His Ex Wife is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus)

Chapter 457

The three others stood agape.

“Thaddeus, it’s been twenty years, where could you get the evidence?!” Evadne seized the man’s

hand.

Thaddeus interlaced his fingers with hers, his voice hoarse and deep, “Remember when I told you I

went to track down that maid who used to work for my mom?”

The woman nodded obediently.

“People often have a premonition when disaster looms. Before Elspeth met her end; the maid seemed

to sense danger. Gordon sent someone caught her in time, and then, well, I had to resort to certain

measures.”

Thaddeus took a deep breath and continued, “In a state of sheer panic, to save her son, she revealed

some truths, things not even mentioned in that recording, the real truth.”

He was innately good–hearted. If it hadn’t been a dire necessity, why would he use a kid’s life as a

leverage to coerce, to threaten, to become a merciless fiend?

Evadne believed that even if the maid had remained obstinate, Thaddeus would not have harmed her

son. He couldn’t do it. If he had, how would he be any different from Avery?

“My mom was killed by Elspeth. It was Elspeth who poisoned her with her own hands,” Thaddeus’s

eyes were rimmed with red, struggling to contain the surging waves of hatred, making his hand, held

tightly by Evadne, as cold as a block of ice.

“Poisoned with her own hands?!” Arnold and Aaron were so shocked their faces stiffened.

Gordon swayed as if he had been struck by a heavy blow! Evadne’s throat tightened, the air seemed

thin, and her chest felt crushed by a massive stone.

Anyone else would have gone mad, but because Thaddeus had not, the calmer he remained, the more

her heart ached.

“Mr. Abernathy, what in the world happened then?” Aaron pressed urgently.

“The maid confessed that she had indeed followed Elspeth’s orders to switch out my mom’s depression

medication, but she replaced it with harmless vitamins that wouldn’t be fatal. However, during that time,

maybe Elspeth sensed my mom and Frederic’s relationship thawing. Afraid of complications, she

switched the harmless pills with a poison. Taken in small doses daily, it would accumulate and cause a

heart attack, sudden death,” Thad’s broad shoulders trembled as he uttered each word, each syllable

laced with ice and bone–deep hatred.

Tears welled up in Evadne’s eyes, her soft hand gently stroking his back.

“How did the maid know all these details?” Arnold, the prosecutor, eager for information, questioned.

“She saw it.”

Thaddeus clenched Evadne’s hand as if only through this tangible touch could he remain composed,

“She said, two days before my mom’s fall, she realized Elspeth would sneak back in to switch the pills

again after she had done so, without ever mentioning it to her, and she dared not ask.“–

“That’s because, if your mom had indeed died of heart failure, the maid handling her medication would

have been taken away for investigation.”

Evadne’s mind raced with cold logic, “By then it wouldn’t matter what the maid said because she was in

charge of the medication; she made the switch, and she would have to bear the blame alone.”

“She knew this at the time. But she was already in too deep with no turning back, so she could only

continue down that dark path.” Thaddeus paused, his handsome face growing paler, “But on the day of

the incident, there was an unexpected turn. My mom, who had been walking in the garden, realized

she had forgotten her camera and went back to her room.”

“And then she caught Elspeth in the act of switching the medication?” Evadne’s heart sank drastically.

He nodded solemnly, “The maid, hiding just outside the room, eavesdropped. She was so tense during

that time, on edge, and couldn’t sleep a wink.”

“Hmph! She can catch up on all that lost sleep behind bars!” Aaron snarled through clenched teeth.

“The maid said she couldn’t see inside but heard a heated argument between my mom and Elspeth.

She mentioned that ever since my mom joined the Abernathy family, she seemed to lose all sense of

emotion. That was the first time she ever saw her so enraged, it even scared the maid.”

“And then?” Evadne watched him intently.

“Then, there was sudden silence in the room and right after that, I witnessed…”

Thaddeus couldn’t continue, his chest heaving, his eyes bloodshot, nostrils flaring with each breath. His

hand, drenched in sweat and clasped by Evadne, shook uncontrollably.

Before him was the haunting image of his mother plunging to her death. For the first time, he realized

the sound of a body hitting the ground from a height was so muffled, so heavy. He could even clearly

hear the sound of bones shattering.

He only looked once, but the pain and shadow of that glance would burden him for life, nearly crushing

him time and again. “Stop, Thaddeus, please stop.”

Evadne embraced him, as tightly as she could, wishing their hearts and pulses could intertwine. He

hadn’t shed a tear, yet she couldn’t help but let her own fall freely, dampening his white shirt.

“It’s okay. Despite all my hatred, I haven’t lost my mind to it; I haven’t fallen apart.”

Thaddeus’s eyes cleared, softened, as he wiped the small pearls from her cheeks with his rough

fingertips, “Most importantly, it’s because you’re by my side, Evadne. You don’t know how much you

mean to me. You’ve given me tremendous courage. Without it, I might have sunk into despair.”

In that moment, Arnold and Aaron saw the truth. Cassius was right. Evadne was Thaddeus’s lifeblood.

By the time the couple had calmed down, Aaron furrowed his brow and asked, “The maid heard the

argument die down in the room just about the same time you heard Elspeth fall from the balcony. Could

that be indirect proof that her fall has something to do with Elspeth? After all, she was the only one

there.”

