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!”

it under wraps until the divorce. Their three–year

engaged to Edith, what was all that deep affection

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

bad!”

like knives, each word stabbing at

was thunderstruck by the engagement news,

!

and Evadne’s reconciliation known

Frederic genuinely wanted to unite with the Fairhaven Group; he was just using Evadne’s most cherished person, her own son to take revenge

Despicable, petty schemer!

is grand news! Congratulations, Mr. Frederic Abernathy, and to you,

you joking, Mr. Frederic

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,

threaten your own life, I will not marry Edith!”

speechless! Even the worldly William and his son

at Thaddeus, but seeing him defy his father so boldly in front of such distinguished guests, he couldn’t

Thaddeus Abernathy just say?

father and son is

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

such intensity, as if he were

guests at the party exchanged surprised glances

Thaddeus is clueless about this arranged marriage, like Mr. Frederic Abernathy just traded him out.”

to force a

the Fairhaven family are even more out of line. Knowing full well that Thaddeus is smitten with Evadne, they push Edith on him, making

couldn’t stand the embarrassment. Whose face is she trying to save?”

shame, probably over the moon now that she gets to

these jibes, her face turning the color of

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.

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.

from the media, they

underestimated Thaddeus’s love for Evadne.

is not child’s play. It’s not what you can

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

Evadne, I’ll marry no

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