Chapter 341
The screen didn’t display a name, but,a string of digits.
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Thaddeus had always had two numbers, one personal and one for business. She remembered them
both.
He usually only used his personal phone to call her privately, this time was an oddity.
A knot formed in Evadne’s stomach as she picked up, slowly pressing the phone to her ear, but she
didn’t speak.
“Evadne!” Thaddeus‘ voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable.
Evadne bit her scarlet lip, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
“Evadne, please believe me. I’ve been framed!”
Thaddeus knew how difficult it was for Evadne to even pick up his call, so he cut to the chase, “This is
a trap, a complex one. Edith alone couldn’t have set it up. There’s someone else behind her! And the
bait they used wasn’t Edith. It was you!”
“In half an hour.”
Evadne, her eyes shadowed with sorrow, spoke slowly, “Let’s meet at the playground in the park near
the K Orld Hotel.”
If she hadn’t received a call from Cassius earlier, Thaddeus wouldn’t have had a chance to speak with
her.
Now, she wanted to hear what explanation Thaddeus had for her.
“Mr. Chambers, Ms. Evadne just left the hospital by herself.”
Harvey rushed back to report to Avery, “She was in the restroom for a while. When she left, she looked
angrier and paler!”
Avery leaned against the headboard, a smirk playing on his lips.
He thought, “Let her be angry, the angrier, the better. Only intense pain can be effective, just like a
bone–scraping treatment, to completely eradicate Thaddeus from her heart!”
“Send someone to follow Ms. Evadne now, and get a car ready for me. I’ll follow her shortly.”
Harvey wanted to dissuade him, but knowing it would be futile, he simply agreed, “I’ll get the car ready,
and a new suit for you!“.
“No need for the suit, a patient should look like a patient.”
Avery moved slightly and broke out in a sweat from the pain, his jawline stiffening.
Harvey watched, feeling helpless.
He felt that Avery was truly invested in dealing with Evadne, completely immersed.
But he didn’t understand how such a shrewd person like Avery could be so devastated over love, he
was always so competitive, never allowing himself to be at a disadvantage.
But only Avery knew what he was planning.
In love, sometimes having the upper hand wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Sometimes, showing
weakness and retreating could bring about surprising results.
Especially since Evadne was such a dominant woman, she had suffered enough under Thaddeus, and
he certainly wouldn’t let her suffer anymore. He would give her the pride and dignity she deserved.
At that moment, the phone under his pillow vibrated.
Harvey quickly picked it up and handed it to Avery, “Mr. Chambers, it’s Ms. Elsie
Avery’s eyes darkened as he picked up the phone, “Hello.”
“Mr. Chambers, how’s my business going?”
Elsie’s voice, cheerful yet seductive, rang out, “I sent those pictures to Thaddeus, and he fell for it
immediately. He rushed to the hotel, eager to jump into the trap. What a so–called young talent,
business genius, all dumb in front of women. Such filthy man is not worthy to be your opponent.”
“Did you send those pictures through text?” Avery asked leisurely.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Yes.”
“Good, that makes things easier.”
Avery smirked, “You’ve done a big favor for me tonight. Thank you.”
“Mr. Chambers, please don’t say that. My life is yours. I’m willing to give you everything and do
anything for you!” Elsie’s voice was soft and full of affection.
Avery’s eyes were cold as he spoke in a low voice, “I’ll send someone with a plane ticket for you, and
deposit some money into your account. Enough for you to go and have fun for a year or so. If you run
out of money, let Harvey know, he’ll send you more.”
Elsie choked, “Mr. Chambers, are you sending me away?”
“Thaddeus fell for our trap. He won’t swallow this easily. He’ll start investigating immediately. He’s not
stupid. He just got off track because of Ms. Evadne. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you should lay low
for a while. Harvey will temporarily take over The Velvet Haven.”
“But!”
“Obey.” His voice suddenly turned cold.
“Yes, Mr. Chambers.”
Evadne arrived first at the park as it was closer.
The temperature had dropped sharply that night, and it was snowing heavily, so the usually bustling
park was particularly deserted.
