From Ruin to Reign Leander's Unbreakable Will novel Chapter 218

Chapter 218 A Chance Meeting in the Sky

Finished

The boat drifted across the lake, carrying Leander and the three women toward the island’s edge.

Yvette glanced at him. Her voice was soft, but filled with questions. “Who were those people? Why did they come for you?”

Leander didn’t even look at her.

He let out a quiet laugh and said, “Just clowns. Not worth talking about.”

Madeline leaned forward. “Your name’s everywhere now. Do you think more will come after you?”

She couldn’t hide her worry. Leander was strong–so strong he barely looked human. But power like his always drew attention. And attention always brought trouble.

Leander leaned back, resting against the edge of the boat. His expression stayed calm.

“This path I chose? It comes with enemies. That’s just part of the deal. I knew that from the

start.

“I’ve still got a long way to go. There’s a lot I need to take care of. Until then, anyone who blocks my path… I’ll deal with them.

“No one on this earth can stop me.”

He looked out across the lake. Mist rolled over the surface, and the wind stirred his hair. In his eyes, something bright and unshaken burned like fire.

He hadn’t returned to the Ashcrofts yet. He hadn’t stood in front of them and asked why they stripped away his martial power, or why they named him the curse of the family.

Leander’s tone carried a quiet bitterness, and Madeline suddenly reached out and held his arm.

“Leander, I asked you something eight years ago,” she said. “You didn’t answer me back then. But I want to ask again now. Will you tell me this time?”

Leander turned and met her eyes. She was looking at him with firm resolve. “You’re asking about my past, aren’t you?”

Madeline nodded without a second thought.

They had known each other for years, but she never knew anything about where he came from. She had asked once, long ago, and he avoided it. But tonight, she wanted to understand

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everything.

Yvette and Ginny both turned toward him, too. They were just as curious.

“I didn’t answer you back then,” he answered quietly.

Finished

“Because I didn’t have the right to, but now I do.” His eyes narrowed. A sharp light flickered in them. “I used to belong to the Ashcrofts of Highcliffe. Gareth, the head of the family, is my father.”

Silence swept through the boat. All three women froze. They didn’t know the full depth of Highcliffe’s bloodlines, but they knew enough.

Across all of Astria, the greatest families held power in Highcliffe. And among them, the Ashcrofts stood at the very top.

They had heard of Gareth. Everyone had. He was one of the most powerful men in the region. He controlled wealth, influence, and half the economy. His name alone carried the weight of empires.

And now they knew–Leander was his son.

Just having a distant tie to the Ashcrofts was enough to make people take notice. But Leander didn’t just share their name. He was born into it. That truth hit like thunder.

“You don’t need to look so surprised,” Leander said as he waved his hand. “That was in the past.

“Eight years ago, Gareth crippled me and threw me into the wilderness. From that night on, I stopped being part of the Ashcrofts. I stopped having a family.”

His words came out calm and even.

Then, he told them everything. He spoke of the night the elders marked him as a curse. He told them how Gareth destroyed his martial power with his own hands. And he explained how he was cast into the mountains to survive on his own.

He didn’t speak with anger, but every word hit hard. The more he spoke, the wider the women’s eyes grew. None of them could understand how the Ashcrofts could call an eight–year–old a disaster.

And they couldn’t believe Gareth would do that to his own child.

“That’s so cruel,” Madeline said, her voice shaking. “Why would your grandfather call you a curse? That’s just wrong.”

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Chapter 218 A Chance Meeting in the Sky

Finished

“He was just a kid,” Yvette added as she shook her head. “What could he possibly have done to deserve that?”

Leander leaned back and rested his arms behind his head. His face was calm again. A cold smile tugged at his lips.

“It doesn’t matter now. I’ll be going to Highcliffe soon. I’ll ask them everything face–to–face.

“And I’ll take back everything they owe me.”

The Ashcrofts once felt like a mountain no one could shake, but eight years had passed. He wasn’t that abandoned child anymore. Now, he had enough power to face them on his own.

The four of them returned to shore by boat. But instead of calling it a night, the three women pulled Leander along to a cozy bar with live music. That evening, they left their restraint behind. They didn’t hold back with their drinks, toasting over and over until the alcohol took over. By the time they could barely stand, Leander finally helped them out of the place.

A cab brought them back to the hotel. As they walked through the lobby, a few men turned their heads, watching Leander with barely hidden envy.

Each woman was striking on her own, but the warmth of wine had added a rosy flush to their cheeks, making them almost glow. The men couldn’t help but stare and mutter under their breath about Leander’s charm.

Leander didn’t seem to notice. With a casual flick of his hand, three streaks of Nirvana Energy slid into their bodies and chased the alcohol away from their systems.

The women sank into the couch, breathing more slowly as the fog in their minds started to lift. When they opened their eyes, they found Leander seated across from them.

“Madeline, I’m heading back tomorrow,” he said, looking over at her. “Jeff Enterprise is throwing a charity gala. I need to be there.”

Madeline turned toward him, her eyes flicking for a second before she gave a small nod.

“I figured,” she said with a light grin, slipping easily back into the same playful tone she had when she was younger.

“I’m being sent to Glenwick tomorrow too. Another performance. And after that, I’ve got a new album to work on. But once I get some time, I’ll definitely come bother you.”

Leander nodded with a quiet smile and stood up from his seat. “You three catch up for a bit. I’m heading upstairs.”

He walked toward the elevator.

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Finished

Madeline followed him with her eyes, watching the lines of his back as he disappeared down the hallway.

She opened her mouth slightly like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only let out a quiet sigh and turned away.

“Madeline,” Yvette said gently, resting her hand on her shoulder, “you just saw him again after all these years, and now you’re leaving tomorrow. Why not talk to him a little longer?”

Madeline forced a smile and gave a soft shake of her head. “I already said what I needed to say,” she replied. “Even if there’s more, who’s to say he’d want to hear it?

“In his eyes, I’ve always just been a kid who never caught up, but he never stops moving. Right now, I don’t expect anything. I just want to chase after him. I just want to get closer to where he stands.”

Her voice was quiet, but her words carried weight.

There was something unshakable in the way she spoke.

“He’s the one who paved the road I’m on now. Becoming a singer–he’s the reason I even started. Next time we see each other, I want to shine brighter. I want to be someone who deserves to stand by his side.”

Yvette and Ginny listened in silence. They could feel just how serious she was.

Yvette tilted her head and finally asked, “Madeline, what does Leander mean to you? Do you still just think of him as a brother?”

A touch of red warmed Madeline’s face. She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked straight at Yvette. “You’re asking me that?” she said, smiling faintly. “Then, what about you? What is Leander to you? Do you really see him as just a friend?”

A flush crept across Yvette’s cheeks, too. Their eyes met, and they both smiled, leaving the rest unspoken.

The next morning, Leander checked out of the hotel. Yvette and Ginny stayed behind to accompany Madeline to Glenwick. None of them left with him.

Frankie had already arranged his flight to Ravenridge the night before. Leander boarded first class, settled into his seat by the window, and started flipping through his phone.

Ten minutes passed. Then, a light fragrance brushed past him. A soft, airy voice spoke beside

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his ear.

“Excuse me. Can I get through?”

sa a

Finished

Leander looked up slowly. A woman stood by the aisle, wearing large black sunglasses that covered most of her face. A small smile played at her lips.

She had tried to stay hidden behind the shades, but Leander didn’t need much to recognize someone. The second he saw her, something shifted inside him. He leaned back, eyes narrowing. “I can’t believe it. It’s her.”

Send Gifts

。