Chapter 494

Avery tugged at the corners of his pale lips with a grimace, “So, is that why you found a man who cares about you?”

Elsie felt his mocking laughter pierce her heart like a jagged blade.

“Elvis likes you? Cares about you? Just because he spent one night with you, just because he brought you a box of antacids, you think you're in his heart?”

Avery released his grip from her neck, instead jabbing a finger against her forehead, “I thought, despite your lowly status, you had a bit of sense in you. But now, it seems you're utterly worthless. To have Evadne's face and waste it like this—it’s an insult to her beauty.”

Through her blurring vision, the man she had loved for ten years grew distant and unrecognizable.

Tears of heart-wrenching pain streamed down uncontrolled, but Avery remained indifferent to her sorrow, “Quit your delusions. The Ashbourne men—

I know them better than anyone. They're like me; their hearts belong only to Evadne, they only love Evadne. With your background, and being one of my underlings, do you really think you can catch his eye? Once he knows your true colors, death will be waiting for you.”

Avery pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and meticulously wiped the blood from his slender fingers, “Wake up, Elsie. You don't stand a chance.”

“And what about you_”

With a burst of desperate courage and a smile through blood and tears, Elsie challenged him, “Do you think you are worthy of Evadne. No matter how hard you try, in Evadne’s eyes, it’s always Thaddeus and only Thaddeus.”

Avery's face twisted as if he’d been sucker-punched, his hands clenching into fists with a terrifying crackle!

“Elsie! Just drop it, will ya? What good does it do you to go head-to-head with Mr. Chambers?”

Harvey, sweating bullets, pleaded earnestly, “Mr. Chambers! Keep your cool, man! You can't hit her again. You might actually kill her! And what good is a dead person to you? That’s a loss, don't you think?”

Sure enough, Avery’s sinister expression gradually softened.

Harvey, who was with him day and night, knew too well what he wanted—

Avery was the epitome of refined self-interest. He was only interested in people and things that benefited him.

As long as Elsie had value, he wouldn’t lay a finger on her yet.

At that moment, Avery’s phone rang from his pocket.

He turned away, tossing the handkerchief aside and pulling out his phone. As soon as he saw the name on the screen, his expression shifted dramatically and he answered immediately.

“Mr. Chambers, you must be feeling on top of the world lately.”

The man's crisp, condescending voice came through, always with a sneer, “Now that all obstacles are out of the way. The entire Ashbourne family despises Thaddeus. They're at odds with him. Your prospects with Ms. Ashbourne must be looking up, eh?”

Avery, reminded of Evadne’s scorn and Emeric’s noncommittal stance, clenched his fist in frustration, “Much obliged for your help, but the current situation’s complicated. But I swear, I won’t give up on Evadne till my dying breath.”

“Ah, you're still not ruthless enough. Hesitation and mercy will only cause you pain while your enemies rejoice,” the man’s voice dripped with lazy amusement, “If I were you, I’d just take what I wanted by force. Even if she's unwilling, it’s a waste to let my efforts go in vain. And if that still doesn’t work, then ruin her completely.”

Avery’s expression froze in shock, “I think I need some more time. I've got some issues to sort out. Once that's done, I’ll find a way to make Evadne mine.”

“Put your family drama on ice for now. You’ve got a bigger problem waiting for you.”

The man’s tone suddenly turned ice-cold, “Elspeth's case is going to trial soon, and neither Frederic nor that lawyer could stop it.”

“The prosecutor on Elspeth's case is Evadne's brother, Arnold, and the detective on it is her brother Aaron. The judiciary's all Ashbourne folks, Frederic’s hands are tied trying to save Elspeth.”

“Ward’s already sung like a canary about Elspeth. But without hard evidence for incitement to murder, it’s tough to get a heavy sentence. However, I bet Thaddeus and Evadne won’t let her off easy. Naturally, they won’t go easy on you either.”

The man chuckled again, “What to do, Mr. Chambers? Your fiancée is hell-bent on seeing you dead.”

“Heh. Even if I can't have her love, even if it’s her visceral hate, it’s worth living for.” Avery slowly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes bottomless pits.

“When will you deal with Eden? If he falls into Evadne and Thaddeus’s hands, Mr. Chambers, your good days are over.”

“I’ve acquired a new private jet that will be delivered domestically next week.”

With a face that could be charming, Avery’s smile was nonetheless chilling, “Then, I’ll send him and his brothers on a one-way trip to the afterlife.”

Elvis, after a brief reunion with his sister, left early to update and calm his brothers.

Evadne, having been through the wringer the night before, was as dirty as a rag doll. Even in clean pajamas, her body and hair were filthy, which was torture for someone as fastidious as her.

“Ugh, it reeks!”

Evadne wrinkled her nose at the smell of her own hair, almost gagging, “I can’t take it, it stinks! I feel like a worm pulled out of the dirt, I need a shower!”

“It doesn’t smell, not one bit.”

Thaddeus pulled her into his embrace, burying his nose in her soft tresses, “It's sweet.”

