Chapter 512
Avery’s expression froze.
Emeric hadn’t mentioned his name or pointed fingers at him directly, but every word seemed to be a direct attack
aiming at him. And a burning anger surged from the depths of his heart, coloring his pale cheeks.
“Mr. Emeric, everything Thaddeus is doing now is just to please Evadne, to deceive her, Avery said, his fingers
clenched so tightly that it seemed they might pierce his skin. “If he truly loved Evadne, after three years of
marriage, day in and day out, with Evadne being such a beautiful and accomplished woman, how could any normal
man not fall for her? But he heartlessly abandoned her in the end, which proved that he never truly cared for
Evadne. It wasn’t love!”
“Wasn’t love?” Emeric raised an eyebrow.
“Have you ever considered when Thaddeus actually started having feelings for Evadne? Wasn’t it after their divorce
when he found out that the wife he’d looked down upon for three years was actually the heiress to the K Group? As
everyone knows, Thaddeus isn’t the legitimate son of Mr. Frederic. His mother got her position in a way that was far
from honorable, and could be considered as illegitimate. If Mr. Frederic’s elder son hadn’t been ill, how could he let
Thaddeus manage the Abernathy Group and take on such a responsibility? Now he’s doggedly pursuing Evadne. Do
you really think his intentions are purely innocent? Isn’t there a hint of personal interest? Doesn’t he harbor any
desire to use the Ashbourne family’s influence to change his own awkward situation?”
Avery’s eyes were filled with anxiety as he passionately spoke, almost wearing out his tongue, “He forced Evadne to
divorce him, planning to marry someone else. Such behavior is despicable to the core. Once unfaithful, aren’t you
afraid he’ll do it again and again? Are you really willing to gamble your precious daughter’s happiness to test
Thaddeus’s character?!”
Mr. Dylan, listening silently by the side, furrowed his brow subtly and observed Avery.
He hadn’t noticed that before; but now it was clear that Mr. Avery had quite the silver tongue.
If such a tongue were used to distort truth and rumors, the potential for damage was not to be underestimated.
“Mr. Avery, you seem to know my daughter better than her own father.”
A smile still played at the corner of Emeric’s eyes, yet his tone carried a chilling edge, “If Thaddeus is, as you
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtdescribe, a man who only values wealth over people, why would he have accepted my daughter who was hiding her
true identity? He could have easily married into a wealthy family, couldn’t he?”
Stunned into silence, Avery had no response.
“I’m getting old. I can look after Evadne for a while but not for a lifetime. She chose this man, and she must walk
her own path. If she’s mistreated, then she has only herself to blame. I can’t keep her as a keychain, hanging on my
belt every day.”
Emeric’s dark humor made Mr. Dylan chuckle.
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Avery, on the other hand, was filled with intense resentment, and his pale, parched lips trembled as he struggled to
speak, “Mr. Emeric.”
“If you’re still unwilling to give up on Evadne, then by all means, go pursue my daughter passionately and compete
fairly with Thaddeus.”
Emeric withdrew his gaze from Avery’s tense face and spoke coldly, “But from now on, don’t come to me with this
matter again. I have many children, and if I were to worry about each one like this, I doubt I’ll live for many more
years.”
With that, Emeric and Dylan entered the grand gates of Silverlake Harbor, one after the other.
As the gates closed with a heavy thud, a chilling wind struck Avery like a harsh wake–up call.
After finishing his business with Avery, Emeric felt inexplicably lighter on his feet.
“That Chambers boy sure has a silver tongue.” he scoffed.
“Indeed, it’s often not until a critical moment that you see what people are truly capable of,” Mr. Dylan replied with
a smile that carried both praise and
sarcasm.
“Ha, that boy Thaddeus, I’ve seen him more than once at top business conferences. He switches between
languages with ease, eloquently discussing various topics. He’s quite good at it. But when he’s in front of me, all he
does is swear oaths, admit faults, or say ‘I will treat Evadne well.‘ He stumbles over his words as if he’s still evolving
from the Stone Age,” Emeric shook his head, displaying a disdainful expression as if pinching half–closed eyes. Mr.
