Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 403: Uneasy About Her

Chapter 403: Uneasy About Her

Luke’s hawk-like eyes turned icy. "Ella, don’t go stirring up trouble for no reason!"

Ella ignored him. Luke’s expression darkened further. "Where do you think you’re going? If something happens to you, you’ll only cause trouble for Father!"

Luke had come today intending to persuade Ella to play along with him. His plan was simple: pretend to cooperate until Eric was rescued, then go back on his promise to marry her.

But Ella wasn’t the helpless, panicked woman he’d imagined. Instead, she was marching out with purpose.

She was clearly heading straight to confront the Miller family.

Two bodyguards tried to stop Luke, but the four men in black he’d brought with him were far too strong. Against these elite guards, the hotel’s foreign security staff didn’t stand a chance.

Luke successfully blocked Ella’s path.

"Don’t worry about me," Ella said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Besides, they’d have to be out of their minds to try anything against me. Isn’t the Anderson family’s power unmatched? No matter what trouble I stir up, they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me."

She sneered, her eyes glinting with a mix of anger and defiance. "And anyway, I’m not yours. Why do you care what happens to me?"

Luke nearly spat blood in frustration. "Ella! Stop acting like you’re some kind of queen! I’m only worried about you causing problems for Father!"

Ella waved him off impatiently. "What problems? Didn’t I just say it? They’re too afraid of your family to do anything. Even if I act out, the worst that’ll happen is they’ll feel embarrassed. They won’t touch me."

Seeing her determination, Luke had no choice but to follow her to the car.

Ella climbed into Eric’s custom car, used exclusively in Country W. When Luke followed suit, her face darkened.

Luke’s rebellious eyes gleamed coldly, his innate arrogance seeping through. "To stop a reckless and ignorant woman like you from making a mess, I’ll just have to come along. That way, Father won’t have to clean up after you."

Ella’s lips curled into a cold smirk as she turned her gaze away from him. She spoke softly to the driver. "Take me to Mr. Leonard’s estate."

The car started moving.

The roads in Country W were far less crowded than those in Country S. With fewer people and more land, plus the wide roads, it only took about ten minutes for the car to pull up in front of Leonard’s estate.

Ella jumped out and pressed the doorbell. A petite blonde maid, about the same size as Ella, came to answer the door.

Ella briefly explained her purpose. The maid disappeared to relay the message, and it was a full ten minutes before she returned.

"Miss Davis, Mr. Anderson, please follow me."

Inside the estate, the small country-style manor was remarkably clean and well-kept. It was said that Leonard had spent his adulthood indulging in pleasure, growing lazy and unambitious.

Despite receiving the finest education, the other Miller family heirs didn’t consider him a serious contender.

Still, Leonard was known to have a deep interest in Country S culture, which gave Ella an opening to approach him under the guise of discussing common interests.

Entering the living room, Ella noted that even the cozy interior was orderly and spotless.

On the couch lounged a golden-haired man, his posture relaxed and his demeanor indifferent. Two seductive maids knelt on either side of him, working hard to massage his shoulders.

The maids were strikingly beautiful, and the golden-haired man watched them with half-lidded eyes while sipping wine. His hands roamed occasionally, taking liberties with the women.

Such a decadent playboy was hard to reconcile with the idea of a shrewd strategist.

And yet, it was men like this—hidden behind their carefree facades—who were often the most dangerous.

Luke frowned in disgust at the scene before him but maintained his composure. Following Ella gracefully, he spoke with a calm but firm tone. "Young Master Leonard, sorry to interrupt."

Leonard lazily shifted his gaze to Ella, his expression indulgent and debauched. "Well, well, what a stunning little beauty from Country S. Come, sit by me!"

Luke’s sharp gaze turned icy. "Leonard, this is Mr. Anderson’s daughter. I’d advise you to show some respect."

This damn woman! Luke thought bitterly. She thinks she’s capable? Without me here, she’d already be toyed with by Leonard.

Ella stood her ground calmly, offering a polite greeting. "Mr. Leonard, hello. I’m Ella. When I was in college back in Country S, I read some of your papers on Country S culture. Now that I’m in Country W and heard you have some free time, I thought I’d take the opportunity to seek your insights."

Leonard chuckled lightly, still as nonchalant as ever.

"Miss Davis, you’re too kind. Those papers were just scribbles. It’s only thanks to my family’s influence that they got published at all."

Ella was momentarily speechless. This Leonard... is he really this shameless? He’s openly admitting his lack of merit, belittling himself without an ounce of embarrassment. This man is hiding something—his incompetence must be a ruse.

Luke, on the other hand, casually took a seat. A maid served him a cup of richly aromatic coffee. Ella remained fearless. No matter how audacious Leonard was, he wouldn’t dare mess with Lucas Anderson’s daughter.

"Mr. Leonard, you’re being overly modest," Ella said with a confident smile. "I’ve heard you’re particularly interested in some prominent figures from Country S. I was hoping to hear your opinion on something—what do you think of Mr. F?"

Leonard sipped his wine indifferently, the deep red staining his lips. "That man? I haven’t studied him."

Ella smiled faintly. "Mr. F was one of the wisest figures. If you studied him, you’d see that such a person would always be valued by those in power. However, if he ever harbored ambitions of becoming king himself, it would lead to disaster."

Leonard squinted slightly, scrutinizing Ella with newfound interest.

Luke snorted coldly. "Men like that are loyal only to their masters."

"That may have been Mr. F’s philosophy," Ella replied lazily. "But not every strategist is content to be used by others."

She shifted her gaze to Leonard, her voice calm but piercing. "Mr. Leonard, you’ve likely heard about my husband, Eric, going missing. In my eyes, he’s a man of both courage and intellect. Tell me, what kind of luck and wisdom does it take for someone to make a name for themselves in a place like this?"

Leonard’s grip on his glass tightened ever so slightly.

"Forgive me, Miss Davis. I don’t quite follow. It seems the cultural differences between Country W and Country S run deeper than I thought. My paper, as I’ve said, was garbage—you shouldn’t take it seriously. As for your husband’s disappearance... well, isn’t that convenient? How about staying the night here? I’ll show you some new ’games’ to help you unwind."

"Shut your mouth!"

Luke could no longer hold back, standing abruptly and glaring coldly at Leonard.

Leonard smirked, still maintaining his insouciant demeanor. "Why so angry, Mr. Anderson? Miss Davis is your so-called sister by name. Don’t tell me you’re interested in her."

Ella twitched slightly, glancing at Luke’s furious expression. She turned back to Leonard with an icy smile. "Mr. Leonard, you seem to be quite the player. Are these maids of yours all your lovers?"

"Of course! Most of them are," Leonard replied with a smile, though a flicker of coldness flashed in his eyes.