His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 620

"What on earth has Bevis been up to now?" Evadne asked with a steely tone, her eyes deep and unfathomable as the depths of a dark lake.

Thaddeus couldn't help but feel that Bevis, a distant cousin of the Ashbourne Group and the only brother of Chairman Emeric, seemed to be anything but well-behaved.

He had always thought the Ashbourne family to be a rare example of unity and harmony, but it seemed even they were not immune to having a black sheep in their midst.

"Bevis got into some backdoor stock options to make a quick buck, but then the stock market of Country M took a nosedive and he lost a fortune," explained Cassius, his brow furrowed in disapproval. "He could have backed out in time to save himself, but he got some wild idea that the government of Country M was going to stabilize the market, so he doubled down on his options. Only he didn't have the funds, so he started eyeing the company's money."

"Bevis is the king of fools! His brains are worth less than the cobblestones!" Evadne fumed, her fist thudding against the car window.

Thaddeus took her hand in his, sharing her sentiment, "Options trading is a high-stakes game, it's like throwing dice with no chance to win. Just six months ago, one of our execs at Abernathy Group got in so deep he ended up jumping from his office building."

Jason was equally livid, dropping all formalities, "A few days ago, when Ruby was going over the financial reports, she found two discrepancies that screamed fraud. She reported it straight to President Ashbourne, and that's how Bevis got caught. If it weren't for that, we would've been in an even bigger mess. As it is, we're still down by over five million!"

Ruby was the finance director, a trusted protégé personally mentored by Cassius.

The reason KS Group had dominated the business world and remained at the pinnacle of Skyrim's elite for decades was because the Ashbourne patriarchs had a keen eye for talent and knew how to place the right people in the right positions.

"Heh, Cassius, you practically saved Bevis' life."

Evadne clenched her teeth, "Otherwise, he'd be the next one taking a dive off the roof!"

Cassius sighed helplessly, "I tried to handle this quietly, but word still got back to Dad. You can imagine how furious he was."

"And to make matters worse, Bevis had the audacity to argue back, refusing to repent and even said some outrageous things. It was enough to give Dad a stroke," Evadne hissed, shuddering with rage.

"In front of Mr. Ashbourne?" Thaddeus asked gravely.

"Yes, Dylan was there too. Thank God he was. He got Dad to the hospital in time to save his life," Cassius replied, his eyes reflecting the chill of his words.

Thaddeus fell silent, his handsome features shadowed with thought.

"Cassius's words are heavy with meaning, but family matters are not my place to comment," he mused.

Evadne's eyes blazed with a cold fire, and only Thaddeus' embrace kept her from losing all composure.

"How does your dad intend to deal with this second son of the Ashbourne family?" Thaddeus finally asked, voicing the question both he and Evadne wanted an answer to.

"Just the thought of it burns me up!" Jason couldn't contain his anger anymore, his foot pressing hard on the accelerator, "Bevis' debt, that fifty million hole, Chairman Emeric covered it with his own money! And he's keeping it under wraps, minimizing the whole ordeal. In other words, he doesn't want to pursue it!"

Thaddeus was taken aback but quickly understood, "Mr. Ashbourne must hold a significant position within the conglomerate. If word got out, it could cause a chain reaction that could hurt the whole family."

Evadne's heart ached, "It's not just about that. It's also because Emeric values family too much. Bevis is his only brother, they grew up together. He's always been protective, too soft-hearted to come down hard on him."

Thaddeus nodded in understanding, "Indeed, Chairman Emeric is a man of loyalty and honor. Without such traits, how could the Ashbourne family have remained so close?"

"Bevis wasn't always like this."

As times changed, Cassius couldn't help but be reflective, "Dad told me once that when they were kids, because he was so stubborn and rebellious, he often got punished by Granddad. He'd get locked in the chapel to copy scriptures, with no food or sleep. Back then, Bevis was a crafty little chap. He'd stand up for Dad in front of Granddad and sneak into the chapel at night to feed him and even help him copy scriptures. His imitation of other people's handwriting was so good, he copied dozens of pieces and Granddad never noticed the difference. But I don't know when he changed. It seems power and wealth can indeed corrupt and change a person's nature."

Evadne's expression remained icy, "But even so, Dad never wronged him, never let him down. When he put his own greed above the wellbeing of the company, did he spare a thought for Dad? He only sees the glory of being chairman, oblivious to the hardships of holding power!

Dad may let this slide, but I will not! I won't let it rest!"

Thaddeus and Cassius exchanged a look that was heavy with unspoken understanding.

They knew all too well that Evadne, with her iron will, would never tolerate Bevis' betrayal.

The car's heater was on, but the atmosphere remained chillingly tense.

To lighten the mood, Thaddeus searched for a safe topic of conversation:

"Cassius, that's a sharp suit you're wearing."

Evadne glanced at her brother, recognizing at once the tailoring of Camille.

Cassius smiled faintly, "Dr. Bright gave it to me."

His voice couldn't hide his pleasure, even revealing a hint of bragging rights.

Thaddeus let out a low whistle. "Nice."

Cassius suddenly felt an uneasy flutter in his chest, his cheeks flushing with warmth. "Ahem, don't get the wrong idea. He gave me the clothes to thank me for looking after him these past few months."

Thaddeus' long lashes flickered in surprise. "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?"

Cassius sat up straighter, turning his face away, his heartbeat racing.

It was like proclaiming there was no silver buried here—a dead giveaway.

When they arrived at the hospital, it was the wee hours of the morning.

"No need to say more, Suri, I understand."

Evadne quickly reassured her, understandingly. "When Aaron's on a mission, he needs to stay focused. Any distraction could be life-threatening. Let's not tell him until he's safely back. Safety first."

Thaddeus stood quietly to the side, content to watch her surrounded by her loved ones, willing to be the man in her shadow.

As long as she had what she needed, he felt fulfilled.

As long as she was happy, he was happy.

"President Ashbourne, Ms. Ashbourne!"

Suddenly, Jason rushed in, his face a mix of anger and confusion. "Trouble, Avery is here!"

Evadne and Thaddeus' expressions darkened instantly, a united front.

"Ah, that piece of work thinks he can stir trouble? I haven’t slept well in three days; I’ve got a lot of pent-up rage looking for an outlet," Elvis narrowed his eyes, cracking his neck.

Arnold spat, "After all that's happened, he still has the nerve to show up, pretending everything's fine? Does he have some kind of nerve, or is he just plain delusional?"

Evadne's voice was icy. "Tell him to get lost."

"But he says he's got something important to hand over to you, something you'll definitely need," Jason hurriedly continued, not wanting to delay Evadne's business.

"Playing games again. Does he think I'll fall for his tricks again? That I'll trust him?" Evadne's eyes seethed with hatred, her fists cracking with tension.

Thaddeus' lips thinned, his expression serious. "Evadne, I'm here, and your brothers are here, he can't pull anything. Let's meet him and see what he's up to this time."

Evadne was surprised that this man had become more open-minded than her; in the past, he certainly wouldn't have suggested such a thing.

Elvis raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Oh, look at you, all enlightened? Snakey Avery is your number one rival, Thaddeus. Aren't you afraid of a little green-eyed monster when rivals clash?"

Thaddeus just slightly lifted his lips, nonchalantly responding, "I haven't thought that much. I'm just afraid of missing out on something that might indeed be important to Evadne."

Evadne's brothers admired Thaddeus' magnanimity. This guy had the right idea.

Evadne paused, furrowing her brows, and then decided to follow Thaddeus' advice.

"Let Snakey Avery come in."