Evadne sat alone on a bench, staring at the desolate snowy night, thinking back on the past three
years when she would come here whenever she had time to watch couples feeding each other ice
cream, or young families playing with their kids, warm and blissful.
She often wondered, all the time, really.
Would she ever have a day like that?
Could she and Thaddeus walk hand in hand in the park, exchanging loving glances, like any other
couple?
A pang of pain hit Evadne in the chest, her breath coming out in white puffs, her eyes moist and
glittering with the cold.
An ice cream truck drove past her, and she flagged it down, buying a vanilla ice cream.
Before she could take a bite, a set of hurried footstep’s came rushing through the snow towards her.
“Evadne.”
Evadne’s grip tightened around the ice cream, her heart pounding as she slowly looked up.
–
Thaddeus stood before her, snow dusting his thin sult and hair, his face and ears red from the cold, but
his eyes were even redder, a beautiful pink hue.
Evadne felt a lump in her throat, the scene she had imagined countless times was happening right in
front of her.
“Evadne, don’t sit here. It’s too cold. You’ll catch a chill.”
Thaddeus’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his heart aching as he reached out to her without a second thought.
Smack!
Evadne slapped his hand away, her demeanor colder than the surrounding snow. “If you have
something to say, spit it out.”
“It’s a setup, Evadne. Someone’s trying to smear my reputation, to drive a wedge between us!”
Thaddeus argued passionately, his insides burning with urgency.
“Us?” Evadne laughed bitterly. “Do you think there’s still anything between us?”
A stabbing pain pierced Thaddeus’s heart.
“And even if we did, considering how we’re divorced and can’t stand the sight of each other, what’s left
to tear apart?”
“Evadne, is this how you really feel?” Thaddeus’s throat felt as if it had been skewered, his mouth filled
with the taste of iron.
Evadne slowly stood up, her eyes cold as she met his gaze. “Thaddeus, even if it was a setup, the fact
remains that you met Edith at that hotel. Seems like the Fairhaven family’s young lady holds quite
some importance for you.”
“I didn’t meet Edith! I was there to meet you!”
Thaddeus took a step forward, his eyes raw and red, his breath trembling as it brushed against
Evadne’s rosy nose. He tried to hug her.
“Don’t touch me!”
Evadne recoiled like a porcupine, her body bristling with spikes. In her haste, she tossed her ice cream
cone onto Thaddeus’s shirt!
“Evadne! I’m telling the truth!”
Thaddeus’s arms hung in the air, caught between wanting to comfort her and fearing her disdain. He
was on the verge of losing his mind. “I tried to call you tonight many times, but you never answered! I
thought something dangerous happened to you. I’ve been worried sick!”
Evadne paused. He had called many times? When? Was he lying? She hadn’t received a single call.
“I received anonymous pictures of you being held by a stranger, the two of you going into a hotel! I was
worried about you. That’s why I went to the hotel. That’s when the reporters ambushed me!”
Evadne looked at him, her eyes filled with skepticism. “Thaddeus, if you’re going to make excuses, at
least make them believable, if I’d known you were going to spout such nonsense. I wouldn’t have
bothered meeting you.”
“I have proof!”
Thaddeus clenched his jaw, pulling out his phone with shaking hands.
Evadne’s heart pounded faster, her lips pursed.
She was hoping, giving him a chance.
“This is the photo I received. Look, isn’t the person in the photo…”
Suddenly, Thaddeus’s eyes widened, his gaze fixed on the screen as he checked his messages
repeatedly.
The photo that had been sent to him was gone!
He scrolled frantically, his shocked gaze nearly piercing the screen, but he couldn’t find the photo
anywhere!
It was gone!
How could it be gone?
Evadne gave a hollow laugh, her eyes devoid of humor. They were so cold it sent chills down
Thaddeus’s spine. “Thaddeus, if you haven’t thought of a good excuse, there’s no need to rush to see
me. I didn’t want to see you before, and I don’t want to in the future either.”
As she brushed past him, Thaddeus felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cavern.
“Evadne, don’t go,
Evadne.”
