Chapter 340
Hospital, patient room.
Avery, now in a hospital gown, lay in bed. His handsome features pale, his lips as white as wilting
petals, his frailty evoked a sense of sympathy. “Mr. Chambers, why the heck would you do that?”
His secretary, standing by the bedside, was still in shock. “Do you realize how close you came to being
trampled by that horse? If it had gotten to you, you could have been killed, and all your hard work, all
the struggles you faced in Helgen, would have been for nothing!”
Avery slowly opened his eyes, lifting the corner of his mouth into a weak smile. “Harvey, it seems you
really are worried about me. You genuinely care.” Taken aback, tears welled in Harvey’s eyes. “Mr.
Chambers.”
He had been with Avery for eight years, first as his stable hand, then as his secretary. His role had
changed, but his status hadn’t. He was still Avery’s loyal subordinate.
Avery was a man with deep cunning and a suspicious nature. He kept everyone at arm’s length with a
cold, wary demeanor. Throughout the years, save for Ms. Evadne, no one got close to him, and no one
managed to break through his defenses.
He didn’t have any close friends. But today Avery showed him an unprecedented act of closeness.
Harvey, touched to the point of tears, realized that Avery truly considered him a confidant.
“Mr. Chambers, health is the real wealth. You must take care of yourself!”
“For Evadne, I’m willing to do anything.”
Avery took a deep breath, his usually cold eyes softened at the mention of Evadne. “And I want to
prove to Evadne that I can risk my life for her too. Not just Thaddeus, So that when she needs help,
she won’t think of Thaddeus first. She’ll think of me.”
His following words were rather intriguing.
Harvey, grasping the underlying meaning, nodded solemnly. “You mean, a man like Thaddeus, who
messes with relationships and leads a reckless personal life, isn’t a match for Ms. Evadne? Ms.
Evadne is smart. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, would she?”
Avery’s gaze darkened, choosing not to answer.
Just then, his phone, resting beside his pillow, vibrated.
He looked at the screen, but before he could reply, the door to his room opened.
“Ave, are you asleep?”
Upon hearing Evadne’s voice, Avery quickly hid his phone under his pillow, his lips curling into a warm
smile.
“Evadne, like I said, there’s no need to worry about me. I’m fine.”
Evadne entered the room, seeing Avery’s pale, seemingly fragile appearance, she felt a pang of guilt.
After all, he was like this because he had saved her.
“I also said I’d take responsibility for your injuries.” Evadne’s tone was gentle as she approached him.
A warmth spread through Avery’s chest, his eyes welling up with tears.
“Ms. Evadne, you had a fall too. Are you okay?” Harvey, ever so observant, asked with concern.
“It’s nothing serious. The main concern is Mr. Avery. He has a broken arm, a fractured rib, and five
external wounds. He needs to stay in the hospital for a while.” Though Evadne had sustained some
scrapes, she didn’t give them a second thought, only calmly instructing Avery.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAvery chuckled lightly, “Evadne, I don’t need to stay in the hospital. I know my body.”
“What is it with you men? Thaddeus also just had major brain surgery and he won’t stay in the hospital!
Is there something toxic about hospitals or you guys just can’t afford the bills?”
Evadne’s words tumbled out like a rapid–fire.
At the end of her rant, she paused, clenching her fists.
For some reason, Thaddeus popped into her mind. Often, memories of him would flood her mind,
overwhelming her defenses.
Avery’s heart clenched, suppressing the surge of jealousy. His pale lips twitched, “It seems that you
genuinely care about Mr. Thaddeus. No matter where you are, no matter when, he always comes to
your mind. It’s clear he holds a lot of weight in your heart.”
Evadne took a deep breath, her gaze icy as she stared at him. “Do you want the truth?”
Avery’s breath hitched, he pressed his lips together.
Indeed, he does hold a lot of weight. You’re right.”
Faced with Evadne’s frankness, Avery felt bitter taste flooding his mouth, his hands clenching the
sheets tightly.
“I was married to Thaddeus for three years, but we’ve known each other for much longer. Much longer
than you’d think.”
Evadne’s tone was calm, as if she was having a casual chat with a friend. However, she couldn’t deny
the pain that pulsed through her heart whenever she thought of their past, spreading throughout her
body. There was a time when he was all I had. When he divorced me, it felt like he had ripped out my
heart. My life has been missing a piece since then, as if I’m living with an irremediable disability. If you
were in my shoes, could you ignore it? Could you act as if none of it ever happened?”
‘Evadne.”
‘Don’t think I’m going to pine for Thaddeus for the rest of my life. That’s not going to happen.”
Evadne waved her hard nonchalantly, the fleeting sadness in her eyes quickly replaced by resolve.
“Life goes on. I just need some time.
“Evadne, no matter how long it takes, I’m willing to wait for you.”
1
Avery’s face was as white as a sheet, filled with pain. He tried to sit up, but Evadne was quick to stop
him.
“Ave! You’re a patient. Stop moving around!”
“Ten years, twenty years, or even a lifetime. I’m willing to wait. I’ll wait for you to heal, for you to move
on, and for you to see me.”
Avery’s lips trembled as he grabbed her soft hand, squeezing it till her knuckles turned red.
“Let go, stop it!” Evadne’s eyes widened, quickly pulling her hand away.
Avery, still weak, was jolted, nearly falling off the bed!
“Careful, Mr. Chambers!”
Harvey quickly caught him, casting a pleading glance at Evadne. “Ms. Evadne, I beg you, out of
respect for Mr. Chambers, who has been severely injured on your behalf, could you show a little more
concern for him? Just a bit will do!”
