwilling to admit who she was to him.

Her identity as Yara Lockwood made Nathaniel Sloan feel insecure, leaving him in a constant state of unease.

Because Yara Lockwood did not belong to him—Yara Lockwood could leave at any time, and if she left, she wouldn’t have to explain herself to anyone.

’In that case, I’ll just have to bind her to my side first.’

Estelle Lockwood thought she must have misheard. Her brow furrowed in utter confusion. "What did you say?"

Nathaniel Sloan casually lifted his gaze. "You heard me correctly."

Estelle Lockwood laughed out of exasperation. Just as she was about to retort, she caught a glimpse of Noelle Lockwood looking like she was about to faint.

An idea struck her. She suddenly broke into a bright smile and linked her arm with Nathaniel Sloan’s.

"Alright, then. I’ll give you a chance. Come upstairs with me to pick out a dress."

Nathaniel Sloan lowered his gaze. "It would be my honor."

Estelle Lockwood walked over to Noelle Lockwood, shooting her a light, dismissive glance.

Noelle Lockwood was nearly driven mad with rage. ’That bitch!!’

After going upstairs, Estelle Lockwood released Nathaniel Sloan’s arm. The man raised an eyebrow. "Use me and then toss me aside?"

Estelle Lockwood frowned. ’I can’t figure out what this man is up to. What’s his scheme? Who is he trying to please by using me this time?’

’He used to know Iris Sloan liked her. Every time they returned to Sloan Manor, Nathaniel Sloan would tell her to smile and not look so miserable. Once his aunt was happy and gave her a gift, Nathaniel would turn around and pass that gift on to Noelle Lockwood.’

’And during those times, Nathaniel Sloan was always gentle.’

’He would take her home for dinner, hold her as she fell asleep, and even be exceedingly gentle and tender when they were intimate.’

’But once Noelle Lockwood had gotten what she wanted, Nathaniel Sloan would lose his patience with her.’

’What does he hope to gain this time?’

Confused, Estelle Lockwood secretly started discussing it with Henry Kendrick on her phone.

Henry Kendrick: [He says he’s going to pursue you, so he’s got to put in some actual effort. Just string him along. Don’t you know how to be a player? Do to him what your ex-husband used to do to you!]

Estelle Lockwood: [Then what do you think his objective is? To help Noelle Lockwood? But he completely snubbed her just now.]

Henry Kendrick was still downstairs. Not far from him, Liam Sloan and Zane Grant were talking.

Liam Sloan: "My brother specifically told the store manager to keep the women’s section upstairs open. He said he wanted to go shopping with Yara Lockwood."

Zane Grant: "Is he serious? ...Then again, when Nathaniel decides on something, he’s always serious."

Liam Sloan: "Well, Yara Lockwood is my sister-in-law, after all. And my brother has been devoted to her for seven years, right?"

Zane Grant: "That may be so, but Nathaniel has no idea how to cherish his wife. And now he wants her back? Tsk, tsk. If you ask me, if Yara Lockwood is actually Estelle Lockwood, he’ll never be able to win her over."

Liam Sloan asked, confused, "Why?"

Zane Grant said grimly, "Because Estelle Lockwood was deeply hurt, and Nathaniel has no clue why she was hurt or what he even did wrong. From Nathaniel’s point of view, he did nothing, and his wife suddenly faked her own death and left..."

"Believe it or not, if it were Estelle Lockwood who came back, she would sneer at him even if Nathaniel offered her his very heart."

Though Zane Grant didn’t think Yara Lockwood was Estelle Lockwood, if that were the case, then Nathaniel’s chances of winning her over were even slimmer!

Liam Sloan: "Ah... that’s pretty rough for my brother, then..."

Henry Kendrick looked at his phone as more texts from Estelle Lockwood came in: [Or is he trying to use this ’boyfriend’ status to force me into making business concessions? Or maybe he’s worried Christian’s condition won’t improve, so he wants to keep me tied to his side!]

Henry Kendrick felt Zane Grant had a point. He tentatively texted back: [What if—and this is just a what-if—is it possible that your ex-husband genuinely wants to win you back? Maybe he’s realized his true feelings. That he loves you.]

Estelle Lockwood: [?]

Estelle Lockwood: [Why don’t you call 911 for yourself? How long have you had that fever? Has it cooked your brain?]

Estelle Lockwood couldn’t be bothered with Henry Kendrick’s nonsense. She put away her phone, raised an eyebrow at Nathaniel Sloan, and answered his earlier question. "It’s not that I’m tossing you aside after I’m done. After all, I’m not done with you yet."

Nathaniel Sloan looked back at her.

Something flickered in his eyes, something Estelle Lockwood couldn’t decipher.

’As if this man were capable of such deep affection.’

’Too bad... she didn’t believe it.’

Composed, Estelle Lockwood asked, "So you’re going to pursue me. Are you serious?"

Nathaniel Sloan answered unhurriedly, "Of course."

Estelle Lockwood asked with a wry smile, "And how does Mr. Sloan plan to pursue me? By throwing money at me?"

"If that’s what you want, then of course."

Estelle Lockwood nodded. Without hesitation, she walked into a boutique and picked out more than a dozen dresses.

The prices of these dresses were much higher than the ones Vivian Lowell had picked out earlier; the dozen or so dresses cost nearly ten million.

Nathaniel Sloan watched her quietly, suddenly recalling Liam Sloan’s theory—’Bro, if she’s willing to spend your money, it means she still has feelings for you!’

As manipulative as the line sounded, right now, Nathaniel Sloan actually found some sense in it.

’Estelle Lockwood really was that kind of person. She would only be casual about money with people she considered her own.’

’It was just like when they first got married... She had been very affectionate back then.’

’Once, Estelle Lockwood had set her eyes on a very cheap necklace. Her own eyes sparkling, she had thrown herself into his arms and wheedled, ’Nathaniel, I love this necklace so much. Please, will you buy it for me?’’

At that time...

’What did he say back then?’ Nathaniel Sloan couldn’t even remember.

’He only remembered that Estelle Lockwood never asked him for another gift after that. On Valentine’s Day, he had a necklace ready for her, but she never even opened the box before she left, not sparing it a single glance.’

And now, the Estelle Lockwood before him had finished picking out her clothes and returned to the counter.

Nathaniel Sloan’s breath suddenly caught.