Over? What’s over? Why is it over?!
Instantly, Old Mr. Lockwood recalled Princess Avery’s earlier threat.
’That’s right,’ he thought. ’I get it now. It must be because Noelle refuses to marry. Princess Avery is furious!’
Old Mr. Lockwood, who moments ago was pondering how to protect his own granddaughter, now stared at her with a sharp, calculating glint in his eyes.
"Noelle, Noelle, you heard him! Right now, you’re the only one who can save the Lockwood family! Just be a good girl and marry Mr. Reno first. After that... after that, Grandpa will definitely make it up to you!"
Noelle Lockwood staggered back two steps, truly panicking.
’She’d never imagined this would fall on her!’
’She had hand-picked Mr. Reno, thinking it would be Estelle Lockwood’s personal hell... But, but why was it happening like this now?’
’First, my identity was revealed. Then, the arson was exposed. Now, I have to be sacrificed for the sake of the Lockwood family. On what grounds?! Shouldn’t this be something for Estelle Lockwood to do? Estelle is the stepping stone, but I’m the one with the lucky koi fate! Why would the Lockwoods give up on me?!’
Tears streamed down Noelle Lockwood’s face as she shook her head frantically. "Grandpa, no, you can’t... I’m your real granddaughter! You can’t, you absolutely can’t..."
Austin Lockwood panicked as well. "Dad, Noelle... she’s my own daughter, after all. She grew up by my side. This... this..."
Rose Lowell shielded Noelle Lockwood, her face a mess of tears. "I won’t allow it! Caleb Lockwood, you heartless monster, how could you send Noelle to her death for money! So what if the Lockwood family goes bankrupt? So what if you Lockwoods’ company collapses? How can you sacrifice Noelle! All of you combined aren’t worth a single strand of her hair!"
Though Noelle Lockwood said nothing, she tacitly agreed, hiding in Rose Lowell’s arms and sobbing.
Old Mr. Lockwood didn’t even spare Rose Lowell a glance. He turned to Princess Avery and said fawningly, "Our Noelle, we’ll leave her in your hands."
Princess Avery gave her bodyguards a cold look. They understood, stepping forward and grabbing Noelle Lockwood by the shoulders.
"AHH!!"
"Noelle!"
There wasn’t a trace of sadness in Old Mr. Lockwood’s eyes at the thought of losing his granddaughter, only the thrill of acquiring wealth and riches. "Noelle, don’t you worry. Grandpa will be sure to remember you. Your sacrifice is very valuable!"
"No, I don’t want to! Dad, save me!"
But after a moment of consideration, Austin Lockwood still looked away.
’Didn’t Noelle Lockwood know what kind of people Old Mr. Lockwood and Austin Lockwood were? She did! She knew none of the Lockwoods were any good.’
’But back when she used Austin Lockwood to go against Estelle Lockwood, she had only felt a thrill—fools like Austin Lockwood and Old Mr. Lockwood, who saw nothing but money, had no concept of family ties.’
’She used to think, so what if Estelle Lockwood was the real heiress? As the fake heiress, she was born with a lucky koi fate and could bring the Lockwood family far more resources.’
’How could Old Mr. Lockwood and Austin Lockwood ever abandon her?’
’She could use this to bully Estelle Lockwood to her heart’s content.’
And Noelle Lockwood had done exactly that.
Because of her "lucky koi fate," the Lockwoods had practically worshipped her, while ruthlessly suppressing their own biological daughter and unhesitatingly going after Estelle Lockwood’s life.
Noelle Lockwood later learned that she was Austin Lockwood’s illegitimate daughter. When her birth mother came to find her, Noelle, despite knowing full well how vicious Austin was, still helped him "deal with" her own mother and set that fire.
’Because in Noelle Lockwood’s mind, people with no value should have every last drop of their worth squeezed out of them before being kicked to the curb.’
’Before, it had been Estelle Lockwood... Phoebe Hale... and now, it was her turn.’
’Why?! Why was it her turn?!’
"Grandpa, no! I’m a huge star! I’m a designer... I... I can make money for the Lockwood family! Don’t do this!"
But Noelle Lockwood’s tear-streaked, sobbing face failed to arouse anyone’s pity.
[So now she’s scared? Now she regrets it? When she was plotting against Estelle Lockwood, did she ever stop to think that Estelle might be scared too?]
[LMAO, Noelle Lockwood was the one who hand-picked Mr. Reno. So isn’t it perfect for her to be the one to marry him?]
[She dug her own grave. If she hadn’t tried to kill Estelle Lockwood, would she be in this mess?]
[Even her own birth mother came forward to expose her. This Noelle Lockwood... she’s beyond saving!]
Old Mr. Lockwood said righteously, "Noelle, what are you saying! In the beginning, when you wanted Estelle to marry and make a sacrifice, didn’t you also say that since she was a Lockwood, she had to be prepared to dedicate herself to the family?"
"Estelle wasn’t even a Lockwood, and you were willing to have her make a sacrifice for the family. But you’re different. You were born and raised a Lockwood, so you have an even greater duty to sacrifice for the family!"
"Noelle, our family raised you for all these years, yet you refuse to even sacrifice yourself for us. Do you have no conscience?!"
Noelle Lockwood was on the verge of losing her mind!
’These... these were the very words she had prepared for Estelle Lockwood!’
Estelle Lockwood rested her chin on her hand, watching with great interest as the Lockwoods turned on each other like a pack of dogs. She hadn’t said a single word, and yet Noelle Lockwood was already on the verge of a breakdown.
Old Mr. Lockwood’s face was flush with excitement. "Quick, quick! Tie Noelle up and send her to Mr. Reno! Princess Avery, the Lockwood family has kept its promise. Now... now you can..."
Princess Avery was satisfied.
She waved her hand, about to order her subordinates to call off the threats against the Lockwood family.
However, before Old Mr. Lockwood could get too excited, the subordinate on the other end of the phone shouted again, "Old Master, it’s over!"
...
The room fell silent in an instant.
Caleb Lockwood looked displeased. "What do you mean, ’over’?! Noelle Lockwood has already agreed to marry, and Princess Avery is no longer targeting our family. We’re about to have money and resources, so how could it possibly be..."
"The livestream!"
The subordinate finally managed to yell.
"Old Master, today’s banquet... it’s being livestreamed!"
...
Livestreamed?!
’What did he mean? What did he mean, today’s banquet is being livestreamed?!’
The Lockwood relatives froze for a moment. Then, as the realization dawned, their faces turned deathly pale.
Noelle Lockwood and Rose Lowell were also stunned for a few seconds, but it was Noelle, the former superstar, who first understood what had happened.
’A livestream... Someone has been livestreaming this entire banquet!’
’After so many years in the entertainment industry, she knew exactly what a livestream like this meant! If the public found out about everything that had just happened at the banquet, what would be the consequences?’
’And Phoebe Hale accusing her of arson and attempted murder...’
’A livestream? It was all broadcast live? All of these things... everyone saw them?!’
Noelle Lockwood finally realized that the phrase "it’s over" didn’t mean her life was over because she had to marry Mr. Reno.
Instead...
Her arson and attempted murder had been exposed. She was finished. Austin Lockwood had blood on his hands and had stolen a child. He was finished. Old Mr. Lockwood and Rose Lowell...
The list of the Lockwood family’s sins was too long to count.
And now, from the very start of the banquet until this very moment, everything had been broadcast live.
The ugly, hypocritical, and twistedly hideous faces of the Lockwoods had been seen by all.