“Harvey, let it go, don’t make it hard for Ms. Evadne.”
Avery clutched his chest, coughing a couple of times, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “She is
not to blame. It’s me. I’ve been asking too much.” Evadne’s brow furrowed slightly, but she said
nothing.
At that moment, a phone in the room chimed.
Then it chimed again.
And again.
All three of their phones went off.
Evadne was puzzled. Two phones ringing at once could be a coincidence, but three was not.
She took out her phone and looked at the screen.
Twitter notification.
[Thaddeus and Edith’s affair exposed!]
[Thaddeus and Edith caught in a hotel rendezvous, includes video and photos]
Evadne stared fixedly at the screen, her eyes filled with rage, her heart plunging into an icy abyss.
“Oh my! Ms. Evadne, Mr. Chambers, what’s this trending topic?”
Harvey exclaimed as he scrolled through his screen, “Mr. Thaddeus and the Fairhaven family’s heiress
in a hotel? This is explosive! Mr. Chambers, have a look at this news. Both are prominent families in
Elmsworth, this hotel rendezvous, this affair. Tsk tsk, it’s so embarrassing. Such a slap in the face!”
Avery remained composed, his eyes concealed by his long lashes, hiding the glint of gloom.
3
“Ave, I have something to take care of. I’ll be back later to check on you.”
Evadne stiffly turned to leave, her steps heavy as she approached the door, her slender shoulders
trembling slightly.
“Evadne!” Avery called out urgently.
Evadne paused, taking a deep breath.
“No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side. Everyone might betray you, but I will never betray
you!”
Bang!
Evadne forcefully slammed the bathroom door, sitting on the last toilet seat, biting her lips, furiously
scrolling through the trending topics and comments on Twitter.
Large beads of sweat fell onto the glaring screen.
[I told you, men’s words are deceptive, and men’s legs are fickle! Wasn’t Thaddeus rumored to be
getting close with the Ashbourne family’s young lady? He’s defended her multiple times and now he’s
involved with Edith. He really stinks!]
[He’s a certified world–class jerk!]
It’s all fake, I tell you. Thaddeus is just trying to climb the Ashbourne Group’s high branches, to become
a billionaire son–in–law! If he and Evadne really get together, it would be a marriage of two major
families. From then on, with Emeric as his father–in–law, who in this country would dare to provoke
him?]
[Huh? Thaddeus wouldn’t be that desperate to pursue Evadne, he himself is worth billions.]
[Hmph, you’re just naive saying that. Who wouldn’t want more money?]
Evadne’s eyes were frosty as she slowly clenched her fists, pressing them down hard, but she still
couldn’t suppress the pain that felt like her heart was being torn in two.
[But coming back to it, Edith’s skinny figure is just like a twig, in no way comparable to the beautiful
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAshbourne family’s young lady. I think she’s not even as pretty as Acacia, so why is Thaddeus going
downhill?]
[She’s a musical prodigy. Maybe Thaddeus likes this artistic type. Acting all high and mighty, isn’t
Acacia just
like that?]
At that moment, Cassius called.
It rang several times before Evadne could gather her thoughts and pick it up.
“Evadne? Evadne? Are you there?” Cassius‘ voice was filled with concern, calling out to her repeatedly.
“Cassius.” Evadne replied softly.
“Evadne, where are you now?”
“In Elmsworth.” She didn’t have the energy to say anything more.
“Evadne, you must’ve seen Thaddeus‘ trending topic, right?” Cassius tentatively asked.
“Mm.”
“Are you upset?”
“No. He has a new love. Why should I be upset?”
Evadne laughed lightly, her eyes red. “Edith is Jareth’s only sister. If they date each other, it would be a
double relation. With the Fairhaven Group as his backing, Thaddeus‘ future would be much smoother.”
Cassius‘ voice dropped a little, “Evadne, I want to hear what you really think.
“This is what I really think.” Evadne clenched her fists, the pain shooting up to her knuckles.
“You were married to Thaddeus for three years, and you’ve known this man for thirteen. Do you think
he would do something like having a late–night rendezvous at a hotel with the Fairhaven family’s
heiress? Is he the kind of man who can’t control his behavior?”
Cassius voiced his doubts reasonably. “If he was a vulgar man swayed by lust, he and Acacia would
have had kids by now. You’ve been married for three years. How could he not touch you? Don’t you
find something odd here? Additionally, I heard that there were many reporters outside the hotel room. It
was almost as if they knew in advance what would happen and were lying in wait. All of this, it seems
like a setup by someone else, doesn’t it, Evadne?”
Evadne’s eyes were dark, her heart fluttered slightly, but she still said coldly, “Even if it’s a setup,
whether he falls for it or not is his decision, isn’t it? Even if it’s a trap set by Edith, if he ignored it, if he
didn’t go to the hotel, didn’t go to that room, could Edith have forced him? Could those reporters have
taken those pictures?”
Cassius fell silent.
“Flies don’t bite seamless eggs. Thaddeus still gave them an opportunity, otherwise none of this would
have happened.”
Evadne’s expression was stern, her lips curling into a cold smile. “He is indeed a filthy man.”
“Evadne, I think you should listen to Thaddeus‘ explanation.”
“There’s no need for that, Cassius.”
Evadne’s throat tightened, her eyes glazed over, her brooding gaze revealing waves of desolation.
“Thaddeus and I are done, completely. Whoever he’s with, it doesn’t matter. He’s free to do as he
pleases. I have no right to interfere.
Then she hung up the phone.
Not two seconds later, another call came in.
It was Thaddeus.