Leo Sloan’s eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe someone so shameless could exist in this world.

Estelle Lockwood got into the car unhurriedly and, under Noelle Lockwood’s ferocious glare, lightly shut the door.

’Ah, that’s satisfying.’

The next moment, the car drove away, leaving Leo Sloan fuming with impotent rage.

Zane Grant nudged Liam Sloan’s arm. "See? That’s what Leo is for."

Liam Sloan was stunned. "So... Leo is just a tool to provoke my sister-in-law into getting in the car?"

’A tool? Hmm, that’s an apt description.’

Inside the car, Nathaniel Sloan’s lips curved into a slight smile.

’Liam was right. When it comes to winning back your wife, you have to use a few little tricks.’

Estelle Lockwood felt a sense of satisfaction thinking about the look on Noelle Lockwood’s face just now.

On the way, Leo Sloan was fuming. "Nathaniel, you rejected Noelle in front of so many people to take this woman home! You... How is Noelle supposed to face anyone now!"

Nathaniel Sloan narrowed his eyes and was about to speak, but Estelle Lockwood’s lips suddenly curved into a smile. "Of course Nathaniel is taking me home. Little girl, do you know where I live?"

Leo Sloan had just returned from abroad, and everything she knew about "Yara Lockwood" came from Noelle Lockwood. Of course, she didn’t know. "I don’t care where you live! You’re just shameless!"

Estelle Lockwood smirked. "Your dear Noelle told you I’m a homewrecker, that I stole her man and took over her son. So how can you not guess where I live?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Leo Sloan: "How could I..."

Estelle Lockwood said slowly, "I live in Imperial Crest. It’s on the way home for Mr. Sloan. So tell me... should he give me a ride or not?"

Hearing this, Leo Sloan cried out, "You live in Imperial Crest?!"

Estelle Lockwood smoothed her hair. "Is there a problem?"

Leo Sloan was flustered and exasperated. "You’re asking what’s wrong? Imperial Crest is clearly where Noelle is supposed to live! What right do you have to be living there? It’s completely improper..."

Nathaniel Sloan’s cold gaze swept over her.

But Estelle Lockwood was unperturbed. "Oh? And so what if I am? Does that mean your dear Noelle has any right to be there?"

Leo Sloan’s face flushed with anger. "Of course! Noelle was always meant to be..."

Before she could finish, Leo Sloan met Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes.

For some reason, a wave of panic washed over Leo Sloan. She grew restless, yet she still felt she hadn’t said anything wrong.

’Noelle and Nathaniel have been engaged since they were children. Even if... even if...’

’This woman actually moved into Imperial Crest. I’m so mad I could die!’

Estelle Lockwood’s only goal had been to infuriate Noelle Lockwood and her little lackey. Seeing Leo Sloan worked up into such a tizzy, Estelle felt quite pleased.

She took out her phone and casually scrolled through her messages.

Just then, the car passed a certain street, and Leo Sloan’s eyes lit up. "Nathaniel, do you remember this place? When we were kids, Noelle got bullied by a couple of thugs here, and you rushed over as soon as you found out."

As she said this, Leo Sloan couldn’t help but glance at Estelle Lockwood, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Noelle was still in school back then, the famous campus belle. So many guys were after her, but she wouldn’t give any of them the time of day. She was just waiting for you!"

"Oh, why am I even bringing this up? Noelle and Nathaniel are childhood sweethearts, but it seems some people aren’t. While Noelle was in school, some people were probably still kicking around in who-knows-what forgotten corner!"

Everything Leo Sloan mentioned was about Noelle Lockwood and Nathaniel Sloan’s school days, a time in which neither Estelle Lockwood nor Yara Lockwood had ever been a part.

It was as if she were, intentionally or not, trying to exclude Estelle Lockwood.

Nathaniel Sloan’s fingers twitched, and he subconsciously looked at the woman sitting by the window in the back seat.

