Ignatius Leclair, upon hearing Griffith Squire’s name mentioned, slightly narrowed his phoenix eyes and said in a low voice, "What are you afraid of him for? You’ve even had a child with Leah. If they are so fixated on the Cox Family’s past, you might as well let it all come to light and snatch that woman away by force. You’re just too uptight and old-fashioned."

For Ignatius Leclair, anything he liked was something he should possess. He thought about how Richard Shaw, a Major General of the Imperial City, humbled himself for a woman, something Ignatius Leclair couldn’t imagine doing.

Richard Shaw lowered his eyes, his long lashes covering his tea-colored irises, and said heavily, "Leah’s personality is different from Delphine’s. Leah is someone who would rather destroy everything than see others profit."

He couldn’t take that risk, and his temperament was more moderate, unlike old Ignatius’s cold and domineering nature.

Ignatius Leclair’s face darkened slightly at the mention of Delphine Carter. That woman was also fierce, no less ruthless than Leah. It was no wonder these two women were best friends; they were the same kind of person.

"You handle it however you see fit. Just don’t come crying to me when you’re completely cornered by the Squire siblings," Ignatius Leclair said, his mood inexplicably souring. He shouted outside, "Benjamin, go wash your hands and change clothes. We’re going to Great-grandma’s house."

"Okay," Benjamin Leclair happily kissed his Samoyed before running inside with a joyful gait, his little face adorned with a sweet smile. Seeing Richard Shaw, his big black eyes sparkled as he called out sweetly, "Hello, Uncle Richard."

The little girl was a soft and tiny bundle, flitting about like a butterfly, and her sweet voice brightened the once-stoic villa.

Richard Shaw felt a surge of joy, inexplicably reminded of his rascally child, Casimir Shaw. If that rascal were to find such an adorable wife in the future, it wouldn’t be bad at all.

Benjamin quickly changed into new clothes and took Ignatius Leclair’s hand to head to the Howard Family’s home.

After the two parted ways, Richard Shaw instructed Shuangzi to drive back to Shaw Mansion.

"Major General, yesterday the Elvis Family went to Brocade City. Do I need to follow up on that?" Shuangzi received reports from below and hesitated before mentioning, "The Elvis Family is part of the new generation of the Italian Mafia, generally very xenophobic. Their sudden visit to Brocade City during the New Year has everyone quite on edge."

"Let the Southwest Military Zone handle the follow-up. This family has a reasonably good reputation internationally. If they don’t cause trouble, there’s no need to concern ourselves with them," Richard Shaw instructed gravely.

Brocade City

Griffith Squire drove with Aurora Coldwell and Butler Zhao to the suburban resort, arriving while it was still early.

Ian Coldwell, head of the Coldwell Family, had fallen seriously ill a few years back. After surgery, he mostly focused on recovery. Though the Coldwell affairs were to be handled by his eldest daughter, Aurora, an accident left her unable to speak and mentally unsound, forcing Ian to rely on his second wife, Zoe Kingston, to manage some matters.

Zoe Kingston had been his secretary, smart and capable. Ian Coldwell married her after a drunken night led to her pregnancy.

Aurora Coldwell’s memory of her father remained in the days her mother was alive. Her parents were loving, and she, their only daughter, was pampered since childhood. Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last. Her mother died suddenly, her father remarried, and she gained a stepmother and a stepsister, spiraling her life into melodrama.

She once thought that growing up would mean she could marry her childhood sweetheart, Benedict, and take control of the shares her mother left her, freeing herself from her stepmother’s manipulation. However, her reputation for being mute and mentally unsound spread throughout Brocade City. The Seymour Family called off the engagement, her father was deeply disappointed in her, and she fled to distant Italy, retreating into her shell.

Aurora Coldwell remained silent throughout the journey, her small hands clutching her clothes tightly, anxious and uneasy, her father’s look of disappointment and disdain haunting her for years. As strangers, their relationship was no better than that of strangers. Her years of exile in Italy had extinguished any hope for father-daughter love.

But when Griffith Squire said he was bringing Ian Coldwell home for the New Year, she silently went along.

"Has your father been managing the house and shares your mother left you all this time?" Griffith Squire asked, looking up from the intricate and mysterious electronic devices he had been busy with since getting in the car, sporting a charming, mischievous smile.

The man’s naturally curved lips exuded a pleasant, smiling arc, carrying a spring-like breeze when he smiled—yet exerting an inexplicable air of dominance when he did not.

Aurora Coldwell quickly nodded, eyeing the complex devices in his hands. Ever since entering the vehicle, Griffith Squire had been constantly occupied. His character was both good and evil, making him difficult to read, yet oddly trustworthy, though she hadn’t even discerned his true identity.

Griffith Squire’s seductive, narrow peach-blossom eyes hinted that most of these assets remained in her stepmother’s control. It seemed the Kingston Family needed a little adjustment.

"Miss, Mr. Squire, we’ve arrived," laughed Butler Zhao, opening the car door.

Butler Zhao held Griffith Squire in deep admiration, treating him with a reverence accorded to the powerful. Just moments ago, he received a call reporting that Zoe Kingston and her family returned to the Coldwell estate to no avail, secretly delighting him. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Now they were at the resort. The Miss surely brought home a treasure.

"Let’s go pay a visit to my future father-in-law," Griffith Squire said, exiting the car with a poised, tall, and handsome demeanor, his smile innocent yet magnificent.

Ian Coldwell had been diagnosed with cancer years ago. The early detection and surgery had stalled its spread, but in recent years, his concern for personal well-being made him less attentive to Coldwell businesses, leaving operations to his wife. Planning to return to the Coldwell estate for Chinese New Year’s Eve, he hadn’t moved before hearing from the resort staff that Miss Coldwell had come to pick him up.

Assuming it was Brooke Coldwell, he raised his eyes cheerfully, ready to call her name when he saw Aurora Coldwell with a young, handsome man, his expression turning slightly complex.

Once his pride, Aurora Coldwell’s accident, rendering her mute and mentally unhinged, was a needle lodged in his heart, transforming pride into ceaseless shame. All of Brocade City knew his daughter as a fool and mute, and only upon Zoe Kingston’s suggestion did he send Aurora to Italy, liberating him from this shame.

For years, he ensured her bank account was well-funded, with Butler Zhao caring for her, dismissing any engagement. An incapacitated mute, Aurora was just a lifelong burden. Yet, despite everything, she held a thirty percent share of his deceased wife’s stake. Zoe Kingston recommended marrying her to George Kingston, not only securing the shares but providing care in Aurora’s later life; Ian Coldwell found this proposal quite reasonable, despite the cost to George.