His Ex wife is a billionaire Chapter 478

Chapter 478

Evadne’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as they locked with Thaddeus’s fiery gaze, mirroring the depth of their feelings for each other in their crystal–clear irises. They only saw each other, as if the rest of the world had faded into insignificance.

Thaddeus’s steps toward her were firm yet heavy, as if he had journeyed across continents, traversing mountains and crossing seas to reach her side.

Beside Evadne stood her father, who seemed almost in a trance, his eyes brimming with the threat of tears.

He was walking toward his happiness, his bride. Eyes welling up in tears, he felt everything subsided to serenity, merely his heartbeat thundering; the grand enjoyable scene ahead seemed too good to be true.

“Thaddeus.”

A single glistening tear rolled down Evadne’s lovely cheek, sparkling like a fallen star against the night sky.

He would sacrifice everything for her, stand alone against the world. And she would do the same.

Whether it was their shared trials on the battlefield of Zenithia or three years ago when she defied her family and the cold disapproval of the Abernathy Group to marry him.

Both had fought with all their might for love.

“Wait!”

Edith glared, her eyes bloodshot, her voice trembling with a shrill edge. She couldn’t take it anymore.

Time and again, hope was given and then cruelly snatched away. She couldn’t bear it!

“Evadne, Thaddeus, you want to be together, right?” She thought, “Fine, let me plunge a bloody dagger straight into your hearts, leaving a gruesome wound that will never heal, ensuring that you’ll never find peace!”

The crowd turned their impatient gazes upon Edith. At this point, why even bother? Lovebirds would find a way, and her dramatics only served to embarrass herself!

Edith, her face deathly pale and her mouth twitching into a grimace, looked like a vengeful ghost straight from hell, her presence chilling to the bone.

“Mr. Frederic Abernathy, I know our Fairhaven family can’t compare to the Ashbourne family’s influence and power. If you have to choose between Ms. Ashbourne and me as your daughter–in–law, you’d feel shortchanged. But choosing Ms. Ashbourne, you might regret that decision someday.”

With these words, she played the victim while simultaneously stirring everyone’s curiosity, including Mr. Frederic Abernathy’s.

“And Chairman Ashbourne,” Edith’s insinuating gaze turning to Emeric, as if she was concerning for him, “I know you have many kids, but Evadne is your darling. You can’t bear to see her mistreated or wronged. Do you really think Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy is worthy of being your chosen son–in–law? Is he truly the prince charming Ms. Ashbourne deserves?”

Puzzled looks were exchanged among the crowd.

Evadne sensed Edith’s malicious intent, a cold light flitting across her eyes. Before she could speak, Emeric, unable to contain himself any longer, commanded, “Ms. Edith Fairhaven, you come from a respected family. Speak plainly, what’s your point?”

His authority was undeniable, pressing down on Edith like a mountain, causing even the bystanders to shiver.

Just then, Cassius and Jareth arrived, having dealt with Byron, and walked into the hall just in time to witness the scene. Cassius felt an inexplicable panic as he cast a complex look at Jareth beside him.

“Damn it. I turn away for one second and she’s stirring up trouble again!” Jareth cursed under his breath, his fists clenched so tight they creaked. Just as he was about to storm forward, Cassius grabbed his arm.

“Mr. Jareth Fairhaven, don’t be rash. My dad and Thaddeus are here; there’s no need for worry. And with your upcoming appointment as CEO of the Fairhaven Group, siding with outsiders over family will earn you Barry’s disdain, which could jeopardize your future. You can’t let emotions cloud your judgment.“,

Jareth’s eyes blazed, his jaw set in determination, “Where’s the loyalty to my buddy? You don’t cross the line with your buddy’s wife! If I allow my own kin to be bullied for the sake of my career, what kind of a friend am I? How could I face them after?”

Cassius’s expression was a mix of emotions.

Mr. Jareth Fairhaven’s grasp of sayings might be questionable, but his heart was in the right place. Cassius understood his feelings.

