His Ex wife is a billionaire Chapter 673

17.04

Chapter 673

Thaddeus had a look of sheer panic as the chicken nugget sl*pped from his fingers and plummeted into the bubbling oil of the deep fryer.

Hot oil spattered across the back of his hand and up his arm, the pain snapping him back to reality as his l*ps parted awkwardly, muttering. “Elvis”

“You’re always talking about that stuff. Are you really that horny?”

Elvis snorted softly, craning his n*eck to peer into the fryer, “I dunno if Evadne caught a whiff yet, but I sure followed the scent over here. Smells like something’s burning, though.”

That caught Thaddeus off guard, and he suddenly realized that the chicken he’d dropped in earlier was still submerged.

He fumbled for the slotted spoon, but by the time he fished out the nuggets, they’d turned a deep brown.

The corners of Thaddeus‘ eyes drooped in dismay, and he was instantly reminded of the first time Chairman Emeric had tried his cooking, labeling it a string of “failures.”

It was like a curse he couldn’t shake.

“Look, I get it, you’re trying to be sweet, but don’t force yourself into something that’s clearly not your forte. If you scald yourself and end up with blisters, it’s Evadne who’s going to suffer, right?”

Saying this, Elvis shrugged off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and positioned himself next to Thaddeus, nudging him aside with his hip, “Go stand over there and chill. Don’t get in the way.”

Thaddeus‘ eyes widened in surprise, “You’re going to take over?”

“If I leave it to you, my little sis will end up eating charcoal.”

Thaddeus didn’t get upset because Elvis was absolutely right; he’d overestimated his cooking skills.

Elvis washed his hands and expertly lowered the chicken into the fryer, watching the clock and counting the seconds before stirring the oil and soon after, retrieving the perfectly cooked nuggets!

Thaddeus stood by, assisting Elvis and absorbing every move with rapt attention.

“Got it yet?” asked Elvis, not even looking up.

Thaddeus nodded, “Yeah.”

“Your eyes may have got it, but your hands sure didn’t.”

Thaddeus frowned with a rueful smile, “Elvis, sometimes, I need a little encouragement.”

Elvis‘ long lashes fluttered as he glanced at Thaddeus, “Fail a few more times, and you’ll get it right. I’ve botched it up countless times myself before getting it to look half decent. If Evadne didn’t love it so much, who in their right mind would bother with this mess? It’s filthy, it’s a hassle, and you can’t get rid of the smell of oil for days! Sometimes, you shouldn’t spoil her too much. If you let her get her way all the time, she’ll be demanding you cook every day, then what’ll you do?”

Thaddeus‘ eyes glowed softly as he gently smiled, “Doesn’t matter. As long as Evadne’s happy, I’m willing to do anything, no matter how troublesome it is.”

“Pfft, easy for anyone to say,” Elvis responded with feigned disdain, but inside, he felt a warmth spreading.

“Wow! Fried chicken! Smells amazing!”

Both men turned around.

Now the real little foodie had arrived.

With the weather turning cooler and to better care for Emeric, Evadne had swapped her delicate silk nightgowns for a cozy, milk white fleece loungewear, setting off her moon–bright face. From a distance, she looked like a celestial rabbit morphed into a human, landing in the mortal realm, soft and adorable.

“Thad, Elvis, when did you guys get back? You could’ve at least let me know.”

Evadne scampered over in her sl*ppers, bringing with her a sweet, warm breeze and flung herself into Thaddeus‘ embrace.

“Evadne, Im covered in flour, I’ll get your clothes d*rty.” Thaddeus gently warned, his flour–dusted hands hovering mid–air, not daring to touch her

“Did you really make this for me just because I mentioned it last night?”

Chapter 673

With warm fingertips, Evadne brushed the flour from his cheek, her heart both sour and tender, “What are you doing, you silly man? You’re already running around between two places every day, working and then coming back to be with me. It’s hard enough. For something like this, we could’ve just ordered in. You didn’t need to tire yourself out.”

“It’s not tiring. Your happiness is what matters the most.”

Thaddeus‘ sturdy arms wrapped around her waist, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked over at Elvis, “Besides, I didn’t really do much. It was all Elvis.”

“Oh, Elvis made them nice and crispy.”

Pfff!

Elvis clutched his chest as a mouthful of fictional blood nearly sprayed into the fryer.

With Elvis‘ efficient work and Thaddeus‘ assistance, two plates of golden, crispy fried chicken were served steaming hot.

