The man outside was furious, raising his voice to mask his embarrassment. "Nathaniel Sloan, are you deaf? Can’t you hear me talking to you? You know damn well how you got to where you are today!"
Estelle Lockwood put down her chopsticks and glanced over at the people who had interrupted her meal.
The man leading them looked to be in his thirties, a sinister expression on his face. Behind him was Yvonne Lancaster, clearly the center of attention. And after her was the man she had once seen downstairs at the Evernight Group building—Theodore Lancaster.
Theodore Lancaster gave her a slight nod, the very picture of a gentleman.
Estelle Lockwood spoke, her voice slow and drawn out, laced with a hint of sarcasm. "Ah, the Lancasters."
And yet, the man outside completely missed her tone, actually thinking Estelle Lockwood was afraid.
"Scared? Heh. Nathaniel Sloan, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get over here and grovel. Otherwise, if I beat you to a pulp right here, people will just say we Lancasters are loyal to our own! After all, you’re just an illegitimate son. Everything I’m doing is for the sake of our deceased Miss Lancaster!"
Estelle Lockwood tsk-tsked.
Nathaniel Sloan acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, his expression as calm as ever.
It was as if the young Lancaster master was putting on a one-man show, jumping up and down like a performing monkey. It took him a full three minutes of shouting to realize he was being ignored. His face instantly turned livid with humiliation. "Nathaniel Sloan!!"
He looked into the private room, his words turning vile. "Oh, the little ones are here too. The big one is an illegitimate son, so what does that make these three? I’d say... AGH!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Estelle Lockwood was already slowly retracting her hand. A cup had squarely smashed against the man’s mouth!
"You... you..." The man touched his mouth, which was numb with pain. He flinched, afraid of being hit again, but then he saw Yvonne Lancaster, remembered the benefits that awaited him, and gritted his teeth.
"Nathaniel Sloan, you’re just going to let Estelle Lockwood hit me, is that it? Fine. Fine! Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of Miss Lancaster! I’ll make you understand your place! A bastard like you isn’t even as good as a dog in the Lancaster Family—"
The man strode into the room, fist raised to smash into Nathaniel Sloan’s face. But in the next instant, Estelle Lockwood kicked a nearby chair. It shot across the smooth floor, and with a sharp "AARGH!", the man went down.
Estelle Lockwood: "..." ’So pathetic.’
A shadow passed over Yvonne Lancaster’s eyes. She finally stepped forward and spoke. "Miss Lockwood, we have no intention of targeting you. We just wanted to catch up with Nathaniel for a bit. Don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?"
Estelle Lockwood shot her a sidelong glance. "’Catch up’? I wasn’t aware that the Second Miss Lancaster and Nathaniel Sloan had any fond memories to catch up on."
Yvonne Lancaster truly lived up to her reputation as the socialite the Lancaster Family had spent years cultivating; even after hearing Estelle Lockwood’s utterly mocking words, she could still manage a smile.
"When our Theodore returns to the Sloan Family, we’ll all be one big family. I know someone on our side got a little emotional just now, but it was all for my sister’s sake."
"Unlike Mr. Sloan, Theodore lost his mother when he was young, so they’re a bit emotional. I’m sure Miss Lockwood can understand, right?"
Yvonne Lancaster finished, watching Estelle Lockwood with a placid smile.
Estelle Lockwood’s gaze swept over the Lancasters, and she casually smoothed her hair. "Is that so? And this is Theodore Lancaster’s wish?"
Yvonne Lancaster shook her head. "Of course not. Theodore has been kind-hearted since he was a child. Even after learning Nathaniel Sloan’s identity, he never deliberately targeted him. It’s just that, whenever I see Nathaniel Sloan, I think of my sister who died so young, and I can’t help but feel resentful."
"So it’s the Second Miss Lancaster who feels resentful."
Estelle Lockwood nodded. "But I am a little curious. Why exactly should the Second Miss Lancaster feel resentful?"
"After all, the one who was originally supposed to marry Chairman Sloan was you, Second Miss Lancaster. But you looked down on the marriage alliance and pushed Miss Lancaster to marry in your place. Now that Miss Lancaster is dead... Second Miss, you should be feeling guilty, not resentful."
Yvonne Lancaster’s expression changed in a flash!
...
The entire private room fell deathly silent.
The younger Lancasters who had come with Yvonne Lancaster all looked at each other, none daring to speak.
For years, Yvonne Lancaster had styled herself as the legitimate heiress of the Lancaster Family. Even at her usual gatherings with other socialites, she always looked down on those born as illegitimate daughters.
’After all,’ she thought, ’how could I be considered an illegitimate daughter? It was obviously that bitch Miranda Lancaster who stole my rightful place! How could *I* be illegitimate?’
But now that Estelle Lockwood had brought it up, she felt the blatant stares of everyone around her mocking her!
Yvonne Lancaster took a deep breath and gave a threatening smile. "Miss Lockwood, I hope you understand that words have consequences."
"Is the Second Miss Lancaster threatening me?" Estelle Lockwood asked with a sweet smile.
"You!" Yvonne Lancaster sputtered, incensed.
"Auntie, there’s no need to be angry."
Suddenly, a clear, gentle male voice spoke up. Theodore Lancaster still wore that same warm and courteous expression. "We didn’t come here today to pick a fight with Nathaniel."
Only then did Yvonne Lancaster remember their real purpose for coming. She composed herself and said condescendingly, "That’s right. Nathaniel Sloan, that plot of land you have in Sorhaven—hand it over to Theodore."
Mia and Zachery exchanged a look. Mia immediately understood and nodded.

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