Thaddeus watched Edith with a chilling intensity, his eyes ready to strike down the venomous troublemaker. Under the double scrutiny of Emeric and Thaddeus, Edith steadied herself and called out, “Bring it here!”

What she held was no longer a trump card but a nuclear bomb. She was ready to detonate it, consequences be damned. All she wanted was to shatter the bond between Evadne and Thaddeus beyond repair.

After a moment, an aide hurried forward with a manila envelope, handing it to Edith.

“Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy, you’ve been secretly married to Ms. Ashbourne for three years, and in that time you’ve been unfaithful, entangled with Elspeth’s niece. You’ve left Ms. Ashbourne, who loves you deeply, to live like a forsaken widow, an object of pity and scorn.”

Edith took her time, her smirk at Thaddeus palpable, “For three years, you’ve ignored her love, her pain, and even pushed her to divorce for the sake of your past flame. I haven’t stated anything incorrect, have I?”

The accusations were old news to the attendees, who had already been well aware of the ridiculous marriage between Thaddeus and Evadne, yet the wounds Thaddeus inflicted on Evadne still ached in their hearts, even though circumstances changed as time went by, even though he had paid the price with his life.

It was a testament to how deeply love could endure, to withstand three years of neglect. Any normal person would’ve crumbled in a day. Thaddeus felt like a cold, hard nail had been driven down his throat, the pain rendering his voice hoarse and raspy, “Yes, you’re right. I

admit it.”

“Do you really think that’s all the hurt you’ve caused Ms. Ashbourne?” Edith couldn’t help but laugh, “Maybe you should think it over some more?”

Thaddeus’s brows knitted together in frustration, a headache he hadn’t felt in ages making his vision blur.

Evadne’s heart clenched, suddenly realizing something.

Meanwhile, Edith crossed her arms and nodded at her assistant, “Go, give this to Chairman Ashbourne. I doubt there’s anyone else in this room who wants to know more about what his precious daughter has been through.”

The assistant approached Emeric and handed it to him with both his hands.

“Dad! Please don’t.”

Sweat beaded on Evadne’s forehead as Emeric, with a grim expression, opened the bag and pulled out a document.

Just seconds later, the man who could summon storms and had weathered many a battle felt as if his heart had been pierced by a bullet, his soul battered by an immense, painful turmoil. His l*ps, pale as a paper, quivered as his fingers nearly tore the paper apart.

Evadne’s voice broke as she whispered, “Dad.”

“Evadne, is this true?”

Emeric’s gaze, filled with a tumult of love and hate, slowly turned to his ashen–faced daughter. He shook with emotion as he forcefully threw the document at her; demanding, “Tell me, is everything written here true?!”

Evadne swayed, clutched her chest with her left hand, and slowly crouched down like an elderly woman clinging to the paper.

“Evadne.”

Thaddeus looked on, lost in confusion. As he took a step toward her, she finally answered, “Yes. It’s all true.”

It was as if a thunderclap had struck Emeric. He felt dizzy and overwhelmed by an excruciating headache, as if his world was collapsing.

Cassius and Jareth stood frozen, particularly Cassius, who had never seen his father so furious with Evadne. Even when they had learned about her secret marriage and subsequent divorce, Emeric had mostly blamed Thaddeus for failing his daughter, never Evadne. What could have caused this?

As everyone struggled to grasp the situation, Emeriç strode forward, seized Evadne’s arm, and nearly dragged her outside.

“Let’s go; you’re coming back to Skyrim with me!”

Evadne’s eyes blurred with tears, her voice choked with pain, “Dad.”

“And I forbid you from having any contact with Thaddeus! If you disobey, you’ll never set foot outside of Silverlake Harbor again!” His last words were cruel and venomous.

Thaddeus felt like he had been struck by lightning, his breath caught in his throat, his blood running cold.

If the brief hope he had felt was a dream, then Emeric’s harsh words were a cruel nightmare.

