novelraw Chapter 345: I Do Not Agree to This Marriage
Chapter 345: I Do Not Agree to This Marriage
Chapter 345: Chapter 345: I Do Not Agree to This Marriage
"Try and hit me?" Delphine smiled calmly, her gaze passing through the wooden door that connected the side hall to the small garden.
If there was even the slightest commotion here, everyone in the side hall would see it. If this slap landed, Melody Cloud’s meticulously cultivated image of perfection built over the years would be utterly destroyed.
Melody’s eyes were bloodshot, brimming with hate for her, her teeth itching with rage, but she couldn’t lay a finger on her.
Because she wasn’t like Bessie Leclair or Yvonne Wade—those kinds of fools.
"But clinging to an opportunity to cozy up and climb into his bed, do you think that gives you the right to compare yourself to me?" Melody sneered coldly.
Delphine lowered her gaze, her smile chilling to the core, and replied, "Miss Cloud, the man you care about means nothing to me. If you like Ignatius Leclair, go ahead and have him. You don’t need to consult me."
Melody’s face darkened with rage. Was there anyone more outstanding than Ignatius in the South Seas? The man who dominated every woman’s heart and dreams, and yet here she was, showing utter disregard for him. This shameless woman was brazen to the point of being infuriating.
Seeing Melody rendered speechless by anger, Delphine strode into the side hall with satisfaction. As she entered, her eyes lifted just in time to spot Ignatius’ tall and commanding figure disappearing from the window.
Delphine’s smile froze for a moment. Had he overheard what she just said?
"Delphine, let me introduce you to my parents," Sylvester Cloud called out to her, his voice moderate, neither loud nor soft, perfectly audible to everyone in the side hall.
Delphine glanced at the Family Heads clustered around the Leclair patriarch. Her intention to sneak away was abruptly halted.
She stepped forward and greeted them one by one. The Cloud couple’s expressions seemed peculiar as they exchanged only brief, polite pleasantries.
Just then, Melody entered, relieving the intangible awkwardness.
"Today was originally about my discussion with the Yeager Family. Inviting all of you here serves two purposes: first, to make a witness, and second, to discuss something important with you," the Leclair patriarch said, smiling at the Cloud couple when he saw everyone had arrived. "This matter should not have fallen to me to bring up, but since Ignatius’ mother passed early, this matter between the two younger ones has been delayed. What are your thoughts on it?"
The Cloud couple exchanged glances. They had mentally prepared themselves before coming. Now, with the patriarch himself broaching the subject, both felt a surge of unexpected joy.
In the entire South Seas—and even looking beyond—there weren’t even five young men who could compare with Ignatius Leclair.
"Absolutely," Mrs. Cloud laughed. "Back when Lara Howard was still around, she treated Melody like her own daughter. We’ve privately arranged a verbal marriage agreement. Now that the patriarch has brought up the matter, I think the children are all grown, and what’s meant to be done should be done."
Marriage among noble families was never just about the young people; it intersected with every aspect of the family.
This was precisely why Beatrice Carter, even after giving Stone Leclair a son, could not enter the doors of the Leclair Family.
The patriarch, seeing no objections from the Cloud family, felt a surge of satisfaction.
Today, the Yeager Family had come to finalize their agreement, demanding the ten percent stock share that Bessie Leclair had promised them months ago.
Such an exorbitant demand immediately provoked the patriarch’s displeasure.
He decisively snubbed the Yeager Family and instead turned to discuss the marriage matter with the Cloud Family.
"We still have to ask Ignatius and Melody for their opinions," Mrs. Cloud said with a radiant smile, pulling her daughter over.
Melody’s face burned red, and she fell silent. She cast a smug glance at Delphine, who stood to the side, entirely overlooked.
Melody’s silence equated to tacit agreement.
The people in the side hall displayed varied reactions, their gazes inevitably shifting toward Ignatius Leclair.
Hands resting leisurely in his pockets, Ignatius appeared relaxed as he glanced indifferently at Delphine, whose face remained expressionless. He said unhurriedly, "I do not agree to this marriage."