the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 140: Each Holding the Other’s Lifeline, Equally Matched

A bandit chieftain in a volatile region, leveraging the barrel of his gun to play king in the mountains—such a man, accustomed to a life of bullets and bloodshed, suddenly transforming into an upper-class gentleman—his motives must be significant.

Ignatius Leclair mulled over the possibilities; the answer could only lie in Griffith’s background. What kind of connection could Griffith Squire have with the Southern Isles? He combed through all the notable aristocratic families he could recall, but none matched Griffith’s profile.

Griffith Squire calmly chuckled and said, "Did Mr. Leclair investigate my identity? It seems you’ve yet to gather anything worthwhile; yet in my possession, I have copious Southern Isles intel, including that relating to Delphine."

Unfazed, Ignatius Leclair pierced Griffith’s most critical vulnerability: "I’ve heard that when Mr. Squire followed General Neal, you were all alone. It wasn’t until six years ago that a sister suddenly appeared."

Griffith Squire’s identity remained untraceable, but the origin of his sister, Leah Squire, was comparatively simple to investigate. It was just a matter of time.

Griffith squinted slightly, finally curbing all traces of disdain and amusement as he addressed him with gravity: "I wonder, Mr. Leclair, what details you’re hoping to uncover between Delphine and me?"

Dark, unreadable shadows flickered through Griffith’s gaze. Leah’s past must remain buried, especially if subjected to an investigation by the Leclair family.

Perfect. Now, they’d grasped hold of each other’s Achilles’ heels—neither gaining nor losing ground. The only options left were honest cooperation or a complete falling-out, rendering them both severely wounded.

Ignatius Leclair seized back control of the situation, his thin lips forming a cool arc as his deep, fathomless eyes narrowed like an ancient well. Without a shred of emotion, he spoke, "I want to know everything there is to know about you two."

Griffith Squire let out a cold laugh. Those events from back then? He knew them, Leah knew them, and his trusted confidants were aware of them—hardly a grand secret. But after Delphine disappeared, he’d ordered the obliteration of all traces. And so, however much time had passed, even with Ignatius Leclair dispatching his forces to investigate, nothing would surface.

"I wonder, Mr. Leclair," Griffith leaned forward, lips forming a mischievous smile, enunciating slowly, "whether you wish to ask why Delphine ended up in the Golden Triangle... or why someone as infamous as this mountain bandit chief, known for killing without mercy, would keep such a young woman by his side?"

Straightening his posture, Griffith’s wicked grin deepened as he ground out each word: "Naturally, lust at first sight."

A taut string in Ignatius Leclair’s mind snapped violently. Flames lit his gaze as murderous intent surged forth. Without hesitation, he threw a punch squarely at Griffith’s most vaunted, handsome face.

*

After leaving the cultural district, Delphine couldn’t shake a lingering anxiety, the ominous sensation that something terrible was bound to happen.

"Miss Delphine, are we returning to the Leclair Residence or somewhere else?" Even Dongzi’s face had gone pale; it was only his first day on the job, and he’d already encountered his master’s master. The fright of it nearly killed him.

Brother Jing, usually so stone-faced and humorless, relentless and precise during training—who could’ve thought that this heir of the aristocratic Leclair family carried such an oppressive aura?

"Return to the Leclair Residence," Delphine responded listlessly. Ignatius Leclair had visited her that afternoon, his demeanor clearly suggesting there was something amiss. She couldn’t fathom what Griffith Squire might have said to him.

The entire journey back to the residence, Delphine’s thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind. Upon arriving at the Leclair Residence and entering the sitting hall, she immediately noticed Mrs. Gu speaking with someone.

There, seated before Mrs. Gu, were a pair of timid, cowering individuals. Their eyes roamed nervously over the antique treasures filling the room, nodding fervently and laughing obsequiously as they said, "You’re absolutely right, Miss May."

At the sight of them, Delphine’s face turned deathly pale, her fingertips blanching.