novelraw Chapter 285: The original instigator who caused Miss Delphine to be driven out back then turned out to be him.
Chapter 285: The original instigator who caused Miss Delphine to be driven out back then turned out to be him.
As soon as Stone Leclair left, things had room to calm down.
Ignatius Leclair, with a cold expression, gave Maximilian some instructions. Then, seeing Delphine’s pale face, he murmured, "Nothing will happen."
Delphine wrested her sore hand away from his grasp, collapsed onto the sofa, her complexion ashen, and muttered, "If you weren’t here today, what would Stone Leclair have done?"
Ignatius Leclair’s phoenix-shaped eyes darkened as he said heavily, "If the scandal broke, Mrs. Carter, in an effort to preserve Stone Leclair’s reputation, would leave a farewell note and take her own life. Stone Leclair would then create the illusion of a deeply loving relationship, suggesting the two were truly in love but unable to be together due to societal pressures.
The attention would shift away from the scandal, turning Stone Leclair from a lowlife into a morally upright gentleman. These methods are common in politics — where black and white are blended, until you can no longer discern the original color."
With those words, Mrs. Carter’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the floor.
Leaving behind a suicide note to protect her name was nothing more than forcing Beatrice Carter into death. Then, writing any random story afterward not only cleanses Stone Leclair of any stains but also casts him as a victim, harvesting waves of sympathy.
Delphine felt a chill spreading all over her body and said to her mother, "Don’t be afraid. The timing has already passed. That path is no longer viable; Stone Leclair can only find another way."
For a scandal to break is the optimal timing. Now that Beatrice Carter hasn’t come to harm, she won’t face trouble later on.
"Delphine, how could he be so ruthless? I gave birth to his son!" Beatrice Carter, narrowly escaping death, clung to the hem of Delphine’s pants and burst into heart-wrenching sobs.
"When a person’s heart turns cold, it can tear through flesh and blood." She spoke coolly, her whole body numbed by cold. So this was the truth — that even back then, Stone Leclair had the intent to kill her.
Father and son — one wanted her dead, the other chased her away. Men who can’t control themselves blame all their faults on women.
She let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
Ignatius Leclair noticed her pale complexion and instructed Maximilian to fetch Dr. Zheng. Then he stooped down, scooped Delphine into his arms, and carried her upstairs.
Maximilian saw Mrs. Carter sobbing bitterly, frowned slightly, and entrusted the mess to the butler before standing at the entrance, waiting for Dr. Zheng.
Maximilian mulled over the situation, then dialed Arthur White’s number.
"Second Brother, back then, what was the real reason Stone Leclair sent you away from South Asia?" He asked bluntly, feeling like something faintly flickered through his mind but still escaping his grasp.
Arthur White was once full of vigor, the most valued member of their think tank, and the one who understood Stone Leclair best.
Arthur White fell silent for a moment after answering the call. After a long pause, he asked derisively, "South Asia must’ve been a whirlpool of chaos, with undercurrents flowing endlessly."
Maximilian said nothing, just responded with an affirmative grunt.
Arthur White sighed softly and said coldly, "I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. Fifth Brother, you may be a bit dumb at times, but your saving grace is that you never act on your own accord. Back then, Stone Leclair fell for Miss Delphine. I was the one who informed Jocelyn Yeager about it."
Maximilian felt as if a lightning bolt struck him, and in a hushed tone, he exclaimed, "You’re insane, Second Brother!"
Arthur White let out a dry laugh and said faintly, "I’m not insane; Stone Leclair is. You’ll understand in time. It’s me who wronged Miss Delphine, but for the past five years, I’ve been banished to foreign lands, living a Puritan-like life. Fifth Brother, if you ever get the chance, tell her I’m sorry."
Arthur White ended the call.
Maximilian stood dazed at the entrance of the Leclair Manor, the early winter chill biting to the bone. He could never have imagined that the architect behind Miss Delphine’s expulsion from the Leclair Manor back then was none other than his Second Brother — with accomplices more numerous still.
Among the sons of South Asia’s aristocratic families, it turned out that every one of them harbored unfathomable schemes, and every one of them carried secrets they could never confess.