Chapter 336

Byron's face drained of color, turning an unsettling shade of green at the words.

The crowd stood frozen in shock.

Mr. Avery's tone was sharp, deliberate, laced with provocation.

Whispers broke out among the guests.

"Seems like there's no love lost between the Chambers brothers."

"No love? More like open warfare!"

"Did Mr. Avery just imply the horse was his? Did Byron really take his brother's property without asking?"

"That doesn't sound right, does it?"

The murmurs reached Byron's ears, his jaw clenching as he fought to keep his fury in check. "Avery, it's just a horse. Was this spectacle necessary?" he snapped coldly.

"Absolutely."

Avery's reply was ice, his piercing gaze matching his tone. "If it were just a horse, I wouldn't care. But you laid hands on a gift meant for Miss Evadne before she even saw it. Do you find that acceptable?"

Evadne, still dazzled by the sight of the prized stallion, stiffened at his words.

"Byron, have you forgotten all decency over the years?"

Avery didn't hold back, his mockery cutting deep, brotherhood be damned. "Didn't our father teach you that stealing is beneath you?"

Byron felt the sting of a public slap, his composure crumbling.

The embarrassment over the horse was one thing. But with Evadne watching, the humiliation burned a thousand times hotter, his pulse roaring in his ears, blood boiling with unchecked rage.

"If the horse was meant for Miss Evadne, why was it tied here? I assumed it belonged to the Chambers stables. As a Chambers, I have every right to take it."

Avery adjusted his glasses, a smirk playing on his lips. "So if you're tied up here, does that mean I can drag you away too?"

"You—"

Laughter erupted from the crowd, turning Byron's face scarlet. He lunged forward, fists clenched, only stopped by his secretary's restraining grip.

"Avery, let it go. It's not worth ruining the evening over."

Evadne's fingers brushed Avery's arm, her voice soft but firm. "We shouldn't disrupt Byron's event. Let's go."

"Fine."

Avery's reply was quiet, but his grip on the stallion's reins was firm as he led Evadne away under the crowd's watchful eyes.

In that moment, he looked every bit the knight, strolling under the moonlight with his princess.

Byron seethed. Avery's public humiliation was bad enough. But seeing him walk off with Evadne, as if he didn't exist? Unbearable.

In the lounge, Byron downed a glass of whiskey and shattered it against the wall.

"That bastard. Over a damn horse, he dares to humiliate me!"

"Mr. Byron, his arrogance isn't about the horse," his secretary said carefully. "It's about having the perfect excuse to shame you publicly."

Byron's glare could have burned through steel. "Are you saying I handed him that excuse?"

"No! I'm just—I'm furious on your behalf! You're the one Mr. Jeff chose for the Ashbourne alliance!"

"I don't need your anger. I need a solution!"

His hands trembled, his breathing ragged. The secretary hastily poured another drink. The whiskey steadied him, smoothing the tremors, masking the truth—that the poised man the world saw relied on liquor to keep his demons at bay.

"He made you uncomfortable. Return the favor. At the very least, don't let his date with Miss Evadne go smoothly."

A dark glint flashed in Byron's eyes. After a beat, he motioned his secretary closer.

"I have a plan. Make it happen. Now."

Thaddeus was unraveling.

No word from Evadne. No answers from Cassius. His mind was chaos, his pulse erratic, a swarm of thoughts buzzing relentlessly.

"Mr. Thaddeus, Mr. Frederic expects you at tonight's gala. It's your first public appearance since your recovery. The team needs to see you're well."

Gordon, ever efficient, laid out the facts. "You're the CEO. Your presence reassures them."

Thaddeus stared blankly at his silent phone.

"Mr. Thaddeus, love shouldn't consume you."

Gordon sighed. "I know you're worried about Mrs. Abernathy, but she's a capable woman with powerful allies. What could possibly happen? You were never this irrational. A man must prioritize his career."

"You think putting her first is wrong?"

Gordon swallowed hard. "That's not what I meant."

"I used to be a machine. Work was everything. I had a wife, but she was never my priority. I thought without my position, I'd have nothing."

Thaddeus closed his eyes, lashes trembling. "But when I lost Evadne, I realized the truth. Without her, I have nothing."

He exhaled sharply. "None of it means anything."

"Mr. Thaddeus, you once told me you climbed to the top—knowing it's lonely—because power protects those you love. You wanted to honor your late mother!"

The mention of his mother's death twisted like a knife.

"And yet, you're so focused on winning Mrs. Abernathy back, you're neglecting everything else. What happens if you end up beneath her? A kept man? Is that how you want to live?"

Thaddeus's jaw tightened.

Harsh words. But not wrong.

"Get the car. We're leaving."

"This breed is the Ferrari of horses—Whiteguard's treasure. I begged my father for one, but he was too afraid I'd get hurt."

Under the moonlight, Evadne ran her fingers through the stallion's golden mane, its warmth sending a thrill through her.

Suddenly, her mind conjured Thaddeus—bare-chested, muscles taut, wild and untamed.

Her fingertips tingled. Cheeks flushed.

That man, when he let go, was just as untamable as this stallion.

"Evadne, do you like it? Evadne?"

"Huh?"

She blinked, touching her heated face. "I do. Horses have always been my favorite."

Damn it. Why does everything remind me of him?

Avery stepped closer, his shadow enveloping her.

"I remember," he murmured, studying her delicate profile. "You told me as a child you wanted to be an equestrian. That was your dream."

"It was."

She smiled faintly. "But dreams change. I know now I wasn't cut out for it."

She didn't mind Avery bringing up their past, even if some memories were hazy.

But the difference between them was clear—she looked forward. He clung to the past.

"Evadne, what's your dream now?"

Avery's voice was tight, his breath uneven.

"For a long time, I wanted to be a great doctor."

She couldn't fight beside Thaddeus, but she could be his support. She'd always prayed he'd return safely—but if he didn't, she wanted to be the one to mend his wounds.

"Now? I don't have one."

Her chest ached, the admission bitter. "Now, I just want everything handed to me. To sit back and enjoy. To have it all without lifting a finger."

Avery's lips curved. "Evadne, can you read minds?"

His breath warmed her ear. "We're thinking the same thing."

She arched a brow. "You're a grown man, not even thirty, and you want to be a kept man? That's not very ambitious."

"You misunderstand." His voice dropped, desire darkening his gaze. "I want my future wife to live without a single worry. Her only job? To stay as beautiful as a rose."

He leaned closer. "Being my woman means having everything. No struggles. No wandering. Only a weak man lets his woman suffer."

Evadne's breath hitched. Was that a jab at someone?

Before she could respond, a deafening neigh shattered the quiet.

"Mr. Chambers! Miss Evadne! Look out!"

A gust of wind kicked up dust.

Evadne whirled around—just as a black stallion burst through the fence, charging straight for them!