the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 127: He Lost the Girl Who Shone When She Smiled

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: He Lost the Girl Who Shone When She Smiled

At that time, Delphine Carter still had the appearance of a young girl, with straight bangs covering her forehead, plain short hair, and large, clear eyes shimmering with light. She looked at him timidly and self-consciously. Seeing that he didn’t say anything, she quietly withdrew her hand.

She was like a wild kitten, picked up by a new owner, cautiously extending her claws to explore, searching for a safe territory.

After he returned to Southeast Asia, he naturally didn’t harbor any goodwill toward his father’s mistress. The old master had already made it clear, instructing Stone Leclair not to mistreat him. The implication was that Stone should not marry Beatrice Carter, lest it cool the heart of the eldest grandson.

Stone, seeing that even his youngest son had been born, was glad to comply, as Beatrice’s lowly background was not only of no benefit to his political career but might even tarnish his reputation.

Thus, although Beatrice gave birth to a son, she remained at the Leclair mansion merely as the mother of the young master, without name or status. Naturally, the burden she brought with her—Delphine—had even less standing.

Delphine lived at the Leclair mansion for several months, mostly leaving early and returning late. Her meals were taken only after the Leclair family had finished theirs. Apart from the first time Beatrice introduced her and brought her to greet people, this was only the second time Ignatius Leclair had seen her.

At that time, Delphine had less status than even the servants in the Leclair household.

Ignatius glanced outside at the stormy weather and spoke in an indifferent tone, "Go back to sleep."

His voice was consistently cold and distant, devoid of any warmth.

The girl’s eyes suddenly became misty. Her gaze dropped, and a tear fell. Her slender frame trembled violently, but she didn’t move.

Ignatius could guess that on such a stormy night, she was surely frightened, which was why she had fled to the lit fireplace. If he hadn’t come downstairs in the middle of the night, Delphine might have sat there all night.

He had already had people investigate and learned that this girl was Beatrice’s illegitimate daughter. She was someone he should have disliked, yet he inexplicably said, "Let’s go, I’ll take you back to your room."

The girl suddenly looked up, her face full of joy, her eyes sparkling, the corners crinkling slightly. Those bright eyes, like stars in the heavens, remained unmatched by any he would encounter in years to come.

Ignatius thought about the years that followed, about how she gradually grew up and the things that happened later. Somehow, his chest felt heavy. At the time, blinded by his own perspective, he had never considered her situation. His actions had indeed been too harsh.

He glanced at the time and went up to the small attic on the top floor, pushing the door open.

The small attic was only about the size of his bathroom, apart from a simple bed, a cabinet, and a single desk. A nightlight was left glowing in the corner of the wall. Over the years, Ignatius had come to understand that she was afraid of the dark and always kept a nightlight on when sleeping.

The man walked to the bed and saw her curled up in a corner, her newly cropped short hair making her slender frame look even thinner. The blanket only formed a small mound, gradually overlapping in his mind with her younger self.

Ignatius leaned down and, under the faint glow of the nightlight, gazed at her pale, delicate face. She was no longer the same as she had been during her youth, her thoughts deeper now, as if there was an invisible barrier separating her from him. She was no longer the timid girl who would clutch his sleeve and call him "Brother."

Till this day, handsome and composed as Ignatius Leclair was, he had no choice but to admit—he had lost the luminous girl who once smiled so radiantly.

Delphine slept restlessly through the night, dreaming of broken and fragmented memories of the past. She even vaguely felt as if someone had touched her hair. When she woke up, her whole body felt drained, leading her to assume it had been a nightmare.

Early in the morning, Leah called. On the phone, she was so angry she was nearly jumping up and down, saying she’d heard what happened at the banquet and cursing Griffith Squire relentlessly.

Delphine had already suspected that Griffith had played an inglorious role in yesterday’s events, even deliberately sending Leah away. Otherwise, given Leah’s temperament, she would have been the first to stand up and humiliate Yvonne Wade.

After briefly chatting with Leah, Delphine ended the call, washed up, and headed for the film set. As she descended the stairs, she saw Beatrice, whom she hadn’t seen in days, waiting in the side hall. When Beatrice noticed her coming down, her expression was unpleasant.

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