novelraw Chapter 309: She Stayed, Accompanying Him Until Their Affection Faded
Chapter 309: She Stayed, Accompanying Him Until Their Affection Faded
Delphine lowered her eyes, pushed Ignatius Leclair away, and hoarsely said to Leah, "Leah, help me upstairs to rest for a bit."
"Alright." Leah gathered her long, curly black hair, squeezed past Ignatius, and helped Delphine upstairs.
Left behind were Bessie Leclair and Melody Cloud, both red-eyed with fury.
The penthouse— a place even they couldn’t access easily— yet Delphine Carter took an outsider up there?
Seeing her brother’s indifferent attitude, Bessie felt as if the sky was going to collapse; it might as well be Delphine’s house now.
It was Leah’s first time in the penthouse. When she saw the layout, she was momentarily speechless. The Leclair Family mansion was already an old building, but one built with the finest rosewood. Every plank of the flooring, every railing, every piece of furniture, every ceiling— as far as the eye could see, everything was crafted from rosewood. This structure could practically be classified as a work of art, so opulent that the two could only marvel.
The penthouse had been renovated, with a spacious and grand design, even featuring a small rooftop garden. After taking everything in, Leah scoffed coldly, "Ignatius Leclair is indeed spoiled, to monopolize such a large space all for himself."
Delphine led Leah into a small loft area, deliberately avoiding Ignatius’s private quarters.
"Ignatius let you stay in his bedroom?" Leah, being a woman, was much more perceptive than Griffith Squire. At a glance, she could tell this small loft wasn’t inhabited regularly—it was likely just for show.
Delphine nodded. The medicine she had taken earlier was working; the pain in her stomach had subsided, and she felt almost alive again.
Leah fetched a soft, warm towel, wiped Delphine’s face and hands, and, seeing her visibly more comfortable, muttered, "Since you’ve severed your bond as mother and daughter, why stay here? We had agreed before."
They had originally decided that she would marry Griffith Squire and break free from Ignatius’s control.
Delphine’s lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she softly spoke, "I have no ties to the Leclair mansion anymore. I’ve thought about leaving, but I just can’t let it go."
All of her love and devotion in her youth had been poured into that man— how could she simply watch him marry, have children, and live a life perched atop the pinnacle of privilege?
If she were to leave, it would only be after carving an indelible wound into that man’s heart.
"So, you intend to remain in this ambiguous entanglement with Ignatius Leclair?" Leah frowned slightly and sighed. "I worry you’ll sink too deep and won’t be able to climb back out."
Delphine tightly gripped Leah’s hand, her dark, grape-like eyes misty as though touched by water. Calmly and detachedly, she said, "Leah, I’ll never be able to love again in this lifetime."
The intense, moth-to-flame passion had gradually extinguished with the passing years, leaving nothing but ashes.
She was captivated by every mysterious and unfeeling characteristic of this man, yet she knew she’d never be able to love again.
She was merely waiting—for time to pass, for all the affairs of the Leclair Family to come to an end—so she could leave without sorrow or joy and live the rest of her life in quiet solitude.
Leah said nothing, staring at her in stunned silence. She suddenly felt a pang of sadness. In this entanglement, Delphine had been trapped for years, with no chance of escape. Even without love, there was still hatred and an unwillingness to let go.
"Fine, if you want to stay, then stay." Leah sighed deeply and gave a faint, bitter smile. "With your stubborn personality, you’ll walk this path into darkness, and I can’t stop you. As long as you don’t regret it."
Delphine smiled faintly, reached out to take Leah’s hand, her eyes slightly moist, and softly said, "Leah, you’re so kind."
She stayed, only to accompany him until the day their love faded into nothingness.