novelraw Chapter 293: Should there be betrayal, it is bound to turn father and son against each other, with power and wealth dissipating like smoke and clouds.
Chapter 293: Should there be betrayal, it is bound to turn father and son against each other, with power and wealth dissipating like smoke and clouds.
Delphine froze upon hearing those words, her entire body trembling. She looked toward Stone Leclair, unsure whether he had discovered her origins or harbored some other motive.
Stone Leclair’s refined and scholarly face carried a faint smile, presenting an air of false righteousness, as though the man who had furiously whipped her months ago was someone entirely different.
Ignatius Leclair, upon hearing Ms. Carter reveal Stone’s intentions, let out a faint, icy smile before speaking indifferently, his voice as sharp as clashing metal: "Eight years ago, by my mother’s deathbed, Father swore an oath. Do you remember it? That he would never marry again in this lifetime, and should he break that oath, it would bring about estrangement between father and son, with power and wealth vanishing like clouds."
Ignatius Leclair retrieved his mother’s ancestral tablet from the wooden box, placed it solemnly atop the stand, and spoke coldly, "Since the two of you have married, violating that oath, you must kneel before my mother’s tablet and bow three times as penance."
In the side hall, an icy silence fell.
The smile on Stone Leclair’s face vanished completely, while Ms. Carter froze in place, staring in horror as Ignatius produced the late Mrs. Leclair’s tablet from the family ancestral shrine. Her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as she clutched tightly at Delphine’s arm, trembling all over.
Delphine had long suspected this might happen, but she hadn’t expected him to treat his own father with such ruthless coldness, utterly devoid of sentiment.
"You wretched boy! You actually brought out your mother’s tablet!" Stone Leclair exclaimed, a mix of shock and dread flashing across his face as he barked with feigned might.
"I had no intention of disturbing my mother’s rest, but it’s you who made things so repugnant." Ignatius Leclair cast a disgusted look at Ms. Carter and said with chilling disdain, "Since Ms. Carter has entered the Leclair Family home, she ought to pay respects to my mother’s tablet. Kneel right here."
Beatrice Carter, though vain by nature, was timid and cowardly. She had already been scared witless by Ignatius’s extreme gesture. There was no way she would humiliate herself by kneeling in public. Gripping Delphine’s arm, she cried out in terror, "Delphine, say something! Ignatius must have lost his mind!"
Delphine frowned deeply but remained silent. She knew that Ignatius targeting her mother today was inevitable. Deep down, she also detested her mother’s vanity and her conniving partnership with Stone Leclair.
"You’re unwilling?" Ignatius Leclair sneered, letting out a cold laugh. "If that’s the case, we’ll revisit some old stories."
Ignatius shot a glance toward Maximilian.
Maximilian stepped forward and handed over a stack of incriminating documents, chronicling both Stone Leclair’s and Ms. Carter’s sordid history.
Ignatius flung the documents at the pair, sending a cascade of papers scattering to the floor. He smirked coldly and said, "Take your time. I have plenty more where that came from."
Stone Leclair’s expression darkened as his gaze landed on a photograph among the scattered pages. He swiftly picked it up, paging through the files. By the time he reached the later parts, he realized that not only were his own secrets laid bare, but Beatrice Carter’s also stood exposed. His face grew grim as he grabbed Beatrice’s hair and slapped her hard across the face, furious. "You shameless woman! You went behind my back and did all those filthy things!"
Beatrice stumbled from the blow, collapsing onto the floor. She wailed, "You accuse me, yet your own actions are no less disgraceful! Go ahead, hit me again! By the time the banquet comes in three days, I’ll show up with these injuries. Let’s see how you’ll explain yourself then."
Stone Leclair, consumed with rage, hurled a cup to the ground but refrained from hitting her further.
Ignatius Leclair gazed coldly at the spectacle of mutual torment between the two, his indifference palpable. "Enough of this charade. I find it sickening to watch."
Stone Leclair, upon hearing this, erupted in fury. "You wretched boy! You truly intend to turn the heavens upside down, don’t you? Your own dirty deeds—your father simply chose not to expose them!"
Stone Leclair turned his gaze to Delphine and jeered, "Tomorrow, the old man returns home. This matter is far from over."
The man’s sharp, handsome features were as fathomless as an ancient well, his cold smile cutting. "There’s no need for such desperate measures. All you have to do is sign this document terminating the relationship, and this matter ends here."