Chapter 486


    Chapter 486


    Jeff and Matthew stood as if they’d been turned to stone, their mouths agape, their expressions a


    mirror image of shock.


    “Evadne, how could you?” Cassius looked desperately at his little sister, his heart aching.


    As the eldest, he should have been the one to take the brunt, to protect his siblings. He wanted to face


    this alone, to settle everything, but he never imagined that at this moment his little sister would burst


    forth, using words to provoke the Chambers family and draw their fire!


    “Impotent? Evadne, what are you implying?!”


    Matthew’s aura of privilege was on the brink of shattering as he red at Evadne with a venomous


    look, “And what did you say? You hit Byron?! You actually dared to strike a member of the Chambers


    family? How dare you?!”


    “How could I not dare?”


    Evadne’s beautiful eyes narrowed, and sheughed coldly, a chill in her voice, “He had the gall to bully


    Nydia; I had the guts to make him pay! But killing him would be letting him off too easy. For scum like


    Byron, he should be thrown in jail to rot among the trash, to suffer the agony of being a convict. Ha,


    with his limp, once he’s in there, he’ll probably be at everyone’s mercy, living a life worse than death.


    That’s the fate I want to see for him!”


    The Ashbournes‘ hearts pounded wildly, and Myra’s vision blurred as she struggled to stand!


    “Nydia, Nydia!”


    Myra clutched her sweaty forehead with one hand and her chest with the other, barely able to breathe!


    “Myra!”


    “Myrie!”


    Emeric immediately caught her in his arms, his own heart racing out of his chest, “Don’t be scared!


    Don’t panic! I’m here!”


    “Emeric. I’m scared. I’m scared something happened to Nydia,” Myra couldn’t hold back any longer,


    tears streaming down her face.


    “Evadne! How could you say such a thing?!”


    Jeff, oblivious to the actual events, was still defensively protesting on behalf of his son, “Byron is a


    gentleman, and your father and I are good friends! How could he possibly do such a thing to Ms. Nydia


    Ashbourne?!”


    “A gentleman? Mr. Jeff Chambers, are you telling me jokes?”


    Evadne’s lips curled mockingly as her piercing gaze swept over the men of the Chambers family, finally


    landing sharply on Avery’s face, “Your children, each and every one of them, are no good! The men are


    despicable and shameless, the women both wicked and stupid. You and Emeric have been friends for


    years, and it’s one thing for your business ventures to not flourish, but how could you fail so miserably


    at raising your children? That’s truly disappointing.”


    Jeff and Matthew turned ashen with rage.


    Avery’s breathing becamebored, his fingers curling into his palms as if he wanted to dig into his own


    flesh! The woman he loved was mocking her, insulting him. This piercing, bone–deep feeling was more


    painful than if she had pped him hard across the face!


    “Evadne, Cassius, you’re saying Byron bullied Nydia?” Emeric, usually decisive and ruthless in


    business, now hesitated to delve deeper.


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    He wasn’t afraid of anything; he was just afraid that the truth might devastate him more than Myra’s


    reaction!


    Cassius moved to his father and Myra’s side, taking a deep breath, “At the dinner, Byron drugged


    Nydia and took her to an upstairs room, attempting to assault her.”


    “What?!”


    Emeric felt a rush of blood to his head, his chest seething with anger, on the verge of exploding.


    “Thankfully, we discovered it in time and saved Nydia.”


    Cassius quickly steadied his father, trying to keep his voice calm, “Otherwise, the consequences would


    have been unimaginable. But Nydia is still deeply traumatized, and it’ll take time for her to recover from


    the emotional scars.”


    *So, Byron attempted to sexually assault Nydia but failed?” Emeric asked, trembling.


    Evadne nodded solemnly, “Yes. But fortunately, that beast Byron is now impotent, so he couldn’t


    actually harm Nydia.”


    She had intended to give credit to Thaddeus, since saving Nydia wasrgely his doing. But the timing


    wasn’t right; she’d have to tell Emericter. Otherwise, she’d just be drawing more hatred toward


    Thaddeus from the Chambers men.