“Chairman Ashbourne, even if you lock Ms. Ashbourne away, it won’t solve anything. Problems need to be faced head–on, not avoided,” Edith frowned and shook her head, feigning concern while reveling in the drama unfolding.

“Alas, it seems too late for regrets now. The kid Ms. Ashbourne lost for Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy should be already two months along now. It was because of losing that kid she can no longer bear children. To be stripped of the right to motherhood at such a young age. Which woman could endure such a blow? If it were me, I’d be beside myself with grief. Ms. Ashbourne truly is a strong woman.”

A child? Evadne had been pregnant with his child?

In an instant, Thaddeus’s large frame shook violently as his soul shattered in the cold shell of his b*dy, overwhelmed by grief.

He breathed heavily, his face drained of color, as the pain clenched his throat.

“Evadne, when?”

Was it that one time, the only time, during their marriage when he, drugged and not in his right mind, had been intimate with her? Was that when she had conceived their child?

But what had happened to the child? Why hadn’t she told him? Why hadn’t she said anything?

Evadne closed her eyes against the pain, letting her tears fall freely over her pale cheeks. Now, she was speechless, as if struck mute.

The crowd was in shock; they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Evadne was the heiress to a fortune, a sheltered princess. Yet, Thaddeus had caused her to lose her ability to conceive. What hell had she endured within the Abernathy family, and what cruel torment had Thaddeus inflicted upon her?

Although for a family as wealthy as the Ashbournes, being unable to conceive wasn’t the end of the world, the ability to bear children was every woman’s right. It was one thing not to want children, but quite another not to be able to have them.

Jareth was stunned, his instincts numbed by shock, while Cassius was wracked with pain for his sister’s plight, barely able to stand without Jareth’s support.

They thought they knew Evadne and all her secrets, but this truth had slapped Cassius with a harsh reality.

What kind of brother was he? They had all failed to protect their sister.

Seeing Chairman Ashbourne’s disgust towards Thaddeus, Edith turned her attention to Frederic, “Mr. Frederic Abernathy, you’ve seen the harm your son has caused Ms. Ashbourne. Surely you can’t allow them to be together any longer, right? It wouldn’t be fair to Ms. Ashbourne, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”

Her words had another implication for Frederic, which was, if Evadne could no longer bear children, how could she be a part of the Abernathy family? Did Frederic want his lineage to end?

“Thaddeus, do you really think you still deserve to be with Ms. Ashbourne?” Frederic’s gaze shifted as he changed tactics, aiming his sharp words directly at Thaddeus, “Every moment Ms. Ashbourne spends with you, her heart must be brimming with pain. She must be haunted by the memory of the kid you both lost, right? If you truly love her, I think you should let her go. It’s better for both of you to part ways and find peace.”

Part ways and find peace?

Thaddeus’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears as he shook his head in a daze, feeling as if his whole b*dy was wracked with an unbearable pain.

Their child was gone, and only now was he coming to grips with everything. Did he even deserve to be called human anymore? He was beyond redemption, beyond any hope of healing.

“Edith.”

A harsh voice cut through the air as Jareth’s brooding figure strode forward, standing before Edith like an imposing glacier.

“Jareth, what do you want to say? At this point, whatever you say is probably pointless,” Edith taunted, emboldened by the public setting and the support of their grandfather.

But in the next instant, a gust of wind rushed toward her!

“Ah!”

Edith let out a scream as she was spun in the air and slammed heavily onto the ground, blood streaming from her nose and the corners of her mouth!

The onlookers gasped and stepped back in shock.

Who could have imagined that Jareth, under the watchful eyes of the family elders, would strike his own sister three resounding slaps!

The man’s eyes were cold and merciless as he pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his evening jacket and leisurely wiped his reddened hand.

“Yes, it’s pointless. That’s why I have to deal with the sins you’ve committed through action. Edith, the fact that a venomous woman like you is my sister is the greatest shame of my life. They say karma always comes around, but if the heavens won’t take you, then I’ll do it myself!”