novelraw Chapter 654: Being Touched is Not the Same as Having Feelings
Chapter 654: Being Touched is Not the Same as Having Feelings
The year-end approached, but the atmosphere in the Imperial City inexplicably grew tense.
At the same time, rumors in the Golden Triangle were spreading like wildfire, as if the Leclair Family’s most perfect heir would meet his demise any second.
Old Mr. Leclair finally learned that his eldest grandson had been gravely injured and nearly lost his life. He flew to the Golden Triangle overnight and directed Ignatius Leclair to return there to stabilize the situation.
Ignatius delayed for two or three days, but when he could no longer stall, he asked the matriarch to pack Benjamin’s belongings, intending to take him back to the Golden Triangle.
The day before leaving, Richard Shaw arrived at the hospital.
"Back during the trip to Europe, Griffith Squire was severely injured. Someone saved him, and he was unconscious for half a year before waking up. Six months after that, he started cultivating his forces in secret. The club you saw the other day is just one of his bases. If I’m not mistaken, he’s the most prominent black-market king in the international scene over the last couple of years." Richard shared the findings of his recent investigation. "Griffith has extended his influence from the Golden Triangle to the black-market arms trade. Anywhere there’s darkness, there’s his shadow. Your trip to the Golden Triangle this time will come with immense pressure."
"So now not even you can act against him lightly?" Ignatius lowered his gaze, his sharp, fox-like eyes narrowing.
"He’s Leah’s brother. I never intended to act against him, and now, given his sensitive status, even though he’s surrounded by enemies, there are more people who don’t want him dead." Richard spoke indifferently, clutching the Buddha Beads tightly in his hand, his expression solemn.
"You have the most formidable military strength, and I have endless wealth. Griffith wouldn’t dare make a reckless move or stir up trouble." Ignatius said coldly, his voice, hard as metal striking stone, devoid of emotion. "There won’t be any issues on my end. It’s mainly your side—Leah Squire has always relied on Griffith. If Griffith doesn’t agree, you and her might have no future together."
Richard was the true victim here.
With a trace of bitterness in his tone, Richard softly said, "The only fortunate thing now is that Griffith hasn’t uttered a word about the Cox Family matters. I can afford to wait."
This lifetime, he would wait slowly for Leah, even if it meant exhausting every ounce of his being to atone for his blood-deep vendetta. It was what he owed her.
On New Year’s Eve, Ignatius boarded a private jet with Benjamin to return to the Golden Triangle.
Benjamin’s big, pitch-black eyes were brimming with tears. The little girl was dressed adorably in a pink skirt, wrapped in a fluffy bunny scarf, hugging her school bag, refusing to move an inch. She didn’t want to return to the Golden Triangle; she wanted Mommy, she wanted Nicholas, she wanted Great-Great-Grandma, and she wanted fun-loving Richard.
In the end, Ignatius, his face grim, lifted the tiny ball of stubbornness clinging to his leg and refusing to budge and carried her onto the plane.
Delphine held Nicholas tightly, watching the little one board the plane with a reluctant heart.
"Mommy, aren’t we going with Benjamin? I miss Benjamin," Nicholas said, his voice filled with a quiet sadness.
Delphine stroked Nicholas’s little head, feeling as though her heart had broken into two halves—one leaving with the little one, and the other staying with the older child.
After Ignatius returned to the Golden Triangle, Cassius Turner came to visit the humble villa. He wanted to invite her and Nicholas to spend the New Year with the Land Family, but Delphine politely declined. She had thought everything through during her days in the Imperial City. She deeply appreciated the care Cassius had shown her and her son, but gratitude was not the same as affection.
Cassius left in quiet sorrow, while Delphine felt a subtle sense of relief.
After Benjamin returned to the Golden Triangle, she insisted on video-calling Delphine every day. The little girl didn’t like living in the red rooms of the Leclair estate and was scared to sleep alone at night. Ignatius had no choice but to use folding screens to partition off a small room in the master bedroom on the top floor for her.