Chapter 1236
The others drifted closer, pulled by invisible threads, their faces alight with joy as they admired Beatrice. Like Anita, they were entranced by this new arrival—a little girl who embodied the future of the Griffiths family.
“Good heavens, the future leader of our family is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve never laid eyes on such a stunning baby!”
“Oh, wait! She’s stirring—her eyes are beginning to open!”
“Those eyes are so big and brilliant! You can see the intelligence shining in them.”
“Naturally, she’s sharp! With those parents, she’s inherited the finest qualities from several exceptional bloodlines.”
“Without question—her genes are remarkable!”
Elliana recognized their sincere affection for Beatrice and hung back, watching them shower her daughter with adoration. But the offhand mention of genes sent…
Ice shooting through her veins. She was a Campbell. The Campbells and the Griffiths had been mortal enemies for generations, their history written in blood. How would she bridge the chasm between their two families? And what did the Griffiths family truly think now?
While these thoughts spiraled through Elliana’s mind, Anita glanced up, her smile radiant.
“Since this little darling will one day lead the Griffiths family, it’s only fitting she truly belongs to it. Shouldn’t she carry the Griffiths surname?”
Beatrice, a Griffiths? Elliana’s expression hardened. Though she had accepted the mantle of leadership, she hadn’t truly woven herself into the fabric of the clan. In her heart, Beatrice belonged to her alone. Her precious daughter was no one else’s to claim.
A wave of approval swept through the family members, their voices rising in agreement.
“Precisely! The future leader of the Griffiths family must bear the Griffiths name. If two leaders in a row don’t share our surname, we’ll be the laughingstock!”
“The future leader carries Griffiths blood in her veins. It’s only natural she bears the Griffiths name, don’t you think?”
L?tτ chɑρτ?rs ιn glov.
Elliana found herself speechless. She couldn’t dispute their reasoning. The request was reasonable. She had given Maxine her word that Beatrice would one day command the Griffiths family, and claiming the Griffiths surname formed an essential part of that inheritance. But Beatrice wasn’t solely hers to decide for. Cole held equal claim to their daughter’s future, and she refused to make this choice without his voice in it.
As though her thoughts had conjured him from thin air, Cole burst into the council hall.
The guards stationed at the entrance lunged to stop him, but he swept them aside like leaves.
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.
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