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 marriage was a well–kept secret, and now it’s just the
Thaddeus is to be engaged to Edith, what was all
family secrets nearly got spilled! If I were Mr. Frederic Abernathy,
bad!”
murmurs were like knives, each word stabbing at Evadne’s bleeding heart.
news,
!
and Evadne’s reconciliation known to
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
Despicable, petty schemer!
was taken aback, blinking in surprise, “Wow! That certainly is grand news! Congratulations, Mr. Frederic Abernathy, and to you, Mr.
Mr.
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
threaten your own life,
William and his son were
such distinguished guests, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker
say? Did I hear
between father and son is about
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
with such intensity, as if he were the only person in the world who
the party exchanged surprised glances
like Thaddeus is clueless about this arranged marriage, like Mr. Frederic Abernathy just
a marriage like this, is
well that Thaddeus is smitten
Edith, I couldn’t stand the embarrassment. Whose
She has no shame, probably over the moon now that
her face turning the color
grandfather bruised as well. He knew this marriage gambit was risky. Even if Frederic
Barry figured that with the engagement announced in such a grand setting, with all eyes
rebellion from Thaddeus would tarnish his reputation. With a little help from the media, they could paint
love for Evadne. He
It’s not what you can
debate!” He spoke with barely contained rage, “Even if you don’t. want to marry Ms. Edith Fairhaven, Evadne will
I’ll marry no
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FdP46JmeS+j4hkLf2yx34xi/IATXQK7j6wHPGBO2qz3RfTPgfR0sHUBqBnh89YtSOWoa7s1Eylp937ZuLLA2I4qb5+MgMM2M+bjLRmrpSVYSj0TMAMo+qp0YP2nsUtjJ3I9R7PueeTSrE+0Dow7kkSei3dzZheLWndocK3DARBHZFLvX4YKUhXX7BcskTnkB8G2xecsXsd4gDSk63LM8r/JU7xURJ8aaDWogQIPLoI6wQlK31sUYwBeVFoC9bSnvRwP68veNCPLszHbYPnk2LteHDaBpI9Uev5hkU54EZOgmC983zjama+QiKNybcbCvmPQRrdsqcJ+w19U0hloSpOJ2CkAI2sm6bNXQO3kQHUayRfD9y3Y2mIfOO20oJaX+CMv3u7o5hS0=
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