novelraw Chapter 649: If the Person Doesn’t Show Up, Tear Up the Ticket
Chapter 649: If the Person Doesn’t Show Up, Tear Up the Ticket
Delphine had often heard Leah mention Casimir Shaw, and upon meeting the young boy today, she found that he truly resembled Richard Shaw immensely. The boy was handsome, charming, and carried a sense of righteousness that made Delphine like him at first sight.
With the Howard Family’s matriarch present, along with Richard Shaw and the three children, Delphine didn’t need to stay alone with Ignatius Leclair. After sitting for a while, she decided to take the three kids to eat.
So the matriarch joined them for the meal, and naturally, Richard Shaw came along as well. Ignatius’s expression grew stormy—did the old Shaw bring his entire family over only to take away his woman and kids too?
Ignatius’s handsome face darkened slightly. He stared wordlessly at the woman he hadn’t seen all day, only for her to show up and leave immediately, without so much as a word exchanged. Let alone anything deeper—at this rate, he was bound to end up like a monk.
As Delphine and her party had just left, Maximilian arrived at the hospital with Arthur White.
"The rumors outside are escalating more and more. They’re saying Leclair’s life is hanging by a thread. The Yeager Family has seized the opportunity amidst the unstable stock market to aggressively acquire shares circulating in the market," Arthur said quietly. "At the same time, they’ve proposed reopening the ancestral ranking at the Baigong Shrine to reestablish Southern City’s familial hierarchy, kicking out the Squire Family and elevating the Meng Family, which is closely aligned with them."
Spreading rumors first, and then proposing to reopen the shrine—clearly, the Yeager Family wanted a complete upheaval in Southern City.
Ignatius narrowed his deep, phoenix-shaped eyes, pondering as he rubbed the cup in his hand. Reginald Yeager was even more impatient than Ignatius had anticipated. However, it likely wasn’t all his doing—after three years of holding back, it seemed impossible for him to cause only this big a stir.
"Leclair, should we step forward to dispel the rumors? At least let people know you’re alive and well," Arthur, who had hurried over from Southern City covered in dust, voiced his concern. He realized the situation in Southern City was becoming increasingly difficult to control. If Griffith Squire were still around, Reginald Yeager wouldn’t have had the chance to expand his influence, even if Ignatius wasn’t present in Southern City.
"No need. Reginald surely has further moves planned—there’s no rush. Just keep an eye on the situation in Southern City. I’ll be heading back in a week," Ignatius replied coldly, his composure as steady as a mountain.
In these past years, Reginald’s ambition had grown ever larger. It wasn’t only power he craved—he also had his sights set on Ignatius’s woman. For now, Ignatius’s number one priority was protecting Delphine.
Thinking about Delphine, Ignatius’s gaze deepened. Although she visited him every day, the emotional distance between them lingered. Unless he figured out a way to break this impasse, Benjamin would never have a younger sibling.
After dinner, Mrs. Howard brought the two children back to the Howard Family mansion. Feeling reluctant, Delphine decided to finish her tasks quickly so she could bring Benjamin and the younger one back home.
Delphine drove back to her small villa, but before reaching home, she received a call from Chloe Winston.
"Director Gu, help me," Chloe’s terrified voice came through.
"Fourth Young Master, this girl didn’t call Constantine Stewart," a man’s voice interjected as Chloe’s phone was snatched away. The girl made muffled sobbing noises.
Delphine abruptly pulled her car to the roadside, her voice tense as she said urgently, "Who are you people? Do you want money or something else? Just don’t hurt her."
There was an eerie silence for several seconds on the other end of the line. The man who had spoken earlier seemed to mutter vaguely before saying clearly, "Notify Constantine Stewart. His wife is in our hands. He has one hour to come to the Southern City’s Allure Club. If he doesn’t show, we’ll kill her."
The man ended the call immediately after speaking.
Delphine broke out in a cold sweat, quickly contacting Constantine.
When Constantine answered the call, his face turned grim and his voice was so cold it could drip water. He asked for the address, then hung up.
Though Delphine had only been in Imperial City for a short time, she already knew about some of its gray areas—one of them being the Allure Club.