socalfunplaces Chapter 1277 - 1276: He Only Came to Say Goodbye
Chapter 1277 - 1276: He Only Came to Say Goodbye
Leah stood at the door, listening to Richard Shaw talking on the phone with calm composure, without making a sound.
Noticing someone behind him, the man quickly hung up the phone, turned around to see Leah, was startled at first, then his cold and resolute face sank, and he walked over without saying a word, scooped her up horizontally, and said angrily, "On such a cold day, why are you coming out barefoot in your nightgown?"
Leah was momentarily taken aback. She had gotten up in a hurry and forgot to put on shoes and clothes.
Richard Shaw carried her to the bedroom, then tucked her into the blanket, kissed her slightly cold little face, then frowned, brought a warm towel to wipe her feet, and held them with his large hand, warming her feet.
"What happened?" Leah was wrapped up in the blanket, only her somewhat pale, beautiful face exposed. Seeing him actually warming her feet with his hands, she asked, somewhat lost in thought.
"Pearl Landon made a formal accusation against the Shaw Family, saying I married the daughter of a corrupt official, related to the case of the Cox Family back then," Richard Shaw said in a deep voice. "She probably recognized you when she saw you yesterday."
Pearl Landon? Leah’s expression changed slightly. Had Pearl gone mad?
"How dare she accuse the Shaw Family?" Leah sat up incredulously, only to be tucked back into the blanket by the man.
"The morning chill is severe. If you catch a cold again, you’ll cry and complain about feeling unwell," the man said in a deep voice, his handsome, stern face carrying a hint of seriousness. She loved the cold air but was not in good health, and a cold would make her cling to him coquettishly.
Leah knew her nature. During those years with him in Switzerland, without the burden of past affairs, she acted shamelessly spoiled and threw temper tantrums like a spoiled rich girl. Now, she was being firmly controlled by this man.
In the time since she regained her memory, she had appeared more composed, maintaining an attitude of wanting him but not wanting responsibility. Yet Richard seemed to know everything, allowing her indulgently.
"But how would Pearl dare? Who’s behind her?" Leah still couldn’t believe it. Pearl had liked Richard for so many years. Even if her feelings had dwindled, she should have considered the power of the Shaw Family. How could she dare to file such a report?
Richard lowered his tea-colored eyes. What he didn’t say was that Pearl’s move seemed meaningless but hit his fatal weakness. In the first half of his life, he cared about the reputation and honor of the Shaw Family; in the second half, he cared most about her.
Pearl accused that Crystal Landon was fostered by the Landon Family since childhood, being the daughter of the corrupt official Zachary, tainting Crystal’s origins and the reputations of both the Shaw and Cox families, insinuating ulterior motives of the Shaw Family in raising and marrying a corrupt official’s daughter. He was about to face an investigation, and the investigation team was likely already on the way.
This matter could be big or small, depending on whether Griffith Squire would kick a man when he is down or on how much evidence they held behind Pearl.
"You must leave the Imperial City immediately; no matter how this develops, do not get involved." Richard gazed at her, reaching out to hold her in his arms, barely controlling his emotions as he kissed her little face, instructing in a low voice.
"I won’t leave. I’m not a three-year-old child. Besides, my brother already knows about this and should be arriving in the Imperial City soon. He might use this to suppress the Shaw Family. If I leave, he could destroy you, and where will Casimir Shaw find a father?" Leah coldly sneered, pinching the soft flesh of the man’s waist in anger, "Given your blockhead, ten of you wouldn’t be a match for Griffith Squire."
Hearing this, the man’s tightly knitted brows relaxed, and the face long accustomed to sternness revealed a hint of a joyful smile. He laughed hoarsely, "Leah, you’re worried about me."
"It’s for my son." Leah impatiently tried to push him away, but the man held her tightly, sealing her lips in a deep kiss.
Leah’s body went soft under his kiss, feeling the man’s suppressed emotions. She hesitated and hugged him, touching his nape, saying hoarsely, "Will you be okay?"
The man did not speak but only held her tightly, deepening the kiss. If he could, he wanted to put her inside his chest so she could feel his burning affection.
This whole affair was clearly someone trying to drag the Shaw Family down, tarnish their name, or perhaps drive a wedge between him and Leah. Yet, the opposing side wouldn’t expect that he always wanted to clear the Cox Family of the stain, even if it meant sacrificing the Shaw Family, but lacked a good opportunity.
Pearl’s formal accusation conveniently brought this issue to the forefront, serving as a rather good beginning.
"Leah, do you know what it means if you don’t leave?" Richard’s voice was unusually low, his forehead resting against hers, their breaths mingling, close enough to feel each other’s breaths.
Leah was stunned for a moment. She hadn’t really thought that far.
Richard continued in that husky voice, "Soon, an investigation team will arrive. The Shaw Family will undergo investigation. This is your best chance to leave me. If you don’t leave, doesn’t it mean you still love me? When I come out, we’ll get married, okay?"
Leah fell silent for a while, not answering, then asked, "How will you handle this?"
Will he deny she’s the daughter of a corrupt official, or admit she’s a Cox and extricate the Shaw Family from this matter? If he chooses the former, her heart would surely be chilled; if the latter, the Shaw Family’s hundred years of reputation would be marred, and they might be suspected of colluding with the Cox Family. As Leah thought this through, she realized Pearl, whom she previously underestimated, had handled this matter unprecedentedly strong.
It really struck the dead spot of her and Richard’s relationship.
"I’ll give you an explanation." The man spoke deeply, looking at her, trying to etch her image into his mind.
In truth, he himself didn’t know how long it would take to come out, and what state the Shaw Family would be in when he did. He said such things only to give himself hope.
"I’m going to make some arrangements, you wait a bit and come down later." Richard stood up, gave her soft head a final caress, smiled slightly with his stern face, and then left the bedroom.
Leah stared dazedly at his tall figure disappearing into the bedroom, largely guessing that the investigation team was probably downstairs. He had just come to say goodbye, not wanting her to witness him being taken by the team.
He had always been proud before her, unwilling to let her see something that hurt his masculinity.
Feeling restless, Leah found her phone, and indeed, there were messages from Griffith Squire and Delphine. The matter of Richard undergoing investigation was still confidential, only Griffith Squire and Ignatius Leclair were in the know.
Richard probably hadn’t thought of hiding it from Ignatius Leclair; Griffith Squire had been eyeing the Shaw Family for years, surely with inside contacts.
Griffith Squire’s message was brief, telling her to leave the Imperial City, while Delphine simply said she and Ignatius Leclair were returning to the country soon, telling her not to worry.