Chapter 242
Chapter 242
Evadne’s icy gaze under her ruby red lips remained unbothered, even a hint of impatience beginning to creep in..
However, Edith, at the receiving end of this indifference, was seething, her whole being threatening to combust right then and there!
Thaddeus’s blatant favoritism towards his ex–wife was a ruthless execution of her pride and self–worth!
Why?
Why would he disregard her, a woman of beauty, intelligence, and from a good family, for a woman he had deserted?
What was more, men constantly surrounded Evadne. First, there was her current flame, Jareth, then that inconspicuous pretty boy, Avery. How many more men had she been with, and didn’t Thaddeus find that revolting?
“I heard that Mr. Jareth brought Ms. Edith here to apologize to me. That’s why I took time out of my busy schedule to see you, Evadne started, her voice cold as ice. “You should know, I am not just Evadne of the Ashbourne family anymore, I am also the renowned jewellery designer, Alea. People are lining up to get a chance to meet me. I don’t have the time to deal with trivial matters or people.”
Evadne flicked her raven hair, crossed her arms, and elegantly lounged on the sofa. “Had I known you would come, I wouldn’t have bothered.”
“Why?” Thaddeus’s voice tightened, his heart constricting. “Would you rather see Jareth than me?”
Jareth’s eyebrows twitched. He muttered under his breath about Thaddeus’s audacity. He knew he had a higher standing with Evadne than Thaddeus did!
“There are only two reasons why I would meet someone, either for business or personal reasons.”
Evadne held up two slender fingers, waving them slightly in Thaddeus’s direction. “With you, Thaddeus, there’s neither business nor personal matters. Why should I meet someone who is less than a stranger to me?”
Less than a stranger.
Thaddeus’s face darkened, a burning sensation filling his throat, spreading down to his heart..
Jareth smirked, at least she acknowledged him as a person, saving him some face.
“Mr. Jareth, if you have something to say, say it. I have a meeting soon and don’t have time to waste here.” Evadne drawled, crossing her long legs, her red high heels adding to her allure.
She was like a villainess straight out of a comic, regal and captivating.
Thaddeus’s deep gaze inevitably landed on Evadne’s slender white ankle peeking out from beneath her trousers.
His jaw clenched, his throat dry, and he had to swallow hard.
This was the woman he had been so foolish to let go of.
Now, she seemed to glow from the inside out. Every strand of her hair and every inch of her skin was beautiful..
1
And Edith played the part of the innocent victim perfectly, her face as white as a sheet, her lips trembling as if she had been wronged by Evadne.
“Evadne, no, President Ashbourne.”
Jareth corrected himself immediately, seeing Evadne’s expression change. “We came here to apologize to you. The necklace that Glynnis gave to Ada at the auction was a replica that my sister had found in Aetheria.”
As Jareth’s voice trailed off, he kept a watchful eye on Evadne’s reaction.
“Oh, I knew that a long time ago.” Evadne replied calmly.
The Fairhaven siblings were taken aback!
But Thaddeus merely frowned slightly, not surprised..
After all, the current Miss Ashbourne had eyes and ears everywhere. Edith’s little schemes were nothing compared to her.
“When did you find out?” Edith asked urgently, unable to hold back.
”
Evadne smirked, “The day you went to Tyler and paid him a hefty sum to replicate my design, I knew.”
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“What?” Edith couldn’t keep up her act any longer and screamed out in disbelief.
“Ms. Edith, the reason you went to Tyler is that you assumed that he, as my former apprentice, had severed ties with me and would betray me for the right price. Your thinking is too narrow. Just because
a divorced couple can’t be friends doesn’t mean a master and apprentice can’t. Evadne raised her chin.
Thaddeus inhaled sharply.
That stung. Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
“Although Tyler is from Aetheria, he understands the value of respect and loyalty. He would never betray me for some quick cash.”
Evadne’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “So from the start, your plan was flawed, Ms. Edith. You were wrong to judge others by your own petty standards.”
Who was the petty one, and who was the noble one was clear to everyone!
Thaddeus’s lips twitched upwards, his eyes calm.
But his good friend, Mr. Jareth, was having a hard time keeping his face straight. His expression darkened.
He had prepared himself, knowing full well how sharp Evadne’s tongue could be.
But he never expected it to sting this much!
“Evadne! You’re so deceitful and despicable!”
Edith was livid, pointing accusingly at Evadne’s smiling face, making herself look like a cornered hen. “You knew from the start that I went to Tyler and yet you played dumb. You even calculated that Glynnis would give the necklace to Ada, and waited until the charity auction to expose everything, just to see her fall! Evadne, how can you be so cruel? Are you going to destroy everyone who threatens you?”
Edith’s words ended in a sob, making it seem like she was the real victim.
“Or what? Should I keep them around for Thanksgiving?” Evadne rolled her eyes, annoyed by Edith’s wailing.
“You!” Edith was too furious to utter a word.
She thought, “This woman is so audacious!”
Her brother and Thad were right here, but she dared to spew such words. Did she not care about any man in this world?
