Chapter 485
Chapter 485
Some were down on their luck, others riding high.
Avery put on a show of concern, pacing the living room with feigned anxiety, his posture straight, his
expression grave.
“Damn, we just got rid of that Unfaithful Thaddeus, and now we’ve got Snaky Avery on our doorstep!
What kind of bad karma has our little sis racked up? Did she sell out her country in a past life?!”
Arnold and Cassius watched from the second–floornding, the former seething with a gnawing
irritation. Cassius red at Avery’s all–too–familiar theatrics; his grip on the banister was so tight veins
stood out on his hand.
“At such a grand dinner, as the star of the Chambers Group, he’s a no–show. But the moment Evadne
has a crisis, he can’t wait to jump into the fray. Humph, with my years as a prosecutor, I’d bet tonight’s
drama has Snaky Avery’s fingerprints all over it. Probably in cahoots with Edith, using that wicked girl
as a pawn!”
“Your analysis is spot–on. But he’s cunning, and knows how to use others to do his dirty work.”
Cassius’s cold gaze locked onto Avery’s face, “Before he makes his move, he’s already plotting his
escape route. No doubt, he’s cleared his tracks. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here so brazenly tonight. He
must think he’s safe and sound.”
“Son of a gun, it’s not with the best of intentions, means no good!”
Arnold exhaled his frustration, “All of us brothers, strong as we are, can’t seem toy a finger on that
devil!”
Just then, Emeric approached Avery, nked by Myra and Dn.
“Mr. Ashbourne, Mrs. Ashbourne.”
Avery quickly stood up and bowed, the epitome of politeness and the kind of kid that parents adored.
“Mr. Chambers, my daughter isn’t feeling well and isn’t up to receiving visitors.”
Seeing Emeric’s poor state, Myra spoke on his behalf, “And after the unpleasantness at tonight’s event,
which you must have heard about, we’re really not in the mood for guests. Please, see yourself out.”
Avery’s eyes darkened at Myra’s dismissal, his fingers clenched in barely concealed frustration, yet he
managed to keep hisposure, “I heard about Evadne’s condition and couldn’t rest, so I rushed over
to see her. Mr. Ashbourne, don’t worry. I know a few renowned doctors in Helgen. If the local
physicians are at a loss, I can invite them to Skyrim to consult on Evadne’s case!”
“Avery”
Emeric spoke up abruptly, his voice heavy, “We appreciate your concern. But right now, you’re Nydia’s
fiancé. No matter how close you and Evadne grew up, it’s time you focused your attention on Nydia.
You need to keep your distance from Evadne.”
Avery–was shocked, hisplexion paling!
“Ha, that’s right!”
Arnold couldn’t help but feel victorious, “After all his scheming, he still can’t have our sister. His ns
havee to nothing. Outsmarted by his own cleverness!”
“Mr. Ashbourne, the person I’ve always wanted to marry is Evadne! I`never intended to marry anyone
else!” Avery dered, his gaze intense and unashamed.
Myra was taken aback, lips pressed tightly in embarrassment.
“What are you saying?”
Emeric’s eyebrows furrowed, his voice deepening, “Mr. Chambers, my daughters are notmodities
for you to pick and choose from at will. We agreed on Nydia, and it’s going to be Nydia. Don’t bring up
things between you and Evadne again!”
“Mr. Ashbourne, you know how I feel about Evadne. It’s as clear as day.”
Despite Avery’s duplicitous nature, his love for Evadne was true, and so was the passionate plea in his
eyes, “I never had a choice in the alliance or who to be allied with! And you know, I only conceded
because I thought Evadne had found happiness. But do you really think that Thaddeus is a good match
for her now?!”
Emeric’s breath halted, the pain of his daughter’s permanent scar shaking his vision!
“Before, I failed to protect Evadne, letting her suffer. From now on, I will only protect her, never betray
her like Thaddeus did, never hurt her.”