    “Thank heavens, truly, thank heavens!” Emeric was muttering to himself, still shaken to the core.


    ‘Impotent?! How could my son be impotent?!”


    The ground seemed to shake beneath Jeff’s feet as he heard Emeric’s words, his face flushed with


    anger, “Emeric! What did you mean by that?! Are you cursing my son?!”


    *Cursing?!”


    Emeric’s lips quivered with a bitterugh, his eyes zing with fury, “Byronmitted such a vile act


    against my daughter! He deserves death! If it weren’t for the fact that he’s your son, Jeff, I would have


    made sure he didn’t live to see the dawn! Now, beating him and throwing him in jail to reflect. I have


    been merciful!”


    Jeff and Matthew felt a sharp pang in their hearts! They hade all this way, intent on demanding


    justice, but they never expected to be made fools of instead!


    Avery’s eyes were bloodshot, his pale lips bitten until they bled.


    This couldn’t go on. Byron’s life was one thing, but the rtionship between the two families was on the


    brink of destruction. That would undoubtedly be an obstacle between him and Evadne!


    “Why?!” Myra finally broke down.


    She wept in Emeric’s arms, struggling, her voice raw with fury as she turned toward Jeff, “Just because


    Nydia is my daughter! Because she’s born of me, a pathetic and weak woman, does that mean she’s


    fair game for abuse?!”


    “Myra! Don’t belittle yourself!”


    Suri, with tears in her eyes, stepped forward to embrace her, “Nydia is our little princess! She is no


    different from Evadne or Debby; never think such things!”


    But as Myra cried her heart out, a frail voice called out, “Mom, don’t cry, Mom.”


    They turned to see Nydia, who had appeared at the top of the stairs, her pretty face stained with tears,


    her bare feet peeking from beneath a nket that wrapped her slender, trembling body.


    “Nydia!”


    Myra sprinted towards her daughter with reckless abandon, her voice choked with sobs as she


    enfolded Nydia in a desperate embrace, “Nydia, it’s all my fault. I’m just useless. I couldn’t protect you.”


    “Mom, I’m okay, really, I’m okay,” Nydia whispered soothingly into her mother’s ear, trying to stabilize


    her emotions despite her own battered state. Evadne watched the scene, her heart crumpled like a


    piece of paper in a cruel grip. The wiser the child, the more arduous the path they walk. If only her


    sister had even a hint of her defiance, insouciance and her selfish streak, might all of this have been


    avoided?


    “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Byron would never do such a thing!”


    Matthew was beside himself with rage, his finger jabbing usatorily at Evadne and Cassius, “It must


    be your doing! You plotted against my brother to sabotage the union between our families with these


    dirty tricks! Despicable!”


    “Shut your trap!”


    Aaron arrived, looking road–weary from his journey, “Even now you y the fool, shameless. Did you


    climb your way to CEO with nothing but hot air?!”


    And there, standing right behind him, was Jason!


    “Jason.” Nydia’s tears flowed like rain, but she dared not let out a wail of grief.


    Jason’s gaze lingered on the girl he cherished, his lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came out –


    only the glistening of unshed tears. So close, yet worlds apart.


    “Huh, Chairman Ashbourne, what’s this? You’ve rallied the whole family members to ambush us?”


    Matthew’s sneer was as cold as ice, “Even if your Ashbourne family is a dragon in Skyrim, my


    Chambers family isn’t easy prey in Elmsworth. You’ve already crossed the Fairhaven family. Are you


    really nning to push yourst ally towards others? Making enemies in business isn’t smart!”


    Evadne’s eyes red with fury, at her boiling point! But she knew better than to waste words on


    Matthew. She would remember this slight, and when the time came, she would strike him where it hurt


    most, ensuring he never recovered!


    “Mr. Matthew Chambers, you’re young and naive. If you don’t know what I’ve been through to get here,


    go home and ask your daddy.”


