From Ruin to Reign Leander's Unbreakable Will novel Chapter 331

hapter 331 A Clean Break

“Gareth Ashcroft, do you remember what I said nine years ago?”

Leander stepped forward, his voice rolling through the main hall and echoing off the walls.

Lydia and Ethan both went pale. Neither of them had expected that Leander would go straight for Gareth without a second thought, questioning him outright.

The rest of the Ashcroft family in the main hall were completely baffled. None of them could believe what they were seeing. Who was this young man, daring to call Gareth by name and question him outright? Even among the most outstanding heirs in Highcliffe, no one would ever dare show Gareth such disrespect.

Mira’s bright eyes flickered as she stared at the figure standing opposite Gareth. Quietly, she convinced herself. “It really is Leander!”

Even after nine years, even though Leander had grown into an adult and his features had changed, the expression he wore and the force behind his words when he revealed his sharp, commanding presence had not changed at all.

Asher finally rushed in, a step too late. The sight in the main hall made him shake his head immediately. The very thing he had worried about had come to pass.

Gareth looked into Leander’s frosty eyes. His own face showed no anger, but his heart churned with turmoil. Behind him, Reginald stood in silence, saying nothing, only staring blankly at Leander.

After a moment, Gareth let out a quiet sigh. His hand trembled slightly as he spoke. “Ander, it really is you!”

“Ander? Could it be… he really is Leander?!”

The entire Ashcroft family erupted almost immediately. Both the senior and cadet branches of the family stared at Leander in shock, their expressions shifting again and again.

“What’s going on? Wasn’t Leander supposed to have died of a serious illness when he was ten?”

“Exactly. That was something everyone in the family believed. The old patriarch himself announced it. How could he be standing here now?”

Whispers spread rapidly through the hall as countless eyes turned toward Gareth and Reginald.

Back then, when ten–year–old Leander suddenly disappeared, Reginald had announced that the boy had fallen gravely ill and died.

Though many had found it strange, Reginald had said it himself, so no one dared doubt him. All they could do was sigh in pity over Leander’s early death. Yet now, it seemed the truth was far beyond anything they had imagined.

Leander heard every word clearly. A cold smile passed over his lips as he wagged a finger at Gareth. Gareth Ashcroft, the name Ander is one only my mother can call me by. You don’t deserve to. And I really have to hand it to you Ashcrofts.

Your ancestral teaching says to ‘let virtue command the people. But you, Reginald Ashcroft, the former patriarch, and you, the current patriarch, didn’t even dare admit to what you did. Instead, you spun a lie to deceive the entire clan. Is that what you call ‘letting virtue command the people‘?”

His gaze hardened, his tone dripping with disdain. “This so–called century–old Ashcroft family, this motto of ‘let martial might bring harmony to all beneath the skies, it’s nothing more than a sham. A complete and utter joke.”

He stood in the hall, and even though he faced both Reginald and Gareth alone, his presence pressed down on everyone, steady and unshakable.

The two men’s expressions shifted drastically, remorse flashing in their eyes, but Leander paid them no mind. He swept his arm in a sharp arc. “Everyone here is part of the Ashcroft family. I’m sure you’ve at least heard the name Leander Ashcroft. What you were told was that I fell gravely ill and died young. But do you know what really happened?”

He pointed at Reginald, then at Gareth. “The two people you all deeply respect–Reginald, the venerable former patriarch, and Gareth, the patriarch who single–handedly revived this family -decided nine years ago that a ten–year–old child was nothing but a curse to the family.

Every word came from his heart, his low voice weighted with remorse. Of everything in his long life, what he had done to Leander was the one thing he had never wanted to face, yet would regret until his last breath.

But Leander showed no reaction. His eyes remained cold. “Gareth Ashcroft, don’t you think it’s ridiculous to say this now? What’s done is done. Regret changes nothing.”

He turned his gaze on Reginald, sneering. “And you, Reginald Ashcroft. I once thought you were a man who stood tall and fearless, someone I could be proud to call my grandfather.

“But I was wrong. Because of a single prophecy from the Celestial Mirror, you ordered your own grandson’s destruction, all to preserve this family’s so–called honor. I have to say–you’ve grown senile.”

At that, Leander let out a scornful snort. “No matter how many disasters the Celestial Mirror helped the Ashcrofts avoid, do you think relying on it forever is the way forward? If the strength of this family depends on sacrificing a ten–year–old child, what kind of century–old clan are you? What talk of letting martial might bring harmony to all beneath the skies‘ is there to boast of?

“Even back then, when this family had yet to reach its current peak, we were still one of the top houses in Highcliffe. And yet, instead of facing disaster with confidence in your own strength, you let a child shoulder everything.

“Tell me do you really deserve to be called the pillar of this family? Do you really deserve to claim you acted for the Ashcrofts legacy?”

His words cut like a blade, every syllable biting deep. Gareth and Reginald could only hear the ringing in their ears, unable to muster a single response.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, Leander reached into his pocket and drew out a golden–rimmed bronze lock with the Ashcroft name carved boldly across it. It was a token passed down to every generation, the symbol of one’s identity as part of the Ashcroft bloodline.

“Mother, forgive me. The reason I came back with you today wasn’t to reclaim what was taken from me. I only came here to stand here and tell everyone that I am alive and well.” He gave Lydia a faint, apologetic smile before his expression hardened.

Raising the bronze lock high above his head, his voice rang out. “Gareth Ashcroft, nine years ago, you tore out my martial power and left me to die in the mountains. Do you remember what I told you then? I’ll say it again now. From this moment on, I, Leander Ashcroft, have nothing to do with you, and nothing to do with the Ashcroft family!”

The words fell, and so did the lock. It struck the floor and split cleanly in two, the sharp crack echoing like a final judgment.