He reached out to stop her, but another voice called out, “Evadne.”
Evadne locked up to see Avery standing a few steps away, dressed in a hospital gown and draped in a
cashmere coat. His face was paler than the snow. ‘Ave! How did you get out of the hospital? Don’t you
know you’re injured?”
Evadne rushed to Avery’s side, her eyes filled with reproach. “How did you get here? How did you
know I was here?”
‘After you left the hospital, I wasn’t at ease. So I had someone follow you. But don’t misunderstand, I
wasn’t stalking you, I just wanted to protect you.” Avery took a weak breath, his tone full of worry. “How
could I let a girl like you go out alone late at night? I’m not cold–blooded.”
Thaddeus’s handsome face was hardened by the cold, his piercing gaze seemed to want to tear Avery
apart.
“It’s too cold. Let’s go back.”,
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmEvadne blinked, preparing to leave with Avery’s support.
“Did you set this up, Avery?” Thaddeus’s voice was like a sharp knife, low and hoarse, filled with barely
suppressed rage.
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“Mr. Thaddeus, you were caught by the press having a secret rendezvous with Miss Edith of the
Fairhaven family at a hotel. How does that turn into a setup? And how am I to blame?”
Avery couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes filled with mockery. “Isn’t this just a case of mutual affection?”
“Avery!”
“Mr. Thaddeus, instead of being suspicious, you should think about how to explain this to the Fairhaven
family, to your good friend Jareth. Miss Edith is an innocent girl, and after this incident, if you two don’t
get married, I’m afraid it will be hard to save face.” Avery squinted, smiling wickedly.
“Ave, stop talking. Let’s go.”
Evadne felt as if a dull knife was slowly cutting into her heart.
She just wanted to leave.
-The further away from Thaddeus, the better.
As the two turned to leave, Thaddeus asked hoarsely, “Were you with him all night? Were you together
all the time?”
“We were together.” Evadne replied, her voice indifferent.
“Evadne, is he that important to you? More important than me?” Thaddeus’s whole body shook, his lips
trembling despite his best efforts to control them.
“Thaddeus, what’s the point of asking that now?”
Evadne smiled faintly, her gaze dimming. “If I make it sound harsh, it’s just you humiliating yourself. If I
soften it, I’m just deceiving myself. Let’s just put an end to this, Thaddeus. Consider it a favor.”
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Then they disappeared from Thaddeus‘ tear–blurred vision.
She never looked back.
Thaddeus stood alone in the snow for a long time, until he was as cold as a snowman, until his legs
gave out and he fell to his knees. It took Gordon a while to catch up, panting heavily.
“Mr. Thaddeus! Where’s Mrs. Abernathy? Has Mrs. Abernathy left?”
Thaddeus hung his head low, like a defeated soldier who had cast off his armor. He held the ice cream
she had dropped on the ground until it slowly melted in his hand.
The melting liquid trickled down, drop by drop, from his reddened eyes.
“She never trusted me. She could stop loving me, but how could she not trust me? Do I need to keep
going? Is there any need for this?”
The luxury car drove towards the hospital.
Evadne and Avery sat side by side in the backseat, the atmosphere was indescribably tense.
“Evadne, are you mad at me?”
Avery turned his head, anxiously looking at her cold profile. “I’m sorry. I was just too worried about
you.”
Twent to see Thaddeus. It’s not your fault. You don’t have to blame yourself.”
Avery took a deep breath, clearly feeling that she was still against him.
Reluctantly, he clenched his fists.
Evadne expressionlessly lowered her eyes, took out her phone, and opened the call log.
Indeed, Thaddeus’s name was not in there.
“I called you tonight many times, but you didn’t answer! I thought something dangerous had happened
to you. I was worried about you all night!”
That man wouldn’t lie about something like this.
Even if it was a lie, wouldn’t it be superfluous for him to call her from another number afterwards?
Could it be?
Suddenly, Evadne thought of something. She held her breath and opened the blocked contacts list.
When she saw Thaddeus’s name lying quietly in there, her beautiful eyes instantly filled with a deep
shadow.