Avery’s eyes brimmed with tears, his voice hoarse with emotion, “Mr. Ashbourne, please, let me marry
Evadne. I will never let her go through that again.”
“Dream on, byddy! Dreams are where you can have it all!”
As Cassius and Arnold descended the stairs side by side, Avery’s eyes gleamed maliciously, his jaw
clenched tight.
“Dad! Don’t be fooled by this guy’s act; he’s no good! Who knows if he colluded with Edith tonight,
aiming to steal love and take advantage of a vulnerable moment!” Arnold, ever the straight shooter,
lacked his big brother’sposure and was ready to tear down Avery’s facade.
Emeric and Myra were both taken aback, in disbelief!
“Arnold, I know you don’t like me; you know I love Evadne so much, but that doesn’t mean you can
tarnish my personality as you like.” Avery gently pushed his sses, “Edith and I have no connections.
The only one was at the horse racing event when she made trouble for Evadne, and I helped her to get
out of it. That’s all. You’re Evadne’s brothers, and I won’t take it personally today. But I hope there’s no
second time.”
What the heck! If his father and Myra were there, Arnold would hurl insults at him. That guy surely
knew how to y the victim!
“Arnold, don’t make baseless usations,” Emeric cautioned, his eyes aplex mix of emotions.
Arnold was desperate to step forward but was held back by Cassius’s timely grip on his arm.
“Mr. Chambers, you fancy tying the knot with Evadne? Not a chance. And your brother Byron,
dreaming of making Nydia his bride? Forget about it!”
When Cassius dropped this bombshell, both Emeric and Myra were stunned into silence. Avery’s
brows knitted together in a sudden frown, a storm of doubts brewing in his mind.
“Chairman Ashbourne! Mr. Jeff Chambers’s here to see you!” The butler announced, panting from the
urgency.
“Jeff? At this hour?” Emeric was taken aback, ncing at his watch.
Jeff wasn’t alone on his visit to the Ashbourne family; he had brought along his eldest son Matthew,
which certainly added to the gravity of the situation.
“Cassius! What in the world did you do to our boy? How dare you treat Byron like this? You’re crossing
the line!” Jeff stormed into the living room, his cheeks twitching with rage, “You do this, it’s like twisting
a knife in my gut!”
A cold shadow fell over Cassius’s steely visage, his eyes half–closed, glinting with a fierce light. He
was ready for trouble from the Chambers Group – he had, after all, been the one to send Byron to the
police station after taking care of the aftermath for Evadne and Jason.
“Cassius, what in the world is going on? What have you done to Byron?” Emeric waspletely
baffled.
Jeff’s outburst had also summoned Suri and Aviana’to the scene.
“Chairman Ashbourne, President Ashbourne had Byron thrown in jail, and now he wants to press rape
charges against him!”
Matthew ground his teeth in anger, “I don’t know if this was his own doing or if your daughter
masterminded the whole thing! Do they think we’re easy targets because my brother’s handicapped,
that they can just crush him to death?”
Rape charges? Everyone, except for Cassius, was taken aback.
Avery’s expression darkened as he slowly pushed up his sses, understanding the situation
immediately. This was Byron and Bertha’s scheme unraveling, their plot exposed by Cassius. Not only
had Byron failed to get Nydia, but he had alsonded himself in deep trouble.
A fool, that was what he was. If only he had known they were incapable of handling even this, he
should have given them a push right from the start.
.
Jeff was so furious he could barely breathe, and Matthew had to support his father, ring daggers at
Cassius, “If you didn’t want this union, you could have just said so! Using such despicable meansExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.
against Byron, is this your so–called nobility?!”
Before Cassius could reply, Aviana exploded, “Who are you calling despicable?!”
Emeric jumped, startled. That was the daughter of the formidable S–Star Group indeed – roaring like a
lioness!
“Your dad’s known Emeric for thirty years. Don’t you have any fricking idea what our family stands for?
