Chapter 479
Chapter 479
Edith felt dizzy after the punishment, stars exploding in her vision while the metallic taste of blood filled
her mouth. Pain radiated from her ears, making her entire body convulse as she bared her teeth in
agony.
In the face of excruciating pain, all concerns for maintaining herposure and her dignified heiress
demeanor were thrown to the winds.
“Ah, Ah! My ear. My ear is killing me!”
After being struck twice on the right cheek, a piercing ringing filled her ear, and she howled with pain.
“Oh, Edith! My poor Edith!”
Barry’s eyes bulged in shock as he rushed to Edith’s side, his cane forgotten as he tried to help her up
with trembling, bony hands.
But Edith had no strength left to rise. The ferocity of Jareth’s powerful blow was evident, and she could
only copse to the ground, weeping bitterly, “Grandpa Barry, my ear, it hurts so much. I can’t hear
anything in my right ear.”
“Edith! What did you say?!” Barry turned pale with fright.
But even his loud voice, from such a short distance, barely registered as a faint whisper to Edith
Trembling, she released her hand from her right ear, opening her palm to reveal. Drops of bright red
blood stood out starkly, sending her into utter panic as she burst into tears, “My ear…I’ve gone deaf!”
Bodyguards and secretaries crowded around, shouting for doctors and calling for ambnces, creating
a chaotic scene reminiscent of a disturbed henhouse.
Jareth watched the Fairhaven family’s pandemonium with icy detachment, as if an invisible barrier of
cold ice stood between him and the Fairhaven Group.
Once, he had taken pride in being the eldest grandson of the Fairhaven Group. Now, he only felt
shame and humiliation.
“Jareth! Have you lost your mind?!” Barry red at him in disbelief, his vision darkening for a moment
as he struggled to catch his breath, “Edith is your own sister! Your parents‘ only daughter! How could
you strike her so cruelly?!”
A sinister smile curled Jareth’s lips, “As the eldest brother, I’m the patriarch in my father’s absence. Do
you find something amiss in my disciplining her?”
The crowd gasped at his audacity. His words were outrageous yet carried an air of strange justification.
“You’re nothing but a thankless whelp!”
Barry, red–faced with anger, sputtered, “Edith is my granddaughter! I am the head of the Fairhaven
family! How dare you raise your hand against your own sister in front of me? Do you still have respect
for your elders?!”
“Of course.”
Jareth’s eyes shed a terrifying blood–red, “It’s out of respect for you that I merely pped her
insolent mouth. Otherwise, I might have- killed her.”
The guests were struck silent by the gravity of his words.
Cassius stared at Jareth, dumbfounded. He had always thought of him as a carefree yboy with a
sense of loyalty. But now, seeing him risk his inheritance and face the possibility of alienation to defend
Evadne and set things right, Cassius was overwhelmed with gratitude and regret for ever
underestimating him.
After hearing Jareth’s words, Edith trembled violently, seeking refuge in Barry’s embrace.
Barry was at a loss for words, choked with indignation.
“Jareth, Ms. Edith Fairhaven is still your sister. Speaking so harshly not only reflects poorly on you but
also wounds your family’s feelings. It’s a loss all around.”
Originally, things seemed to develop in favor of Frederic, yet he hadn’t expect Jareth appeared this
moment to mess up the situation, hence attempting to exert his authority as an elder. His tone was
advisory on the surface, but underneathy a clear warning, “Besides, this matter ultimately‘ concerns
my son and Ms. Ashbourne. It’s a dispute between the Abernathy family and the Ashbourne family, so
perhaps you should take Mr. Barry and Ms. Edith Fairhaven home. This doesn’t require your
involvement.”
“Well. Are you suggesting that Edith bears no responsibility for exposing Ms. Ashbourne’s private
afflictions in front of all these people, for tearing open her wounds for public spectacle, just to satisfy
her own vile vengefulness? Is that what you’re saying?” Jareth’s words cut deeply, stripping away
Edith’sst shreds of dignity.
His words also reopened Evadne’s tender wounds. She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and
despite her best efforts to hold back, tears began to fall, each one striking Thaddeus’s heart with
devastating force, leaving it almost a tragic ruin.
“Evadne. Evadne.” He thought, “How I long to walk over to you, to embrace and kiss you with all the
fervor of those passionate nights. But do I still deserve to? Do I even have the right to hold you
anymore?”
“Jareth, àre you insulting me?!” Frederic strained to keep hisposure, his jawline tense.
“You speak in riddles, like a cryptic puzzle. I’m a straightforward man, and that’s how I interpret it. I
wonder what everyone else thinks.” Jareth said, adopting a bored, dissolute demeanor as he casually
cleaned his ear, “And Im acquainted with your son, not you. So, in the future, please call me Mr. Jareth
Fairhaven. It’s more to my liking.”
Frederic’s face copsed, his expression sourer than if he’d swallowed.something foul. Impressive, Mr.
Jareth Fairhaven! What a move! He’d turned the tables, leaving no room for retort.
The crowd turned their eyes to the ashen–faced Frederic, shaking their heads in a mix of
disappointment and disdain.