And Thaddeus‘ few failed attempts sat neglected in a corner.

“Come on, Evadne, try some of my cooking!”

Elvis leaned against the table, eyes twinkling with anticipation as he watched his little sister’s eyes light up, “It’s been a while since I cooked for you. Let’s see if I’ve still got it, huh?”

Evadne grabbed a piece with her hands, took a big bite, and crunched happily.

“Mmm, delicious! Elvis, your cooking is still as fantastic as ever!” Evadne beamed with contentment, her eyes sparkling.

A pleased smile spread across Elvis‘ l*ps.

Suddenly, his mind flashed back to a face similar to Evadne’s.

That night, thanks to Elsie’s diversion, he’d managed to safely escape from the Velvet Haven..

What about her? Had Avery discovered everything she’d done? She had gone to Matthew to buy him time; did that brute give her a hard time?

Although Elvis despised Snaky Avery and was wary of her status, after last night’s events, he found himself increasingly curious

about that woman.

He couldn’t believe that anyone decent could be found in Avery’s company.

But Elsie didn’t seem all that bad either.

“Hey! Evadne, don’t eat that!”

Thaddeus‘ eyes narrowed in alarm, but it was already too late.

Evadne blissfully opened her cavernous mouth and devoured his charred offerings, savoring them without a hint of disdain.

“Mmm. They’re not that bad.”

“Evadne, stop eating,” Thaddeus urged, capturing her hand, “You don’t have to force yourself to compliment me. I know they’re not good.”

“No, they’re made with love. How could they not be delicious?”

Evadne picked up another piece and ate it with evident pleasure, showing no sign of pretense, “Besides, what does it matter if they’re black or golden? Once they’re in your stomach, it’s all the same, right? Isn’t that right, Elvis?”

Thaddeus‘ l*ps curved into a tender smile, and he couldn’t resist planting a k*ss on her greasy l*ps.

Elvis again clutched his chest and closed his eyes!

He regretted it so much.

Why did he come back to be the third wheel?

Evadne grabbed her phone, “I’ve cooked up a storm here, and I can’t eat all this myself. Lucky for us, Arnold and Aaron are around. I’ll just holler at them to join us.”

“Mhm, that’d be great, I was about to call them over too.”

There was a subtle shift in Elvis‘ eyes, a darkening. “Tonight, I’ve come back with something important to discuss with you all.”

Before long, Arnold and Aaron had made it over.

The three siblings and the couple gathered around the dinner table which had transformed into an impromptu war room.

17:04)

“Alright Elvis, enough with the suspense, spill it. What’s the big secret you’ve been keeping from us?” Arnold prodded, biting into a drumstick.

Elvis chuckled, “Arnold, are you so on edge because you can’t afford your tampons?”

Incensed, Arnold chucked a chicken bone at him.

Elvis easily dodged, and then he tossed a document–filled envelope onto the table.

“What’s this?” they all leaned in, curious.

“Remember how we’ve all been talking about avenging our brother? Inside this envelope is enough dirt to bring down Matthew.”

Hearing this, Prosecutor Arnold and Captain Aaron’s radars went off.

Evadne couldn’t wait. She grabbed the envelope and dumped its contents out for everyone to see.

They each picked up a portion and started reading. Shock and anger grew with every page they turned.

“The Starlight Foundation‘ under the Chambers Group, managed by Matthew, has raised over one million in just two years. But that money never went to helping impoverished students–it all went straight into Matthew’s own pocket. And that’s not all. He’s been hosting so–called charity events, parading the girls meant to be helped, but really, he was setting up a Lioneletplace for the high and mighty to pick and choose mistress.”

By the time Elvis reached this point, his eyes burned red with fury. “These girls just wanted a chance at education, but what awaited them was a fate of abuse and an abyss of despair.”

Slamming her hand on the table, Evadne trembled with rage, “That hypocrite, that monster!”

The anger in Aaron’s eyes matched hers, “We should’ve taken him down when we dealt with Byron. I regret not doing it sooner!”

“Don’t worry, Evadne, Aaron. Justice may be delayed, but it will be served. He won’t be hopping around for much longer,” Arnold reassured, patting Aaron on the shoulder.

Thaddeus looked at the documents in his hands, his brows furrowing. “As the former face of the Chambers Group, Matthew’s cunning and methods are far more insidious than Byron’s ever were. Byron was blatant with his actions, relying on his background. But Matthew, he’s a master of disguise, his deeds are done in the shadows, and to the public, he’s a philanthropist.”

