Nathaniel Sloan raised an eyebrow.
Laura Jennings’s eyes flew open, her fingers trembling. "You... you shameless hussy! Get away from my son!"
Noelle Lockwood’s eyes reddened as well, putting on the perfect air of a long-suffering wife. "Nathaniel, you and Miss Yara Lockwood... Auntie, please don’t be angry. Perhaps this is all just a misunderstanding..."
Laura Jennings couldn’t bear to see Noelle Lockwood acting so meek and wronged. She roared, "Yara Lockwood, know your place! How could my son possibly be having a meal with you!"
Estelle Lockwood smoothed her hair. "If Ms. Jennings doesn’t believe it, why not ask Mr. Sloan? Mr. Sloan, what do you say?"
Nathaniel Sloan calmly averted his gaze, his expression indifferent. "Yara Lockwood is my guest."
Laura Jennings was clearly stunned by his words. She couldn’t believe her own son would dine with this shameless bitch.
When she turned and saw Noelle Lockwood silently shedding tears, Laura Jennings’s heart swelled with indignation.
"How is a seductress like her worthy! Nathaniel, don’t let a shady vixen like her bewitch you. Noelle is the one who’s right for you..."
"As the matriarch of the Sloan family, you shouldn’t be using such language," Nathaniel Sloan cut in coldly.
Being reprimanded by her own son, Laura Jennings felt utterly humiliated and grew even more indignant. "On what grounds does she... she..."
"Grandma, that’s a question you should be asking Aunt Noelle!"
Just then, a little boy’s voice piped up.
They turned to see ’Christian’ standing beside them. He must have appeared at some point, and his eyes were practically overflowing with disdain.
Zachery and Christian had swapped clothes and immediately run over.
Laura Jennings was taken aback. "Christian, you’re here too? Nathaniel, you brought Christian with you? Aren’t you afraid this seductress will be a bad influence on him!"
Zachery let out two cold laughs. "Grandma, you’ve misunderstood Daddy. He didn’t invite Aunt Yara to dinner for himself, but for the company."
Laura Jennings snapped, "Nonsense! She’s just a woman. What does she have to do with the company..."
"Because Aunt Noelle plagiarized, Star Group became very unhappy with Daddy. The partnership almost fell through."
Zachery said gravely, "The initial investment in this partnership was huge. If it collapses now, everything will be lost. That’s why Daddy specifically chose today to apologize to Aunt Yara."
Estelle Lockwood blinked, her gaze shifting to him instinctively.
’Wait, what is Christian saying?’ But she quickly realized what was happening. ’This little guy is standing up for me.’
Nathaniel Sloan, however, gave the boy a second look, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Before Laura Jennings could speak, Zachery continued:
"I heard everyone at the company has been running ragged because of this. I couldn’t bear to see Daddy so exhausted, so I came along, hoping I could put in a good word with Aunt Yara and help save the partnership."
As Zachery spoke, his gaze drifted pointedly toward Noelle Lockwood, his voice loud enough for every other guest in the restaurant to hear perfectly clearly.
"Daddy has to clean up the mess caused by the Lockwood Group. And yet Aunt Noelle, one of the main culprits, isn’t thinking about how to apologize. Instead, she’s in the mood to go shopping with Grandma."
"If I had caused so much trouble, I would’ve been trying to find a way to fix the damage long ago. I just don’t understand how Aunt Noelle can still be out enjoying herself with a clear conscience."
After Zachery finished speaking, the restaurant fell into a dead silence.
After a long moment, people began to whisper. "So, Mr. Sloan booked the Celestial Room to apologize to Miss Yara Lockwood..."


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