novelraw Chapter 333: The Investigator Hasn’t Arrived Yet, The Play in the South Seas is Already Over
Chapter 333: The Investigator Hasn’t Arrived Yet, The Play in the South Seas is Already Over
Griffith sped all the way in his car to the Leclair Manor, kicking aside a few oblivious guards. His heavy military boots crushed the frost-covered grass as he headed straight for the main hall.
The man had clearly left in such a hurry that he had casually thrown on a russet long coat, its wide collar exposing an alluring glimpse of his refined clavicle. Beneath his strikingly handsome features, his impossibly straight long legs carried him into the hall, where he lazily smiled and remarked, "Such a lively scene. Seems I’ve shown up at just the right time."
Griffith’s gaze swept the room before he strode directly to Delphine, pulling her behind him with a long arm. His charming, roguish eyes glinted as he smiled faintly, "Carry on, don’t mind me."
The atmosphere in the hall was tense. To the unsuspecting arrivals, Griffith—the notorious warlord from the Golden Triangle—was a disruptive presence that few of the elderly patriarchs had the stomach or strength to confront. They chose, unceremoniously, to ignore him altogether.
Old Lord Yeager, who had sported an air of smug superiority earlier, was now wearing an expression reminiscent of someone who’d swallowed excrement. Among the younger Yeager generation, the most promising was this illegitimate son. If Ignatius Leclair ended up destroying Jocelyn Yeager, it would spell a devastating collapse for the Yeager Family.
"Today, we’re discussing the matter of the sea blockade. Ignatius Leclair, don’t try to mislead us. Investigators from the Imperial City are on their way," the Yeager patriarch said stiffly, though his inner composure was beginning to crack.
Ignatius narrowed his meticulously sculpted brows and let out a cold chuckle. Clearly, the Yeager family’s grandfather-grandson dramatics knew no bounds.
"As for the blockade, I will address it myself—it’s not something you need to concern yourself with." Ignatius’ icy gaze shifted to Griffith, who had brazenly positioned himself near Delphine. His voice chilled further: "And why, Griffith, have you swaggered into my house uninvited?"
Ignatius was greeted by Griffith’s semi-playful accusation: "Ignatius, the year’s almost over. My men were only out fishing to prepare some goods for the season, yet you detained them indiscriminately. Don’t you think an explanation is owed here?" Griffith’s tone was half-jesting, yet behind his glamorous and devilish visage, his aristocratic air scarcely betrayed any trace of his notorious reputation.
Ignatius responded, his fingers idly grazing the rim of the cup he held as if contemplating something distant. The coffee inside had long gone cold. His tone was indifferent: "I detain only unauthorized trespassers. So, it turns out they are your men?"
Griffith stiffened momentarily but insisted with feigned innocence, "Surely there’s been some misunderstanding. My men were simply out fishing—that’s all."
"When the investigators arrive, Griffith, you’ll have the chance to recount everything in meticulous detail," Ignatius said, his eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing possibilities. "It seems someone deliberately spread misinformation earlier this morning, intending to stoke chaos between our families."
As Ignatius swept his gaze across the room, each of the silent and trembling elite figures felt a cold shiver run down their spines. When at last his eyes settled on the Yeager patriarch and Jocelyn Yeager—both faces now pale and ashen—the rest privately exhaled in relief.
The weight of an implied accusation hung like a sword over the heads of the Yeager family.
It was then that the gathered crowd realized with mounting horror—they had come to the Leclair manor intent on interrogating and reclaiming authority over the blockade. Yet somehow, the tables had turned completely, and now the blade was poised over Yeager territory instead.
Could Griffith and Ignatius be colluding? Could this entire affair have been a trap aimed at the Yeager Family?
The realization hit like a thunderclap. The mood shifted rapidly as some contemplated cutting their losses and getting out of there altogether. There was no point in continuing to push for answers; if they persisted, they could easily be implicated as accomplices to the Yeagers. The timeline was clear enough—first Reginald Yeager’s abduction, then Griffith’s men heading out to sea, followed by Ignatius’ command to implement the blockade.
A game of inescapable consequences had come to its crescendo. Ignatius hadn’t even needed to make a significant sacrifice—just one pawn from Reginald Yeager’s camp, a few of Griffith’s detained men, and a deft combination of framing, coercion, and intimidation. Despite the Imperial investigators not yet arriving, the whole South Seas affair had already been orchestrated and resolved under Ignatius’ dominance.