novelraw Chapter 395: I’m Here Because We Can Discuss a Second Deal
Chapter 395: I’m Here Because We Can Discuss a Second Deal
Bessie’s wedding banquet was halfway through when Stone Leclair received several calls from various parties in the Imperial City. His face darkened immediately. He hadn’t expected a seemingly insignificant rebellious scion from the Cloud Family to have connections with foreign dignitaries.
Stone Leclair lifted his gaze and glanced at his son, who was wearing a faint smile and whose phoenix-shaped eyes gleamed intensely. A chill swept through his heart as he realized that every move he’d made today had been scrutinized by this son of his.
Years of painstaking effort clawing his way upward, inching closer to the core of power in the Imperial City, had all but paid off—until he was reported for misconduct. How could he swallow such humiliation?
To him, Beatrice Carter was nothing more than a fleeting amusement in the past—a mere plaything who happened to bear him a son. Giving her some semblance of respect was the most he had ever condescended to do. But if she obstructed his future, it became an unforgivable crime. Once dead, what evidence could she use to accuse him of misconduct? As for that unfortunate Cloud scion, he was merely caught in collateral damage.
Now with pressure mounting from multiple nations and the Imperial City demanding he locate the Cloud scion immediately, Stone Leclair’s face turned ashen, his gaze flickering with venomous malice. Letting the Cloud scion go would be akin to exonerating Beatrice. Things had already come this far—did Ignatius Leclair really think he could stop him?
As the banquet ended, the guests gradually began to disperse.
Some young heirs and heiresses from prominent families headed to a hotel to stage mock bridal chamber antics. Bessie reserved the entirety of the presidential suites on the eighty-eighth floor, and soon Melody Cloud sent her a message asking her to come to Room 8806.
Delphine lowered her gaze to stare at the message, remaining silent for a long time. Then, she took the elevator up to the eighty-eighth floor.
The door to Room 8806 was slightly ajar. Delphine pushed it open and entered to find Melody Cloud still wearing her bridesmaid gown, seated in the suite nursing a glass of red wine. Upon seeing her enter, Melody raised her chin and sneered coldly with an air of arrogance. "I thought you’d be too much of a coward to show up."
"Since I’ve come, shouldn’t you now tell me about my biological father?" Delphine spoke dispassionately.
Melody stood up, her crimson nails trailing across the edge of Delphine’s newly changed gown. She snatched Delphine’s purse, quickly pulled out her phone, and sent a message before raising her eyebrows with a smile. "Remember, not a single word about tonight’s events. By tomorrow, I’ll naturally tell you about your father."
Melody returned the purse, ran her gaze up and down Delphine’s figure, and sneered mockingly. "This suite is reserved for your rest. Remember to lock the door tightly. If anything happens, I’m not responsible."
With that, she swayed her slender waist and started to leave.
"I know you don’t have any information about my biological father."
Melody froze in place.
Delphine lifted her gaze, her expression detached, and stared at Melody’s beautiful face. She deliberately enunciated her words: "As far as acting goes, I have been nominated for Best Actress at the international film festival. Your little tricks don’t stand a chance in front of me."
Melody’s face turned pale in an instant, and she gripped her purse tightly. Grinding her teeth, she said, "Then why did you come?"
"I came because we can negotiate a second deal." Delphine glanced at the time—it was past nine at night, still too early for the South Seas to fall into nighttime. She cast a glance at Melody before speaking again. "I never send messages to Ignatius Leclair. The message you just sent will only make him think I’ve been coerced. That man is far more calculating than you imagine. All you want is to climb into his bed, to leverage the relationship between the two families for a forced marriage, all while masking it as something seamless and perfectly inconspicuous. I can teach you a trick—but my condition is this: whether you feign madness or act foolish, you must keep him by your side for three days, ensuring he doesn’t leave your side for a single moment."
Melody stared at her in disbelief.
Delphine spoke with unhurried composure, "You have one minute to think about it."
"And doing this—what’s in it for you?" Melody questioned hesitantly, her skepticism partially evident in her gritted tone.