His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 402

"Mr. Thaddeus has always worn a watch, not out of fondness, but as a means to cover the scar on his wrist."

Evadne, once his wife, couldn’t have missed that mark.

But she had always assumed it was a remnant of his war days—a badge of honor from his time on the battlefield. She'd never imagined that behind that jagged scar was such a harrowing tale.

"Perhaps you're curious, Evadne, why Mr. Thaddeus clung so desperately to Acacia, a woman as vindictive, selfish, and vain as they come. It's because he is a man of loyalty and simplicity. Apart from Acacia, he had never been with any other woman. The day he tried to take his own life, Acacia was the first to find him and save him. If it weren't for her, he might not have survived," Alva asserted, rubbing her tired eyes. "Moreover, as a child, Mr. Thaddeus was labeled an illegitimate son. He was ostracized at school, and no one wanted to be around him. Acacia was the only one who stood with him. I used to wonder how a girl so young could possess such patience and maturity beyond her years. But it turned out, all of these were orchestrated by Elspeth, who used Acacia to control Mr. Thaddeus! Poor Mr. Thaddeus, lost his mother to Elspeth’s scheming and was manipulated by the niece of his enemy. Why does fate have to be so cruel to him?”

Overwhelmed by emotion, Alva broke down in tears.

Stunned, Evadne felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her body was numb, and the overwhelming shock left her speechless.

She despised Acacia, naturally.

But now, she understood why Thaddeus had clung to that woman so tenaciously.

Perhaps he had naively believed that Acacia loved him, that she genuinely cared for him, that she was his savior, his redemption.

No wonder he couldn't see Evadne back then.

If she were in his shoes, she might not have been able to let go either.

"Despite all this, Mr. Thaddeus truly regrets his past and has completely let go of Acacia and the Stirlings," Alva assured Evadne, looking into her reddened eyes. "Gordon told me about your discovery of Mr. Thaddeus' house in Sunset Ridge and your anger over it. You thought Mr. Thaddeus was holding onto that house because he still had feelings for Acacia."

"Alva.” Evadne began, her voice bitter and her eyes dull.

"Gordon usually jokes around and is thick-skinned. But that day, he was crying in front of me, looking as pitiful as a monkey’s butt. He said if you and Mr. Thaddeus can't reconcile, he would consider himself a sinner for life. He'd quit his job after finishing his last task," Alva recalled, her heart aching for Gordon.

"Quit? Why?" Evadne asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"He said the night Mr. Thaddeus broke up with Acacia, Mr. Thaddeus instructed him to sell the villa immediately and burn all things related to Acacia. However, the real estate market in Elmsworth was bad and the villa remained unsold. Gordon, being preoccupied, forgot about it. He mentioned that Mr. Thaddeus was furious when he woke up at the villa after Mr. Jareth brought him there and you saw things you shouldn’t have. Mr. Thaddeus was so mad at Jareth that their twenty-year friendship was almost ruined."

Evadne's eyes widened as her breath hitched.

"Gordon was terrified. He said he hadn't slept well for days. Now, the house has been dealt with, and everything related to Acacia has been destroyed. He wants to apologize to you when the time is right. He's willing to take any punishment you give him, as long as you don't ignore Mr. Thaddeus."

"Alva. That issue has passed," Evadne said, clutching Alva's hand, her voice low and hoarse. "I was angry. I didn’t want to see anything related to Acacia in his life. But now that the misunderstanding has been cleared, I'm not angry anymore, really."

"I understand! Mr. Thaddeus is a good man, he doesn't have a wicked bone in his body. His only flaw is his lack of emotional intelligence. He can be really dumb sometimes! Seeing how upset you were tonight, did Mr. Thaddeus do something to upset you? Tell me, and I'll teach that boy a lesson! I’ll give him a good spanking and make him apologize to you,” Alva said, her face filled with righteous indignation.

Tears welled up in Evadne's red-rimmed eyes. She wrapped her arms around Alva's waist and buried her face in her chest.

For a moment, she thought about telling Alva about the baby.

But in the end, she swallowed her tears and kept the secret to herself.

"Alva, thank you for telling me all this, and thank you for caring about me. I'm fine, really."

Late at night. Silence.

Thaddeus sat alone in his room, his handsome face clouded with sorrow.

Throughout the night, he had wanted to check on Evadne multiple times but feared disturbing her.

Alva didn't mention why Evadne was upset when she returned, but she did have a long talk with him about Elspeth.

In the end, Alva cried her heart out, but she promised to act as if she knew nothing about Elspeth to avoid alerting her.

Now, the flames of vengeance were burning fiercely, and everything was being stealthily prepared.

At this crucial time, they can't afford any mishap. The slightest carelessness might prevent them from exposing Elspeth's heinous crimes!

"Mr. Thaddeus, I have this feeling. Evadne seems to be carrying a heavy burden, and I think it has something to do with you. But since she won't tell me, I don't know how to approach it."

"Mr. Thaddeus, although things seem to have eased between you and Mrs. Abernathy, it's clear she hasn't completely warmed up to you. She still has reservations. So, you must be infinitely patient with Mrs. Abernathy. A woman's heart is delicate and sensitive. Perhaps she remembered something unhappy from your past and it might make her ignore you. So, no matter how she treats you, just bear it. After all, you were the one who wronged her.”

Thaddeus heaved a sigh, massaging his tense brow with a gloomy expression.

He wasn't impatient.

Even if Evadne was moody with him for a lifetime, he would still indulge her and love her.

He just wanted to know why she was upset.

He had been pondering it all night, his heart aching, and his spirit drained, but he just couldn't figure it out.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just three light knocks, enough to awaken Thaddeus from his self-pity, like a ray of sunshine piercing through a storm.

Alva had already gone to bed, and she had a more urgent and heavier knock.

So the person outside could only be Evadne!

Thaddeus' heart pounded. He dashed over to open the door in three strides.

Standing in the doorway was Evadne, her mesmerizing eyes meeting his gaze.

She was still wearing that sexy pink silk robe, her alluring figure barely contained. The sight of the white straps peeking out was enough to stir his blood.

Evadne tightly pursed her lips, her flawless complexion radiant in the soft light, soft and smooth as porcelain, captivating Thaddeus.

He stared at her, his body burning with desire.

He blushed, like a drunk man, utterly helpless.

"Evadne."

"I can't sleep, and I'm a bit hungry. I want some late-night snacks."

Evadne averted his hot gaze and lifted the white box in her hand. "I heard from Alva that you like sweets when you're upset, so I got a cake. Do you want some?"

Thaddeus suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears, and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hey, do you want it or not?" Evadne was almost out of breath from his embrace.

"Evadne, I'm scared." He murmured in her ear, his voice choked with emotion.

He was strong, handsome, and aloof, yet now he seemed as vulnerable as a wronged puppy.

"Scared of what?"

"Scared that you won't pay attention to me anymore. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache as if it's being stabbed."

Evadne's eyes flickered, a wave of empathy washing over her.

She knew all too well how he felt.

Once, during the three years she was married to him, she lived in constant fear, afraid that he would ignore her, afraid that he would divorce her.

Now, having tasted the bitterness of love, it was his turn.

Evadne walked into the room, opened the box of cake. The creamy strawberry cake emitted a mouthwatering aroma that made her swallow.