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Chapter 477
Chapter 477
Chapter 477
Chapter 477
The crowd huddled closer, ears perked and eyes glued to Frederic’s enigmatic smile.
With a sly glint in his eye, Frederic smiled as he placed his gaze at Thaddeus, “Thaddeus, come here.”
Thaddeus felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. His brow furrowed as he gazed at the petite woman beside him, his grip on her hand inadvertently tightening – he couldn’t bear the thought of parting from her.
“Go on. I’ll be right here watching you. I won’t go anywhere.”
Evadne met his gaze with tender eyes, gently withdrawing her hand, now reddened from his firm grasp.
Left with no good reason to refuse, Thaddeus made his way to Frederic under the watchful eyes of the gathering.
Frederic greeted him with a rare paternal smile, clapped a hand on his broad shoulder, then turned to face the crowd, laughing loudly.
“Tonight, as we celebrate the new venture between Chairman Ashbourne and Mr. William Morris, I’d like to announce a joyous occasion in our family. My son Thaddeus is engaged to Edith, granddaughter of the esteemed Mr. Barry of the Fairhaven Group. The engagement party will be later this month!”
The crowd was left agape. What?! Thaddeus and Edith engaged?!
Some glanced at Edith, the soon–to–be Mrs. Abernathy, anointed by Mr. Frederic Abernathy himself.
Edith trembled with excitement, her round eyes shining with ecstasy, on the verge of tears.
She had waited for this day for what felt like an eternity, her family pulling every string, playing every card to win Frederic’s favor, to have this moment of triumph over Evadne, to turn her into a laughingstock!
The slights she had suffered from that bitch would finally be avenged! Meanwhile, others looked at Evadne with stunned, complex expressions.
Evadne’s face drained of color, her slender shoulders quaking as if she were in the midst of an icy river of endless darkness. The warmth in her blood from Thaddeus now turned to ice.
The icicles, made from her own blood, were like cruel blades piercing her heart, her lungs. The pain left her mind a blank void.
Edith watched her with a wild, triumphant smile. She thought, “Oh, how lovely, Evadne, seeing you stripped of your claws, so lost and pathetic – it’s such a beautiful sight!”
“The Abernathy Group and the Fairhaven Group uniting? That’s huge news! How come there wasn’t any whisper of it before? It feels so out of the blue!”
“Isn’t this just the Abernathy way? Remember when Evadne and Thaddeus married? They kept it under wraps until the divorce. Their three–year marriage was a well–kept secret, and now it’s just the same old tactic with the Fairhaven family.”
“Ah? So if Thaddeus is to be engaged to Edith, what was all that deep affection for Evadne about?”
“Maybe they were in love, but Mr. Frederic Abernathy disapproved. I never had much faith in Thaddeus and Evadne. Elspeth got thrown under the bus because of Ms. Ashbourne’s schemes – the Abernathy family secrets nearly got spilled! If I were Mr. Frederic Abernathy, no matter how talented, beautiful, or strong the woman, I wouldn’t want her in my family, I don’t need her as the daughter–in–law that
bad!”
The murmurs were like knives, each word stabbing at Evadne’s bleeding heart.
Emeric was thunderstruck by the engagement news, disbelief and indignation clashing within him.
!
His precious daughter had already been humiliated in the divorce, and now, with Thaddeus and Evadne’s reconciliation known to the world, their unabashed intimacy and unique affection were visible for all to see.
And now, Frederic declared an alliance with the Fairhaven family, an engagement between Thaddeus and Edith?! He couldn’t believe that Frederic genuinely wanted to unite with the Fairhaven Group; he was just using Evadne’s most cherished person, her own son to take revenge on Evadne, on him!
Despicable, petty schemer!
William was taken aback, blinking in surprise, “Wow! That certainly is grand news! Congratulations, Mr. Frederic Abernathy, and to you, Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy.”
“Are you joking, Mr. Frederic Abernathy?”
Thaddeus clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, rage and panic crashing down on him like a tidal wave, his eyes bloodshot as if he were a beast caged and desperate to fight his way out, “Everyone knows, I love Evadne, and I love her till death. Now you want me to unite with the Fairhaven Group – I don’t know what shady deal you’ve struck with them, but I’ll tell you this.
Even if you threaten your own life, I will not marry Edith!”
The crowd was shocked speechless! Even the worldly William and his son were dumbfounded by Thaddeus’s rebellious words!
Ford had initially sneered at Thaddeus, but seeing him defy his father so boldly in front of such distinguished guests, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of respect. He muttered in awe, “Badass.”
“Oh! What did Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy just say? Did I hear that right? That’s explosive!”
“This showdown between father and son is about to explode!”
“If I were Mr. Frederic Abernathy, my blood pressure would skyrocket to 280 and I’d be out cold! Wasn’t Thaddeus saying, ‘To hell with your death, but no one can stop me from being with Evadne‘? Seems to me like my dear old dad’s life is worth less than the daughter of the Ashbourne family!”
Evadne’s teary eyes locked onto Thaddeus with such intensity, as if he were the only person in the world who could stir her soul.
