His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 779

“Marilla’s gone?”

The news hit Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy like a cold blast of winter air.

“She’s gone! I’ve looked everywhere, she’s just not there!” Lily’s voice trembled on the verge of tears.

Evadne tried to keep her composure, softening her tone to soothe Lily’s distress,

“Lily, you only told us where Marilla might have been taken in the heat of the moment without any details. Now, take a deep breath and tell me everything that happened. Who informed you that Marilla had been taken to the old Wye factory?”

“Aaron and I were close on the kidnapper's heels when that hitman, the same one who took Marilla before, blocked our path!”

“Him again!” A sharp pang clenched Evadne’s heart.

The face that haunted her thoughts was the one Marilla had sketched, eerily resembling Hubery.

“I couldn’t overpower him, so Aaron decided to hold him off while I went to rescue Marilla!”

Lily bit her lip hard, “But that scoundrel brought backup, a woman! She traded a few blows with me, then deliberately knocked into my knife, wounding me severely. Then, she whispered to me where Marilla was being held and urged me to go save her. I thought I’d found an ally, but it was a ploy—a diversion, a ruse! She sent me away to make it easier to deal with Aaron! Ms. Evadne, I’ve been such a fool! I deserve to die!”

“Lily, Aaron’s fine, he’s already en route with backup. Don’t worry, and don’t blame yourself.” Thaddeus' voice was deep and calm, patiently comforting her.

As Evadne’s mind raced, a thought struck her, and she asked urgently, “What did this woman look like?”

“She wore a mask, but her eyes, I’ll never forget those eyes.”

Lily’s voice was full of conviction, “Because they looked so much like yours.”

“I understand now.”

Evadne exhaled, her tense insides finally relaxing a bit, “Lily, she’s our friend. I can’t tell you who, for her own safety. But I believe the information she gave you is reliable!”

With that, Thaddeus also had a hunch about the woman's identity, but a darker shadow crossed his brow.

Lily still sounded panicked, her voice hoarse, “If it’s true, then why can’t I find Marilla?”

“Perhaps she only heard snippets of information. But one thing is certain, she wouldn't be far from that area!”

Evadne clenched her fists, her gaze sharp as a hawk’s, “The area around that factory is desolate, no residential zones, not much in the way of buildings. Search the surroundings thoroughly, you’re bound to find something!”

“Yes!”

As the call ended, Evadne and Thaddeus exchanged a glance that conveyed volumes and simultaneously uttered,

“Avery!”

Whether this time or the last, the mastermind behind the shadows had always been Avery!

It explained how Gary had found such formidable support; the hitman was one of Snakey Avery’s men!

Avery was pulling the strings, attempting to use Gary as a pawn to destroy Jareth and overturn the Fairhaven group, positioning himself to reap the rewards in the aftermath.

What sent shivers down Evadne’s spine was that Avery, who had frequented the Ashbourne family since his youth, would certainly have seen and recognized Hubery.

Knowing that the hitman bore a striking resemblance to Hubery, he still chose to exploit him in his scheme to harm her and Thaddeus' dearest friend.

Such cunning and malicious intent was beyond comprehension!

Seeing their lustful stares, the woman in the red dress sneered with disdain and jealousy, “Back in school, you guys couldn’t stand Marilla, and now what, got a taste for her?”

One of the men in a white casual outfit laughed wickedly, “Back then she was just a kid, who knew she’d turn out so fine? What man wouldn’t be hooked?”

"Nobody can deny that Jareth has an eye for beauty. No wonder the word on the street is that he hung up his wild days after he started taking care of his young, pretty wife. If I had a little stunner like that at home, I wouldn't be interested in playing the field either. And Marilla, bless her heart, she's a bit naive. It's easier when they're a touch gullible, easier to handle," one of the men remarked with a sigh.

The woman in the red dress gave him a cold, sidelong glance. "Oh, what's this? If you're so smitten, why don't you marry her, Frank?"

Frank stepped back as if he'd seen a ghost. "No way, no way! If my dad found out I brought home a girl with a screw loose, he'd have my head!"

Marilla's swollen eyelids were half-closed, her complexion pale as snow, looking as if she might shatter into pieces any moment.

In a daze, she saw two figures approach.

Then, a voice tinged with mockery floated down to her ears,

"Marilla, look up. Look at who I am."

It was Edith's voice.

Marilla, barely holding onto life, struggled to lift her eyelids.

The next second, her bloodshot eyes slowly widened, her choked throat struggled to speak as if pierced by a thorn,

"Edith."

"Tsk, how rude,'" Edith said with a cold sneer. She kicked Marilla disdainfully and continued, "Do you have any idea how hard it's been for us to meet again? Do you know the lengths I've gone through to come back to Elmsworth? The hell I've endured abroad? Tonight, we've got a rare opportunity. It's time for us to catch up, my dear sister. Time to settle some scores."