Chapter 23


    Chapter 23


    When Thaddeus came back to Windermere Estate, he was wet, looking like he’d just been fished out of


    the sea.


    Alva rushed over to help him dry off, but he simply pushed away the towel in her hand, looking like a


    bear with a sore head, and headed upstairs.


    “What happened to Mr. Thaddeus? Did someone tick him off?” Alva asked Gordon, worry etched on


    her face.


    “If you’ve got time, Alva, give Mr. Thaddeus a bit of TLC. He’s been taken for a ride.”


    “What? Someone managed to pull one over on Mr. Thaddeus? Have we called the cops yet? We need


    to call the cops!” Alva was freaking out.


    Gordon shook his head, “Nah, it’s tooplicated for the police. Sometimes, the bad people are pretty


    cun ning.”


    “I always told Mr. Thaddeus to be careful, but he wouldn’t listen. Being overconfident can be a real


    Achilles’ heel.”


    Gordon gave a rueful smile. This time, Thaddeus had met his match.


    If it was just about money, it wouldn’t be so bad. The real kicker was that Thaddeus’ pride had taken a


    hit!


    Thaddeus climbed upstairs, looking as white as a sheet andpletely drained.


    “Mr. Thaddeus, Ms. Acacia is here, Mr. Frederic is asking for you in the study.” A ser vant came to


    deliver the message.


    With his lips pressed tightly together, Thaddeus walked into Frederic’s study.


    “Thad! You’re finally back!” Acacia was over him like a rash, running over to hug him.


    Thaddeus didn’t respond with his usual immediacy, leaving Acacia hanging.


    Facing Acacia tonight, he felt a bit on edge.


    “Thaddeus, how did everything go? Did you meet with President Ashbourne today?” Frederic asked, all


    business.


    As the chairman of the Abernathy group, he had his fingers in many pies and shouldn’t have to be


    asking about such minor details.


    But Elspeth kept going on and on about it, so he had to step in and put a bit of pressure on Thaddeus.


    “I trust Thaddeus. He’ll do everything he can to protect Acacia’s family. After all, Thaddeus dotes on


    Acacia. If he talks to Ms. Evadne, how could the Ashbourne family possibly refuse him? The Abernathy


    group is no small fry. If the Ashbourne family cross us, they won’t have an easy time in Elmsworth.”


    Elspeth said smugly, arm in arm with her husband.


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    This was her tried-and-true tactic. She would praise Thaddeus first, raising everyone’s expectations,


    and then any shorings would pi ss Frederic off, creating a rift between father and son.


    “Dad, Elspeth, let’s drop the matter about the Stirling group.” Thaddeus said, his eyes devoid of


    emotion.


    “Thaddeus, what do you mean by that?” Frederic asked, his brow furrowed.


    “From now on, I won’t be helping the Stirling group. That’s it.”


    With that, Thaddeus turned and left.


    Frederic, Elspeth, and Acacia stood there in shock, their faces a picture of astonishment.


    “Frederic, Thaddeus is joking, right?” Elspeth’s smile froze on her face as unease crept into her heart.


    Frederic’s face darkened but he didn’t say anything.


    Thaddeus returned to his bedroom, drenched and in no mood to change or take a shower. His mind


    was filled with how Evadne had yed him.


    Why didn’t Evadne want to meet him in person? Was she feeling guilty, or did she think Thaddeus


    wasn’t worth it?


    “Thad! Why won’t you help us?” Acacia followed him, clutching his arm tightly. “All our orders have


    been cancelled, our merchandise is piling up in the warehouse, getting mouldy, we can’t even pay our


    workers. If this continues, the Stirling group will go bankrupt!”


    She was only thinking about the Stirling group’s business,pletely losing her usual caring and


    gentle side.


    Thaddeus sounded exhausted, “It’ste, I’ll have Gordon take you home.”


    “Thad! What happened that made you change your mind? Can you tell me? Speak up!”


    Thaddeus was too tired to exin. And how could he tell her the real reason? Was he supposed to say


    that his own actions had led to this, that he had ended up with nothing?


    Suddenly, his heart ski pped a beat.


    The box that held his suit, which had been neatly ced by his bed, was gone!


    Thaddeus pulled away from Acacia, searched the entire room, then called out sternly,


    “Alva!”


