Chapter 234

A shiver ran down Thaddeus's spine, his chest tightening with disbelief.

They had once been lovers. Now, she stood against him, blade in hand, ready to strike.

Her knife hadn't pierced his skin yet, but it had already carved into his heart.

"The last man who crossed me was Jareth," Evadne said, tilting her head, her cold eyes devoid of emotion. "He had the sense to stay away after that. I hope I won't need to drive this blade through your heart to make you understand, will I?"

Thaddeus ignored the threat, his voice rough. "What does he have that I don't?"

She blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

"Avery—what makes him so special?" Thaddeus stepped closer, his eyes burning red.

He knew the knife pressed against his chest. He knew how ruthless she could be. But none of it mattered anymore.

"Thaddeus, back off!"

Evadne retreated, but her grip on the knife didn't waver. "Do you really think I won't hurt you?"

"Why him?" His voice cracked. "Is this revenge?"

The blade pricked through his suit, grazing his skin. He barely flinched.

"Should I have chosen you instead?" She scoffed. "And why are you so angry? I loved you once. For three years. Wasn’t it you who pushed me away?"

Every word twisted deeper into his chest.

Thaddeus exhaled sharply, pain radiating through every nerve.

The truth was brutal. Undeniable.

"Evadne."

She turned at the sound of her name. Avery stood a few steps away, concern etched across his face. "You're not well. Let's get you to the hospital."

Unlike Thaddeus, he didn’t engage in petty games.

He cared. He understood.

He wanted her to see who truly valued her.

"Fine. One minute."

Evadne sheathed the knife and walked toward Avery without a backward glance. The choice was clear.

Thaddeus stood frozen, abandoned.

When she reached Avery, she didn’t take his hand, but her voice softened. "Let’s go."

Avery’s fingers twitched before he withdrew them. "Okay."

Side by side, they left, the perfect pair under Thaddeus’s hollow gaze.

Only when they were gone did he press a hand to his chest, where the wound burned deeper than flesh.

"Evadne… I just wanted you to see me."

Avery rushed her to the hospital.

By the time they arrived, she was doubled over in pain, too weak to step out of the car. Her face was pale, fingers clutching her stomach.

Years as a doctor in war zones had left her with chronic pain—endless hunger, exhaustion, and stress.

"Mr. Chambers! I'll get a wheelchair!" the secretary offered, sweating.

"No need."

Avery scooped her into his arms and carried her inside.

"It hurts," she gasped against his shoulder.

"Last time, you scolded me for holding you without permission," he murmured, tightening his grip as if to fuse her to his chest. "But I had no choice. You won’t be angry, will you?"

His voice was velvet, coaxing.

The secretary gaped. Since when did the ruthless Mr. Chambers speak so tenderly to a woman?

If Ms. Evadne doesn’t marry him, the world has no justice.

After being put on an IV, Evadne finally slept.

Maybe it was their childhood bond. Maybe exhaustion lowered her guard. Either way, she allowed him to stay.

The room was silent except for her steady breaths.

Avery didn’t move from her bedside.

Then she shifted, a soft whimper escaping her lips.

His pulse jumped.

Over the years, countless women had thrown themselves at him—in Elmsworth, in Helgen.

The more they tried, the less he cared. Most were as irritating as barnacles on a ship’s hull.

Only Evadne could do as she pleased.

No matter how reckless, how infuriating, he’d always indulge her.

His fingers hovered over her cheek—

His phone buzzed. A message from his secretary:

Mr. Chambers, Ms. Evadne’s family is here. They’re at the door.

Avery adjusted his glasses and opened the ward door.

Cassius, Arnold, and Jason stood like three glaciers in the hall.

"President Ashbourne." Avery spoke first. "Evadne had a sudden attack. I brought her here immediately. My apologies for not notifying you sooner."

Jason’s lips thinned. This man had the audacity to take her without a word?

"Mr. Avery, you—"

Cassius raised a hand, silencing him.

"Thank you for bringing her," Cassius said, his smile razor-thin. "But while we were searching for our sister, you ignored our calls. Then turned off your phone. Care to explain?"

Arnold’s jaw clenched.

This bastard had hidden their sister from them.

Did he think they had nothing better to do?

Avery remained composed. "I was focused solely on Evadne’s well-being. I didn’t want to disturb her rest. It was… an oversight."

"An oversight?" Arnold snapped. "Are you implying we don’t care about her?"

"Of course you do." Avery’s tone was calm. "But surely you wouldn’t deny another man the right to love and cherish her as well?"

Arnold and Jason stiffened.

This was a direct declaration—right to their faces.

Even in the Ashbourne family, no one was this brazen with their feelings.

Cassius’s gaze darkened.

Their father had been right to oppose this man.

Beneath the polished exterior was something unsettling.

"You wait here. I’ll take Evadne home." Cassius turned toward the room. "Mr. Avery, we’ll handle things from here. You may leave."

Avery smiled, unbothered.

His secretary fumed as they walked away. "Sir, they disrespected you! After all you’ve done—"

"Brothers are protective. It’s natural." Avery adjusted his cuffs. "I’m not marrying them. I’m marrying Evadne. Their opinion means nothing."

"But in Helgen, you were—"

"What’s the point of Helgen without her?" His voice turned icy. "I was meant to rule, not rot in obscurity. The Chambers Group should have been mine. Evadne should have been mine long ago."

His eyes burned with quiet madness.

The secretary bowed his head.

"I’ll reclaim everything," Avery whispered. "The company. Her. All of it."