Chapter 447
Chapter 447
One hour ago, Edith quietly summoned Duke, one of Barry’s most trusted aides, to a secluded corner,
their heads bowed in secret conspiracy.
“Duke, you’ve been with us since my grandpa’s time. You’re part of the family furniture. I know you’ve
been always loyal to the Fairhaven family,” Edith’s eyes shimmered with tears, quite a pitiful picture.
“Indeed Miss Fairhaven, I watched you grow up. My loyalty to the Fairhaven family is unwavering; tell
me, what needs to be done?” Duke’s voice was firm, but his face etched with concern as he asked,
“Miss Fairhaven, what’s troubling you? You look so unwell!”
Edith spun a tale of deceit and woe, painting herself as the victim of Evadne’s cruel maniptions,
“And to add insult to injury, she’s trying to steal my fiance!”
Her sobs were heart–wrenching as she continued, “Mr. Abernathy and I, we love each other and we
were on the brink of announcing our engagement. That Evadne simply swooped in and snatched him
away. If I can’t secure my engagement with Mr. Abernathy, I’ll be theughing stock of the whole
Elmsworth! How will I ever show my face again? I might as well die!”
“Don’t, Miss Fairhaven! You’re the apple of Mr. Jareth Fairhaven’s eye, the precious sister he dotes on.
Don’t hurt yourself over that Evadne!” Duke, childless himself, looked upon Edith and her brother as if
they were his own, his anger ring at the injustice, “Miss Fairhaven, that Evadne is so evil! To think
she’d set her sights on your man. She’s really twisted her bo!”
“Duke, isn’t there something we can do to take her down a peg? To ensure she loses the equestrian
contest, to stop her frompeting with the Fairhaven Group for the project and to keep her away from
Mr. Abernathy?” Edith’s tears wereced with a sinister glint.
She knew Duke was clever and not afraid to y dirty. He would surely grasp the unspoken intent of
her words.
But she couldn’t afford to be explicit; such conspiracies should never leave her lips, lest she give
someone leverage against her. She trusted no one.
Duke paced back and forth before he spoke in a low ominous tone abruptly, “To ensure Evadne loses,
we’ll need to tamper with her horse.”
“And how do you n to do that?”
“When racehorses burst forth, they do so with terrifying power. They’ll keep running on the jockey’s
command even if they’re injured, until they copse. I’ve got something in mind that should do the trick.
If luck isn’t on her side, Evadne might end up a crumpled mess on the track. And even if she makes it
to the finish line, her horse will be done for!”
:
The race was in its finalp, the deciding moment!
It was now down to a three–way battle between the Ashbourne Group, the Abernathy Group, and the
Fairhaven Group.
The Chambers Group’s horse, Whirlwind, had already fallen hopelessly behind, a disappointing loss.
“Damnation! That nag really let me down!” Jeff stomped in frustration, realizing his chance at a
partnership with the J Group had slipped away, “I’ve treated you like royalty, and this is how you repay
me? From now on, you’re nothing but ‘Dungheap‘ to me!”
The crowd couldn’t help but snicker at his remarks.
“Mr. Ashbourne’s Wind is quite the steed, though.” Avery added, seizing the opportunity to tter and
bridge the gap between their families, “Evadne imed Whirlwind was in the same league as Wind, but
they’re worlds apart. Dad, we should ask Mr. Ashbourne for advice on picking racehorses. Aim to outdo
them next time.”
His words were a clear case of ingratiation, but Jeff didn’t take offense; instead, he found the timing
perfect.
Emeric smiled warmly at Avery, “Your father has never taken a single piece of advice from me in his
life. I’ll eat my hat if he starts now. But it’s not just Wind’s natural talent; Evadne’s skills as a jockey are
also a key factor.”
“Indeed, Evadne’s truly the perfect girl in my eyes,” Avery’s gaze followed the captivating figure on the
track, his adoration transparent.
“Damn, that bastard’s schmoozing is making me want to punch him!” Jareth clenched his fists at
Avery’s tant buttering up of Chairman Ashbourne, “Hey, you can’t just stand there. If you keep this
up, she’ll be snatched by someone else! Get in there and schmooze a bit, sweet talk ‘em!”
“I’m not good at that,” Thaddeus mumbled, his heart racing along with Evadne on the track, distant and
distracted.
“There’s always room to learn, bro! You’re not good, yet you can learn. Take me as your mentor. I’ll
make you my protege, pass on my secret techniques!” Jareth nudged him with a wink.
“Jareth, something doesn’t sit right with me,” Thaddeus felt an inexplicable weight on his heart as he
loosened his Windsor knot.
“I feel the same, seeing that ass–kisser makes me want to hurlst night’s dinner,” Jareth pretended to
gag.
“It’s not that. I have a feeling something’s about to happen.”
Thaddeus’s eyes were clouded with a heavy mist, and whether it was due to his concern, he felt an
oppressive sensation that was hard to articte.
Evadne, whether you win or not doesn’t matter. Juste back to me safely; that’s all that counts.
“Matthew, Avery’s cozying up to the Ashbourne family; seems like he’s got Emeric eating out of his
hand.” Bertha whispered to Matthew, her face etched with worry, “What if Emeric actually considers
giving his daughter to Avery? We can’t have that! If that snake marries Chairman Ashbourne’s beloved
daughter, won’t the Ashbourne family back him in a power grab at the Chambers Group?! I’m already
married off, and Thad’s incapacitated, leaving you without any support. With Emeric’s backing, Avery
won’t give two hoots about us. It could even threaten your position of CEO,”
“Enough, stop talking!”
