Estelle Lockwood stressed the two words "biological daughter." She watched as Austin Lockwood’s face gradually turned pale, but her words were directed at Rose Lowell.
"After all, it is an honor for a biological daughter of the Lockwood family to make sacrifices for them. Since you’ve accepted the two billion and countless betrothal gifts, you should take responsibility."
"If Ms. Lowell backs out in the end and refuses to go through with the marriage, then don’t blame Princess Avery for not being courteous."
Princess Avery narrowed her eyes.
For some reason, a wave of terror washed over Rose Lowell.
She didn’t know where this terror came from, and she frantically tried to console herself. ’Estelle Lockwood is just stalling, putting up a desperate, pointless struggle. It’s fine, it’s fine, everything has been arranged—’
But Rose Lowell couldn’t stop herself from screaming, "Stop smiling! Don’t you dare smile! Estelle Lockwood, what the hell are you smiling at—"
"Since Ms. Lowell is so curious, allow me to answer that question for you."
With a loud BANG, the manor doors were pushed open.
A few people walked in.
...
[Hey, those people look familiar. That old man looks like the director of Crestfall Private Hospital.]
[Yeah, and that lady... Isn’t that Director Carson from the orphanage?]
[The others look familiar too, I just can’t place them right now...]
[Whoa!! Look, don’t those two look like Rose Lowell’s parents?!]
[Holy crap, I remember this. Didn’t Rose Lowell and her own brother always bully Estelle Lockwood? And their parents just let them. How dare these two old bastards call themselves Estelle’s grandparents? What’s going on here?]
[Weird. What are they doing here?]
...
「A few days earlier.」
Director Carson had agreed to appear as a witness, and she had evidence in her possession.
Director Rhodes of the hospital had initially been unaware of the situation. It was only after Nathaniel Sloan paid him a visit that he investigated and discovered that twenty-five years ago, someone had indeed pulled off a massive deception at the hospital.
Director Rhodes was a man of principle and couldn’t let such a thing slide. When Nathaniel Sloan explained the full story—that they had swapped babies with the ultimate goal of selling a child—he had agreed to come without a second thought.
There was also the head nurse of the maternity ward. She could testify that Rose Lowell had delivered a stillborn baby and that Austin Lockwood had paid to alter the records. Austin had then shown up with a newborn infant, and the head nurse, terrified he had kidnapped another family’s child, was threatened by him and subsequently driven out of Crestfall.
As for the last two—Old Mr. and Old Mrs. Lowell—their story was an interesting one.
As Rose Lowell’s parents, they of course knew Estelle Lockwood wasn’t their daughter’s biological child. Austin Lockwood had claimed he was worried Rose would be too devastated by the loss of their baby, so he had brought back a baby girl from a "friend."
At Rose Lowell’s instigation, the old Lowell couple also grew to despise Estelle Lockwood, viewing her as a jinx. Besides, they reasoned, since Estelle wasn’t their daughter’s biological child, they turned a blind eye to Rose’s abuse of the girl.
As for Noelle Lockwood, the old couple only doted on her because Rose Lowell favored her.
But Nathaniel Sloan had brought a paternity test—proving that Noelle Lockwood was the daughter of Austin Lockwood and his mistress!
So, their own daughter had been raising her husband’s love child! Vicious as the Lowell couple was, they still cared for their own daughter, so they had immediately agreed to come with Nathaniel Sloan.
And, most importantly—
Nathaniel Sloan had said, "Estelle Lockwood was stolen from her biological parents by Austin Lockwood. You both know what the penalty for kidnapping a child is. Austin Lockwood’s prison sentence is a certainty."
"However, your daughter, Rose Lowell, has been in the dark about this from the start. But if she insists on going through with ’selling’ a daughter, and forces Estelle to marry into the Avery family, what do you think... will happen to Rose?"
Forcing a married woman, one with no relation to Rose Lowell whatsoever, to remarry...
The old Lowell couple trembled.
’That’s a felony!’
...
Watching these people enter, Austin Lockwood’s eyelid twitched. "How dare you! This is a private family gathering. Your uninvited presence is trespassing..."
"Chairman Lockwood, calm down. These are all friends I invited."
Estelle Lockwood said in a leisurely tone.
Austin Lockwood’s face was grim. "Make them leave. I do not approve!"
Estelle Lockwood’s expression was placid. "Chairman Lockwood, what are you saying? Didn’t you tell everyone I’m your biological daughter and that today is my family reunion banquet? As the guest of honor, do I not even have the right to invite a few friends?"
Austin Lockwood’s face darkened. "Estelle Lockwood!"
Estelle Lockwood shrugged. "Besides, Chairman Lockwood, your father-in-law and mother-in-law are here, too. Are you going to throw them out as well? And it’s strange, isn’t it, Chairman Lockwood? Old Mr. and Old Mrs. Lowell are my ’grandparents,’ after all. Why wouldn’t you invite them to my family reunion banquet?"
Rose Lowell found it strange, too.
Austin Lockwood gritted his teeth. ’What other reason could there be? I was afraid these two old coots would find out I have a mistress!’
Old Mrs. Lowell rushed to Rose Lowell’s side and urged anxiously, "Rose, you can’t—you can’t let Estelle go through with this marriage!"
Rose Lowell couldn’t believe it. Her parents, who always supported everything she did, were now trying to ruin her plans for Estelle Lockwood’s sake!
Rose Lowell’s brow furrowed. "Mom, don’t tell me you’re here to get a slice of the two billion? Fine, fine, I’ll set some aside for you."
Old Mrs. Lowell never imagined this was the kind of person her own daughter thought she was.
She immediately burst into tears. "Rose! How could you think that? Mom is doing this for your own good! Estelle Lockwood absolutely cannot go through with this marriage!"
Rose Lowell was beyond irritated. "Cry, cry, cry, that’s all you know how to do! Why the hell can’t Estelle get married? I’ve already accepted the betrothal gifts! If she doesn’t go through with it, what’s going to happen to me? Prince Avery won’t let me off the hook! Do you have the heart to watch me die? Estelle won’t think about my interests, and now you won’t either?"
[Is Rose Lowell nuts? So she gets to greedily accept the betrothal gifts, pocket the two billion, and bear none of the risk? And when Estelle doesn’t want to marry, she gets yelled at for being ’inconsiderate’?]
[So all the good things in the world should just fall into her lap? The audacity!]
Old Mr. Lowell also tried to reason with her.
Rose Lowell raged, "I’m doing this for Estelle Lockwood’s own good! She’s going to be a Princess Consort. Countless people would kill for such a blessing, what right does she have to be so picky?"
"But... but Estelle is already married..." Old Mr. Lowell said meekly.
"So what if she’s married? I told you, I’m her mother! People say you need your parents’ consent to marry. Well, I don’t consent to her marriage with Nathaniel Sloan! I will only acknowledge Mr. Reno as my son-in-law! Is that so wrong?"
Estelle Lockwood just smiled.
Old Mrs. Lowell instinctively glanced at the bodyguard beside Estelle Lockwood—she knew it was Mr. Sloan in disguise.
Meeting Nathaniel Sloan’s gaze, Old Mrs. Lowell flinched.
The words tumbled out of her mouth—
"But Estelle isn’t your biological child!"