Estelle Lockwood was intrigued. "A secret about me?"
Stella York chuckled lightly. "I happened to stumble upon it. I don’t know if it’s true or not. You can believe it if you want, Miss Lockwood. If not, you can just listen to it as an amusing story."
Estelle Lockwood nodded. "Please, go on."
"Aren’t you curious, Miss Lockwood, why the Lockwood Family treats you this way even though you’re their biological daughter? I believe Rose Lowell told you it was because of that fortune teller, correct?"
Estelle Lockwood’s eyes narrowed. It seemed Stella York really did know quite a lot.
Yes, there was indeed a fortune teller.
After she was born, the story went that Rose Lowell found that fortune teller, who predicted she was a Jinx. That’s why Rose Lowell abandoned her and brought back the "Lucky Star," Noelle Lockwood, from an orphanage.
Estelle Lockwood asked, "So, was there no fortune teller at all? Was it just an excuse for Rose Lowell to get rid of me?"
"No."
But to her surprise, Stella York shook her head. "That fortune teller did exist, and Rose Lowell did abandon you because of what he said."
Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to the story.
"However..."
As expected, Stella York continued, "But that fortune teller was hired by Austin Lockwood."
Estelle Lockwood’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Stella York said, "All I know is that the day before the fortune teller met with Rose Lowell, he met with both Austin Lockwood and Old Mr. Lockwood. After that, the rumors started about you being a Jinx and Noelle Lockwood being a Lucky Star."
"The outside world believes that abandoning you was Rose Lowell’s doing alone, and that Old Mr. Lockwood and Austin Lockwood knew nothing about it. They say that only after they couldn’t find you did they go to an orphanage to adopt Noelle Lockwood."
"And the reason for adopting Noelle Lockwood was supposedly because Rose Lowell had a master determine she was a ’Lucky Star’ and insisted on the adoption. They say Austin Lockwood had no choice but to agree."
"Throughout this whole affair, it seems Austin Lockwood never expressed any opinion of his own."
"Whether it was abandoning his biological daughter or adopting a fake one, it was all supposedly Rose Lowell’s doing."
Stella York said slowly, "But if we assume that Austin Lockwood was the one who hired the fortune teller... Miss Lockwood, don’t you think this whole situation seems rife with conspiracy?"
Stella York said it all in one breath, and Estelle Lockwood’s eyes narrowed.
’She has a point...’
That woman, Rose Lowell... to put it nicely, she was a worrier. To put it bluntly, she was a fool, easily manipulated.
Rose Lowell believed in fortune-telling, so she couldn’t wait to get rid of Estelle after hearing she was a ’Jinx.’
She was afraid the Jinx would bring her misfortune.
So, as her husband, did Austin Lockwood know this about her?
Austin Lockwood knew.
So, Austin Lockwood bribed a fortune teller to exaggerate things, forcing Rose Lowell to abandon Estelle...
’But why would Austin Lockwood do that? And Old Mr. Lockwood, too...’
Estelle Lockwood suddenly had a thought: the ones who had wanted to get rid of her the most were actually Austin Lockwood and Old Mr. Lockwood, not Rose Lowell.
Rose Lowell had been used from start to finish, but the masterminds were that father-son duo!
Yet Rose Lowell was the one taking all the blame, while Austin Lockwood and Old Mr. Lockwood acted as if they were invisible.
But logically, she was Austin Lockwood’s biological daughter. What reason could he and Old Mr. Lockwood possibly have to abandon her?
Unless...
’Unless I’m not really a Lockwood at all!’
And Rose Lowell had been deceived all along!
Estelle Lockwood had tested the waters many times and was certain that in Rose Lowell’s mind, she was unequivocally her biological daughter. This directly contradicted Austin Lockwood’s actions.
Therefore, Estelle Lockwood could only come to one conclusion—
She was not the daughter of Austin Lockwood and Rose Lowell. Austin had somehow hidden the truth from Rose and used her to get rid of Estelle.
But, if Austin’s ultimate goal was to discard her, why go to all the trouble of making her a Lockwood daughter in the first place?
’Just what kind of conspiracy are Austin Lockwood and Old Mr. Lockwood hiding?’
"That’s all I know. If you’re interested, Miss Lockwood, you can investigate it yourself."
After a moment, Stella York added, "By the way, there are some things I could tell Mr. Sloan, but he might not listen, so I’m telling you directly."
"Chairman York... oh, my biological father, that is. He and Ethan Sloan are on good terms and have been meeting in secret. Ethan Sloan also helped Eliza Quincy get to where she is."
Stella York’s voice turned icy. "Besides Ethan Sloan, there was also Old Mr. Sloan, Chairman Lancaster, and Old Mr. Lancaster. All of them helped a mistress rise, indirectly causing my mother’s death."
"Miss Lockwood, don’t you find that strange?"
Estelle Lockwood understood instantly. "It is strange. The Lancaster Family keeps insisting their eldest daughter is Ethan Sloan’s rightful partner and that they look down on mistresses and illegitimate children. But in reality, the current Old Mrs. Lancaster was a mistress, and Yvonne Lancaster is an illegitimate daughter."
"The Eliza Quincy they helped is a mistress, and Thea York is an illegitimate daughter."
"Mrs. Keaton, who is close to the Sloan Family, is a mistress, and Julian Jacobs is an illegitimate son."
"It seems the Lancaster and Sloan families have been helping these third parties and their illegitimate children rise to power from the very beginning..."
Stella York nodded. "Yes. I don’t know anything else, this is all I have. If you have a moment, Miss Lockwood, you could give Mr. Sloan a reminder that the Lancasters are planning something big, and he is their chosen stepping stone."
With that, Stella York waved her hand. "It’s getting late, so I won’t keep you. Please, see yourself out."
Estelle Lockwood left the beauty salon and looked up at the afternoon sun. "..."
’Getting late?’
This Miss Stella York was certainly different from the rumors.
...
「The York Residence.」
Chairman York got the news and had to call in a huge favor to get Mrs. York out of the police station.
"Honey, listen to me, I didn’t want to... But-but those three bastards! I was just trying to do what’s best for Thea, to teach them a lesson!"
Chairman York was impatient. "Can’t you just behave! Are you trying to cause more trouble for Thea? Do you have any idea what the board of directors is saying? They’re saying you’re dragging Thea down!"
Thea York’s eyes flickered.
Mrs. York mumbled, "What did the Sloan Family say? Didn’t they promise to help Thea? Why haven’t we heard anything?"
Chairman York frowned. "I’ll ask them again when the time is right."
...
Just as Estelle Lockwood was about to return to Imperial Crest, she got a call from her studio. "Estelle, the client wants to see your preliminary sketches."
Estelle Lockwood went to her studio. Her assistant said, "The Prince’s butler would like to see your design drafts. That way, if there’s anything they’re not satisfied with, they can give timely feedback."
Estelle Lockwood had no objection. After all, it was normal for a client to review preliminary drafts for a private design commission.
But this time, the person contacting Estelle Lockwood wasn’t the butler, but a young woman.
Estelle Lockwood spoke with the woman via video call, but the woman didn’t show her face. After looking at the design drafts, she said contemptuously, "So, you’re Estelle Lockwood?"