His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 479

Edith felt dizzy after the punishment, stars exploding in her vision while the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Pain radiated from her ears, making her entire body convulse as she bared her teeth in agony.

In the face of excruciating pain, all concerns for maintaining her composure and her dignified heiress demeanor were thrown to the winds.

"Ah, Ah! My ear. My ear is killing me!"

After being struck twice on the right cheek, a piercing ringing filled her ear, and she howled with pain.

"Oh, Edith! My poor Edith!"

Barry's eyes bulged in shock as he rushed to Edith's side, his cane forgotten as he tried to help her up with trembling, bony hands.

But Edith had no strength left to rise. The ferocity of Jareth's powerful blow was evident, and she could only collapse to the ground, weeping bitterly, "Grandpa Barry, my ear, it hurts so much. I can't hear anything in my right ear."

"Edith! What did you say?!" Barry turned pale with fright.

But even his loud voice, from such a short distance, barely registered as a faint whisper to Edith. Trembling, she released her hand from her right ear, opening her palm to reveal. Drops of bright red blood stood out starkly, sending her into utter panic as she burst into tears, "My ear...I've gone deaf!"

Bodyguards and secretaries crowded around, shouting for doctors and calling for ambulances, creating a chaotic scene reminiscent of a disturbed henhouse.

Jareth watched the Fairhaven family's pandemonium with icy detachment, as if an invisible barrier of cold ice stood between him and the Fairhaven Group.

Once, he had taken pride in being the eldest grandson of the Fairhaven Group. Now, he only felt shame and humiliation.

"Jareth! Have you lost your mind?!" Barry glared at him in disbelief, his vision darkening for a moment as he struggled to catch his breath, "Edith is your own sister! Your parents' only daughter! How could you strike her so cruelly?!"

A sinister smile curled Jareth's lips, "As the eldest brother, I'm the patriarch in my father's absence. Do you find something amiss in my disciplining her?"

The crowd gasped at his audacity. His words were outrageous yet carried an air of strange justification.

"You're nothing but a thankless whelp!"

Barry, red-faced with anger, sputtered, "Edith is my granddaughter! I am the head of the Fairhaven family! How dare you raise your hand against your own sister in front of me? Do you still have respect for your elders?!"

"Of course."

Jareth's eyes flashed a terrifying blood-red, "It's out of respect for you that I merely slapped her insolent mouth. Otherwise, I might have killed her."

The guests were struck silent by the gravity of his words.

Cassius stared at Jareth, dumbfounded. He had always thought of him as a carefree playboy with a sense of loyalty. But now, seeing him risk his inheritance and face the possibility of alienation to defend Evadne and set things right, Cassius was overwhelmed with gratitude and regret for ever underestimating him.

After hearing Jareth's words, Edith trembled violently, seeking refuge in Barry's embrace.

Barry was at a loss for words, choked with indignation.

"Jareth, Ms. Edith Fairhaven is still your sister. Speaking so harshly not only reflects poorly on you but also wounds your family's feelings. It's a loss all around."

Originally, things seemed to develop in favor of Frederic, yet he hadn’t expect Jareth appeared this moment to mess up the situation, hence attempting to exert his authority as an elder. His tone was advisory on the surface, but underneath lay a clear warning, "Besides, this matter ultimately concerns my son and Ms. Ashbourne. It's a dispute between the Abernathy family and the Ashbourne family, so perhaps you should take Mr. Barry and Ms. Edith Fairhaven home. This doesn't require your involvement."

"Well. Are you suggesting that Edith bears no responsibility for exposing Ms. Ashbourne's private afflictions in front of all these people, for tearing open her wounds for public spectacle, just to satisfy her own vile vengefulness? Is that what you're saying?" Jareth's words cut deeply, stripping away Edith's last shreds of dignity.

His words also reopened Evadne's tender wounds. She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and despite her best efforts to hold back, tears began to fall, each one striking Thaddeus's heart with devastating force, leaving it almost a tragic ruin.

“Evadne. Evadne.” He thought, “How I long to walk over to you, to embrace and kiss you with all the fervor of those passionate nights. But do I still deserve to? Do I even have the right to hold you anymore?”

"Jareth, are you insulting me?!" Frederic strained to keep his composure, his jawline tense.

"You speak in riddles, like a cryptic puzzle. I'm a straightforward man, and that's how I interpret it. I wonder what everyone else thinks." Jareth said, adopting a bored, dissolute demeanor as he casually cleaned his ear, "And I'm acquainted with your son, not you. So, in the future, please call me Mr. Jareth Fairhaven. It's more to my liking."

Frederic's face collapsed, his expression sourer than if he'd swallowed something foul. Impressive, Mr. Jareth Fairhaven! What a move! He’d turned the tables, leaving no room for retort.

The crowd turned their eyes to the ashen-faced Frederic, shaking their heads in a mix of disappointment and disdain.