Chapter 377: Took the Bait

Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Took the Bait

Even though they knew the truth, they still offered faux encouragement. "Mrs. Sloan, why not give it a try? If you win, you’ll get so many benefits. Even if you lose, it’s not a loss."

"You make a valid point..."

Estelle Lockwood knew these people wanted to see her make a fool of herself, with Claire Yeats leading the charge. It would be effortless for her to win the match, but why should she play into their hands? Since it was going to be a competition, she naturally had to keep everything under her control.

"But Miss Yeats is an equestrian master, and even she couldn’t tame this horse. It would definitely be humiliating if I went out there. Besides, I’m not lacking in boutiques or things like that, so let’s just forget it.

"Furthermore, you’ve all said yourselves that I don’t know how to ride. Since I’m destined not to get the prize, why should I even try?

"Miss Yeats, if you want me to compete against you, you have to offer something substantial. You... Forget it, Nathaniel, let’s go."

In short: the stakes weren’t high enough.

Evan Yeats and Claire Yeats exchanged a glance. Naturally, they had caught onto her underlying meaning as well.

However, Claire wanted nothing more than to see Estelle thoroughly humiliated!

"Estelle, I have a purple pearl jewelry set. It was a gift from the Yeats Family for my eighteenth birthday. If you win, it’s yours."

"How generous of you... Purple pearls are indeed quite rare..." Estelle feigned hesitation. Excellent. The more chips on the table, the better. However, the fish she wanted to catch hadn’t taken the bait yet.

Her feigned indecision and hesitation prompted a cold sneer from Evan. "Since everyone is being so generous, I’ll join in, too!

"Estelle, if you win, I’ll give you two percent of my shares in the Yeats Group!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a collective gasp swept through the crowd.

What?

Two percent of the Yeats Group’s shares?!

That was the Yeats Group! And a whole two percent! Two percent might sound trivial, but considering the sheer scale of the Yeats Group, it was a slice of the pie that anyone would kill for. To think Evan was willing to invest such a massive amount of capital just to help Claire vent her frustrations!

Liam Sloan was dumbfounded. What a spendthrift! No wonder Estelle was scheming against him. At this rate, Evan was going to be played until he had nothing left but his underwear.

Evan, on the other hand, thought nothing of it. He had hired someone to look into her, and Claire had sworn up and down that Estelle knew absolutely nothing about horseback riding. Seeing Estelle hesitate, knowing their plan was just one step away from succeeding, Evan simply couldn’t hold back anymore. He had to make Estelle lose face!

"Estelle Lockwood, two percent of the Yeats Group’s shares. Do you dare?"

Estelle clicked her tongue. Unlike Liam, she didn’t think Evan was just a careless spendthrift. Rather, he definitely had a backup plan.

Sure enough, Evan let out a cold laugh. "If you win, I’ll give you the two percent shares. If you lose, you hand over your studio to Claire!"

Claire blinked in surprise, acting as if she had never expected such a benefit to fall into her lap. "Evan, thank you."

Evan scoffed. "Estelle, your studio can’t even compare to the Yeats Group’s shares. Couple that with all the other stakes on the table, and you’re the one coming out ahead in this bet. I’m just asking if you dare to accept?"

A sudden hush fell over the racecourse. Everyone understood Evan’s intentions. They shook their heads, their gazes carrying an unavoidable trace of pity as they looked at Estelle.

Estelle sighed. "Mr. Yeats, this is no fun. You know perfectly well that I can’t ride and that my equestrian skills can’t hold a candle to Miss Yeats’s. If I compete with her, I’m guaranteed to lose. The moment I enter the match, my studio will undoubtedly end up in her pocket. So, let’s just drop it."

Two percent? Sorry, but she wanted more.

Two percent of the shares was still within the Yeats family’s tolerance limit. In other words, they wouldn’t mind handing over two percent. However, she knew full well that Evan held seven percent of the Yeats Group’s shares. What if Evan handed all of those shares over to her?

If she wanted to verify the truth of Mrs. Yeats’s words, she had to test the waters with Evan.

Estelle made a move to leave. Evan sharply furrowed his brows. "You don’t dare? Then crawl over here and apologize to Claire!

"I thought the person mocking Claire would be some kind of master. To think you’d have the nerve to mock her when you haven’t accomplished a single thing yourself!"

Claire looked utterly helpless. "Evan... Forget it, there’s no need... Sigh. Estelle, Evan has always doted on me. Please don’t blame him..."

Estelle shrugged. "What are you talking about, Mr. Yeats? If I’m incapable, I don’t step up. Miss Yeats is incapable, yet she still insists on boasting about her skills. Can’t she handle a few words of criticism?" She beckoned to Liam and Nathaniel. "Nathaniel, Liam, let’s go."

"Estelle Lockwood!"

If he just let Estelle walk away now, all the ridicule would fall squarely on Claire’s shoulders. After all, Estelle had admitted from the very beginning that she didn’t know how to ride, whereas Claire claimed to have an equestrian certification. Yet, the unvarnished truth remained: Claire Yeats, the certified equestrian socialite, had been thrown off her horse!

"Wait! Three percent!" Evan suddenly barked out a new number.

Estelle curled her lips into a smile. Oh, someone had taken the bait.

"So stingy," Liam muttered.

Nathaniel suddenly turned his head. "Mr. Yeats, my wife has already told you that she doesn’t know how to ride. Isn’t it a bit excessive for you to force her into a competition?"

Shockingly, Evan was genuinely intimidated by Nathaniel’s imposing aura. He shuddered, then replied with false bravado, "S-so what? We’re a family. What’s wrong with having a little fun and competing against each other?"

"Mr. Yeats, I simply wish to remind you." The man’s tone was even, yet it carried an overwhelming sense of oppression. "My wife doesn’t care for these things you’re offering."

Evan’s expression changed drastically!

What did he mean Estelle didn’t care for them? Those were shares in the Yeats Group!

"My wife manages the Star Group, and she also has shares in my Evernight International backing her up. She truly finds a mere three percent to be unnecessary." Nathaniel’s tone remained impassive. "If Mr. Yeats is willing to add a few more chips, I can also provide some stakes on my end."

W-what did he mean?

Nathaniel spoke nonchalantly, "If Mr. Yeats puts up seven percent of the Yeats Group’s shares, I will match it with seven percent of Evernight International’s shares. If Estelle loses, I will naturally honor my promise."

Silence descended upon the scene once more.

Was Mr. Sloan insane? That was the first thought that popped into everyone’s minds.

Nathaniel Sloan must be out of his mind!

Although the Yeats family was a century-old prominent household, the reality was that even century-old households would inevitably face their twilight days. The Yeats family was akin to the aristocratic clans of ancient times—they possessed prestige, reputation, and status, but when it came to cold, hard cash...

They couldn’t compare to Evernight International.

Seven percent of the shares in these two corporations represented a vast disparity in value. Moreover, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Evernight International was still in its ascendant phase. As for the Yeats Group, if Quentin Yeats failed to smoothly take control of the family, it would inevitably fall into a gradual decline.

Therefore... Nathaniel Sloan was definitely crazy!

Evan was stunned as well. It was no secret that he only held a seven percent stake in the Yeats family. Was Nathaniel targeting his shares? But why?