His Ex Wife is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus)

Chapter 762

In the dead of night, Mr. Bartley summoned Alston to his study. Mrs. Bartley was already there, her

presence a clear sign of the gravity of the discussion about to unfold.

“What? Call off the engagement?!” Mrs. Bartley shrieked in disbelief. “Timothy, are you out of your

mind? The news has already spread like wildfire. I have the ladies from the country club practically

fawning over me, showering me with gifts because our Alston is set to marry the Abernathy heiress!”

Her eyes blazed with the scandal of it all. “With the wedding just around the corner, you drop this

bombshell on me. How am I supposed to show my

ace around them after this?”

“Dad! What’s going on? Why cancel the engagement?!” Alston, his face flushed with anger, recalled the

evening’s humiliation. “Marilla had the audacity to hold hands with Mr. Ashbourne and dance with him

right in front of me. I’ve been embarrassed already, and now you want to call off the wedding

altogether?”

Edith had painted Marilla as a simpleton. But what sort of fool dares to flirt with another man in front of

her own fiancé, to be so intimate in public?

The thought of it was maddening. He wanted to make her pay, to make her regret her indiscretion.

“If your dignity comes at the cost of my future, then I say your pride is a small price to pay!” Mr.

Bartley’s words were shocking, his impatience written all over his face.

“What are you saying?!” Both mother and son stared at him, bewildered.

“Haven’t you seen it tonight? Aaron has fallen for that ‘simpleton‘,” Mr. Bartley said, sipping his tea with

an air of self–satisfaction. “Suri approached me in confidence, asking me to break off the engagement.”

“If I agree to hand Marilla over to her son, she’ll back my campaign in the upcoming election. Chairman

Emeric is also in the loop. If I refuse, they’ll throw their support behind my rival. Tell me, would either of

you do differently?”

Alston clenched his jaw, and Mrs. Bartley was at a loss for words.

“My dear wife and son, this arrangement is nothing but beneficial for us!” Mr. Bartley lounged on the

couch, legs crossed, transforming from a dignitary to a rogue in a heartbeat. “Firstly, Alston won’t have

to marry the ‘simpleton‘ and demean himself. I’ll get what I want without owing the Abernathy group any

favors, freeing us from Frederic’s influence.”

“Secondly, it secures my campaign financing and aligns us with the influential Ashbourne family. It’s

killing two birds with one stone, isn’t it?”

Alston, desperate, interjected, “Dad, aren’t you oversimplifying things? The Ashbournes have a

formidable reputation. I find Emeric even more daunting than Frederic!”

“Emeric’s seriously ill, everyone knows that. He’s abroad for treatment and probably won’t last two

years. I’m not afraid of him,” Mr. Bartley retorted casually.

“But now the CEO is his daughter Evadne! In my eyes, that woman is like a banshee, far more

terrifying than her father!” Alston fumed, influenced by Edith’s opinions. “You might handle Frederic, but

can you really contend with Evadne? She’s the actual power behind the Ashbourne family now!”

“And let’s not forget, she has Thaddeus backing her!”

Mr. Bartley’s temper flared, and he stood up abruptly, pointing at Alston as he shouted, “You think if it

weren’t for Suri’s proposal, you’d have any chance of securing this marriage? Look at the mess you

made tonight, acting like a cornered animal in front of Mr. Frederic. I’ve taught you better! Even if it’s an

act, you have to maintain your composure. But you lost your temper in front of everyone! Do you think

your father holds enough clout to challenge the Abernathy group?!”

Alston was speechless.

He had only agreed to marry Marilla to please Edith. He didn’t care for her; it was all a performance, a

means to an end. Yet watching her dance intimately with Aaron had stung him deeply. It felt like a

betrayal, as if they were already married and he, her husband, had been publicly humiliated.

“Let me make this clear: you’ve completely ruined your impression with Frederic. He’s known for

holding grudges, and even if I didn’t speak up, he’d never allow his daughter to marry you.”

Mr. Bartley shook his head in disappointment. “You don’t have what it takes to marry into their world.

Give up on that fantasy!”

The following day, Frederic, having wrapped up his engagements, inquired about the previous night’s

events during his leisurely ride home.

Dennis recounted every detail, including Suri’s lavish gift to Marilla and Aaron’s bold declaration of

affection.

“Mr. Frederic, Suri has been incredibly generous with our Miss Marilla. The welcome gift alone was

worth over ten million,” Dennis remarked, clearly impressed by the Ashbournes‘ gesture.

“It’s clear who stands where. We’ve been planning an engagement with the Bartleys, and yet they’ve

shown no such grandeur. It’s quite telling.”

Frederic frowned, his pride getting the better of him. “Bought by a mere trinket? Those Ashbournes

probably have a vault full of such baubles. Emeric probably has a whole truckload.”

“That may be, but Aaron is leagues better than that Bartley boy,” Dennis scoffed. “Last night, Alston

had the nerve to publicly criticize you. I wonder what’s eating at his brain.”

Frederic’s expression grew even darker at the mention of this. The comparison between the two suitors

was the last thing he wanted to contemplate.

“Sir, I’ve seen how Aaron truly feels about Marilla. Why don’t we call off the engagement with the

Bartleys? A match with the Ashbournes would be a hundred times better. I bet you’d be over the moon

with that.”

Frederic slammed his hand down on the armrest, his face flushed with anger. “My son marrying an

Ashbourne girl and my daughter wed to an Ashbourne boy? As if my children have no other prospects

but those Ashbournes!” he fumed, his pride wounded.

Dennis wisely chose to remain silent.

Outside the window, the sky was overcast, mirroring Frederic’s mood. If he set aside his personal

feelings, he had to admit that Aaron, Suri’s son, was a far superior match for his daughter than the

Bartley lad. And not just in terms of family assets.

He knew deep down that Alston had no real affection for his daughter; it was all about family

arrangements. But the way Aaron looked at Marilla, with such genuine affection, couldn’t be just for

show.

If only Aaron wasn’t an Ashbourne.

His phone buzzed, startling him from his thoughts. It was Hamilton.

Feeling a sudden surge of irritability, Frederic took a few rings before answering, “Dad, you wanted to

talk?”

“Can you speak freely?”

“Go ahead.”

“The Bartleys want to call off the engagement.”

Frederic’s heart skipped a beat, his voice pitched high in disbelief, “What did you say?!”

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