The man first realized that he was no longer the favored son of heaven, no longer the renowned Army Major General in the Imperial City. He was now just an old man trapped in a wheelchair, like a caged beast.

What can he use now to win Leah’s heart? For the first time in his life, a self-confident and steady man felt filled with a sense of defeat, feeling the long, thorn-filled road ahead.

Richard Shaw sat on the ground, looking at his unresponsive left leg, a ruthless glint flashed in his tea-colored eyes.

Recently, Griffith Squire went to the Golden Triangle, secretly busy with unknown activities. With nothing to do, Leah visited Delphine at the hospital. Delphine and Melody Cloud’s case was about to go to trial, and reporters crowded the hospital entrance daily. Finally squeezing into the hospital, Leah encountered Ignatius Leclair.

The distinguished and elegant man stood outside the ward without entering, followed by an assistant like a shadow, quickly reporting various matters.

Crown Prince Ignatius Leclair of Southeast Asia had always been the model for aristocratic offspring. The long line of women wanting to climb into Ignatius Leclair’s bed stretched from Southeast Asia to the Imperial City. However, Leah knew Delphine’s past affairs and understood Ignatius Leclair more than most. No matter how impeccably dressed he appeared, the man was cold and ruthless inside.

Leah and Ignatius Leclair were somewhat alike, both in high positions, proud and confident, yet they never saw eye to eye.

"Miss Squire." Ignatius Leclair, not finding anyone at the hospital today, frowned slightly and spoke indifferently upon seeing Leah so effortlessly visiting Delphine, "I heard you’re a feminist and a non-marriage advocate? You don’t want a man yourself, so don’t instill those wrong ideas in Delphine. Delphine is a relatively conservative girl, she needs to get married and have children."

She doesn’t want a man? Leah’s almond-shaped eyes suddenly widened, she turned and glanced at the poker-faced, cold man, sneering, "Mind your own business, Ignatius. Anyway, I know little Delphine doesn’t want you. Farewell, don’t keep bothering her at the hospital every day. Face is a good thing; please save some, will you?"

Leah sneered, swinging her small bag elegantly as she entered the ward.

Mocked, Ignatius Leclair’s face turned grim.

Maximilian’s mouth opened wide, coughing lightly, stifling a laugh, and seriously said, "Ignatius, the Squire siblings are notoriously difficult, why bother provoking her? If she talks bad about you in front of Miss Delphine every day, that’ll be troublesome."

Ignatius Leclair squinted his eyes. For old Richard’s sake, he had offended Leah thoroughly. With Richard’s emotional intelligence, he relied on his son to move into Leah Squire’s place. If he didn’t push and provoke Leah Squire, these two might take another six years and still not get intimate.

Hurry and let old Richard trick her into bed and take her away, to prevent Leah from staying in Southeast Asia corrupting Delphine.

After Ignatius Leclair’s cold ridicule, Leah didn’t feel much initially, but after seeing Delphine and leaving, her mood soured. She really didn’t want a man?

She took stock of the men around her; it seemed there really were none. During those five years in the Golden Triangle, she was in poor health, and any man with intentions was hacked down by Griffith Squire’s big fifty-meter knife before getting close.

In Southeast Asia, she had no interest in meeting those so-called aristocratic offspring.

Over the years, for some unknown reason, she seemed to have lost all interest in men. Leah felt a bit depressed; she seemed to need to talk to Aiden when he came. Was she frigid?

With things on her mind, Leah dreamt again at night, waking in the middle of the night to get some water.

There was bottled water in her room, but she went downstairs to get some air. Anyway, waking in the night always meant she couldn’t sleep again; it had been like this for years.

The weather had warmed, the spring evening didn’t feel cold. Leah went to the kitchen, took water from the fridge, then heard the sound of a wheelchair; the man emerged from his room, looking grim. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Leah inexplicably felt caught doing something bad. She’d dined out today, returned late, briefly talked to Casimir Shaw before going upstairs to rest, not interacting with the man.

These past few days she regained her strength; initially, she was close to Casimir Shaw, and as for the man, paralyzed legs make him harmless, poor and downcast; she’d picked him up at home out of goodwill. But gradually she felt his strong control desire made him hard to get along with.

Though clearly in her home, the man felt no restraint living there, he even seemed to control her. Plus his cold, unsmiling demeanor truly projected an abstinent vibe.

Leah realized the differences between men and women, feeling somewhat inappropriate.

"Can’t sleep?" Richard Shaw’s voice echoed in the night, inexplicably hoarse and sexy.

The man wheeled into the living room, seeing her drink cold water, frowned slightly saying, "You’re a girl, you shouldn’t drink cold things. I filled a cup with water before bedtime; it should be cooled by now."

The man pointed at a large cherry-patterned ceramic cup on the dining table.

"Oh." Leah nodded.

Leah placed the cold water on the table, picked up the cup drinking, turning to see the man silently sitting behind her, his face partly hidden in shadows, eyes deep, creating an awkward atmosphere.

"If you’ve changed your mind, I’ll take young Casimir and move out tomorrow." The man’s voice carried a hint of hurt.

"No, no." Leah nearly bit her tongue; how sensitive was this man?

"You didn’t come back for dinner; didn’t you intend to kick us out?" The man’s voice low and hoarse, "Though my legs are paralyzed, I still have dignity. If young Casimir hadn’t mistaken you for his mother, I wouldn’t have agreed to move in."

Leah heard him speak so much for the first time, mentioning Casimir’s mother, she couldn’t help her curiosity asking, "Do we really look so alike?"

Richard Shaw looked at her peach-like radiant face, saying deeply, "Very much alike. If she hadn’t died years ago, I’d suspect you were the same person."

They really looked that similar; no wonder he mistook her. Leah thought about this man’s loss of his wife, his paralyzed legs, her heart softened, saying, "Don’t overthink. I indeed lack a housekeeper; you and young Casimir stay comfortably here. I like young Casimir, I want to recognize him as my godson."