Chapter 786
The chill of the morgue was deep, which was a constant reminder that the realm of the living and this
somber abode were worlds apart, and they were separated by an irreversible divide.
Evadne and Thaddeus stood in the doorway’s shadow, leaving Jareth the solemn space to bid his final
farewell to Lily.
Beneath the stark white shroud, Lily’s pallid, yet strikingly beautiful face was at peace; her eyes were
closed gently, and her lips were curved in a subtle and serene smile as if she were lost in an eternal
dream that she would never awaken from.
Jareth hung his head low; the cold in the room assaulted him like an unseen tide, threatening to crush
his spine and choke his throat filled with sorrow.
There was a catch in his voice as he traced her beautifully arched lips with trembling fingers.
He couldn’t understand why she had left this world with a smile.
Having taken a bullet, fallen from such a height, and had her bones shatter, she must have suffered an
unimaginable pain.
As a girl. she was supposed to be afraid of pain, wasn’t she?
“You always looked so pretty when you smiled. Why didn’t I see it more often?” Jareth whispered
hoarsely; his question was earnest, as if he expected the still figure before him to reply.
Lily, smile one more time for me.
Lily, wait at the door for me toe home,
Lily, call me ‘sir” just once more.
E
Evadne couldn’t bear it any longer, she covered her face with her hands and leaned into Thaddeus‘
embrace, weeping without a sound.
Thaddeus held her trembling shoulders and wrapped his arms around her, with his chin resting on her
head; his lips were dry and parted, but no sound emerged.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
Aaron walked in, with a somber expression on his face, and he was holding a small box in his hands.
The couple understood and stepped aside to let him through.
“Jareth, my deepest condolences.”
Aaron stood behind the stoic figure of the man and spoke softly, “This is Lily’s personal effects that I’ve
collected. Take them with you when you leave.”
Feeling as if his blood had turned to ice, Jareth moved slowly to face Aaron.
Other girls carried lipstick, powder, hair ties, and little trinkets when they went out.
Lily, on the other hand, carried with her nothing else but her cell phone, and a dagger, which she
concealed on herself, not for her own protection, but for his and Mari’s.
With swollen, stinging eyes, Jareth shakily lifted the jade pendant from the box; its surface was marred
with cracks and stained with blood.
The cold touch spread in his palm, and seeped into his aching chest and stiff body.
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Chapter 785
“It’s all over, it’s all past.” Thaddeus‘ voice choked up a little, as he held back from mentioning anything
more sorrowful.
Then, heavy footsteps approached.
Evadne and Thaddeus both looked back, and their hearts skipped a beat.
The man before them had a look of destion in his deep, shattered and profound eyes; his hair was
now gray at the temples, as if frosted with grief.
“Jareth.” Thaddeus felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his tears started welling up.
There’s a saying about overnight graying of hair.
It turned out it’s true.
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Chapter 786
He had given her the jade pendant for protection.
But now, it was clear: Lily was his guardian.
With her body broken, she had kept him and Mari safe.
The aftermath of Barry and Lily’s tragedy, the fluctuating stocks of the Fairhaven group, the halted
projects, and the handling of Edith’s case… everything was overwhelming. But with the help of the
Abernathy couple, it all progressed smoothly.
Gordon and Jason, leading the PR teams of K and the Abernathy group, worked through the night to
scrub clean any trace of the tragedy from the inte.
The reason Evadne and Thaddeus had done this was not to stifle the conversation, but to spare Mari
from reliving her trauma through these videos which had been circting online once she recovered.
But they didn’t stop the public discourse.
Because this time, they would join with the citizens to punish those who were beyond redemption!
Edith, Glynnis, Alston, and four others were arrested, waiting to be charged in the detention center.
The Bartleys, with only one child to their name, were devastated upon hearing their son had been
mutted. Consuming heart pills like candy, Mrs. Bartley fainted repeatedly throughout the day, and
wailed for her husband to find a way to free their son whenever she was conscious.
“What else can you do besides cry and faint?! We’vee to this because you’ve spoiled him without
limits!” Timothy raged at his wife, “He attempted to assault the daughter of Frederic, the heiress of the
Abernathy group! He certainly had a taste for women; now he eats the bitter fruit of his own making,
and wants to drag me down with him! My political career is over as the whole nation saw him
desperately stripping to pounce on that girl!”
Mrs. Bartley sobbed uncontrobly, “At this point, you’re still thinking about your career! Is it more
important
than our son?”
Timothy’s blood pressure skyrocketed, but he still called hiswyer, only to receive terrible news.
The case had caused such a public outcry and had such a negative impact that their plea for bail was
denied!
“Go, go appeal to Suri!”
Mrs. Bartley, still in denial, clutched her husband’s arm, “Didn’t you have a good conversationst
time? Weren’t she and Chairman Emeric supportive of you?! If you ask her to vouch for you, won’t our
son be saved? Once this is over, you can repay the Ashbourne family by working for them!”
Feeling a flicker of hope, Timothy reached for his phone when a cold, stern voice interrupted:
???
“Why go through all that trouble? You can speak to me, and as a member of the Ashbourne family, I’ll
pass your message to Suri.”
Arnold, dressed as a prosecutor, entered briskly with a team of officers; his presence was
commanding. Timothy went pale, “Who let you in? This is a private property invasion!”
“Timothy, as the mayor of Elmsworth, you’re under arrest for severe disciplinary and legal vitions;
there are conclusive evidence to support the charges.”
Arnold’s expression was as stony as the grave as he gestured, “Search the entire vi, and take all the
documents!”
“Yes, Prosecutor Arnold!”
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Chapter 786
“You, do you have any proof that I’ve done anything wrong?! Show me the evidence!” Timothy
bellowed; his voice was fierce but his legs were trembling with fear.
“The evidence is me!”
Timothy whipped around, only to see his trusted confidant Mr. Joseph stepping out of the shadows,
whose face was stern with resolve.
“As the mayor’s secretary, I have in my possession all the evidence of Timothy’s misconduct and illegal
activities from the day he took office. I am nowing forward to confess and expose the corrupt
dealings of Timothy and his wife, who had been using their power for personal gain!”
Mrs. Bartley, upon hearing this, was so terrified that she felt her insides churn, and then she fainted
dead away.
“You backstabbing rat!”
Timothy was seething with such rage that his teeth clenched in hatred. Before he could finish his
sentence, two officers from the district attorney’s office grabbed his arms and dragged him away.
Meanwhile, Thaddeus had just rushed the weary Cassius and Chasel to the hospital when his phone
rang. It was Arnold calling:
“Timothy and his wife have been arrested. They’re being interrogated at the prosecutor’s office right
now.”
“That’s just like you, Prosecutor Arnold, always so efficient. I appreciate your hard work.”
“Ah, don’t give me that fluff, Thad.”
Thaddeus‘ lips curved into a faint smirk.
“I couldn’t have gotten the search and arrest warrants so quickly without your help behind the scenes.”
Arnold’s tone was a mix of admiration and envy. “You’ve got some wild connections, even within the
mayor’s inner circle. When did you get in with Mr. Joseph?”
“It’s been a while. Arnold, he’s just a working stiff, who has been oppressed by power and doesn’t have
much choice. Considering his voluntary confession, I hope you’ll go easy on him.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
No sooner had Thaddeus hung up than he received another urgent call from Gordon:
“Mr. Thaddeus, there’s trouble! Mr. Frederic has secured awyer for Glynnis, and nned to get her
out on medical bail!”