Chapter 1467 - 1457: Constantine Stewart’s Dark Childhood

Chloe Winston went to the bride’s lounge.

Although this estate was the venue for the Shaw Family’s wedding, not the matrimonial home, the decor inside the estate was still meticulously arranged.

Leah was resting in the lounge temporarily acting as the bridal chamber, with Delphine and a few young ladies from the Shaw Family accompanying her, speaking softly and warmly, creating a joyful and harmonious atmosphere.

When Chloe entered, she saw Leah in a white wedding dress, a suffocatingly beautiful hand-sewn lace gown. Because of her pregnancy, it was custom-made in a high-waisted style, with a long train dragging on the floor. Even though she wore flat shoes, her height was already over 170 cm, and as the bride, her makeup was even more exquisite than usual, glowing with beauty.

"Sister Leah, happy wedding, wishing you and Vice Admiral Shaw a long and happy marriage." Chloe stepped forward to congratulate her, seeing Delphine and her eyes reddened with joy.

"Delphine was just talking about you, it’s great you could come, take a seat." Leah said with a smile.

Nearby, Delphine had already stepped forward to hug the young girl, patting her on the back, and said with a smile, "You’ve grown taller."

The two hadn’t seen each other for almost 2 years, and thanks to Leah Squire’s wedding, they finally met, feeling sentimental for a moment.

Leah introduced Chloe to people like Lana Shaw and Calliope Shaw, and seeing that they seemed to have things to discuss, Lana and Calliope went out to help receive guests.

Chloe originally had a lot to say to Delphine Carter, but when they finally met, she didn’t know where to start.

"I brought a small gift for the babies." She took out four original pendants, intricately packaged, from her bag, and explained their functions.

Both Delphine and Leah were accustomed to fine things, and upon seeing these four dazzling original pendants, unlike any stones on the market, with extraordinary engraving skills, and knowing they were bought from Constantine Stewart, they knew they were good items.

Leah and Delphine selected the originals based on the size of their four children at birth, with Leah’s unborn baby being the smallest, choosing the one with the character for "Joy," and the rest going to Delphine.

"There are only four, and since young Casimir is older, I was afraid he wouldn’t like wearing such a pendant, so I didn’t prepare one for young Casimir Shaw." Chloe said apologetically.

"Casimir has a military-grade positioning system, and besides, he entered the Military District for training years ago, quite mature for his age, so he doesn’t need this. Thank you very much." Leah said with a smile, and then teased Delphine, "You’re still the one having more babies, even distributing these stones more than others."

"Then you try to have a few more. Forget about stones, Vice Admiral Shaw might even pluck the moon from the sky for you." Delphine said with a laugh. She recovered remarkably well after childbirth, regaining almost her previous figure in a month. These two years had been pleasant for her, dispelling some of the aloofness that once lingered in her brows, exuding a gentle temperament like a pearl polished by adversity, radiant and reserved.

"This is the last one. I won’t have any more after this." Leah quickly waved her hand. The thought of childbirth was terrifying enough. If it weren’t for seeing Richard Shaw being overwhelmed by Ignatius Leclair, she wouldn’t even want this one. But she really did want a little daughter, so she reluctantly got pregnant.

The two exchanged glances, both expressing no desire to have more children.

Seeing the numerous changes in Chloe over the past two years, Delphine didn’t immediately probe her about her life and instead joined Leah in casual chit-chat. Once the young girl’s emotions had stabilized, Delphine asked, "I heard from Kyla Zamora when I returned that you have good prospects for development. Are you planning to continue acting?"

"After graduation, I might open a flower shop and live an ordinary life." Chloe shared her intentions. This year she would continue working hard acting and making money, and after graduation, she wanted to open a flower shop. She didn’t have any great passion for acting; she entered the Entertainment Sector because it was the quickest way to earn money when she was poor.

Seeing her displaying no signs of restlessness from post-fame or instability due to her age, Delphine found the young girl, now exceptionally sensible due to her divorce, increasingly endearing. She grasped her hand gently and said, "Acting is great if you like it, but opening a flower shop is nice too."

"Then in the future, our art gallery will order all its flowers from you." Leah said with a smile, "You know, ever since I idly dabbled with this art gallery, my life has felt much fuller. The Entertainment Sector is ultimately too restless. Delphine, you no longer engage in the circle, and I see Chloe is influenced by you a lot and might eventually leave the industry."

"I was nurtured single-handedly by Sister Delphine." Chloe smiled, revealing two sweet dimples.

"Both acting and running a flower shop are quite easy, but I heard from Richard that Constantine Stewart is planning to pursue you again?" Leah brought up the topic straightforwardly with a laugh, "Grandma Shaw really dotes on this distant relative and is quite concerned about Constantine Stewart’s affairs, so I had to ask."

Chloe hadn’t planned on hiding it from them, so she nodded and mentioned the six-month agreement with Constantine Stewart.

Leah and Delphine exchanged glances, slightly surprised. Has Constantine Stewart finally turned over a new leaf?

This course of events seems so familiar, living together naturally fosters feelings, doesn’t it?

"Chloe, has Constantine Stewart ever mentioned his family affairs to you?" Leah felt it was essential to inform the young girl.

Chloe shook her head.

Leah then settled them down and recounted what she had heard from Grandma Shaw about Constantine Stewart’s past.

"I heard about these things from Grandma. When she was young, the Stewart Family immigrated to France. Years later, the Imperial City was tumultuous, and many things happened to the Shaw Family, cutting ties with all relatives, let alone the Stewart Family far away in France. The families had no contact, until finding out later that the Stewart Family had encountered issues."

Leah’s voice lowered as she whispered, "The Stewart Family was quite affluent in France. When Constantine was about six years old, he was kidnapped. His father died unexpectedly while rescuing him, and after that, his mother directed all her resentment toward Constantine Stewart. Her sanity faltered, and she mistreated Constantine for two years."

Delphine and Chloe were both momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Chloe felt a chill over her body. Abuse of a six-year-old child, especially in the shadow of losing his father and the trauma of abduction?

Seeing the shock on their faces, Leah wasn’t surprised. When she initially had differences with Grandma Shaw regarding Constantine’s marriage, Grandma shared these past events with her.

"Didn’t anyone in the Stewart Family notice?" Chloe asked, her voice somewhat dry.

"Constantine’s doting grandfather had long passed away, and his mother only abused him during her episodes, so the Stewart Family didn’t bother to intervene." Leah said in a low voice, "Another two years later, his mother’s condition improved, and she quickly married a highly respected noble in Paris, becoming the Countess, and Constantine’s life finally got a bit better."