“Ms. Edith, you’re here to apologize, not to point fingers. Is it really that hard to admit your mistakes?”
Thaddeus lowered his long lashes in silence, and then lifted his gaze to meet Evadne’s with a stern look. “President Ashbourne, even if you don’t punish Glynnis and Edith, I will. Even if your brother didn’t push you here, I would have. The result is the same. Do you have any objections?”
Evadne abruptly lifted her gaze, sweeping a complex look over him.
It seemed that Thaddeus was indeed not giving any leniency to Edith.
Well, what did it matter to her?
“Thad.” Edith was both heartbroken and enraged, tears dropping like a broken string.
But Thaddeus was no longer the gentle brother who used to hold her hand and stroll around the park with a warm smile.
He was completely bewitched by Evadne. He had lost his mind!
“Hey, are you going to apologize or not?” Evadne was thoroughly impatient and looked ready to leave.
“Edith, apologize to President Ashbourne immediately!” Jareth urged anxiously.
“I’m sorry.” Edith gritted her teeth, her voice barely audible.
“Louder. I can’t hear you.” Evadne raised a delicate brow, her imposing aura pressuring Edith.
“I’m sorry!”
As soon as Edith finished her sentence, Jareth immediately stepped in, pressing his large palm on her back and forcing her to bow to Evadne.
She couldn’t resist his force and had no choice but to lower her head to Evadne, a massive sense of humiliation tearing at her,
She’ll get her revenge, she swore!
“Jason.” Evadne stood up languidly.
“Yes, Miss Evadne.” Jason responded immediately.
“I just heard Mr. Jareth saying that he will compensate for the consequences of Ms. Edith’s misconduct on behalf of the Fairhaven Group. Calculate the compensation amount later, including damages for copyright infringement, emotional distress, and so on. List them all and let Mr. Jareth review them.” Evadne turned around and walked towards the door, “All the compensation will be donated to the Elmsworth Foundation, I won’t take a penny.” Jareth froze for a moment, a bitter smile spreading across his face.
Evadne was as beautiful as a celestial being, but her temperament was as cold and detached as an immortal, seeing things in black and white, free of worldly desires.
When Evadne returned to her office to work, Jason took Járeth to calculate the compensation.
As a part–time lawyer, Mr. Jason had already prepared a list with a huge amount. It was astronomical in ordinary people’s eyes:
But that was the price to pay for copying Alea’s design.
Looking at the compensation agreement, Jareth sighed heavily, his throat bitter.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford the money, but he couldn’t afford to lose his dignity.
He had genuinely liked Evadne. Even if they couldn’t become lovers, he had hoped to be friends with her and had never thought about hurting her.
But now, he felt helplessly that the word “friends” seemed to be getting further and further away from them.
On the way to the parking lot, Edith was sobbing as if she had been deeply wronged.
“The victim didn’t shed a tear. What right does the wrongdoer have to cry?”
Jareth’s handsome face was cold as he strode forward, leaving Edith struggling to keep up.
“Jareth. Is Evadne made of stone? She even asked you for compensation, a billion! Why doesn’t she just rob a bank?”
When Edith thought about the billion that had slipped into Evadne’s pocket without her even noticing, her heart ached, “Jareth, when have you ever been so humiliated in your twenty–eight years of life? If I knew this would happen, I would rather die than apologize to her!”
“Ms. Evadne has been lenient enough with you.”
Jareth stopped in his tracks, unable to listen to any more, “If I hadn’t forced you to show sincerity today, your apology wouldn’t have taken place in that room, but at a press conference with all eyes on you.”
Upon hearing this, Edith shivered.
“When you get home, stay there and reflect on your actions. Don’t go out without my permission!”
Jareth took a deep breath and left these words behind, boarding his luxury car without looking back.
“Jareth, you can’t confine me like this! Jareth!”
But no matter how Edith banged on the window or cried out, Jareth, sitting in the car, remained unmoved.
He really couldn’t afford to be soft–hearted anymore. If this went on, he would end up hurting his only sister.
Seeing the car disappearing into the distance, Edith stomped her foot in frustration and squatted on the ground, weeping.
“Miss Edith, please get in the car.”
With one bodyguard per arm, they lifted Edith up and swiftly shoved her into the car, quickly closing the door.
As the car headed towards the Fairhaven family residence, Edith’s mood was as gloomy as if she was on her way to a funeral.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She wiped her tears and checked the screen. To her surprise, it was a private number that had been hidden.
“Who is this?” Edith asked, her voice filled with resentment.
“Ms. Edith.”
A pleasant male voice came from the other end of the line, but it was clearly distorted.
“Who are you?” Edith asked, sobbing.
“The incident today must have left you feeling wronged and upset, right? The man you like doesn’t even want to look at you.”
She was taken aback, her heartbeat quickening!
Who was observing her from the shadows? And how did he know so much about her situation!
“If I said, I could help you get the man you want, would you be willing to listen to me and cooperate with me?”
After completing his task, Jason returned to Evadne’s side