Chapter 334
Chapter 334
Across the street from the K Group.
Avery leaned against the door of his sports car, hands tucked in his trousers, standing in the golden residual glow of the sunset, staring at the entrance of the K Group with a somber gaze.
These days, he had been waiting.
He was waiting for Evadne to reach out to him, even if they couldn’t meet, a simple message would suffice.
But his hopes were in vain, indirectly confirming one thing.
The woman he deeply loved, simply didn’t have a place for him in her heart.
Yet, he was certain that Evadne still held a place for Thaddeus. It was only the nightmare of divorce that lay between them. She just didn’t want to admit she still had feelings for Thaddeus.
At this thought, Avery’s gaze darkened as he adjusted his gold–rimmed glasses. His whole body seemed to radiate a chilling, icy aura that even the brilliant light couldn’t penetrate.
“Ave.”
Hearing the sweet call, Avery’s gloom dissipated, his smile as warm as a breeze.
“Evadne, you finally came.”
Evadne walked briskly to him, her hands behind her back, tilting her head to look at him, “Huh? Finally? Have you been waiting long? Haven’t you just arrived?”
Her demeanor was that of a cheerful and radiant young girl, the same as the girl who saved him from the darkness fifteen years ago.
Every time he saw her, he couldn’t take his burning gaze off her beautiful face, even though he was not the type of man to lust after beauty.
“I’ve been waiting for a long time, ever since we last met at Myra’s birthday party. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.” Avery’s smile was tinged with a hint of bitterness, coupled with his slightly pale face, it gave off a pitiful sense of brokenness.
Evadne paused.
She then remembered that she had left in a hurry that day, without saying a proper goodbye to him and Mrs. Chambers.
It was indeed rude.
“I’m sorry about that day. You must know about the trouble that happened. It was a mess. I was worried about my family.”
“Evadne, you should apologize to me.” Avery suddenly turned serious.
Evadne was taken aback, “Huh?”
“You had such a big problem. Why didn’t you ask for my help?”
Avery stepped closer to her, his low voice husky with reproach, “Evadne, don’t you trust me? Do you think I can’t help you?”
“Ave, I didn’t mean that.”
“I just hate that I was a step late that day. I wasn’t as fast as Thaddeus, otherwise, I could have been the first one to protect you.” Avery’s breath deepened, his heartache evident in his dark eyes.
“No, no. That hit with the iron rod was pretty brutal, nearly split my head in two.”
Evadne waved her hands frantically, feeling suffocated whenever she saw his eyes, “It’s okay if Thaddeus takes the hit, Mr. Avery. You don’t need to join in.”
“Why can he, but not me? Do you think only Thaddeus can protect you?” Avery’s eyes reddened, his voice strained.
Evadne leaned back slightly, taken aback by his reaction, “That’s not what I meant. I also don’t want you to get hurt. Why do you insist on getting hurt? Even for me, it’s not okay.”
3
A rare warmth surged in Avery’s heart, his eyes soft as he looked at her, “Evadne, do you care about me?”
Evadne’s heart skipped a beat.
Those words reminded her of what happened between her and Thaddeus.
After their divorce, Thaddeus would often ask such silly questions, to which she’d always respond with sharp words, leaving him battered and bruised.
But, deep, deep down, there would still be a faint, constant pain.
However, when Avery asked her this, she felt surprisingly calm. This, in contrast, highlighted that Thaddeus, indeed, held a slightly more important place in her heart.
“I just feel that if it were you, I might not have been able to save you. Then you wouldn’t be the hero saving the damsel, just causing me trouble.”
Evadne quickly came up with an excuse, “Thaddeus has a unique bone structure. His physical fitness is better than most, so his chances of survival from the surgery are significantly higher. If it were you, I might not have been able to save you. Wouldn’t you then blame me for the rest of your life?”
Avery’s smile faded, a heaviness settling in his heart.
“Oh, by the way, welcome to Skyrim. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?” Evadne invited with a smile, she couldn’t let him make the trip for nothing.
“Evadne, come back to Elmsworth with me. Let’s have dinner in Elmsworth.”
Avery’s eyes suddenly lit up, “And, I want to take you somewhere. I think you’ll really like it.”
Evadne pondered for a moment, then gently nodded.
It wasn’t that she really wanted to go to that place, but she was busy returning to Elmsworth to meet with Aaron, to investigate who had framed Myra. Either way, she had to go back.
Evadne insisted on treating Avery to dinner, and Avery wasn’t shy about accepting, requesting to go to the same restaurant they had visited for their first dinner together.
The meal was pleasant enough, though Evadne’s thoughts were preoccupied, a trace of worry visible in her eyes.
“Has Myra’s situation not been resolved yet?” Avery took a sip of his tea, asking with concern.