Dylan, catching the drift, laughed, “But with all his faults, Mr. Thaddeus does have one good quality. Mr. Avery, being
the childhood friend and a formidable rival in love, has yet to hear Thaddeus utter a single word against him?”
Dylan knew to stop there; leaning too much in favor of Thaddeus might backfire.
Ah, his desire to see Mr. Thaddeus and the young lady together wasn’t far from a father’s concern.
Emeric eyed him suspiciously, “It seems you quite appreciate Thaddeus.
Dylan remained composed, “You’ve misunderstood. I’m just stating the facts. The young lady is like a daughter to
me since childhood, and I genuinely hope she can find her own happiness.”
“That sounds like another way of praising Thaddeus,” Emeric remarked.
Mr. Dylan fell silent.
Suddenly, Emeric stopped in his tracks, standing by the window and gazing outside.
Dylan, though puzzled, followed his gaze.
From this angle, they could see the outside of Silverlake Harbor.
Avery viciously threw the pastries he had prepared for his daughter onto the ground. But that wasn’t enough to
quell his anger; he then stomped on them, crushing the delicate treats into the pieces.
Heh, seems he’s got quite the temper.”
Emeric sneered disdainfully and walked away.
Dylan, observing Avery’s now unrecognizable demeanor, couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief that the young lady
hadn’t chosen to be with such a pseudo gentleman.
In the past, the one who faced Emeric’s cold eyes and ended up with a bruised ego was only Thaddeus. Now, Avery,
who had never imagined he’d be in such a situation, joined the ranks of those who suffered Emeric’s disdain!
For someone with a fierce competitive streak and towering pride like Avery, this was akin to heart–wrenching
torture and an utter disgrace!
“Mr. Chambers, please, calm down!”
Harvey, bending down to pick up the scattered trash, tried to soothe Avery with a trembling voice, “Don’t overthink
it. Chairman Ashbourne has always held you in high regard. He wouldn’t suddenly dismiss you like that. At the very
least, we’re still better off than that Thaddeus!
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIt must be Ms. Evadne, she must’ve ticked him off tonight, and he’s just looking for an outlet for his frustration. You
just happened to walk into the line of fire. Once he cools down, Chairman Ashbourne will remember your merits.”
“This time, it’s different.”
Avery, his bloodshot eyes glinted with a sinister sharpness, claws of a beast ready to tear life apart, “Emeric has
implicitly approved of Evadne and Thaddeus. He won’t intervene anymore, much less help me.”
Emeric was the toughest barrier he had managed to erect between them. Using Edith to reveal Evadne’s infertility
had been the most lethal weapon in his arsenal.
And yet, even so, he hadn’t managed to break the bond between Evadne and Thaddeus, and now Emeric himself
seemed to have shifted allegiance to Thaddeus!
Despite all his cunning, Avery was now at his wit’s end!
Back in his car, Avery’s already fair complexion turned ashen, like an ice mountain on the brink of collapse. After a
moment’s hesitation, he took out his phone and, with shaking fingers, dialed the number of that man.
It took a while for the call to be answered.
“Sir. Emeric has given his tacit approval for Evadne and Thaddeus. He won’t help me anymore.” Avery, usually
dignified and proud, spoke with a complete absence of arrogance.
In front of “Sir,” he was as humble as a dog.
“Ha, I told you before, if you want to win Evadne, you can only succeed with a firm hand,” the man on the phone
scoffed, making no effort to conceal his mocking tone. “But all you’ve ever done is act like a good person in front of
her, dreaming that one day she’ll give up on Thaddeus and be with you. You’re so foolish. If subtlety fails, resort to
tyranny. If you can’t have her, then ruin her; don’t let Thaddeus have her.”
Ruin her?
But Evadne was the love of his life; how could he bear to destroy her.
“What’s your next plan. Have you decided yet?” The man’s lazy voice carried a hint of threat.
“Sir, give me one more chance, the last one!”
Avery’s face was deathly pale, and he exuded an eerie aura, like a demon clawing its way out of hell, “Isn’t your
research facility developing a drug that can induce immediate cardiac arrest? Could you give me a dose?”
“Hmm? What do you want that for?”
The man laughed mockingly, “You’re not thinking of injecting that stuff into yourself, are you?