Chapter 133 The Person Who Saved Him Wasn’t Stella Sutton at All

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The Person Who Saved Him Wasn’t Stella Sutton at All

Master Lockwood’s expression didn’t change much; it was more of an inquiring confirmation. Stella Sutton observed him carefully and, seeing nothing amiss, finally allowed a slow smile to spread across her face.

She nodded slowly and said, "It’s been so long, you might not remember me clearly. After all, it was a volunteer medical consultation organized at the time. There were so many people coming and going, and the medical staff participating were quite mixed. It’s perfectly fine."

She honestly couldn’t remember the patients she had saved. She had only attended the volunteer clinic because she knew there would be media nearby. Showing her face there was always a good PR move. Many elderly people had come for treatment, and she hadn’t paid attention to anyone’s appearance. But since Finn Lockwood himself said she had saved Master Lockwood, she had to make good use of this favor.

Stella’s expression was incredibly composed. However, Master Lockwood cast a chilling glance at Julian Sterling, who was standing nearby but hadn’t interjected at all. "Julian, this one from your family is quite something."

Did she really think he was so sick and delirious back then that he couldn’t even recognize his own savior? He hadn’t expected the young Mrs. Sterling to be such an attention-seeking, habitual liar! She didn’t hesitate to claim credit for herself, acting as if it were the absolute truth. What did she take him for? A senile old fool? Blind and deaf? In his eyes, anyone attending such an occasion with Julian Sterling and being brought right before him to show her face could only be Julian’s wife. Could it possibly be an outsider?

Meeting the elder’s gaze, Julian remained unruffled. "You must be joking. I came today specifically to celebrate your birthday. I know very little about the matter you two are discussing."

Stella felt that Master Lockwood’s remark was a bit ambiguous, but since the old man didn’t explicitly show his emotions, she simply assumed he genuinely took her to be Julian’s wife, which significantly brightened her mood. Her smile grew even gentler. "I’m not trying to use this favor to demand anything in return. Seeing you in good health is what matters most."

Having weathered countless storms in his life, Master Lockwood had seen all kinds of people. How could he not see through the scheming of a junior? Out of consideration for the Sterling family’s dignity and Julian’s face as her presumed husband, he didn’t kick her out directly. But he was unwilling to say another word. Turning his back, he said coldly, "Alright. Go take a seat and have some tea."

Julian could read the old man’s attitude. A dark gleam flashed through his black eyes as he nodded and took his leave.

Stella, however, was utterly baffled. Where had things gone wrong? Why was it different from what she had envisioned? She had assumed Master Lockwood would be overwhelmingly grateful and treat her as a guest of honor in public. Why was he so cold?

"Julian, does Master Lockwood not like me very much? He wasn’t even curious about my name." She had a very strange feeling and felt uneasy.

Julian didn’t break his long stride. He cast a nonchalant glance at her. "Is that so? You’re overthinking it."

Stella didn’t know Master Lockwood, but since Julian said so, she figured she must be reading too much into it. Perhaps it was simply inconvenient to thank her too ostentatiously today, and he would make other arrangements later. With that, she revived her smile. "True. Besides, I wasn’t looking for any reward anyway."

"Mm."

Finn Lockwood had indeed been so busy today that he hadn’t had a moment’s rest. There were too many guests, and the outside hall was practically full. Everyone in the Lockwood family had to come out and entertain them one by one. He took a moment to check on Master Lockwood in the lounge. As soon as he entered, he saw the old man looking stern.

Finn went over to coax him. "Grandpa, who upset you?"

Master Lockwood immediately whacked Finn’s thigh with his cane. "You have the nerve to ask! You promised to bring my savior here. Where is she? What happened? Instead, some baffling person came to falsely claim the credit!"

Hearing that someone was trying to steal Stella Sutton’s credit, Finn frowned. "Who?"

The old man sneered. "Julian’s wife."

Finn choked on his words, then let out a scoff. "Her? That’s definitely her style. She always manages to do things worthy of contempt."

Recalling Stella’s face, Master Lockwood’s expression darkened. "So her character is really that poor. I knew it. When that girl stood in front of me, her eyes were full of calculation. She thinks so highly of herself just because she’s a Sterling daughter-in-law. She’s too shrewd for her own good and clearly not a kind person. If I hadn’t taken into consideration that she’s with the Sterlings, I would have kicked her out tonight."

Did she think he had lived his eighty years in vain? To come directly and steal someone else’s credit with such righteous confidence!

Finn’s eyes were now filled with mockery toward Sophie Winslow. He hadn’t expected such a stunt today. "Just ignore her," he said. "Her position as Mrs. Sterling has been shaky lately. She’s probably desperate to find a backer, which is why she came here to falsely claim the credit."

Master Lockwood was a bit surprised. So that was how it was? But when Julian brought her over, they hadn’t seemed like a couple at odds.

Finn didn’t elaborate on the details. He already knew that Sophie’s marriage into the Sterling family was disgraceful. Now, this incident made him loathe her even more. After comforting Master Lockwood with a few more words, he went back out to entertain the guests.

There were many distinguished guests, and the entire hotel staff was on high alert.

Winnie Hayes arrived rather quietly, intentionally taking a detour through the back door. Her status was special; if she were to make a flashy entrance, she might end up stealing the spotlight from the man of the hour. She walked through the door, her steps much more spry than Master Lockwood’s.

Upon seeing Winnie, the old man quickly stood up. "Big sister, you actually made a special trip."

They had grown up in the same compound, and he had practically been beaten up by Winnie throughout his childhood.

Winnie instructed someone to set down her birthday gift. "I have to rush back for a meeting in a bit, so I won’t be staying for the meal."

Master Lockwood knew how busy someone in her position was. "That’s fine. I’m just happy you could come."

The manager who had been attending to Master Lockwood chimed in, "The Master was just losing his temper, but as soon as you arrived, his mood completely cleared up."

Winnie looked over. "What happened? Throwing a tantrum on your birthday?"

Master Lockwood immediately huffed and looked downstairs through the floor-to-ceiling window. It just so happened that he spotted Stella Sutton standing beside Julian Sterling, greeting people. He frowned instantly. "It’s Mr. Sterling’s wife. She’s utterly outrageous. She clearly isn’t the one who saved me, but she ran over to impersonate my savior. What does she take me for?"

Winnie followed his line of sight. Upon realizing it was Stella Sutton, she let out a scoff. "I have to say, at your age, your eyes are really getting cloudy. Does she look like a proper daughter-in-law of a prominent family to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"She isn’t Mrs. Sterling. She’s the shameful mistress he keeps on the side." Winnie never beat around the bush, and she was even less polite when dealing with someone so morally deficient. Furthermore, after the stunt Stella had pulled at the previous approval meeting, Winnie had zero goodwill toward her.

Master Lockwood froze. "But the Sterlings said the couple would be attending together..."

The behind-the-scenes reality of that arrangement was something unknown to outsiders. But now he finally understood. He really had misjudged the situation! After all, Julian Sterling had personally introduced her to him. Frankly speaking, at their level and within their circle, anyone brought before them was done so with deliberate intent. Otherwise, ordinary people would never be able to cross their paths. Julian had obviously brought her to him on purpose. That was why he had leaped to conclusions about her identity.

Winnie didn’t stay long. After sitting for a short while, she quietly excused herself and left.

Master Lockwood, however, was now even angrier. He couldn’t tolerate such a person mingling freely and comfortably at his event. He headed downstairs. Just as he turned the corner, he ran right into Sophie Winslow.