His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 608

"You are my fan?" Evadne fluttered her long lashes.

“Well, knock me over with a feather.” She thought to herself, “How's that for a plot twist?”

But what really threw Evadne for a loop was Chad's mention of "even longer ago". She'd managed to keep her persona "Alea" under wraps for years.

So Chad was saying he knew all along that she was Alea?

"I've heard about your adventures, and I've always felt like you were someone I knew, vibrant and familiar. You never seemed like a stranger to me," Chad said with earnest eyes that were clear as a mountain spring.

"HaHa! She’s quite the celebrity, isn't she?"

Hamilton beamed with pride, took Evadne by the left hand and Thaddeus by the right, and placed their hands together in front of Chad, "Thaddeus, you better treat Ilana like the treasure she is. Look at how famous she’s become, such a shining star. She's our family's good luck charm!"

Evadne's lips were pressed gently, a delicate blush painting her cheeks.

Thaddeus interlaced his fingers with hers, their hands locked tight, "Grandpa Hamilton, you have nothing to worry about. I may be Evadne's man, but she, she is my entire world."

On the other side, the video call ended.

Chad sat in a sleek black wheelchair, his features cold and inscrutable in the dim light that seemed to split his soul in two.

His arms rested on the armrests; under the ritzy clothes inlaid with sapphire on the cuffs, the wrists were vulnerably placed, his slender fingers dancing silently over the surface as if playing a piano concerto in the void.

"Sir, it's time for your medication."

Alexia approached gracefully with a tray bearing an array of pills and a baroque crystal glass.

Chad glanced at the medicines, a wry smile tugging at his frosty lips, "Taking so many pills every day, it's like they're my daily bread. I wonder if my blood's turned as toxic and bitter as these."

Alexia's eyes brimmed with sympathy, "Sir, you've been through so much, endured so many injustices."

"And so have you," Chad picked up a pill with a practiced grace.

The woman shook her head, "Compared to you, what have I suffered?

"If I hadn't made that mistake back then, it would've been my brother in this chair, not me."

Chad chewed on another pill like a piece of candy, "If Thaddeus had to endure what I have, Alexia, would you ache for him?"

Alexia knelt beside him, cradling his cold hand as if it were a precious gem, "Sir, rest assured. Even if the whole world turns against you, I will never betray you. To this day, my disdain for Thaddeus matches the hatred I harbor for Evadne!"

Chad's gaze dropped to hers.

She had been molded perfectly to his will. Yet, recalling Evadne's captivating face from the video, Alexia, despite her allure, paled in comparison.

"Do you think I'm in the mood now?"

Hamilton clutched at his chest, gasping for breath, "Murray, I'm terribly uneasy. I was afraid they'd see through my facade and worry unnecessarily."

"Because of Chad?"

"There's a lot I can't say outright. You know that."

The old man was a bundle of nerves, restless and anxious, "Right now, I'm more concerned about Ilana than Thaddeus. Maybe, I should go to Skyrim myself in the next few days, ask Chairman Ashbourne for his blessing of those two kids’ engagement. Better to get it done sooner rather than later, to avoid any complications."

"Mr. Abernathy, please, calm down."

Murray tried to reason with him, "Although Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy and Ms. Ashbourne are deeply in love, their relationship has only recently stabilized. After all the turmoil, and because of our negligence, Ms. Ashbourne has lost the chance to be a mother forever. The painful past had weighed heavily on Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy, but through sheer grit, he had managed to suppress it for the time being. The Ashbourne family was beginning to thaw in their dealings with him. To broach the subject of marriage at this critical juncture would only serve to irritate Chairman Ashbourne, who might perceive it as overstepping our bounds, taking advantage of his newfound goodwill. It could very well backfire! Chairman Ashbourne was a tough nut to crack - an enigmatic character if there ever was one!”

Hamilton raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, “Ah, what to do?! I’m worried sick that some other suitor will sweep Ilana off her feet!”

“Don’t fret about that. Their love is rock solid, unbreakable. The problem lies in the strained relations between the Abernathy family and the Ashbourne family; we need to approach this delicately. Besides, over dinner tonight, they even mentioned the marriage between Jareth and Marilla. You'll need to put in a good word for them as well.”

Murray thought of Marilla with a twinge of sympathy, “Poor Ms. Marilla, she’s truly unfortunate. To have Jareth so devoted to her, through thick and thin. If she were to miss out on him, it’d be the regret of a lifetime.”

Hamilton let out a deep sigh and slapped his hand on the armrest, “They’re all my children, and I love them dearly. I’ll go to the ends of the earth for them, even if it costs me my last breath, to ensure they all find happiness.”