“I don’t care. I need a shower!” Evadne squirmed in his warm chest, adorable as a slippery little eel.

“Evadne, you've just gotten over a fever, your body is at its weakest. Taking a shower could make things worse.”

Thaddeus gently stroked her forehead, his voice a soothing whisper, "If you're feeling under the weather, I can fetch some water and sponge you down. How does that sound?"

"No way! That's nothing like a proper bath!"

Evadne wrapped her arms around his sturdy narrow waist, tilting her creamy neck back, her eyes shimmering with playful entreaty, "Let me take a bath, pretty please! Just crank up the heat in the bathroom a bit, and I'll be fine."

Thaddeus's raven-like lashes fluttered as he gazed into her lovely, dewy face, feeling his heart melt, "I can never say no to you. Alright, I'll run you a bath and warm up the place."

As he was about to stand, Evadne suddenly clutched his large hand.

"Thaddeus." her doe eyes beseeching him.

His heart skipped a beat, feeling almost breathless, he asked in a shaky voice, "Together?"

"Together."

His eyes tinted with a hint of red, Thaddeus scooped her up in a warm embrace, cradling her like a princess as they headed to the bathroom.

Throughout, Evadne lay submerged in the steamy, bubbly water, completely open and vulnerable to him.

But there was Thaddeus, still dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, kneeling respectfully by the tub like a devoted valet, wiping her down.

Evadne scooped up some foam and playfully blew it towards his face, "Pffft!"

"Mischievous," Thaddeus laughed, his eyebrows frosted with bubbles, as he tenderly pinched her chin.

"What's got into you today? So well-behaved."

Her milky body rose above the water, her lips a faint blush as she leaned close, her breath a tantalizing torment, "Usually, you're like a wolf, can't wait to pounce at every chance. When did you get so chaste? Huh?"

His heart clenched, a dull pain spreading to his extremities.

Once, he had longed for their entanglement day and night.

Now, he felt inadequate, unworthy. Unfit for her, undeserving of her touch.

"Evadne, may I ask you something?"

His voice was husky, slow and restrained, "Back then, why didn't you tell me?"

Every moment of every day, he'd been silently questioning himself, consumed by self-torment.

If he had known about the baby, if he had known they'd lost their child.

"Thaddeus, stop blaming yourself. It wasn't just your fault we couldn't protect our child. As a mother, I was responsible, too."

Evadne's lashes fluttered, her smile one of acceptance, yet it pierced his heart, "Even if you had come back then, it would've been too late. The main thing is that Grandpa was okay, that alone was a reason to be grateful. Otherwise, I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life."

Through the steam, Thaddeus felt a tide rising within him, his throat turning arid, "And after? You had a million chances to tell me. Why didn't you?"

She lowered her gaze, sinking back into the water like a wronged little rabbit, "You were so busy then, traveling the world, coming home exhausted, often in a foul mood. I didn't want to add to your stress, didn't want you to struggle because of it to feel trapped."

"Trapped?"

"Because back then, you didn't love me."

Evadne curled tighter, her breath measured to hide her sinking mood, "Having a child with a woman you don't love, that's trouble, isn't it? I hoped you'd fall for me, but I never wanted you to accept me out of guilt. I know you have a pure soul, and you are inherently good. That's why I didn't want to burden you."

So, all her misfortunes, all her wounds, were brought by him, a 'good person'?

Bitter tears fell from Thaddeus's reddened eyes, washing away the foam on his cheeks.

"Evadne, what's so good about me? What's so good about me? You really shouldn't have fallen for me." He murmured over and over, lost like a child who's made a mistake.

"Silly, if not you, who else could I love? You were the light I've been chasing ever since."

Evadne's damp hand grasped his rough one tightly, her fingertips hooking his, "If you want to make it up to me, then please, for the rest of our lives, never let go of my hand."

With a splash—

She pulled with force, suddenly plunging him into the tub amidst a frothy effervescence and splashing water.

The next second, they embraced passionately, Evadne's cheeks flushed, their lips and tongues fervently entwined.

In the tender waters, they indulged in bliss.

After a tumultuous time, the night had fallen.

Evadne was thoroughly cleansed inside and out by Thaddeus's fervent love, but her fever had spiked.

Jareth's personal physician arrived on time to administer an injection.

Once the IV was set and an ice pack rested on her forehead, Evadne finally felt some relief.

After adjusting the IV drip, Thaddeus leaned in to kiss her feverish cheek, "I told you not to bathe, yet you overdid it. Next time, you'll listen to me, no arguments."

His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus)

Chapter 493 A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

Chapter 2371 Predatory Nature Awake for Love: My Coma Bridegroom Chapter 664 "Pssh. How do you think I got this fever, huh?" Evadne, her thoughts returning to their earlier rendezvous, felt her forehead heat up even more.

Just as Thaddeus was at a loss for words, Gordon called.

"Gordon, what's up?"

"Sir! Byron's been bailed out by the Chambers family!"