Chapter 10: Leonard

1132 Words
When Lillian woke from her daze, she pulled the blankets tightly around herself, finding comfort in their embrace. She remembered the tumultuous emotions in the cave, some waiting anxiously, others erupting in anger, and a few even resorting to suicide. She recalled how she had caked herself in mud, feigning death in a corner. Perhaps it was her small size or her unnerving silence that allowed her to escape the notice of those vicious beasts. While they relentlessly dragged others to their deaths in front of her, she remained the sole survivor during that month-long ordeal. After being rescued, she couldn't bring herself to trust Richard anymore. Her tender heart had been severely scarred. Many speculated that the cunning beasts were seeking revenge against humanity under the leadership of their alpha, viciously attacking anyone who crossed their territory. After resting for a while, Lillian got out of bed, put on her shoes, and hailed a taxi outside the hospital. She couldn't marry Leonard; he had dredged up the darkest memories from her past. Quietly slipping back home, she ignored the greetings of the household staff and went straight to her bedroom. From her safe, she retrieved five bank cards, her passport, and five thousand dollars in cash. Hailing a taxi, Lillian headed straight for the airport. As the taxi came to a stop, Lillian let out a long sigh. She was about to join the line to buy a plane ticket when she felt a pair of cold hands on her shoulders. Startled, she turned around to find Reno standing behind her. Reno looked at Lillian's surprised expression with a mocking smile. "Lillian, are you trying to run away from the wedding? I told you I'd make you pay dearly. You can't escape." Without any resistance, Lillian was roughly pushed back into the car by Reno. Reno threw Lillian into the basement and locked the door, leaving her to pound futilely against it. No one came near the basement, no matter how much she screamed and banged. Two weeks passed, driving Lillian almost to the brink of madness. ______________________________________ At the seaside villa, towering pine trees dotted the landscape, and the grass covered the entire yard. Upon entering, one was greeted by the deep, earthy scent of nature. Unlike typical villas, there were pairs of guards stationed along every path, standing tall, solemn, and disciplined in their identical black suits, white shirts, burgundy striped ties, and polished leather shoes. Every two meters along the road, there were two guards on each side, giving the entire yard a silent and oppressive atmosphere. In the living room, Irene nudged Henry Crowley. "You should go talk to your son. He's getting married tomorrow, but he seems like he's completely forgotten about it." Henry shot Irene a glare. "Leon is your son too. As his mother, you're the most suitable person to talk to him." He had always disapproved of Leonard, as his younger son spent his days indulging in pleasures and knew nothing besides womanizing. Later, he even suffered from impotence due to excessive indulgence, making him inferior to his elder brother, Alex. After becoming impotent, Leonard became obsessed with aphrodisiacs, becoming spiritually depleted and annoying. Henry had no idea where Leonard found a wizard, but this sorcerer, exuding an aura of evil, claimed confidently that he could help Leonard regain his virility, especially when Leonard generously showered him with money. Together, Leonard and the sorcerer went to the McKinley Mountains in search of the Lust Beast to restore his virility. Henry wasn't sure about the specifics, but after his son returned, he was completely transformed. His depleted spirit was gone, replaced by a vibrant energy. His eyes gleamed with a commanding aura, and he kept a wary distance from everyone. Henry felt like his son had become a completely different person, one who both frightened and awed him. However, this version of Leonard lasted less than two hours before reverting to his extravagant self. Henry was relieved to confirm that it was still his son, and the display of newfound vitality was likely due to the success of the virility restoration. As time passed, Henry noticed that Leonard's dominant and ruthless personality emerged for longer periods of time. This new Leonard seemed to transform from mud to diamond, radiating brilliance and captivating hearts. Each time Henry saw his son like this, he felt a sense of awe. Nowadays, Henry feels that standing in front of Leonard would be intimidating, given the commanding presence he exudes. The instinctive desire to submit made him uncomfortable; after all, what father submits to his son? Watching Henry, Irene couldn't help but sigh. "I'll go talk to him and remind him not to forget about the wedding." With that, Irene made her way to the backyard. With guards lining the path, Irene walked to the door of the study. Vivian nodded respectfully at Irene. "Madam." Irene nodded distantly at Vivian. She disliked Vivian immensely; this woman showed her no respect and didn't even consider her worthy of acknowledgment. Only in the past year or two, as Leonard began treating Irene better, did Vivian start acknowledging her with a nod. Irene's discontent with Vivian was palpable. Vivian had accompanied Leonard back from the McKinley Mountains ten years ago and is now 32 years old. Thanks to good maintenance, she looked to be in her mid-twenties. Everyone knew Irene's disdain for Vivian. Despite Irene arranging twelve wives for Leonard, none could surpass Vivian. Irene was nearly driven to despair. A month ago, Irene met Lillian and witnessed her reduce one of Richard's mistresses to a pitiful state. Irene was immediately impressed by Lillian's beauty, confidence, and refusal to submit. She was exactly the kind of daughter-in-law Irene had been searching for. Overjoyed, Irene began investigating Lillian, and she found her to be a proper young lady, untainted by the outside world. Lillian had resisted Richard for ten years, defeating countless mistresses with her intelligence and purity. In Irene's eyes, Lillian was the perfect match for her son. Unexpectedly, when Irene accidentally bumped into Lillian, who then apologized profusely and even helped her, Irene became even more convinced of Lillian's suitability. She had never been so satisfied before. When Irene informed Leonard of her intention to arrange his marriage to Lillian, he simply rejected the idea without batting an eye, nearly driving her to despair. However, Irene was pleasantly surprised when Leonard later agreed to let her handle the matter, further endearing him to her. During a meeting with Richard, Irene expressed her fondness for Lillian, suggesting that if Lillian became their daughter-in-law, Leonard would support Richard in his mining ventures. Richard was thrilled to hear this and was impressed by the vast power Leonard wielded. Just hearing about it was awe-inspiring.
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