Chapter 461

Frederic's gaze burned into his rebellious son, his expression darker than a thunderstorm.

Trailing behind him, along with his trusted aide Dennis and a squad of bodyguards, was Glynnis—her face twisted as if she'd swallowed something vile.

Truth be told, Glynnis would rather be anywhere else than here, forced to face Evadne. She hadn't left the Windermere Estate since the scandal at the horse race.

Elspeth, her own mother, had dragged their family name through the mud!

These days, even glancing at the TV made her cringe. A quick scroll through social media, and there they were—endless jabs and sneers about Elspeth.

She'd muted every gossip group, but the whispers never stopped.

[Honestly, I feel bad for Evadne. Frederic probably hasn’t touched her in years. Who else would be so desperate to pleasure themselves like that?]

[Once you’ve had kids, men treat you like furniture. Even Elspeth, with her glamorous past, couldn’t escape that fate.]

[It’s not about age—Elspeth’s on drugs, wetting herself in public. If I were Frederic, I’d die of shame. What a disgrace!]

[The real victim here is Glynnis. No decent suitors, and now her mother’s been hauled off by the cops in broad daylight.]

[What respectable family would want to marry into that mess? Embarrassing.]

Her so-called "friends" had no qualms about kicking her while she was down. Frenemies, more like.

But now, Glynnis had to play the devoted daughter. No matter how Frederic felt about Elspeth, she needed to prove she was the better child—far superior to that simpleton Mari.

She had just witnessed Thaddeus punch Cedric, their heated exchange clear to everyone present. Inside, she smirked.

Go ahead, Thaddeus. Make a fool of yourself for that woman. The more you disappoint Dad, the easier it’ll be for me to snatch that CEO position from under you.

"What am I doing? You saw it clearly enough," Thaddeus said, his voice icy and unyielding, his sharp gaze narrowing with authority.

"Haven’t you realized where you are? This is a police precinct! Hitting someone makes you no better than a common thug. Disgraceful! Foolish!"

Frederic had recently softened slightly toward his son, feeling a pang of guilt for how he'd treated Cynthia. But seeing him now, reckless and impulsive for Evadne’s sake, made his blood boil.

The officers around them, including Aaron, exchanged disdainful glances at the Abernathy patriarch’s hypocrisy.

"What kind of leader is this? He runs a corporation? Pathetic."

"Hitting someone is wrong, but for him, it’s all about saving face, not morality. His priorities are twisted."

"Elites like him are parasites. No conscience at all."

Frederic wasn’t deaf. He caught snippets of their whispers, his fury mounting as he glared at Thaddeus.

"I know exactly who I am," Thaddeus said without hesitation, returning to Evadne’s side and gripping her hand firmly.

His piercing gaze softened as he looked at her. "I’m the man of the Ashbourne family’s eldest daughter. My woman was insulted by this dog. Hitting him—was that not justified?"

Evadne’s heart skipped a beat, her fingers curling into his.

"You—!" Frederic was stunned.

"If it were your woman being humiliated by such filth, could you stay silent?" Thaddeus smirked coldly. "But of course, your pride comes first. You’d never stoop to defend anyone."

The crowd gasped. The Ashbourne-Abernathy feud had escalated into open war.

Frederic was speechless, but Glynnis stepped forward, defending her father. "Thaddeus, how dare you speak to Dad like that?! You’re in the wrong for fighting, and you’ve tarnished the company’s reputation. What’s wrong with Dad reprimanding you?! Are you going to degrade yourself until everyone despises you—all for a woman?!"

Evadne clenched her jaw, hating to see Thaddeus chastised by someone like Glynnis. But this was an Abernathy family matter. Though she and Thaddeus were committed, interfering would only worsen the rift between father and son.

She didn’t fear Frederic’s disdain—but she feared for Thaddeus, already walking on thin ice at the Abernathy Group.

"Hated by everyone? You must be talking about Elspeth," Thaddeus said, not even glancing at Glynnis, his voice laced with lethal calm. "I suggest you behave. If you keep whitewashing your mother’s crimes, I’ll make sure you join her behind bars."

His words weren’t just for Glynnis—they were a warning to Frederic. Elspeth was beyond saving.

"Thaddeus! How dare you!" Glynnis stomped her foot, clutching Frederic’s arm, tears welling. "Dad! He’s threatening to kill Mom—your wife! He wants to destroy us both! What did I ever do to him? Who’s the real monster here?!"

Frederic, dizzy from her theatrics, barely managed a response.

"Mr. Frederic Abernathy."

Cedric saw the father-son rift as his golden opportunity.

