Chapter 481

"President Ashbourne."

Thaddeus's voice was hoarse, as if gravel had been dragged through his throat. Barely audible.

"Thaddeus!"

Cassius's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving with fury. He charged at Thaddeus like a wild beast, his fist clenched tight.

Thaddeus saw the blow coming—aimed straight at his face. But he didn’t flinch. He deserved it. Even if Cassius beat him to death, he wouldn’t resist.

"Cassius! Stop!"

Just as Cassius’s fist was about to connect, Chasel appeared, wrapping his arms around Cassius from behind in a desperate hold.

"Let go," Cassius hissed, his lips trembling, his heart shattering.

"No!"

Chasel’s arms shook as he clung to Cassius’s waist, breathless. "Hitting him won’t change anything! Will it bring back what Evadne lost?"

"But he deserves to die!"

Cassius’s face twisted with rage, his powerful frame straining against Chasel’s grip. Tears he’d been holding back finally spilled over. "Why doesn’t he just die? My sister can’t have children anymore! She’s only twenty-five, and she’s lost that forever! Because of you, Thaddeus! Why don’t you just die?!"

Why didn’t he die?

He should.

Thaddeus stood there, hollow, like a puppet with its strings cut. His face was ashen, his spirit broken.

Chasel took in his wretched state. Thaddeus’s short hair was soaked, rainwater dripping down his once-handsome face. His tailored suit clung to him, mud caking his shoes and trousers.

It had started raining when Evadne was taken away. Thaddeus had chased the Ashbourne car through the downpour for miles—but he never caught even a glimpse of her.

"I’m sorry," he whispered, over and over, like a broken record. "It’s all my fault. All of it."

"Thaddeus, do you have any idea how much Evadne wanted children?" Cassius’s voice cracked, his towering frame shaking with grief. "She told us so many times—she wanted a baby with you. And when she remembered how you treated her during those three years, she’d call me in the middle of the night, crying."

Thaddeus felt like a knife had been plunged into his heart, twisting deeper with every word.

Tears welled in his eyes, his shoulders trembling violently. The pain was unbearable.

"I didn’t know," he choked out, his lips pale. "If I had—"

"You didn’t know?" Cassius let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "You didn’t know about your one-night stand with Evadne? You didn’t know she was pregnant? Are you joking, or are you really that clueless? Either way, I can’t forgive you. If I let Evadne stay with someone like you, I wouldn’t deserve to call myself a man!"

Chasel sighed, helpless. He’d seen firsthand how much Thaddeus loved Evadne.

But those three years of neglect had scarred her too deeply.

If he were in her place, even if he still loved the man, the daily reminder of her infertility would be torture.

A love doomed from the start.

"Cassius," Chasel pleaded, "no matter what, Thaddeus saved Evadne’s life—and yours. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be standing here. Think about that before you do something you’ll regret."

Cassius’s fist slowly lowered, his rage simmering beneath the surface.

"Thaddeus, you saved my life, so I’ll spare you. But from now on, stay away from me—and stay away from Evadne. I can forgive everything else, but not this. Never this."

With that, Cassius turned and walked away. Chasel gave Thaddeus one last glance before following.

"Please," Thaddeus begged, tears streaming down his face. "Give me one chance to make it right. Just one!"

Cassius stopped, his voice icy. "Bring me back a sister with a healthy body, a womb that wasn’t ruined. Then we’ll talk."

Thaddeus didn’t remember how he left the parking lot.

His head throbbed, a buzzing noise filling his ears like demons laughing at his misery.

"Thad!"

Jareth’s voice finally broke through the haze. Thaddeus swayed, the world spinning around him.

Jareth caught him just before he collapsed into a puddle. "Hang in there! You can’t give up on Evadne!"

Thaddeus’s face was a mask of despair. "Her body is ruined because of me. What do I do, Jareth? How do I fix this?"

"There’s always a way," Jareth insisted. "Medicine is advancing every day. We’ll find a solution. But if you give up now, it’s over."

Thaddeus clutched his head, gasping. "I told her I wanted kids. I wanted a family with her. If I’d known—if I’d known it would come to this, I never would’ve said a word!"

Jareth’s heart ached.

Evadne had already carried so much guilt. Every time Thaddeus mentioned children, it must have been like salt in the wound.

"Thad, we need to find out exactly what happened back then. Only then can we fix this."

Thaddeus forced himself to think.

The medical reports said Evadne had been two months pregnant when she lost the baby. What had happened two months after they were together?

"Mr. Abernathy!"

Gordon rushed over, drenched from the rain. "Mr. Hamilton is demanding you return to Havenbrook immediately. He knows what happened at the banquet."

The news of Evadne’s infertility had spread like wildfire.

Though no recordings had leaked—thanks to the Ashbournes and Fairhavens’ influence—the damage was done.

Hamilton had nearly collapsed when he heard.

"My poor girl," he sobbed, clutching his chest. "How could this happen? She was carrying our family’s child!"

Mr. Murray stood by, guilt gnawing at him. He’d kept Evadne’s secret all these years.

Frederic scoffed. "Dad, don’t blame Thaddeus. He didn’t love her back then. And Evadne was careless—she didn’t even know she was pregnant."

Thaddeus’s blood boiled.

Before he could speak, Hamilton hurled a teacup at Frederic’s head.

"Damn you!" Hamilton roared. "How dare you blame her? She’s suffered enough!"

Frederic staggered back, blood trickling from his forehead.

"Before, I thought Elspeth corrupted you," Hamilton spat. "But now I see—you’re just as heartless as she is!"