novelraw Chapter 283: This is the woman I’ve kept at Li Mansion for three years, much cleaner than you can imagine.
Chapter 283: This is the woman I’ve kept at Li Mansion for three years, much cleaner than you can imagine.
Stone Leclair rushed back with a secretary in tow. As soon as he stepped into the side hall and saw both Ignatius Leclair and Delphine there, his face darkened instantly. He threw the latest newspaper he held onto the table and barked, "Was this your doing?"
Ignatius Leclair rose to his feet, his tall and commanding figure perfectly still. Looking directly at his father, he spoke coolly, "I wouldn’t even bother with such underhanded tricks that cause no real harm."
To put it bluntly, while this incident did generate a negative impact, dealing with a woman and a child was far too simple for someone like Stone Leclair, who had countless means to legitimize their existence. This matter was far from being a major blow.
Stone Leclair clearly didn’t buy it. He let out a cold laugh. "If not you, then who? Over the years, you’ve tried harder than any of my political enemies to destroy me. Yet, I’ve tolerated you because you’re my own flesh and blood. I even turned a blind eye to your unsavory entanglement with this cheap woman."
The accusation was aimed squarely at Delphine.
Delphine’s face turned cold. She bit her thin lips but said nothing.
Ignatius Leclair’s expression darkened slightly, his phoenix-like eyes narrowing sharply. He spoke in a low, steely tone, "She’s cheap? She’s been under my care in the Leclair mansion for three years, far cleaner than you’ll ever be. My woman isn’t someone you can insult at will."
Stone Leclair was so enraged he nearly collapsed backward. His secretary hurriedly stepped forward to help steady him.
"That woman? I should have killed her back then, rather than simply driving her away. And now you’ve brought her back, treating her like some treasure? You must be blinded by her charm, so much so that you don’t even recognize your own father anymore." Stone Leclair cursed furiously.
Delphine’s face shifted slightly, her body going cold as she stared at Stone Leclair. She suppressed the trembling in her fingertips and asked, "Back then, was it you who drove me away?"
She turned to look at Ignatius Leclair, whose expression remained as stoic and unreadable as it had been years ago. He had humiliated her and coldly expelled her to the South Seas, his disdain towering above her. For so many years, she had carved his cruelty deep into her bones, replacing what was once a tender love with relentless hate. Now she was being told she’d been hating the wrong person all along?
Stone Leclair’s angular face was twisted with hostility and disdain as he scoffed, "That’s right. You seduced my son back then, and I intended to beat you to death. Not just you—even your aunt deserved to die."
Delphine tightly clenched her palms, refusing to look at Stone Leclair’s grotesque expression any longer. She reached out, grabbing Ignatius Leclair’s sleeve, and asked in a strained, suppressed voice, "You tell me."
Ignatius Leclair extended his hand to pry open her fingers, gently unfolding each one before holding onto her slightly bruised palm. His deep, shadowed eyes locked onto her as he spoke solemnly, "Stone Leclair is telling the truth. But ultimately, I was the one who pushed you out. If you want someone to hold accountable, that debt lies with me."
That forbidden love between them, hidden away and unknown to the world, had been uncovered by Jocelyn Yeager, who had harbored feelings for Delphine for years. Upon finding out, jealousy consumed Jocelyn, who plotted to expose their relationship to Stone Leclair. Jocelyn’s intent had been merely to tear them apart, but he hadn’t anticipated Stone Leclair’s killing intent. By the time Ignatius had learned of the plot, it was too late. He could only act preemptively, forcing Delphine to leave.
Years passed with things left unresolved, and nothing remained the same.
Delphine pulled her injured hand away from his warm grasp. Her heart, chilled beyond repair, now felt numb. She raised her eyes to Stone Leclair and sneered, "You didn’t manage to kill me back then. Now that’s over—don’t think you can lay a finger on me, or even my aunt. If you dare, even at the cost of my own life, I’ll make sure your ambitions crash and burn."
Back then, she had nothing to rely on. Now, things were different.
"Ungrateful brat, you’ve turned the heavens upside down!" Stone Leclair snarled, his face turning a ghastly shade of blue. He picked up a jade ornament nearby and hurled it furiously.
Delphine’s vision blurred momentarily as Ignatius Leclair stepped in front of her. The jade ornament struck his handsome face directly, blood beginning to pour from the wound on his forehead. Chaos erupted in the side hall instantly.