From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81 Zayn’s Scheme

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Zayn paused briefly. His eyes locked onto Leander’s face.

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Howard had once personally traveled to Mount Lurvale to witness a decisive battle that would determine the fate of Mornwick’s underground world. He even filmed the fight.

Zayn had watched that video many times. However, the distance from where it was shot made it impossible to clearly see the faces of those involved. All he could make out were rough outlines.

In the video, the man who defeated Mason with a single punch bore a striking resemblance to Leander.

However, Leander paid no attention to him. He walked off to gather ingredients as if Zayn wasn’t even there. Zayn stood frozen for a moment before snapping back to reality.

“That’s impossible. Mr. Ashcroft is like a Celestial Serpent, a figure of unimaginable stature. How could he possibly be mingling with these insignificant heirs of wealthy merchants?”

Zayn shook his head. He figured that someone as powerful as Mr. Ashcroft, who could single- handedly dominate an entire province, must be incredibly busy. There’s no way a man like that would show up here at Water Paradise.

To be safe, Zayn turned to Autumn and asked, “Miss Little, who is that man?”

Autumn had introduced Leander earlier, but Zayn hadn’t paid attention at the time.

“Him?” She glanced at Leander scoffing dismissively. “He’s just a country bumpkin with no background or connections. Why do you care about him?”

Zayn felt a wave of relief upon hearing this. His gaze toward Leander now carried a hint of mockery.

“It’s nothing. I’m just curious,” Zayn said with a wave of his hand. “I’ve got other matters to attend to. You can talk to the manager if you need anything. He’ll take care of it.”

Zayn left the restaurant after saying that. He left the group from Ravenridge behind.

Leander continued arranging the ingredients from a distance. Autumn suddenly turned toward Madeline.

“Madeline,” Autumn began. “Ginny mentioned that you and Leander used to be childhood friends. But you need to understand that there’s a difference in the levels people can reach.”

Her tone grew more serious. “Even though you come from a modest background, you carry

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Chapter 81 Zayn’s Scheme

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yourself with a natural grace. It’s clear you’re destined for greatness with your intelligence and academic achievements. You’ll likely get into one of the top universities and become a star student.

“But Leander? His personality, talent, and even social skills are all utterly lacking!”

Leander continued working in the distance as Autumn’s words grew more cutting. “He met me for the first time today and didn’t even have the courtesy to call me ‘Miss Little.‘ That’s just bad manners. We’ve been here this whole time, and everyone’s been chatting except him. He’s stayed silent and completely out of sync with everyone else. That’s a complete lack of social skills.

“Mr. Mardin was standing right here and talking to us. However, Leander didn’t even

acknowledge him and just kept stuffing his face as if it didn’t matter. He’ll never rise to our level with that kind of attitude.”

Autumn continued and ignored Madeline’s reaction. “No one would dare complain if Mr. Ashcroft, who commands the respect of an entire province, acted like that. But someone with no backing who insists on being a maverick is not showing individuality. It’s stupidity!”

Madeline stood frozen, her brow furrowing as she wanted to defend Leander. However, everything Autumn said seemed impossible to argue with.

Autumn patted Madeline’s shoulder and spoke with a more sympathetic tone. “Madeline, it’s not that I look down on your childhood friend. It’s just that the world works this way. People from different circles don’t mix. You and Leander are worlds apart. You can’t just force him into this group. He doesn’t belong here.

“I’ve heard that you’ve already signed with Glorious Entertainment and made you one of their artists. You’ll be on the path to stardom and becoming a household name soon. The gap between you and Leander will only widen.

“He’ll just hold you back and become a burden and an embarrassment to others. So please take my advice to keep your distance from him. Let your connection fade. It’s the best thing for both of you.”

Autumn stood up and walked off to enjoy the scenic views of Water Paradise after saying that. She left Madeline in a daze.

Yvette, who had been sitting nearby, put her arm around Madeline’s shoulder and offered some quiet comfort. She couldn’t help but agree with Autumn’s words in her heart. She had told Leander the same thing before. Now, Autumn’s speech confirmed that she had been right all along.

Leander had some impressive qualities. However, the gap between him and people like them was too large at the end of the day. They lived in different worlds.

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Chapter 81 Zayn’s Scheme

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Colin chuckled to himself. Autumn’s words had effectively nailed Leander’s coffin shut and cut him off from their social circle completely.

Madeline eventually snapped out of her thoughts. By the time she did, Leander had already set a plate of food on her table.

“Do you want something to eat?” he asked with a smile.

She looked at Leander for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I’ll grab something myself,” she replied politely and got up to walk toward the buffet.

Leander’s expression didn’t change. He simply shook his head and sat down to eat.

Even though he had been far away, every word Autumn spoke was within his hearing. Nothing could escape him as a Martial Sovereign.

What surprised him was how Madeline seemed swayed by Autumn’s words. She seemed to be putting distance between them and deliberately keeping her distance.

He didn’t dwell on it. Madeline was the last thing left behind by Hazel and the only person Hazel had ever cared about. His only duty was to ensure Madeline lived a life free of worries.

Therefore, he didn’t even care how Madeline treated him.

Besides, Madeline would embark on her new journey toward stardom after this trip and he would leave Ravenridge to head to Tardide Valley. Perhaps it was for the best if she started becoming more independent now and learned to face the world on her own.

Autumn lounged against the railing of a lakeside villa outside the restaurant. Zayn stood not far away with a cigarette in hand as he gazed out at the view.

“Miss Little, are you sure Yvette is just the daughter of some local businessman?”

Zayn’s mind was filled with thoughts of Yvette. Her mature and alluring presence left him restless.

“Yes, her father’s Linden Sitwell, the chairman of Sitwell Group. Why? Are you interested in her?” Autumn asked with a knowing smirk.

“Sitwell Group?” Zayn scoffed and was clearly unimpressed. His father ruled over Ascendia with a fortune in the hundreds of millions and connections far beyond anything the Sitwells could imagine. A small company like Sitwell Group wasn’t even on his radar.

Linden may be a chairman. However, he was just another businessman desperate to please in front of someone like Zayn.

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