    Emeric’s gaze was piercing, “Inquire around, see what happens to those who cross me!”


    Matthew felt a chill in his heart but maintained his facade, not daring to show weakness.


    “I’m not here as Aaron but as an officer of thew to tell you.”


    With a swift motion, Aaron shed an arrest warrant in the face of the Chambers family, “We have


    formally arrested Byron on charges of sexual assault, with irrefutable evidence and witnesses. You


    Chambers family better get ready for his trial.”


    Suddenly, his lips curled into an exasperating sneer, “Oh no, I mean the suspect Byron.”


    Jeff’s eyes darkened in despair. This was a legitimate arrest warrant; there was no escaping reality, no


    more room for denial! Matthew struggled to speak, only to be silenced by his father’s firm grip,


    whispering urgently, “What’s there to say now? We need to save Byron; that’s what matters!”


    As the Chambers father and son were about to leave the Ashbourne family estate in disgrace, Emeric,


    with eyes reddened, called out after them, “This union is off! Don’t you dare mention it again! I will


    pursue justice for what Byron did to my daughter to the very end!”


    Jeff clenched his teeth in anger and barked at Avery, who was still lingering, “Avery! Come with me!”


    Avery didn’t want to leave just yet, but the icy stares from the Ashbourne family left him no choice but


    to exit ungracefully.


    His gaze at Evadne before retreating was so off–putting, she almost threw up her dinner. But inside,


    she breathed a sigh of relief. The unwanted union with the Chambers family was finally off the table.


    On the ride back, the Chambers men sat in their stretch Bentley, the atmosphere as cold as a crypt.


    Matthew helped Jeff have two blood pressure pills and tried to calm him, but the old man’s pressure


    refused to drop.


    “Byron, the fool! What’s so great about that Ashbourne’s daughter? What woman couldn’t he have, and


    yet he had to go for her? It’s like pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth!”


    “Indeed, it wasn’t even he who was to marry. Why would he make such an unnecessary move?”


    Avery muttered bitterly, his eyes dark with malice, “Already castrated and still lusting after women? He


    really paid a high price for being a rapist.”


    “Shut your mouth! How can you speak of your brother like that?! And what were you doing at the


    Ashbourne family’s mansion tonight?!” Jeff demanded


    furiously.


    “What else but to grovel before the Ashbournes.” Matthew sneered, taking the chance to dig at Avery,


    “Our dear Avery has been very eager to be their son–inw. When have you ever shown such


    devotion to our dad? You care more for Emeric then you do your own dad.”


    “The union wasn’t for my sake. I did it for the Chambers Group!” Avery snapped back.


    “Enough!”


    Jeff mmed his hand on the armrest, ring at Avery, “From now on, you are to cease all contact with


    Evadne! Don’t go fawning over the Ashbournes, making a spectacle of yourself!”


    “What does Byron’s mistake have to do with me? Why can’t I associate with Evadne?”


    Avery’s obstinance was irrational, “If I could marry Evadne, we could still maintain ties with the


    Ashbourne family, and their resources could be at your disposal. What’s so bad about that?”


    “Ha! You’re delusional, aren’t you? This whole mess has blown up, and you’re still daydreaming about


    a happy ending with Evadne?”


    Matthew couldn’t help but burst outughing, “Even if Thaddeus got the boot from Emeric–forget about


    being rejected, even if that dude kicked the bucket – Evadne wouldn’t give you a second nce.”


    “There’s always a way, Just because you can’t pull it off doesn’t mean I can’t,” Avery adjusted his


    sses, a dark glint of determination flickering in his eyes.


    “Cut it out! Let’s not talk about that right now. We’ve got bigger fish to fry with Byron’s situation!”


    Jeff grabbed Matthew’s arm, his face clouded with worry, his jaw clenched tight, “Even though Byron’s


    been used of sexual assault, he didn’t actually…you know, with the girl. It’s attempted, at worst. No


    matter what it takes, we’ve gotta get Byron.out of this mess!”