“That thug is still in the detention center. He admitted to all his crimes.” Evadne’s voice was low, her hand gripping the teacup tightly.
“Do you have a direction for the investigation?”
Avery suddenly asked this, causing Evadne to wince, “Why do you ask? Do you have any ideas?”
The man merely smiled, his long fingers swiping across his phone screen, quickly pressing a few keys.
Tik tik tik.
Evadne picked up her phone in confusion, opened several pictures, and to her surprise, they were the thug’s details!
“This man, over twenty years ago, was a stagehand at a TV station, and later became a stunt double. But, within a few years, he had an accident on set, breaking his left leg arid leaving the TV station. Although he received treatment, he could only manage day–to–day activities, and couldn’t do stunts anymore. He has been living in poverty ever since.” Avery’s tone was casual as he poured tea for her.
Evadne suddenly remembered that when the police had taken the man away that day, his gait was indeed strange.
“In the good old days, Myra and Mr. Thaddeus’s stepmother, Elspeth, were both sought–after actresses, often competing for the limelight on television. There were always whispers about their rivalry. On Myra’s birthday, Elspeth, in a bid to steal the spotlight, moved her own birthday to Sunday, the same day as Myra’s. Much to her dismay, all the guests she had painstakingly invited ended up at Myra’s birthday party. Even Mr. Hamilton publicly snubbed
her.”
Avery faised an eyebrow, his smile intriguing, “Do you think she might hold a grudge and harm Myra?”
Evadne pursed her cherry–red lips, taking a deep breath, “To be frank, Elspeth was my first suspect when the incident occurred, but I had no evidence.” Avery squinted, sending her a few more photographs.
“What are these?”
“That’s the apartment rented by the suspect,” Avery answered nonchalantly.
The photos depicted a gloomy, cramped space, a place that could only be described as a mess.
The apartment’s dingy walls were plastered with Elspeth’s posters and photographs from her days as an actress. The whole scenario resembled a creepy crime scene from a movie!
“That man is infatuated with Elspeth, which provides a potential motive for the crime. Evadne, would you consider this indirect evidence?”
Evadne’s eyes widened in shock, “Did you have someone go to his place?”
Avery elegantly dabbed at his lips with a napkin, “It was a simple task. No need to thank me, Evadne.”
Evadne was touched, “You know, breaking and entering is a crime.”
Avery’s handsome face was traced with a faint smile, “Does a person who nearly harmed you and your family really deserve the rights of a citizen? He’s no better than an animal.”
Oh, that made sense!
After dinner, they settled the bill, and Evadne excused herself to the restroom.
No sooner had she left than her phone, left on the table, started to vibrate.
Avery leaned forward, his gaze lowered, and using one finger, he slid the phone towards himself,
His expression darkened as he picked up the phone and held it to his ear.
“Evadne, are you able to talk now? Evadne?”
Thaddeus’s voice was gentle and affectionate on the other end.
Avery–didn’t say anything.
Receiving no answer, Thaddeus’s voice grew husky, “Evadne, where are you? Can I see you?”
Avery smirked and hung up the call.
Not two seconds later, Thaddeus called again.
Avery snickered, swiftly adding the name to his phone’s blacklist, then put the phone back where it was.
“Sorry for the wait, shall we?”
Just as Evadne returned, her lips freshened with lipstick, her skin glowing and delicate.
Avery swallowed, smiling warmly at her, “Alright.”
Evadne sat in the passenger seat of Avery’s sports car as they sped eastward.
2/3
10.02
“Where are we going?” she asked curiously.
“You’ll see.”
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a newly built equestrian center on the east side.
“A riding center?” Evadne’s eyes sparkled as she looked out the car window.
“Do you remember when we were kids, living in Skyrim, and you would sneak me into your family’s riding center to play and feed the horses?” Avery turned to look at her, his smile warm and inviting.
“I remember! You were too scared to touch the horses.” Evadne’s tone was cheerful as she recalled their childhood.
Avery chuckled wryly, a hint of helplessness in his smile..
He wasn’t scared, just a bit of a clean freak who didn’t like getting dirty.
“This riding center here is a property of the Chambers Group,just completed this fall and not yet officially open to the public.”
After parking the car, Avery led Evadne towards the center.
“Please stop!”
To their surprise, they were stopped at the entrance by two security guards, “This place is not open to the public yet. Visitors are not allowed!”
Evadne was taken aback, her complex gaze falling on the emotionless Avery.
While everyone in the Chambers Group knew Matthew and Byron, he was denied entry by two security guards.
The stark difference in treatment, even for an outsider like Evadne, was quite infuriating.
“Evadne, I’m sorry,”
Avery frowned, his smile bitter, “You’ve come out with me after such a long time, and I didn’t expect for you to be slighted like this.”