Scrambling to his feet, wiping blood from his nose, he put on a pitiful expression. "Mr. Frederic Abernathy, I’ve been utterly devoted to you and the Abernathy Group. I’ve worked tirelessly, given my all. You know this. I understand the bad blood between Mr. Thaddeus and your wife, but as a lawyer, I was just doing my job. Yet Mr. Thaddeus took his grudge out on me. I’ve been wronged!"

Frederic couldn’t bear to look at Cedric’s bloody face. "Mr. Dempsey, I’ll handle this."

Thaddeus was done with everything Abernathy-related.

"Evadne, let’s go home."

He couldn’t stand sharing the same air as Frederic. Taking Evadne’s hand, they walked out, ignoring the stares.

As they passed Cedric, Thaddeus paused. "Send your medical bills to my secretary. Getting punched by me isn’t an everyday privilege—make sure you claim generously."

Cedric’s face twisted in rage, his wounds throbbing.

Evadne followed Thaddeus, her eyes fixed on his broad shoulders, stepping lightly behind him.

Aaron watched, stunned. His sister—bold, fearless, radiant—was now the picture of gentle femininity beside Thaddeus. A sight worth capturing.

"Ms. Ashbourne."

Frederic’s cold voice stopped them.

Thaddeus immediately tensed, pulling Evadne protectively against him.

"Mr. Abernathy, is there something else?" Evadne asked, her tone neutral.

"Do you dare claim the scandal at the horse race, Elspeth’s arrest, and that doctor’s testimony had nothing to do with you?" Frederic’s voice was tight with fury.

Thaddeus frowned. "If you have something to say, say it to me. Don’t drag Evadne into this."

But Evadne, unshaken, smiled disarmingly. "Of course it had to do with me. Everything did."

The crowd gasped. Even Thaddeus was surprised by her bluntness.

Glynnis seized the moment. "Evadne! It was you all along! You framed my mother! I knew she was innocent! How could you be so cruel?! You’ve torn our family apart and now you’re manipulating my brother! You’re a disaster!"

Aaron nearly stepped forward, but Evadne remained composed. "Mr. Abernathy, Victor works for me. But your wife sought him out for drugs, got addicted, and acted recklessly at the horse race—all by choice. No one forced her. It was a trap, but Elspeth could’ve walked away from the start."

With that, Thaddeus wrapped his arm around her, and they left.

"Dad! You’re letting her go?! She’s the one who ruined Mom!" Glynnis wailed.

Dennis finally spoke up. "Ms. Ashbourne’s words require proof. Without evidence, you risk a defamation lawsuit."

Glynnis shot him a venomous glare.

"Aaron, I need to see your Chief," Frederic demanded coldly.

Aaron leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "The Chief’s out. Someone higher up called him."

"Then call him. Tell him to see me immediately."

"Sorry, but as a lowly officer, I don’t have that kind of pull." Aaron yawned. "Call him yourself."

Frederic’s fury spiked. He knew Aaron was Emeric Ashbourne’s son—Evadne’s brother. Of course he wouldn’t help.

Hmph. A bastard child—just as low-class as expected.

Glynnis kept crying. "Dad, Evadne’s humiliating us! Are we just going to let her walk all over the Abernathy name?!"

"Never."

Frederic’s face turned ashen, his teeth grinding. "I know what she wants. She thinks she can marry Thaddeus again. I’ll never allow such a scheming woman into this family. Even if my father supports her, it won’t matter!"

In the car, Evadne nestled against Thaddeus, tracing circles on his chest.

"Don’t keep defying your father for me."

"Don’t worry," Thaddeus murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Frederic Abernathy still controls the Abernathy Group. Aren’t you afraid he’ll strip you of your position and hand everything to your brother?"

"If he casts me aside, I’ll just have to rely on you to support me," Thaddeus said with a wry smile.

"The Ashbourne family doesn’t take freeloaders," Evadne teased, arching a brow.

"I can pull my weight. I’m very capable," he replied, his muscles flexing under her touch.

"Oh? How capable?"

Thaddeus lifted her onto his lap, his gaze darkening. "You’ll find out when we get home."

Evadne’s cheeks flushed as she pulled him into a deep kiss.

The car stopped at the villa.

Gordon stepped out first to open the door—only to freeze at the sight of a sleek Rolls-Royce parked at the entrance.

Just as Thaddeus carried Evadne out, the Rolls-Royce’s door swung open.

"Evadne."

Both stiffened. Evadne’s eyes widened before she quickly slid out of Thaddeus’s arms.

"Dad?!"