novelraw Chapter 284: Do You Really Want to Protect These Two Encumbrances?
Chapter 284: Do You Really Want to Protect These Two Encumbrances?
The butler and Maximilian each went to take action: one to call Dr. Zheng, the other to fetch a first aid kit.
Beatrice had just been awakened. Seeing the fight break out downstairs—with Ignatius bleeding—she screamed in shock and terror.
The scene grew even more chaotic.
Delphine looked at the jade fragments shattered across the floor, streaked with blood. Her vision blurred, and her breathing faltered. It was as if she had been transported back to those desolate mountains, to the moment that child slipped from her body. The world was awash in blood, and Leah wept weakly, stifling her sobs beside her.
Ignatius’s expression shifted slightly. He reached out to steady Delphine’s swaying figure and called out in a deep, commanding voice, "Delphine Carter."
She jolted back to her senses. Maximilian was dabbing at the blood on Ignatius’s forehead. Delphine closed her eyes briefly, unable to bear the vivid red. She tried to break free, but the man’s grip was unyielding, like iron, refusing to let go.
"What exactly is going on here?" Beatrice, alarmed by the father and son coming to physical blows, dashed to hide behind Delphine. Poking her, she asked in a panicked tone, "Why are they fighting all of a sudden?"
Delphine’s face was pale, her demeanor frail. In a hushed voice, she said, "Aunt, you must not go anywhere today. Stay where I can see you. Stone Leclair has gone mad."
Indeed, Stone was teetering on the edge of sanity. He was on the verge of being promoted to Imperial City, climbing to new heights, and would undoubtedly elevate the Leclair estate to an unparalleled status. But now, with this scandal breaking, all of it was ruined. And still, the two freeloaders—one big, one small—were being tightly shielded by his own son.
"Are you determined to protect them today?" In the private lounge, Stone paced furiously, his anger surging as he demanded an answer.
Ignatius’s forehead wound was soon treated. The man’s face, made even more strikingly handsome by the streaks of blood, carried a cold malevolence. He smirked darkly and said, "My woman—don’t you dare lay a single finger on her."
"Beatrice Carter, come here." Stone, beside himself with rage, his head practically steaming, barked the command. Yet, as he was currently drowning in critical matters, he didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with Ignatius. For now, the younger Leclair could remain untouched, but Beatrice—that was another matter entirely. She was the root cause of the trouble.
For once, Beatrice showed a rare streak of cleverness. Trembling from head to toe, she clung behind Delphine and refused to step forward.
Stone, furious, put his hands on his hips and dropped into a chair. He barked at his secretary, "Go check if this has been suppressed."
The secretary, looking grim, left to verify things and returned with a bit of relief in his tone. "The news online has been blocked. The impact is diminishing. The circulation of newspapers and magazines is relatively small and is currently being recalled."
Ignatius said coldly, "Instead of going berserk at home, you’d better focus your efforts on tracing the source and cutting off the head and tail of this incident, so it doesn’t spiral into an even bigger scandal."
Stone’s heart skipped a beat at those words. Any one of his issues, if exposed, would be fatal. The immediate priority was indeed to dig out the mastermind and prevent the situation from worsening.
"For today, I’ll let you off the hook." Stone, realizing there was no one he could deal with at the moment, stormed out with his secretary, leaving in a hurry. Before departing, he cast a cold, venomous glance at Delphine, his eyes brimming with undisguised malice.
Delphine’s palms were slick with a thin film of sweat, and her legs felt weak beneath her.
"What on earth is going on?" Beatrice muttered to herself, half-complaining. She was clearly unnerved by all the commotion.
Maximilian let out a sardonic chuckle and picked up the newspaper Stone had thrown to the ground earlier. He handed it to Beatrice.
Beatrice glanced over it briefly before collapsing onto the floor in shock, her eyes glassy and blank with terror.