A smile played on Estelle Lockwood’s lips. She was replying to something on her phone, her smile growing even sweeter.

For some reason, Nathaniel Sloan’s heart suddenly clenched.

Leo Sloan pressed on. "Oh, and that clock tower! I remember you and Noelle came here before, Nathaniel. You even took pictures..."

Nathaniel Sloan had indeed been to that clock tower with Noelle Lockwood, but it was with the entire Sloan and Lockwood families. The way Leo Sloan told it, however, made it sound like a private rendezvous between the two of them.

Nathaniel Sloan paused, not rushing to explain.

’He... wanted to see Estelle Lockwood’s reaction.’

But Estelle Lockwood seemed to not have heard a thing. Her fingers were tapping away furiously as she chatted with someone on her phone.

Nathaniel Sloan felt a wave of irritation rise in his chest. He said abruptly, "Stop the car."

SCREECH—

The car stopped, and Estelle Lockwood lurched forward from the inertia. She looked up, dazed, then immediately furrowed her brows.

Nathaniel Sloan spoke to Leo Sloan. "Get out."

Leo Sloan, who had been on a roll and assumed Estelle Lockwood was feeling ashamed of her inferiority, was clearly stunned. "What?"

Nathaniel Sloan said coldly, "I only happened to run into Noelle Lockwood back then. I didn’t know she was in trouble and rush over to save her."

"As for the trip to the clock tower, I just made an appearance and left after five minutes. If that’s enough to prove I treat Noelle Lockwood as someone special..."

Nathaniel Sloan calmly raised his eyes. "...then the number of people I’ve treated ’specially’ in my life is probably too high to count."

Leo Sloan’s expression froze, her face turning pale. "But... but..."

’But this was all what Noelle told her. How could it be wrong...?’

"I have never given Noelle Lockwood special treatment," Nathaniel Sloan said, enunciating every word. "Do you understand?"

Leo Sloan trembled. She had been pampered and spoiled her whole life, doted on by her entire family. No one had ever been this harsh with her before. She retorted defiantly, "Then who do you care about! Nathaniel, don’t tell me you care about Yara?"

"Yara already has two children! Who knows what deadbeat she had them with! Are you really going to raise another man’s kids?!"

Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes instantly darkened. "I told you to get out of the car."

Leo Sloan shuddered, her eyes red-rimmed. She shot a vicious glare at Estelle Lockwood, only to see her still engrossed in her phone, which made her even more exasperated.

After Leo Sloan got out, the driver silently raised the privacy partition, instantly turning the back seat into a self-contained space.

Nathaniel Sloan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "Yara, don’t you have anything to say?"

Estelle Lockwood was in the middle of an enthusiastic chat with Mrs. Kendrick. Hearing Nathaniel Sloan call her name, she looked up, displeased. "What is it?"

Nathaniel wanted to ask her... after hearing Leo talk about his past with Noelle Lockwood, did she not feel even a little bit upset?

Estelle Lockwood looked up, her expression clearly saying, ’Are you insane?’

’Surely Nathaniel doesn’t think I still care about all that, does he?’

BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Just then, her phone rang.

Mrs. Kendrick had just asked Estelle Lockwood for recent photos of Zachery and Mia. Apparently, just looking at them wasn’t enough, so she called. "Sweetheart, how are the children?"

The line was staticky, and since Mrs. Kendrick was speaking quietly, her voice came through distorted, making it impossible to distinguish if it was a man or a woman.

All Nathaniel Sloan heard was the person on the other end of the line call her "Sweetheart."

Then, he saw Estelle Lockwood’s eyes curve into crescents, brimming with a joyful smile. "They’re doing great."

Mrs. Kendrick asked over the phone, "Is it a bother, calling so late?"

Nathaniel only heard Estelle Lockwood say, "Of course not. They’re your children, too."

...’Your children, too.’

Nathaniel Sloan’s fists clenched abruptly.