    “Yes, Mr. Thaddeus?” Alva rushed in.


    “Where’s the suit box that was by my bed?” Thaddeus asked urgently.


    “I didn’t touch it! You told me not to touch the things Mrs. Abernathy gave you when I clean your room.


    And when Ms. Acacia came to your room today, I specifically told her not to touch the box by your bed.”


    Alva finished, giving Acacia a meaningful look.


    Alva deliberately called na ‘Mrs. Abernathy’ In front of Acacia to provoke her, to force her to tell the


    truth.


    “I threw the box away.” Acacia finally admitted, unable to hold back any longerl


    “Where did you throw it?” Thaddeus asked, his brow furrowed.


    “Thad, why do you care so much about something na gave you? You’re divorced, I’m your ncée


    now! Why do you treasure her gift like it’s something precious? Have you ever thought about my


    feelings?”


    Acacia’s eyes welled up with tears, her crying act straight out of her aunt’s ybook.


    “I’ll ask you one more time, where did you throw it?”


    Thaddeus just brushed off Acacia’s tears, colder than ever, and it scared the cry right out of her.


    “In the trash can in the backyard.”


    Thaddeus bolted through the rain to the backyard, rolled up his sleeves and started digging through the


    trash for the tossed box.


    “Thad! Stop it, it’s filthy!” Acacia yelled from the corridor.


    Filthy?


    Maybe the Abernathy family folks didn’t know that back in the day, he was an illegitimate child, living on


    the streets with his mother. To survive, he rummaged through countless trash cans at the age of five,


    just to collect some scraps and cans he could sell.


    He grew up in the filth, he knew it too well. What’s there toin about?


    Finally, Thaddeus found a box smeared with grime, and he sighed a breath of relief.


    Just then, Alva ran over with an umbre for him, and he hastily opened the box.


    But in the next second, his eyes reddened, his face turning a sickly shade.


    His once immacte suit was now ripped and ragged, unrecognizable!


    He turned to look at Acacia,


    Acacia stumbled backward, her breath hitching at his cold and unfamiliar gaze.


    In the end, Thaddeus just held the box, silently walking past Acacia.


    “Thaddeus, are you in love with na? Do you regret the divorce?” Acacia gathered her courage and


    clung to him.


    “No.” Thaddeus’ voice was full of confusion and unease, he felt wronged.


    “But you’re clearly mad at me, just because I threw away na’s gift, you’re this angry? Did you ever


    consider how I’d feel seeing those things, reminding me of the three years you guys were together?


    Don’t you care if I get mad?” Acacia fired back.


    “What do you want from me?”


    Thaddeus slowly pushed her away, took a deep breath, “I divorced her and chose to marry you. Even


    with grandpa pressuring me, I held my ground. But you broke her stuff, tore the clothes she made


    herself, even used the media to smear her, had her ndered online. She’s already out of my life, but


    you never seemed to want to let her go. Enough is enough.”


    His words hit Acacia like a bucket of cold water, humiliation washing over her from head to toe.


    So he knew all along!


    ‘Thaddeus, do you think I wanted to do those things? I did it because I love you!”


    Thaddeus’ frown eased, but his expression was cold.


    “Next time you’re in trouble, just tell me. As long as it’s not something harmful, I can help. But I don’t


    like you doing things with ulterior motives under the guise of love, or being deceived by someone I


    trust. You announced our marriage to save your family business. This time. I’ll let it slide, but I hope


    there’s no next time.”


    With that, Thaddeus decisively left.


    Acacia hugged herself, fuming, thoughts of killing na filled her mind.


    Elsewhere, Evadne and Jason were enjoying the rain with a ** of wine by the floor-to-celling window.


    Her favorite opera was ying on the record yer.


    “Miss, the waitress contacted me. She said she was caught by Thaddeus on her way home from work


    tonight. He must know about the body double.”


    Jason set down his wine **, knowing she must be exhausted from a day in heels, and knelt down to


    ma**age her foot.


    “I knew he’d find out sooner orter, just didn’t expect it to be this soon.”


    Jason’s ma**age was soothing, and her eyes fluttered closed. “After we deal with the Stirling group, the


    Abernathy group is next. After all, with the harsh words Mr. Thaddeus said today, how could I turn a


    blind eye?”