the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 197 Love and Joy Are Misfortune

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 Love and Joy Are Misfortune

The stables at the Yeager family estate housed many fine horses. Bessie Leclair kept a Dutch Warmblood there, and whenever she was bored, she’d invite Jocelyn Yeager out for a ride.

"If you don’t have the guts to compete with me, you’d better admit defeat now and get out of my engagement party." Bessie, accompanied by a few followers, went upstairs to change into her riding outfit. Seeing no one around, she dropped her act, stood on the staircase, and sneered provocatively.

"Exactly. Saves you from the risk of dying in a fall." Yvonne Wade chimed in with her usual biting sarcasm.

Delphine raised her eyes coolly and said, "I’ll see this through to the end."

The battle lines had already been drawn; there was no reason to surrender without a fight.

Bessie snorted coldly and headed upstairs to change clothes.

"Miss Delphine, please follow me. Your outfit is prepared on the third floor." A maid approached and spoke softly.

Delphine nodded and followed her upstairs into a room, only to unexpectedly encounter someone who shouldn’t have been there.

Jocelyn Yeager was dressed formally, sitting in an armchair by the window. His handsome and gentle side profile caught the light as his gaze lingered on the engagement venue on the lawn outside the estate.

Had he been upstairs watching all this time?

Delphine’s expression flickered slightly.

"Are you disappointed in me?" After several months of silence, Jocelyn finally spoke, his voice low and restrained.

He stood, his tall and imposing figure blocking the sparse sunlight spilling through the window.

Turning around, his refined and elegant face appeared slightly gaunt, his eyes soft. "Delphine, now I’m doing the same thing you are. You’ve compromised with Ignatius Leclair, and I’m being forced to marry Bessie."

Delphine was stunned, her eyes stinging. She lowered her gaze and said flatly, "I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

"I’ve met Griffith Squire." Jocelyn stepped closer to her and stopped, his suppressed emotions barely contained. He had struck a deal with the devil and paid a tremendous price to uncover Delphine’s past.

"You’ve always been a tender and kind child, not prone to holding grudges. But when you do hate, it’s buried deep in your bones." Jocelyn’s voice was raspy as he grabbed her arm urgently and said, "I know what you want, and I’ll help you dismantle the Leclair Family from the inside."

His final words, blurred yet shocking, sent chills through her.

Delphine’s body went cold, and she interrupted him sharply, her voice severe: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

The Leclair estate, with its centuries of heritage and profound foundation, was immeasurable. Not to mention, Ignatius Leclair himself was unfathomable—a man bottomless in his depths. To talk of dismantling the Leclair Family was the stuff of idle dreams.

Jocelyn lowered his gaze, his expression softened as he looked at her cautiously, leaning closer but still keeping his distance.

"I won’t marry Bessie. The engagement is merely for show—I need the Leclair Family’s power." Jocelyn whispered, revealing shocking truths. "Delphine, you’ve always known—I’ve always loved you."

His searing palm seemed to burn her skin. Delphine’s mind blanked as she instinctively stepped back, looking at his gentle and refined face, her entire being plunged into an icy abyss.

She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. She had always been aware. Even in their youth, Jocelyn’s feelings for her had been so obvious. But back then, he hadn’t yet gained control over his fate, and she had already been ensnared by Ignatius—left with no choice but to continuously disregard him.

Delphine turned her face away, her expression faint and detached, laced with a hint of indifference. In a low voice, she said, "Love and joy are sins. Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to living in solitude.

Bessie has always liked you. Words like these, don’t ever say them again. If she hears, it’ll stir up trouble once more."

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