“Edith is pulling every dirty trick in the book to stop Ms. Ashbourne from marrying Mr. Thaddeus
Abernathy, and it is downright scandalous!”
“Yeah! Parading her gynecological records around like some tabloid scoop? That’s a private matter, a
sacred secret, not just for ady of her stature but for any Jane Doe. Edith publicizing it like that?
That’s lower than low, man – makes a stray mutt look noble inparison.”
“I’m telling you, Edith’s just envious ‘cause she can’t have Thaddeus. She’s out to burn it all down, take
Evadne with her. If she can’t be happy, nobody can.”
“That woman? A hot mess. Even dogs would shake their heads at her. Who in their right mind would
marry that?”
“Mr. Frederic Abernathy, though, he’s a piece of work. Seems like he’s still pushing for Edith to snag
Thaddeus. The Abernathy family a public restroom or what? He’s pulling in all the filth – what’s he got,
a thing for Edith?”
The mockery and gossip were suffocating Frederic. He realized toote that even if he wanted to split
Thaddeus and Evadne and shove Edith to his son, picking her was a colossal mistake!
“Grandpa Barry, my ears, they’re killing me. Am I going deaf? I don’t wanna be deaf. Take me to the
hospital, please!” Edith cried out in sheer panic.
“Let’s go! Get her to the hospital – stat!“.
Barry had barely barked the order when Cassius suddenly roared with an icy re, “Who dares to
move?!”
The Fairhaven family was shocked to their core, and Edith was so scared she wished she could vanish
into thin air.
Cassius strode up to Evadne with purposeful steps and firmly unwrapped Emeric’s grip from his sister’s
wrist, “Dad, what’s the use of getting mad at her now? You’re only ying into the hands of those
conniving snakes. Besides, you’re hurting Evadne. She’s not just -your–most beloved daughter; she’s
the apple of my eye. She’s already in pain. Please don’t add to her suffering.”
Emeric trembled violently, noticing only now how red and bruised his daughter’s wrist had be, a
sight that twisted his heart.
“Cassius. I’m sorry.” Evadne murmured softly, leaning into his embrace.
Cassius felt a wave of guilt as he shook his head and pulled his sister close, “My princess, what
nonsense are you spouting? You’ve done nothing wrong; you owe no apologies to anyone. I’m the one
who’s neglected you. It’s I who have let you down.”
Evadne chuckled bitterly. How naive she had been.
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She thought by hiding her pain, all would be well. She could spare her loved ones from guilt and keep
her family from worrying. Yet when the truth came out, all her efforts were for naught.
Cassius hugged his sister tighter, his gaze cold as steel resting momentarily on Thaddeus’s ashen face
before moving on dismissively, “I’ve mobilized all of the Ashbourne family’s security to fortify this ce.
Until this mess is resolved, no one from the Fairhaven family is leaving this ce.”
That look crushed Thaddeus’sst hope. No, he made heinous guilt; he thought he loved Evadne so
much, yet never expected he hurt her the most. He didn’t deserve Evadne, nor did he deserve hope.
The onlookers weren’t fazed, rather eager to stick around for the drama. Only Barry panicked, pointing
at Cassius and bellowing, “Cassius! This is uwful detention! I could sue you!”
“Sue away! But Edith invaded my sister’s privacy, illegally obtained her personal information, and
spread it publicly, causing severe damage! For these despicable acts, the Ashbourne Group can sue
you just as well!”
Outside, Jason strode in briskly in a sharp suit, showing no sign of his injury, as if he hadn’t been hurt
at all. He’d pped a simple bandage over his wounded eye to avoid rming anyone. Rushing over
as fast as he could upon hearing about the incident, he knew President Ashbourne would protect his
sister, but he still wanted to help however he could.
Of course, his Nydia was behind him all the way.
“Jason.” Evadne’s eyes shimmered as she choked up.
“T?k, tsk, who would’ve thought the Fairhaven family’s daughter would be so clueless about thew.”
Another voice chimed in, Chasel sauntering up beside Jason, eyeing Edith with disdain, “But maybe it’s
not just ignorance. Maybe you’re just in dumb. Thinking you had the upper hand, only to use the
most idiotic method – exposing someone else’s privacy. You’ve not only shown your low character but
also boxed yourself in. You’re the definition of foolish.”
Cassius arched a brow, a slight smirk breaking through his stern expression. This guy, back in the
country for just a few days, had picked up a colorful vocabry indeed.
“You know, we might not even need awsuit. I bet the whole incident was caught on the surveince
cameras, and I’m sure some good Samaritans got it on their phones, right? Just post that online, and
Ms. Edith Fairhaven, you’re finished. You might as well dig a hole and bury yourself; it’d be better than
social death.”
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Emeric’s gaze wavered, not expecting Chasel to be here, let alone siding with the Ashbourne family.
And the guy sure had a sharp tongue!
“You think the Fairhaven family is some pushover you can manipte and control?!”
Barry was livid, pounding his cane on the floor, “Summon the entire security team! We’re breaking out
of here tonight, even if it means a fight!”
“Oh, grandpa Barry, are you getting senile or just in confused?”
Jareth yawnedzily, “Have you forgotten? I’m in charge of the Fairhaven Group’s security. Without my
say–so, no one lifts a finger.”