《The Wife He Abandoned》全部章節：第 21 章 - 第 30 章

The Ashcroft ballroom glowed beneath golden lights that night, while soft classical music drifted through the air.Everyone was smiling.Everyone looked happy.And in the center of it all, the Ashcroft family stood like the perfect family that had never cracked even once.Sebastian stood near the drinks table, quietly observing the room around him.Luxurious.Excessive.And filled with lies.“Sebastian!”Vanessa Clarke’s voice reached him before she did.Her long gold gown wrapped around her body flawlessly. Her hair was styled to perfection, while the large engagement ring on her finger was displayed deliberately for anyone who looked her way.Without hesitation, Vanessa stepped forward and hugged Sebastian.Too close.Too casual.As if they were genuinely close friends.Sebastian forced himself not to pull away immediately.“It’s been so long,” Vanessa said lightly with a smile.Sebastian slowly eased out of her embrace.“Congratulations on your engagement.”Vanessa laughed softly.

“I want to know who I should destroy first.”The words made Sebastian study the woman standing before him a little longer.Not because he doubted her.But because, at last, he was seeing something he had been waiting for all this time—Ambition.Sebastian stood and walked toward the desk beside the bookshelf.He picked up a thick black folder before returning and placing it in front of Adele.“Then start with the most dangerous person in that family.”Adele opened the folder slowly.A photo of Margaret Ashcroft appeared on the very first page.An elderly woman with sharp eyes and a faint smile that always seemed judgmental.“Margaret Ashcroft,” Sebastian said calmly. “The heart of that family.”Adele studied the photograph for a long moment.“Leonard’s grandmother.”“The woman who built Ashcroft Group alongside her late husband.” Sebastian sat down again. “And the woman who believes their legacy should only be inherited by men.”Adele’s gaze slowly turned colder.“So she never wanted

Gray clouds covered the London sky as the black car pulled away from the private airport.Adele sat in the back seat with Elena sleeping soundly in her lap after the long flight from New York.It had been a long time since she had left this city.And strangely—She felt no sense of longing.Adele stared straight through the window. The streets of London, once so familiar, now looked foreign.Sebastian sat beside her while reading several messages on his phone.“The apartment is ready,” he said calmly. “And everyone on the staff only knows you as Adele Laurent.”Adele gave a small nod.“What about the social circles?”“I’ve been spreading your name around for the past few months.”Adele slowly turned toward him.“What do you mean?”“A young investor from New York.” Sebastian slipped his phone away. “Smart, wealthy, and private enough to make people curious.”Adele laughed softly.“You really planned everything.”“I don’t like doing things halfway.”The car continued through central Lon

Vanessa was still speaking with Adele when another socialite approached to greet them.Adele used the opportunity to excuse herself gracefully.“It was lovely meeting you both,” she said politely before walking away.Leonard watched her retreating figure for far too long.Much too long.Vanessa noticed immediately.“You’re really interested in that woman.”Leonard finally looked away.“I’m just curious.”“Because she’s beautiful?”Leonard took a sip of the wine in his hand.“There are plenty of beautiful women.”“But?”He fell silent for a few seconds.“There’s something strange about her.”Vanessa raised a brow slightly.“You sound like a man from a cheap romance novel.”Leonard let out a short laugh.“Maybe I’m just tired.”But even after saying that, his gaze still drifted through the ballroom several times, searching for Adele.And Leonard hated that fact.On the other side of the room, Adele was speaking with an older investor couple, a faint smile resting on her lips.Calm.Eleg

That sentence made Adele pause for a moment.She slowly turned her head slightly.Her eyes met Leonard’s for several seconds before she finally gave him a faint smile.“We’ll see, Mr. Ashcroft.”Then she walked away.Her long black gown moved elegantly beneath the ballroom lights while several pairs of eyes continued following her retreating figure.And Leonard kept watching until she completely disappeared into the crowd.Vanessa let out a slow breath.“You really don’t appreciate me tonight.”Leonard finally looked away.“We were just talking.”“You asked another woman to dinner right in front of me.”“It was only coffee.”Vanessa let out a small, disbelieving laugh.“Wow. So now there’s a huge difference between coffee and dinner?”Leonard smiled faintly in return.“You’re being too dramatic.”“I’m pregnant.” Vanessa casually touched her stomach. “I’m allowed to be a little dramatic.”Leonard briefly brushed his hand over hers.But even though he was still standing beside Vanessa—