Matthew’s voice cut through the air, steely and cold as a winter’s de, “Worrying about that now is
premature. Evadne isn’t your average damsel. She once
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pulled a fast one, marrying in the Abernathy family behind Chairman Ashbourne’s backs. Do you really
think she’ll just meekly follow her parents‘ wishes?”
“Yeah, but still.”
“And besides,” Matthew continued, his voice taking on a darker edge, a smirk tugging at his lips, “I’m
almost looking forward to the day Emeric tries to force Evadne to marry Avery. It’ll be a spectacle,
chaos in the making.”
Evadne’s brow was slick with sweat as she urged her horse into a wild gallop, her speed a thrilling
spectacle that had onlookers gripping their hats in awe.
“Wind! Come on, boy!”
Wind charged with all the fury of a storm, leaving everything in his dust.
Just seconds ago, he and Dragon had been neck and neck, but in the blink of an eye, Dragon had
been left far behind, unable to catch
1. up.
The rider nced back, ring at Evadne with venom, as he whipped Thunder’s haunches mercilessly.
Evadne’s jaw was clenched, herpetitive spirit ignited, her eyes zing with a fire that seemed
almost bloody. Suddenly, Wind stumbled, his breath uneven.
Evadne’s heart sank; she felt Wind’s state was off; she’d spent enough years with horses to know –
something amiss with Wind’s legs. “Wind! Stop! Don’t run!” Evadne ordered, pulling hard on the reins.
The race could be lost, but she wouldn’t let something happen to Wind.
The usually obedient Wind, however, was lost to the frenzy of the race, deaf to hermands. As if
deep down, his desire to win grew far more intense than his master!
“Wind! I’m ordering you to stop!” Evadne’s muscles strained against the wild horse to no avail.
The finish line was in sight. The spectator held their breaths; even William and his son straightened up,
craning their neck to see the result of the contest.
“It’s not right!” Thaddeus’s pupils contracted, his heart pounding wildly. Perhaps for his sharp instinct or
for his deduction from Evadne’s overstrained face that something was wrong, he dropped the
binocrs and dashed over regardless of people’s gazes. “Thad, wait! Where are you going?!” Jareth
panicked, stuck in a dilemma of whether following his tracks or staying for he couldn’t just leave Mari
alone.
Avery’s eyes darkened, he instructed Harvey who was standing near him, “Go find out what’s going
on.”
There were just dozens of meters away; the Fairhaven group was leading by a nose.
Barry was shaking with excitement, and Gary had already approached William and his son, ready to
shake hands and celebrate.
At this moment, Evadne cast aside all thoughts of victory, concerned only for Wind’s safety. Just as the
rider thought victory was his, waving to the stands in triumph, a breeze whipped past him so fast he
barely saw it.
Then, a thunderous apuse erupted from the crowd.
“Number five crosses the finish line first! Congrattions to the K Group, Ms. Evadne Ashbourne takes
the crown!”
Emeric and the rest of the Ashbourne family erupted into cheers.
“Evadne! You’re amazing! Evadne!” Even the usually soft–spoken Myra screamed with joy. Cassius’s
face was aglow, pping until his hands turned red.
Barry watched his big break slip through his fingers, his face rigid as he gasped for air. And Gary, with
his hand stretched out in mid–air, looked even more awkward.
“I guess we don’t need this handshake, do we?” William crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
Gary could only offer an embarrassed, defeated smile, retreating sheepishly. But the mood shifted as
the crowd gasped in horror.
“Oh my! Look, everyone! Ms. Evadne Ashbourne and her horse have fallen!” Edith was the first to rise,
pointing at the racetrack, her eyes alight with excitement.
Dust filled the air as Wind, having crossed the finish line, copsed to his knees and slid a few meters
before crashing to the ground with a chilling neigh. Evadne was thrown, crashing through a nearby
billboard barrier.
“Evadne!”
The Ashbourne family were beside themselves with fear. Emeric nearly fainted, steadied only by Myra’s
quick support, while Cassius and Mr. Dn were the first to rush to Evadne’s side.
“Evadne, Evadne!” Mari covered her mouth, crying on the spot.
“Don’t worry, Mari! Evadne will be alright; don’t be afraid!” Jareth’s heart tightened as he embraced
his wife,forting her with gentle pats.
His sharp gaze fell on Edith who had just revealed a smirk of satisfaction, pricking his eyes like thorns.
A while ago, he’d already been suspicious. Evadne’s suddenly being unseated caught everyone off
guard, yet Edith was too quick to notice and respond, reminding the rest of the incident promptly, as if
she had already known what would happen.
It was utterly weird!
Evadne’s back was in agony, the metal barrier hitting her waist. She curled up, gasping for air, the
distant sounds of chaos echoing as though from a nightmare.
In her hazy thoughts, Evadne heard footsteps rushing towards her, a desperate voice calling her name.
Was it the medics? Her father? Her brothers?
“Evadne!”
In the next moment, Evadne found herself cradled in a fierce embrace, held tight in arms that she knew
so well. The sense of belonging cleared the haze from her mind.
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She looked up slowly, meeting Thaddeus’s tear–filled bloodshot eye