If you couldn’t trust us, why did youe knocking on our door in the first ce?”
Aviana’s tirade grew more fierce, her posturemanding, “Do you think the Ashbourne girls are
desperate, that we have to fill the holes in the Chambers family? Since you doubt our family, perhaps
it’s best to call off the engagement! To think you would dare speak to us like that – it’s as disgusting as
a toad lusting after a swan!”
Matthew bit back the word ‘shrew‘ as it came to his lips, his pride preventing him from stooping to
Aviana’s level.
Jeff’s blood pressure skyrocketed. He was at a loss; how could a simple dinner escte to his son
being in jail, a suspect in a crime? It was outrageous!
Myra was on edge, her forehead dotted with sweat. Rape? Who had Byron assaulted? Could it be?
She recalled her daughter had been locked away in her room sinceing home, iming to be
unwell and refusing toe out. As a mother, her worst fears were taking hold, her breath growing
shallow.
“Mr. Jeff Chambers, we understand your concern for your son.” Suri pulled the furious Aviana back, her
eyes emotionless, “But if Byron ended up in police custody because of Cassius, then he must have
done something wrong. Instead of seeking exnations here, maybe you should get Byron a good
lawyer.”
“Ah, Suri’s right!” Arnold chimed in with sarcasm dripping from every word, “The Dempsey family’s
golden boy, Cedric, might be willing to take the case. He’s known for his dirty tricks and greed, perfect
for handling a case like Byron’s. But then, Cedric’s quite busy cleaning up after Elspeth, so who knows
if he’ll have the time for you.”
The Chambers men were fuming, their pride wounded by the sharp tongues of the Ashbourne family
who stood united like a fortress.
Avery’s pale face took on a frosty sheen. If things escted further, it could disrupt his ns. At this
critical moment, he couldn’t afford to take sides and had to remain unseen, or it would work against
him.
“Anyway, Byron would never do such a thing! There must be a mistake! A setup!” Jeff red at
Cassius, though his words were directed at Emeric, “Chairman Ashbourne, President Ashbourne must
personally ensure Byron is released from custody tonight and drop the charges! Otherwise, the
Chambers Group will see this through to the end with the Ashbourne family!”
Emeric’s expression grew stern, his gaze intense, “Cassius, what exactly happened to Byron? I need
an exnation from you!”
“Expecting my brother to fetch that beast from jail? Wanting us to drop the charges? Ha, dream on!”
All eyes followed the voice,
Descending the grand staircase was a figure of noble pride and grace, Evadne, leading the way with
Bet, her silent knight, following closely behind like a guardian of the queen.
The man’s features were as serene as the night sky, yet beneath that calmness, there was a sharpness
that cut through the air, à presence somanding it could silence a room with just a nce.
Only when he looked down at his little sister did a gentle warmth, like that of a spring shower, soften his
demeanor.
Avery was acutely aware that this man was Evadne’s older brother, Bet, a man with a formidable
military support, who wielded power like a king in his court
And it drove Avery mad with jealousy! Any man could stand by Evadne’s side, but it just couldn’t be
him!
What would it take for him to earn that coveted spot by her side? Was he supposed to go on a
rampage, eliminating all the other men who dared to vie for her attention?
“Evadne?! What are you doing out here?” Emeric’s voice boomed with shock and then quickly turned
towards Bet. Bet pampered her too much; no doubt he was the one who let her out!
“Mr. Jeff Chambers, Mr. Matthew Chambers, when you two went to see Byron, did you only get the part
where Cassius locked him up? Did he leave out the rest?”
Evadne descended thest of the staircase, fluttering hershes as she shed a disarmingly beautiful
smile that had a chilling edge to it, “I didn’t just capture him. I crushed his tailbone, snapped his fingers,
and busted his front teeth. I even considered castrating him, but then I thought, why bother? Even if I
spared him that, he would be impotent in the rest of his life.”
The room fell into stunned silence.