the two-faced Adopted Girl Who Melted CEO's Ice-Cold Heart
Chapter 248: Tell Richard Shaw to get out of Squire Manor now, and you might just save the other half of his life.

Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Tell Richard Shaw to get out of Squire Manor now, and you might just save the other half of his life.

Ignatius Leclair’s breathing deepened slightly. These past days, the two of them had been neither hot nor cold toward each other, and he was deeply stifled by it. Now, seeing her willing to talk about the past, he could no longer restrain himself. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

The man’s warm body enveloped her like a mountain, shielding her from the cold of the hills. In a low and heavy voice, he said, "Delphine, you’re not someone who struggles in the mire. You have a home."

It was only because of a momentary lapse that he had lost her. Now that he’d found her again, he would never let her live that kind of life again.

"But the Squire siblings are. They’ve struggled to climb out of that hellish place. Why are you making it hard for them?" Delphine pushed him away, a dense and prickly pain rising in her heart.

Ignatius Leclair furrowed his brow. Knowing how she felt about the Squire siblings, he said coldly, "Griffith Squire has always been collaborating with Stone Leclair. If I let it slide today, they’ll be able to kill me someday."

Delphine hadn’t imagined that Griffith Squire would get involved in the Leclair Family’s internal power struggle. She bit her lip. "No matter what, you can’t hurt Leah. She hasn’t fully recovered yet."

Ignatius Leclair’s phoenix eyes narrowed as he glanced toward Griffith Squire.

Griffith Squire had long since dismissed the people around him. He stepped forward two paces, his face icy and hostile, and sneered, "As long as Richard Shaw leaves the Squire Family and Leah remains safe, I’ll tell you anything you want to know."

Ignatius Leclair spoke indifferently, "That’s not all. We also need to agree on three conditions: one, you cannot interfere in any matters of the Leclair Family; two, you cannot bring the Golden Triangle’s dark forces to the South Seas; and three, stay as far away from Delphine as possible."

Griffith Squire’s expression turned dark. People always said that Stone Leclair was a cunning, greedy old fox, but this younger one was even crueler. Agreeing to Ignatius Leclair’s three terms would render Griffith Squire nothing more than a figurehead in the South Seas. Not to mention, it would force him to reveal his own origins.

The pain Griffith Squire felt was as if his heart were being carved out.

"The first condition is fine. For the second, as you know, the Squire Family has many enemies. If I can’t bring over my existing forces, you must guarantee that none of my enemies’ forces can enter the South Seas either. Otherwise, I’ll be nothing but meat on the chopping block.

As for the third, Delphine is like family to us siblings. Her wishes should take precedence on that matter—you can’t make that decision for her."

Griffith Squire sneered coldly, haggling over the terms.

Ignatius Leclair’s refined and handsome features darkened slightly in displeasure. He hadn’t expected Griffith Squire to truly comply with his demands—it was merely a matter of asserting dominance and issuing a warning.

"Mr. Squire’s origins are still something worth discussing," Ignatius remarked lightly.

The cold smile on Griffith Squire’s lips faded. He glanced at the towering, ancient ancestral shrine, let out a bitter laugh, and said, self-mockingly, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Ignatius Leclair didn’t reply.

"I’ve been undocumented since birth. It’s no wonder you can’t find anything about me. But you can dig into Leah’s identity. Sending Richard Shaw to Squire Manor to gauge my reaction—haven’t you already gotten your answer?"

Griffith Squire’s handsome face broke into a dazzling yet sinister smile. His tone was vicious and deliberate as he said, word by word, "If you send Richard Shaw packing from my home right now, you might still save the last half of his life."

Ignatius Leclair’s phoenix eyes narrowed, his face taking on an uncommonly serious expression. He quickly gestured subtly to Jing Liu, signaling him to withdraw all their arrangements and contact Richard Shaw immediately.

Off to the side, Delphine trembled with fear at what she was witnessing. Her complexion suddenly turned pale, as though she could sense something terrible looming on the horizon.

She clenched her fingertips tightly and murmured softly under her breath, "Leah."