“What are you getting at, Thaddeus?” Evadne grabbed his hand.

“He’s done so much evil, he must have set up a way out for himself.”

Thaddeus turned to meet her piercing gaze. “The evidence here is explosive but not detailed or substantial enough. It’s clear it’s not the full picture. It’s enough to scare but not enough to convict. We need further investigation, more witnesses to step forward. As a prosecutor, Arnold should know this better than anyone.”

Aaron elbowed Arnold, “Hey, bro, he’s cueing you.”

“Ah? Oh, right,”

Arnold was a bit slow on the uptake, “But even so, this evidence is enough to invite Matthew for a ‘chat“.”

Evadne’s eyes blazed, “Chat? That beast deserves nothing but piss!”

Thaddeus cracked a rare joke, “For that, we’d need Lionel.”

When they remembered their daring and bold ally, the tension in the small kitchen eased slightly.

Aaron clenched the photo in his hand, “Evadne, I’ll make sure justice is served for Cassius. Matthew’s done for!”

Arnold nodded, “I’ll start preparing as soon as I get back.”

“Let’s not tip him off. We strike only when we’re absolutely sure.”

Evadne pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, “Elvis, where did you get this evidence? The news about our brother only broke two days ago, you couldn’t have gathered all this in such a short time.”

Elvis‘ gaze was deep and impenetrable, “The night before last, I went to the Velvet Haven. I intended to confront Matthew, to avenge our brother.”

Evadne and Thaddeus tensed!

For most, the Velvet Haven was a den of earthly delights.

But for Elvis, if Avery found out he was there, it could become his grave.

If Avery, that mad dog, got a whiff of hirn, it wouldn’t matter whose brother he was–he’d show no mercy.

3/4

Chapter 673

“But I didn’t find Matthew Instead, I met Elsie”

“The one who looks like me, Ms. Archer?”

“That’s right”

Elvis was always straightforward with his little sister, and since he’d promised to help them with the investigation, he held nothing back “She helped me evade the Velvet Haver’s watchful eyes When she heard I was after Matthew, she worried I’d get in too deep and alert Avery So, she gave me these and told me to hand them over to you two. She said you’d know how to handle It more carefully”

The couple exchanged shocked glances

Arnold’s eyes were on Elvis, sparkling with curiosity, “And then? What happened next?”

“Then, Heft”

“With such a beautiful woman coming to your rescue, you didn’t feel even a little bit tempted? Not a stir in your heart?”

“I like men”

With that, Arnold choked, his face turning pale

Elvis smirked wickedly, “Just kidding Look at you, scared as a mouse”

“Congratulations, Elvis”

Evadne raised her can of Coke with a knowing chuckle, “The gears of the plan are in motion. That Ms. Archer seems to be really falling for you, huh?”

Elvis clenched his soda can, his gaze sharp as ice, “If she’s falling for me, that’s the start of her nightmare.”

“They say it’s tough for heroes to resist a damsel’s charm, but even tougher for the damsel to resist Elvis. If I remember correctly, wasn’t Dr Bright another one who fell for your charms and ended up being swept off his feet by you? And now this one.”

Arnold couldn’t help but chime in, “Elvis, your face should be a national treasure.”

Aaron quickly shoved a piece of fried chicken into Arnold’s mouth, “Keep those comments between us, okay? Don’t let Cassius hear you Don’t you remember how he gets jealous? He’s got a soft spot for our cousin, you know.”

Realizing his sl*p–up, Arnold mentally kicked himself. How could he talk loosely about his “sister–in–law“?

“If Ms. Archer is willing to help you, Elvis, it means there’s already a crack between her and Avery. At the very least, she’s not as steadfast in her attitude towards Avery as she was before,” Evadne said, clenching her fist in an encouraging ‘go get ‘em‘ gesture, “Come on, Elvis. Try to pull her onto our side!”

“Elvis, I really appreciate what you’re doing.” Thaddeus said, his arm around his delicate wife, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Just you wait and see”

P

Suddenly, the image of Elsie’s eyes, clear as water and bright as stars, flashed in Elvis‘ mind, causing his heart to skip a beat. But the moment of distraction was fleeting. His cold rationality quickly reclaimed his brain, extinguishing the faint light in his dark pupils, “After I’ve wrung every last bit of usefulness from her, I’ll ensure that she, along with Avery, will be destroyed.”