Chapter 1160: Chapter 1160: He Only Treats You as a Stand-In

The teahouse where Calliope Shaw and Lana Shaw arranged to meet was not far from the Shaw Family’s home. It took half an hour to drive there. It was a quiet Chinese-style teahouse amidst the bustling city.

After establishing a close relationship with Richard Shaw, Leah grew curious about his ex-wife. Calliope Shaw and Lana Shaw inviting her for tea certainly indicated they had something to discuss. So she decided to send Richard Shaw off and drive out herself.

The attendant led her into the teahouse, and the layout inside was unlike the architecture style of the Imperial City. It resembled the southern architecture more, with multiple corridors, gardens every third step, appearing spacious. Leah saw Calliope Shaw chatting with a tall man under the vine-covered corridor from afar. As she approached, the man suddenly turned his head, revealing a cold and handsome face, his narrow eyes showing a hint of disbelief.

"Leah, you’re here?" Calliope Shaw followed Hawk Howard’s gaze to see Leah, quickly showing a smile and said, "We were just talking about you."

The attendant led her here and then withdrew.

Leah looked at Calliope Shaw and said with a slight smile, "I remember this is the second time we’ve met. What were you discussing about me?"

Calliope Shaw hesitated for a moment, then with a smile, introduced Hawk Howard beside her, saying, "Leah, this is Hawk Howard, the fourth member of the Howard Family."

Hawk Howard looked at her familiar brows and eyes, holding his breath until Calliope Shaw nudged him. Then he responded hoarsely, "Sorry for coming unannounced. I’m Hawk Howard. I heard from Calliope that you resemble Crystal Landon a lot, so I came over to see."

Crystal Landon? Leah lowered her gaze, saying indifferently, "Are you referring to Richard Shaw’s ex-wife?"

Hawk Howard glanced at the winter scenery in the teahouse, nodded and said, "Let’s go inside and talk."

Lana Shaw was in the Spring Blossom Autumn Moon Room. Seeing them enter, she closed the wooden sliding door, brewed the tea, glanced at Hawk Howard without speaking.

They sat down, and Leah noticed the three of them staring at her, feeling somewhat awkward. She chuckled, "Do I really resemble Richard Shaw’s ex-wife that much?"

"Almost identical." Calliope Shaw and Lana Shaw exchanged a glance and said in unison.

Leah slightly frowned, not mentioning her memory loss. The fact was, Casimir Shaw initially mistook her, which led to subsequent events with Richard Shaw. She had never thought she might be the same person as Crystal Landon after all; one was the wife of a Major General in the Military District, the other was a sister to someone struggling to survive in the Golden Triangle.

Griffith Squire said she sustained her severe injuries due to revenge from enemies, resulting from a house explosion.

Leah lowered her gaze, her clear and distinct eyes showing a hint of indifference; if the Major General’s wife ended up in the Golden Triangle struggling on the brink of life and death, isn’t that a ridiculous situation?

"You might have mistaken me for someone else. I grew up in the Golden Triangle area and never visited the Imperial City." Leah was candid about her identity, using this opportunity to gauge if their intentions were good or bad. "There’s a bounty on me in the black market. You can easily verify."

The Shaw sisters and Hawk Howard were shocked.

Hawk Howard had remained silent since entering the room, scrutinizing her demeanor and actions. He realized Leah indeed lacked the charm similar to Crystal Landon in his memory. Crystal Landon, as the granddaughter-in-law of the Shaw Family, represented them, acting resourcefully and diplomatically. However, Leah Squire was different, more free-spirited and even from the start revealed her underworld identity.

"But you might have gone to the Golden Triangle later. It’s hard to believe two people look so alike." Lana Shaw argued, not convinced.

"I don’t know what Crystal Landon’s family background is, or why she died?"

"Crystal Landon was the youngest daughter of the Landon Family in the Imperial City. The Landon Family didn’t treat her well from a young age. After separating from the Landon Family, Grandma Shaw brought her to the Shaw Family. Later, she married my cousin. Two years after their marriage, she died in an accident after giving birth to Casimir."

Leah smiled slightly, finally relieved as she said, "Thus, I am not the same person as her. I grew up in the Golden Triangle, not an orphan. I have a brother. Moreover, as the wife of a Major General, her death certificate should have been meticulously verified and confirmed."

If she were Crystal Landon, Griffith Squire would undoubtedly be a bug in existence. They were blood-related siblings. Griffith Squire had been in the bloody turmoil of the Golden Triangle for years. How could she be Crystal Landon?

"Your brother is Griffith Squire, the terrifying figure in the Golden Triangle?" Hawk Howard broke the long silence, suddenly asking. He had investigated Leah’s background before coming, not only discovering Griffith Squire’s achievements over the years but also Leah’s. Most importantly, before Crystal Landon’s incident, Leah Squire existed already. If there weren’t evidence proving two people existed simultaneously, he would have thought she was Crystal Landon.

Leah nodded, noticing the three of them collectively silent, the atmosphere somewhat tense. She picked up the tea cup, took a sip, concluded that the three bore no ill intent.

"Richard Shaw is not suitable as a partner. Whether you are Crystal Landon or Leah Squire, Richard Shaw doesn’t deserve you." Hawk Howard sighed deeply, suddenly speaking coldly, startling the Shaw sisters.

Leah found herself oddly drawn to the cold and handsome man before her, not getting angry at his words, and simply asked, "Do you dislike Richard Shaw a lot?"

If she remembered correctly, the Howard Family was also a prestigious family in the Imperial City, weren’t the two families good friends? Ignatius Leclair was a grandson of the Howard Family too.

"Not exactly dislike. Richard Shaw holds eighty percent of the responsibility for Crystal Landon’s death. If you’re not Crystal Landon, Richard Shaw being with you is merely using you as a substitute. If you are Crystal Landon, you definitely shouldn’t be with someone who caused your death." Hawk Howard calmly said, "Does Richard Shaw never mention his ex-wife to you? Because he’s embarrassed to talk about her. He thinks being paralyzed for these years pays off his previous debts? A life, he can never repay it fully in his lifetime."

Calliope Shaw gently coughed, uncomfortably pulling Hawk Howard, signaling him to stop. If her cousin knew they arranged to meet Leah, disrupting their relationship, it would be disastrous. Calliope Shaw felt chills at the thought.

"Hawk, stop talking. The past events can’t be pinned entirely on my cousin." Lana Shaw whispered.

Leah’s face slightly changed. Hawk Howard’s words meant Richard Shaw either caused her death or used her as a substitute. Was the Richard Shaw they referred to the same one she knew?

Hawk Howard, being restrained by the Shaw sisters, looked at Leah, took a deep breath, dropped his eyes, sipped tea, and said sadly, "Back then, Crystal Landon wanted a divorce with him. I waited for two years for that day, but everything changed then."

Leah jolted, suddenly understanding their interconnected relationships, seeing the sadness on the brow and eyes of the man.