the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 73 Mr. Li is in the study, you going in would just add another person getting beaten

Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Mr. Li is in the study, you going in would just add another person getting beaten

The first time Delphine learned that Stone Leclair hit people, she was sixteen. She attended the same prestigious school as Bessie Leclair. Though her academic performance was excellent, she was clueless when it came to artistic talents and was often mocked by her classmates. She felt deeply inferior and heartbroken, wanting to talk to her mother.

That night, before she could reach her mother’s bedroom, she heard angry shouting, the sounds of beating, and her mother’s crying and pleading coming from inside.

Standing outside the door, she froze in place, her body chilled to the bone. Without saying a word, she turned and returned to her own room, hugging her knees and trembling all over.

For the next few days, her mother didn’t show up. When she did reappear, her makeup was still flawless, her smile radiant as always.

Incidents like this happened every few months. Each time after hitting her mother, Stone Leclair would treat her slightly better than before. Gradually, he even started sparing her some dignity in public settings.

Her mother never spoke about it, and Delphine didn’t expose it either. The repeated occurrences eventually numbed her.

"Even if Stone Leclair beats you to death, you still won’t leave?" Her eyes opened, and her expression was steeped in sorrow.

Ms. Gu’s face froze, about to counter, but before she could say anything, Stone Leclair stepped out of the room. His expression was dark as he called out, "Armei, come here."

Ms. Gu’s complexion changed drastically. She gripped Delphine’s hand tightly and whispered, "Go back. Don’t come out."

Delphine bit her lip as she watched her mother follow Stone Leclair back into the room. Turning back, she glanced at Maximilian, who had just entered. Her face was pale as she asked, "What exactly happened?"

Stone Leclair, despite his hypocritical demeanor, his quick temper, and violent tendencies, usually managed to maintain some self-control. Something must have happened.

Maximilian carried Delphine’s luggage inside, unwilling to say much. He lowered his voice and offered a suggestion: "Miss, you’d better go see Ignatius."

The whole day, Ignatius remained in his room and hadn’t come out. The entire Leclair Mansion was steeped in nervous tension, and the servants were tiptoeing around in fear. Maximilian was even more anxious; if she didn’t go see Ignatius soon, he might lash out even more at the people around him.

Delphine’s heart trembled, but instead of heading to the top floor, she went to the second floor.

The second floor was where Stone Leclair and Ms. Gu’s bedroom was located.

As soon as she reached the second floor, muffled sounds reached her ears. Though the mansion’s insulation was excellent, she could hear the crack of a whip. Standing in the corridor, her face instantly turned ashen as a suppressed memory in her mind erupted uncontrollably.

Her mother’s faint cries for mercy drifted through the door. She stood there, her entire body frozen and trembling, wanting to laugh bitterly. High society—this was the elite world people would do anything to enter, trampling on humanity and dignity in the process.

Fueled by fury, Delphine trembled all over and reached out for the doorknob.

"If Miss Delphine goes in, it’ll just add one more person to the beating. Even if you’re beaten to death, no one will ever know." Maximilian’s voice cut through her haze like a bucket of ice water, bringing her back to reality.

She turned around and fixed her gaze on the assistant who had followed her upstairs, her dark, glossy eyes suppressing emotions on the brink of collapse.

"Ignatius is in the study." Maximilian whispered the reminder. Although Ignatius, in his fits of rage, could be even more terrifying than Stone Leclair, at least Miss Delphine’s life wouldn’t be in danger. If she barged into Stone Leclair’s room and exposed the delicate facade of the mansion, her fate would be far worse than Ms. Gu’s.

After all, Stone Leclair had never truly treated this orphan girl as a human.

Moreover, only Ignatius calming his fury could bring an end to the situation.

That’s right, Ignatius Leclair. Delphine shut her eyes, steadying herself before stumbling toward the top floor. She ran so fast that when she reached it, she tripped, scraping her knee painfully. Paying no attention to the ache, she climbed back up, using a final shred of control to push open the study door.