His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 576

Several yards away, Thaddeus's gaze was like ice, locking with Frederic's in a silent standoff.

Rows of black chairs stood between them, like a thicket of brambles fraught with the turbulent whispers of secrets and deceit.

The air pressure in the banquet hall plummeted, leaving Dennis and the manager dumbstruck, their scalps tingling with an inexplicable chill.

"Thaddeus, what are you doing here? What the hell is going on?" Frederic had his suspicions, but anger compelled him to seek confirmation.

"The answer is quite obvious, isn't it, Mr. Abernathy?"

Clad in a tailored grey suit, Thaddeus stood his ground, his aura of insurmountable pride and cold aloofness pressing down on Frederic—the kind of pressure that made the seasoned corporate mogul struggle to catch his breath.

The scales were tipping. Thaddeus was soon to be the wave that would crush him upon the shore. The intimidation and oppression he felt now surpassed anything he had known in his youth.

For a fleeting moment, he was grateful no outsiders were present to witness their confrontation.

"The reporters you invited? I sent them packing. It seems they'd rather cross you than dare to cross me," Thaddeus's lips curled into a frosty smirk.

"You, why would you do this?" Frederic's blood boiled, his ears ringing with the surge of his pulse. "Is it that bitch from the Ashbourne family pulling your strings? Have you truly forsaken your own family's dignity and reputation for her, not seeing she's playing you for a fool?"

Thaddeus's handsome visage darkened, a tempest swirling in his eyes, "My actions are my own, and they are unrelated to Evadne. I will not allow you to insult the woman I am to marry."

Frederic's pupils constricted in shock!

Dennis and the manager, upon hearing this, were petrified!

"Besides, even if Evadne were toying with me, what of it? If it brings a smile to the face of the one I love, then I welcome it with open arms."

"Madman, you're out of your mind!" Frederic, the tycoon at the helm, resorted to the coarsest of language in his fury.

"At least that's better than you, harboring a criminal, losing all sense of right and wrong," Thaddeus retorted without a flinch.

Frederic, consumed by wrath, exclaimed, "I am the chairman of the Abernathy Group. Every decision I make is for the benefit of our family and corporation! You selfish fool, engrossed in your romantic delusions, how can you understand the sacrifices I've made?"

In Thaddeus's eyes lay a cold desolation.

He wished he had never existed rather than to learn that his mother's love and trust had been bestowed upon a man of such callous hypocrisy.

"Tomorrow morning at nine, we'll settle this in court."

Without another word, Thaddeus strode past Frederic, his parting shot hanging in the air, "Whatever tricks you and Cedric have up your sleeves, bring them on. But no matter what you do, there will only be one outcome. And that is to watch Elspeth pay for her crimes and face the harshest of judgments."

In the parking lot, Evadne hacked into the hotel's surveillance system once more, bearing witness to the clash between Thaddeus and his father.

She was heartened to see Thaddeus defend her without hesitation, but the increasingly strained father-son relationship posed a significant risk to his position.

Although his grandfather doted on his, age had limited his influence.

Thaddeus still held power, but should Chad return in good form, the Abernathy Group's future was uncertain.

Regardless of Thaddeus's claims of indifference, Evadne couldn't help but consider his well-being. After all, it was the empire he had built. If he lost his throne for her sake, she couldn't just stand by.

Knock, knock, knock—

The sound on her car window pulled her from her thoughts, and she quickly closed her laptop, turning to face the source.

Thaddeus stood outside, with two cups of coffee in hand, his gaze filled with adoration.

Evadne quickly opened the car door, allowing him to slide in and hand her a warm cup.

"Spying again?"

She pressed her lips together, holding the coffee cup with both hands, "Well. I can't have you getting bullied, can I?"

"Do I look good?" Thaddeus's hand gently brushed the top of her head, his fingers softly playing with her hair.

Evadne leaned in, planting a kiss on his cheek.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, his breath warm on her nose, "I owe you one for today. Without you representing the K Group and pressuring the media, my influence alone wouldn't have kept all the city's reporters at bay. Frederic hates me for ruining his plans, but even more for making him lose face."

"Thaddeus," Evadne began, her voice soft but firm, "Promise me, once this Elspeth matter is settled, try to avoid direct conflicts with your father. Okay?"

"Are you worried about me?" Thaddeus lifted her chin, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm serious."

"After Elspeth gets what she deserves, I promise you, as long as Frederic doesn't target your family or trouble you again, I'll let bygones be bygones."

Then Thaddeus's phone rang.

He checked the screen, his eyes softening with complexity, "Evadne, it's Grandpa. He wants to see us."

On the way to Havenbrook Villa, both of them harbored worries.

They knew how much Hamilton cherished them.

But calling them at such a critical time—had he learned of Thaddeus's intervention at the press conference? Had Frederic already complained, summoning them for a reckoning?