Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Chapter 24 Acacia left, tears streaming down her face. Behind her back, the house staff would say that Ms. Acacia was bad news. Every time she showed up, there was drama, followed by her departure in tears. It was as if she treated the Abernathy’s residence like a funeral procession. Thaddeus was sat on the couch, lost in thought, his suit ragged and torn. “Mr. Thaddeus, it’s pretty late, you should have some milk and get some sleep.” Alva walked in with a steaming cup of milk. Seeing the ruined suit, she sighed, “What a shame.” The implication was clear as day. “Next time Acacia comes by, keep an eye on her. Don’t let her wander into my room or the study. Oh and Ilana’s too,” Thaddeus said, with a hint of resignation. “Don’t worry, Mr. Thaddeus. You’ve got my word, I’ll keep her in check!” Alva quickly a**ured him. “I even had the foresight to lock Ms. Ilana’s room today. Who knows what Ms. Acacia might have done if she got in.” “Alva, don’t be like that. Acacia isn’t that bad. I did wrong by her for three years after all.” “And what about Ms. Ilana? What did she do wrong? You divorced her, don’t you think you’ve wronged her too?” Alva said, raising her voice in defense of Ilana. “It was me who was forced into it that year, not her. She could have chosen not to marry me.” “So you’re saying Ms. Ilana brought this upon herself?” Thaddeus clenched his pale lips. “Well, you should go to bed. I’ll get out of your hair.” Alva left the room, her face cold and unhappy, taking the warm milk with her. Thaddeus was slightly taken aback, and hummed lightly.
Was Alva mad at him? He still wanted to drink that milk. When did Ilana start to win over the people closest to him? What a schemer. Acacia returned home in embarra**ment, bringing bad news.
Without the Abernathy group’s support, the Stirling group was in total chaos. It would be hard to turn things around this time. “Dang it! What on earth is Thaddeus thinking? He keeps saying he loves you, but he’s not taking responsibility for you. Does he think he can push the Stirling family around?!” Ives was so mad he threw an ashtray, his eyes red with anger. “How can Thaddeus not love me? He divorced just for me,” Acacia sobbed, trying to defend herself. “I think he’s just weighing the pros and cons! You’re a Stirling and Ilana? She’s just a country bumpkin. Any fool would choose you over her!” Acacia knew her brother was trying to stand up for her, but his words felt like an insult. “Acacia, why did Mr. Thaddeus suddenly change his mind? What happened?!” Mr. Stirling asked urgently. “I don’t know. Today Thaddeus met with President Ashbourne, and when he came back, he said he wouldn’t help us anymore. Dad, brother, did you do something to make Thaddeus find out? He seems to really dislike us.” “Could it be because of his ex-wife Ilana?!” Ives faked a look of sudden realization. “What are you talking about?” Acacia got nervous at the mention of Ilana’s name. “A few days ago, I ran into that crazy woman at the Jareth family’s new bar. I didn’t expect Thaddeus to suddenly show up, not only did he help her, he made me apologize to his ex-wife! What’s the deal?” Ives was still smarting from the humiliation he had suffered. Acacia turned pale at his words, feeling troubled. Could it be that Thaddeus really had feelings for that woman? Had her worst fears come true? She couldn’t let Ilana rise again. “Don’t worry, as long as you marry Mr. Thaddeus successfully, nothing will be unsolvable.” Mrs. Stirling comforted her daughter, her gaze cold, “Ilana is a discarded woman, she can’t do anything. What we need to do now is to change people’s perception of the Stirling group and find someone to take the blame for this. That’s the key!” Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“The fall guy?” Ives’ eyes lit up and he smiled, “No one is more suitable than him!” The Stirling group’s reputation was severely damaged, with only a handful of customers left at Elmsworth’s dozens of Vintage Elegance stores. What’s worse, Thaddeus was no longer helping. If they couldn’t find a solution, they were done once the money from the Abernathy group ran out. Meanwhile, the Ashbourne group won public favor by exposing the Stirling group’s substandard products, and the attention to K World Hotel was once again on the rise. “I followed your instructions and had someone tail Keith after he left. As expected, he had been in contact with Ives more than once!” Jason held Evadne’s delicate hand, carefully applying oil to her new burgundy manicure. “You really have great foresight, you saw right through that man.” “He embezzled from the hotel and colluded with Ives, which proves they are close.” Evadne smiled contentedly, satisfied with Mr. Jason’s care. “This weekend, the Stirling group will hold a press conference. I’ll make sure you enjoy the show.” Evadne was in a good mood today, with the arrival of new mattresses. She even went to check the goods at the back door with Jason. “Ms. Evadne, you really don’t have to do this heavy work. The room service manager and I can handle it,” Jason gently advised. “I ain’t no pampered princess, I’ve fired guns on the battlefield. After a battle, I’ve carried more than a dozen wounded soldiers, saved hundreds. What’s inspecting a few mattresses?” As the words left her mouth, a hint of melancholy flashed in Evadne’s eyes. She had once saved Thaddeus on a foreign battlefield. Back then, amidst bullets and bombs, he had fallen into a pool of blood with injuries to his leg and shoulder. He had roared at her to leave him, but she had sworn to face it with him. “Leave me! Go! I’m telling you to leave! Go now!” “No way! Even if it means dying here with you, I can’t abandon you! We’re leaving together!”
Evadne was prepared to die at that time. For her, a girl, to rescue the nearly six-feet-tall Thaddeus from the battlefield was nearly impossible. She even wondered then, were they together? In life, they shared hardship, in death, they would rest in peace. No regrets! Evadne’s red lips twisted into a bitter smile, her heart pounding heavily, the pain overwhelming. Thaddeus, she hadn’t expected that her scarred heart would still beat for him. It seems that one really shouldn’t meet such stunning people in their youth. Evadne and Jason walked to the back door, just as the workers were unloading. The guest room manager admired her even more for inspecting the goods herself. With Jason’s help, Evadne hopped onto the truck, casually opened a mattress, inspected it carefully, then sat down with a satisfied expression. “Very good, you can unload now.” At that moment, a blue Lamborghini roared towards them. The back door was close to the underground garage, so luxury cars pa**ed by often. It was a common sight. But this time was different, because the man in the car was Jareth. Mr. Jareth was steering with his left hand, his right arm around a se xy woman. They had stayed up all night and were now out for a meal. Jareth, wearing sungla**es and looking bored, glanced outside. This glance made him see Evadne, who was helping the workers unload mattresses. This beautiful woman was captivating. In the bar, she was a delicate night rose, now in her work clothes, her light wasn’t hidden, instead, it accentuated her mature and feminine charm. She was efficient, not at all squeamish, completely different from the delicate rich girls he had met. Jareth became interested in her and smiled. “Country girls sure are capable!”