“You mentioned earlier that your mom and Mr. Abernathy had been on better terms, and she was

furious when she found out that her medication had been tampered with Elspeth. Those don’t seem like

the actions of someone planning to end it all.”

Arnold chimed in with his own analysis, “While we lack concrete evidence, the truth might just be as we

suspect. It’s highly likely that she was pushed by Elspeth.”

“The maid said after my mom fell, Elspeth came rushing out of the room in a panic, bumping into her.

At that moment, Elspeth threatened the maid to keep silent, giving her a hefty sum of hush money so

she’d never have to serve the Abernathy family again. The maid said it wasn’t about the money; she

was more afraid of Elspeth’s revenge, so she took the money and stayed quiet,” Thaddeus wrapped his

arm around his woman, comforting her.

“She’s a key witness; you must protect her at all costs,” Aaron reminded sternly.

“First we need to pin down Elspeth’s drug charges, keep her detained and not let her out. Then, collect

more evidence as quickly as possible to prosecute Elspeth for murder!” Arnold’s eyes blazed with fury.

It was then that Evadne understood why Thaddeus didn’t arrest Elspeth on charges like incitement to

murder. Because he only got one shot, and it had to count. If he was not certain, he couldn’t make the

move!

“Thaddeus, you mentioned physical evidence?” Evadne asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.“”

The man’s eyes were deepened, his hand snaking around her waist, leaning in close as his lips grazed

her ear, “Later, behind closed doors, I’ll tell you all about it.”

Meanwhile, the Velvet Haven was a scene of carnage.

Harvey and Elsie stood at the basement door, listening to the blood–curdling screams within, which

were enough to make Harvey physically ill, though Elsie remained as indifferent as ever.

“You’re something else, not even batting an eyelid. The only other woman I’ve seen with nerves like

yours is Ms. Ashbourne.”

Elsie curled her lip coldly, “It’s sad enough that I resemble Evadne; am I not even allowed my own

personality?”

“Chill down, I didn’t say anything offensive, did I?” Before Harvey’s voice trailed off, the basement door

swung open.

Avery emerged, his white silk shirt splattered with blood, his face, neck, and elegant throat stained

crimson. He breathed heavily, blood mingling with sweat down his chiseled face, his eyes fierce and

vengeful, yet satisfied like a ghoul who had feasted on blood.

“Mr. Chambers,” Harvey and Elsie bowed in unison.

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

Avery tossed the bloodied whip onto the floor, removed his gold–rimmed glasses, and wiped the blood

droplets from the lenses

with the corner of his shirt.

Back in Helgen, whenever he felt stressed or upset, he’d go hunting in the mountains. Elmsworth didn’t

offer such luxuries, so he took to beating people instead. He found that beating people was far more

entertaining than hunting. A pastime he intended to keep.

The two followed Avery to the doorway without a word, but Harvey noticed Avery’s hand was bleeding.

He nudged the dazed Elsie,

“Ms. Archer, Mr. Chambers is hurt. Go tend to his wound!”

Elsie snapped out of it and hesitated before approaching, “Mr. Chambers, your hand is injured; let me

help you, ah!”

In a flash, Avery grabbed her wrist with almost savage force and dragged her into the room. The door

slammed shut, leaving Harvey outside, his heart suddenly heavy for Elsie.

Inside, Avery’s hunger manifested in a ferocious kiss upon Elsie’s trembling lips, his hands brutally

tearing her blouse to shreds. As they reached the bed, Elsie was left in her undergarments, arms

defensively covering her chest, her last barrier, shivering, “No, please. Mr. Chambers.”

“Elsie, you dare refuse me?” Avery’s weight bore down on her, glaring at her face, so similar to

Evadne’s, “Evadne could refuse me, but you? What right do you have?!”

With that, he struck her across the face.

Elsie reeled from the impact, her cheek swelling and ears ringing. She’d been with Avery for nearly a

decade, and despite his treatment of her as a plaything, he had never laid a hand on her.

That slap shattered the last of Elsie’s hopes for him.

He was moving further away from the perfect, kind, and gentle man she once knew. She was almost

unable to recognize him. Avery froze, lips parting slightly. Before he could speak, his phone rang. He

stepped away from Elsie, withdrawing the phone from his trouser pocket.

The name on the screen caused his brow to furrow deeply.

“Why do you find the time to call?”

“If I didn’t call, how would you handle your current troubles?” The voice on the other end was teasingly

light.

Avery turned his back to accept the call, but Elsie could still faintly hear the caller’s voice. It was

melodic, smooth, and distinctive, the kind you’d remember after just one listen.

“Even you are aware,” Avery’s attitude towards him was strikingly respectful.

“Yes, the Ashbourne family’s daughter is quite the character, isn’t she? Her beauty turns heads; her

temperament is to never rest until she stirs up a storm. I quite like her.”

Avery’s heart clenched, his lower lip bearing the mark of his teeth.

“But worry not, I’m a gentleman; I won’t covet what another desires. I won’t compete for the woman Mr.

Chambers loves.”

The man’s voice carried a light mockery, “Not only will I not compete, but I will also help you get Ms.

Ashbourne.”