"Miss Delphine, there's no reason to stay outside on a holiday as grand as this. Leclair is here specifically to bring you back—everyone is waiting for him to have New Year's Eve dinner together," Maximilian said quickly, wearing a bright, clever smile.
The implication was clear: if Delphine didn't return, Ignatius Leclair wouldn't either, and the New Year's Eve dinner at the Leclair mansion would go uneaten. This celebration could very well end in disappointment for a whole group of people.
Delphine bit her lip, shooting him a cold glare. Without so much as looking at Ignatius, she walked straight out the door, bidding farewell to Aunt Walker and Uncle Walker from across the street. She then locked the front gate of the old house and walked toward the alley without turning back.
