the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart

Chapter 699: Such an Ignatius Leclair, She Couldn’t Refuse

It was a lazy spring afternoon when they arrived at the small villa. Gentle sunlight poured into the yard. Delphine went to fetch the two children, while Ignatius Leclair went upstairs to choose a room and instructed Maximilian to cram his personal belongings into it.

The man changed into a set of casual home clothes and came downstairs, just in time to see Delphine returning with the two little ones.

Benjamin Leclair was skipping ahead energetically, dressed in a pink jacket with a tiny skirt. The little girl’s hair had grown quickly; it was braided neatly, her rosy, delicate face brimming with innocence. Catching sight of Ignatius, her dark, grape-like eyes sparkled as she dashed over, tugged at his pant leg, tilted her small head upward, and chirped, "Daddy, you came to see Benjamin?"

Behind her, Delphine was listening to Nicholas Carter excitedly describe Griffith Squire’s surprisingly extravagant underground arsenal. The young boy had spun it into a fantastical tale of a castle filled with wonders, his eyes lighting up as he spoke.

Seeing Benjamin running toward Ignatius, Delphine’s heart immediately tightened, and she called softly, "Benjamin, your daddy isn’t well. Don’t bother him."

Ignatius lowered his eyes to look at the adorable little girl, but there was no reaction on his handsome face.

Benjamin shook her daddy’s pant leg, but after a while, she realized he still hadn’t lifted her up. Her tiny mouth puckered, and she dropped her head, rushing back into Delphine’s arms.

Holding the somewhat dejected little girl, Delphine quietly soothed her, then shot Ignatius a sharp glance.

Her features were refined and exquisite—a classic South River beauty—her skin soft and fair, her expression subdued. It was rare for her to show anger, and her distinctly black-and-white eyes pierced Ignatius, making his heart tremble.

Only then did the man slowly crouch down and speak in a low voice, "Benjamin, come here."

Benjamin immediately broke into a smile, snuggling back over to Ignatius’s side. The man picked up the rosy little girl, placed her on the sofa, pinched her soft cheeks, and calmly remarked, "You’ve gained weight again."

Benjamin’s big eyes instantly welled up with tears of grievance, and her small body shuffled closer to Delphine.

Seeing the little girl’s pout, Ignatius finally scooped up the tiny figure, carried one child in each arm, and led them off to play.

They ate takeout that Maximilian had delivered for dinner. Though Delphine’s culinary skills were adequate, they clearly weren’t up to par for Ignatius’s particular taste, so she didn’t bother making the effort to cook.

After dinner, Delphine took the two little ones to bathe, while the man lounged on the living room sofa, handling urgent matters that Maximilian had brought over.

By the time Delphine lulled the older and younger child to sleep and placed the bedtime storybook on the shelf next to the bed, she stood up and realized the man hadn’t left. He remained outside the room, quietly watching her.

Delphine carefully shut off the light, stepped out, and murmured, "Why haven’t you gone back?"

The man moved closer, leaning in to close the door. Under the faint glow of the corridor’s dim light, he gazed at her pale, delicate features and spoke in a low tone, "I’m afraid that if I go back, when I wake, I won’t be me anymore—I may never see you again."

His gaze was as deep and cold as stars at midnight, yet carried the allure of a boundless black hole, pulling her in with quiet desperation and an unfathomable tenderness.

Delphine felt as though she had returned to the spring and summer of her seventeenth year—a silent midnight when she’d walked alone down a long corridor and knocked on the door. The young and handsome man stepped out, took her hand with a smile, and gazed deeply into her eyes.

This version of Ignatius Leclair was one she could not refuse.

The man lowered his handsome face, wrapped her slender waist, and leaned down to kiss her.