From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 127

Chapter 127 Dinner at the Sitwells‘

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Madeline sat beside the young man, occasionally glancing toward Leander. However, she noticed that Leander hadn’t paid her any attention throughout the evening. With a quiet sigh, she reflected on their relationship. Once, she and Leander had been the closest of friends, almost like siblings. Now, they were little more than strangers. While part of her felt relieved, she couldn’t help but feel resigned. If someone wanted to climb higher and see farther, they had to give up certain things. For her, it meant parting with old friends, including Leander, and embracing the significance of the people currently in her life, like the young man sitting next to her. Both were significant to her life, but Leander had undoubtedly become something she needed to let go of.

Suddenly, the young man stood up and extended his hand toward Leander. “Hey there, first time meeting you. Let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Bastian Dunphy, a friend of Madeline’s.”

This unexpected gesture surprised everyone else in the room. Bastian’s status was the most prominent of anyone present, with a powerful background. In fact, his position was even higher than that of Zayn Mardin, whom they had encountered previously at Water Paradise. Even Linden had to show Bastian respect, addressing him as “Mr. Dunphy.” So, for someone like Bastian to take the initiative and greet Leander was a surprising move.

Of course, Bastian wasn’t genuinely interested in befriending Leander. He simply wanted to probe a bit, to figure out who this young man was. About two weeks ago, Bastian had met Madeline at a celebration hosted by Glorious Entertainment. Instantly captivated by her, he had begun pursuing her. Though she hadn’t accepted his advances, they had maintained an ambiguous, friendly relationship. But now, seeing Leander’s presence and the way Madeline reacted to him made Bastian feel a sudden sense of threat.

“Leander Ashcroft,” Leander responded flatly without extending his hand.

Bastian’s expression changed slightly, and even Linden furrowed his brow in displeasure. He immediately called out, “Leander, Mr. Dunphy is offering his hand. The least you could do is show some basic courtesy.”

Bastian was no ordinary person–he was the only son of Tommy Dunphy, a major figure in Southridge. In ancient times, he would’ve been considered a prince. So, for Leander to ignore his handshake was as good as inviting trouble.

Yvette frowned slightly, intending to intervene, but before she could speak, Leander replied, “Oh, sorry, I don’t have the habit of shaking hands.”

Leander’s response sent a ripple of shock through the room. Clearly, he couldn’t care less about showing Bastian any respect.

The tension hung in the air for a long moment before Bastian slowly withdrew his hand, an ambiguous smile spreading across his face. “Leander, huh? Interesting.”

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Hearing Bastian’s tone, Colin thrilled inwardly. The more disrespectful Leander was toward Bastian, the happier Colin became. Bastian’s status was far above his own, and from what Colin knew, Bastian was notoriously petty, not the type to forgive such slights easily. Though Bastian had appeared calm on the surface, Colin knew he had likely already added Leander to his list of future targets. The next chance Bastian got, he wouldn’t hesitate to trample all over him.

Yvette silently shook her head. Leander seemed to always act according to his own will, whether it was during their first meeting with Colin or now, in his dealings with Bastian. She had no idea how to communicate with him anymore, nor did she want to involve herself in such matters.

Ginny, on the other hand, was delighted by Leander’s reckless behavior. The more he dug his own grave, the more amused she was. Only Autumn remained unfazed by Leander’s actions, showing no surprise at all. After all, they were talking about the legendary Mr. Ashcroft of Mornwick, a man who commanded respect and authority. Even Bastian’s father, Tommy, would tremble before Leander and wouldn’t dare offer him a handshake. So how could someone like Bastian, who didn’t even match his father’s status, presume to shake Leander’s hand?

Linden let out a cold humph in Leander’s direction before turning to Bastian with an apologetic smile. “Mr. Dunphy, I apologize. He’s from a rural area and doesn’t quite understand how things work. Later, we’ll share a drink to make up for it.”

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it,” Bastian replied with a faint smile and a shake of his head, though inwardly, he had already marked Leander as someone to keep an eye on.

Because of Leander’s brief exchange with Bastian, he found himself immediately isolated from the group. He sat alone at the far end of the long dining table, clearly out of place, and no one made an effort to engage him.

“Um, Leander… want some fruit?”

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze swept by, and a plate of watermelon was placed in front of Leander. Autumn smiled as she took a seat beside him.

Her gesture took the others by surprise. No one had expected Autumn, who had been the harshest critic of Leander during their trip to Ascendia, to take the initiative and talk to him.

Even Colin found it puzzling. He knew Autumn well enough–she never approached anyone unless she saw some benefit or value in it. But now, she seemed particularly friendly toward Leander, which he couldn’t quite understand.

Right, it must be that Leander’s working for Frankie. She’s just trying to network and win him over, Colin thought, quickly making sense of the situation. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Otherwise, why else would someone as haughty as Autumn cozy up to Leander?

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Bastian, on the other hand, only cast a brief glance at Leander before looking away. He didn’t care about Autumn’s interaction with Leander. Despite being Frankie’s “sugar baby,” Autumn’s status was still leagues beneath his own. Whoever she tried to cozy up to was of no consequence to him.

Leander casually grabbed a piece of watermelon and tossed it into his mouth without much care, his actions unbothered. But Linden, watching from across the room, felt a surge of displeasure. In the presence of someone like Bastian, Leander’s casual manner seemed far too disrespectful.

After about ten minutes, Monica Hollis brought out the last of the dishes and set them on the table. She first greeted Bastian before turning her attention to Leander, her expression growing more serious. “Leander, you’ve finally come visit! Come with me to the balcony. I have something I want to talk to you about.”

Leander nodded and followed Monica up to the second–floor balcony. Once they were outside, Monica gently patted Leander on the shoulder, her eyes filled with the warmth of a caring elder. “Leander, I’ve heard that you’re no longer in school. Honestly, there are many paths in this world, and education is just one of them. Many great people didn’t find their success through schooling.”

She gestured for Leander to sit with her on the couch by the balcony, her tone gentle yet sincere. “I didn’t invite you here to scold you today. The path you’ve chosen–whether good or bad–is your decision, and I have no right to force you to change it. I just want to tell you that no matter how difficult the road ahead becomes, whether you find yourself in wealth or poverty, joy or hardship, always remember that you have me. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come to me. I may not be able to solve all your problems, but anything I can do, I’ll do it without question. I will always be here for you.”

Monica’s words took Leander by surprise. They had met by chance in the mountains, and while Leander had helped her, she had already repaid him. Their debts to each other had been cleared. Yet here she was, expressing genuine concern for him, which moved him deeply.

Since the day Gareth destroyed his martial power and cast him into the wilderness, Leander had grown distant from emotional connections. Yet, Hazel Shire and now Monica Hollis, though not related to him by blood, had treated him with sincere kindness.

“Got it, Ms. Hollis. Thank you,” Leander said, his gratitude heartfelt. Even though he may never need Monica’s help in the future, his respect for her was genuine.

“Alright, let’s head back and enjoy dinner,” Monica smiled warmly, treating Leander with the same affection she would a son.

At the dinner table, things returned to the way they were before. Besides Monica and Autumn occasionally speaking to Leander, the rest of the group continued to ignore him, lost in their

own conversations.

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Suddenly, Linden seemed to remember something. He set down his cutleries and directed a question to Bastian, his gaze steady.

“Mr. Dunphy, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. Tomorrow, Jeff Enterprises is holding its grand opening at Maplebrook Manor. Do you know if Mr. Ashcroft will be attending?”

Instantly, the room fell silent. Everyone except for Leander, who continued eating calmly, put down their cutleries. The atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

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