The guests at the party exchanged surprised glances towards the Fairhaven family.
“What’s going on? It looks like Thaddeus is clueless about this arranged marriage, like Mr. Frederic Abernathy just traded him out.”
“It’s not right to force a marriage like this, is it?”
“I think the Fairhaven family are even more out of line. Knowing full well that Thaddeus is smitten with Evadne, they push Edith on him, making it awkward for both families.”
“If I were Edith, I couldn’t stand the embarrassment. Whose face is she trying to save?”
“Edith might as well slap her own face. She has no shame, probably over the moon now that she gets to be Mrs. Abernathy!”
Edith heard these jibes, her face turning the color of liver.
Barry wasn’t faring much better, his pride as a grandfather bruised as well. He knew this marriage gambit was risky. Even if Frederic agreed, Thaddeus was a tough nut to crack.
But Barry figured that with the engagement announced in such a grand setting, with all eyes watching, Thaddeus would have to keep his cool until the party’s end.
Once the engagement news spread, any rebellion from Thaddeus would tarnish his reputation. With a little help from the media, they could paint him as a fickle lover, forcing the Abernathy family to save face and compromise.
But they underestimated Thaddeus’s love for Evadne. He stood firm, unyielding.
“Marriage is not child’s play. It’s not what you can just refuse!”
Frederic stepped forward, looking up at his taller son, “This isn’t up for debate!” He spoke with barely contained rage, “Even if you don’t. want to marry Ms. Edith Fairhaven, Evadne will never be a part of the Abernathy family!”
“Other than Evadne, I’ll marry no one.”
Their conversation was private, but Thaddeus’s declaration was heard by all..
A single tear slipped from Evadne’s red–rimmed eyes. She could no longer contain herself and moved toward Thaddeus. Suddenly, Emeric grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to his side.
“Evadne, where are you going?” He demanded sternly.
“Dad, I hope you can trust him,” Evadne said, her voice hoarse and eyes brimming with tears. The smart and insightful woman was reduced to a single thought – being by his side.
Her father’s heart ached, and he uttered in a deep tone, “I haven’t said I don’t trust him. But looking at the situation, with Thaddeus confronting Frederic and entangled with the Fairhaven Group, if he’s a man of worth, someone you can entrust your life to, then let’s see how he deals with this mess.”
The atmosphere was tense, awkward.
Thaddeus’s outright rejection was a slap in the Fairhavens‘ face.
Unable to contain his anger, Barry approached with his granddaughter, who looked every bit the victim, and confronted Thaddeus, “Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy! Loving Ms. Ashbourne is your prerogative. But leaving my granddaughter high and dry without so much as an apology for over half a year? Are you treating her as less than human?!”
Edith began to sob, playing her part.
“What’s wrong with us asking you to be responsible? If as you said, you fancy Ms. Ashbourne so much, then why did you get entangled with my granddaughter in the first place?!”
Barry was no fool, his words sharp as thorns, “Are you this reckless because of your friendship with my grandson, or because you think my granddaughter, orphaned from a young age, with her saint of a mother, has no one to defend her?”
Barry’s words made the guests recall the memory of Thaddeus and Edith’s hotel scandal. Back then, the Fairhaven family had pressured the Abernathy Group, but Thaddeus remained indifferent, leaving Edith, who intended to stir up commotion, to quiet down eventually.
Thaddeus’s cold gaze met Edith’s, causing her to flinch. The next second, lips pinched, the man uttered in a cold assertive tone.
“I have never touched your granddaughter, nor have I had any private dealings with her. The hotel incident was a setup, and I’ve been investigating it. Even if Ms. Edith Fairhaven doesn’t care about her reputation, I must clear my name. I can’t disappoint the woman I love.”
His final words left no doubt about his feelings for Evadne.
The guests murmured, their views on Edith shifting. The Fairhaven daughter’s reputation was already shaky, and if Thaddeus was telling the truth, could it be that Edith had played some dirty trick to ensnare him?
“Grandpa Barry. I had nothing to do with that! I’m the victim here!” Edith clung to Barry’s arm, tears ruining her makeup.
Barry didn’t believe his granddaughter capable of such deceit, seeing Thaddeus’s defense as nothing more than an excuse to wriggle out of responsibility.
“Thaddeus, it’s time to make your choice, and make it wisely.” Frederick growled through clenched teeth, each word dripping with coercion, “If you choose Ms. Edith Fairhaven, I’ll anoint you as my heir. I’ll transfer 10% of my shares in Abernathy Group to you immediately, making you the largest shareholder with supreme authority! But if you insist on choosing Evadne, not only will you kiss the inheritance goodbye, but you can also forget about your CEO position. Come Monday, I’ll announce your dismissal, and from that moment on, Abernathy Group will have nothing to do with you.”
Before Frederick’s ultimatum could even hang in the air, Thaddeus was striding purposefully, without a moment’s hesitation, towards the girl standing a short distance away, who was silently waiting for him.
His Evadne. The love of his life. Priceless.
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