Chapter 388
Chapter 388
The instant Avery stepped out of Emeric’s car, the Ashbourne family was taken aback.
Evadne frowned in disbelief.
Emeric was known for his high standards and aloof demeanor.
Apart from his own children, no one else, not even Thaddeus, the most influential among the Elmsworths; had ever been allowed to ride in his car.
But now, Avery was not only in his car but also standing close to Emeric. It was indeed a surprising sight.
If Evadne wasn’t mistaken, Emeric had been quite indifferent towards Avery just a few days ago. What brought about this sudden change?
“Avery, you’re looking much better. I’m so glad,” said Evadne, breaking the silence.
With a gentle smile in her eyes, Avery walked towards Evadne, holding a bunch of bright pink flowers. “To celebrate your discharge from the hospital, Evadne.” Evadne looked at the blooming roses in front of her, blinking softly.
“Thank you, Ave,” she said, accepting the roses.
“These are your favorite flowers. I picked them from the field this morning,” Avery said, sincerity twinkling in her eyes.
The Ashbourne family exchanged looks, sensing the subtle change in the atmosphere.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but you really didn’t have to.” Evadne held the roses, her lips parting slightly, her eyes slightly glazed.
“I can do anything for you,” Avery said, gazing at her with deep affection.
Evadne bit her lip, unsure of what to say.
This blatant confession was even more overwhelming than the roses in her hand.
Thaddeus watched Evadne and Avery interact, feeling a sharp sting in his throat. It was bitter and painful, like a taste of blood.
The next moment, his breath hitched.
Emeric, tall and upright, stepped out of his Rolls Royce and stood next to Avery, like a father–son duo.
Avery smiled warmly at the elder, blending perfectly into the Ashbourne family.
Emeric patted his shoulder with a smile, revealing a significant change in their relationship.
Thaddeus‘ eyes reddened, and he punched a tree in frustration.
He couldn’t accept it!
But what could he do? Appear in front of the Ashbourne family and upset Evadne?
He couldn’t hurt her anymore, not ever.
“I thought you were capable of something, but it turns out you’re just raging impotently here,” a sharp, mocking voice came from behind.
Thaddeus turned slowly to meet Elvis’s eyes, filled with mockery and hidden hostility.
“The almighty Mr. Thaddeus, now, seems to be a complete wimp,” Elvis said scornfully. He had always despised Thaddeus, and now he didn’t hide his cynicism at all. Elvis was fiercely protective of his loved ones and didn’t care about right or wrong.
Anyone who hurt his beloved sister was a villain, worse than a dog!
“I know, I shouldn’t appear in Evadne’s life again. But can’t I just look at her from a distance?” Thaddeus‘ voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot.
He had been sleepless for days, staring until dawn.
It felt like his heart was being drained dry.
Elvis’s eyes narrowed as he stood next to Thaddeus, also looking at Evadne. “Thaddeus, to be honest, I fucking hate you.”
Thaddeus‘ lips thinned, and he looked down sadly.
“But I also fucking dislike Avery. My sister is so good, but she can’t meet a decent man. Can’t she make her brothers worry less about her?”
Elvis glared at Avery, spat, and said, “Even Emeric, I just praised him for his good taste, but he slapped me in the face in a few days. If he dares to match Evadne with this Avery, I’ll go and crash the wedding!”
Thaddeus was stunned.
He had heard of rivals crashing weddings, not brothers.
But Elvis was a fearless rebel, and it wasn’t surprising what he could do.
“Hey, jerk.”
Elvis glanced at Thaddeus, “If, I mean if. If Avery really marries my sister one day, will you crash the wedding?”
Thaddeus felt a stabbing pain in his heart.
Avery and Evadne getting married.
He didn’t even dare to think about it.
“Damn it, forget it. Neither you nor Avery deserve my sister! You’re both unworthy!” Elvis cursed, feeling like he had asked a stupid question.
“I just want to make Evadne happy. I can do anything for her,” Thaddeus said, his voice breaking with emotion.
“Then can you help me break up Evadne and Avery? I can’t stand seeing them together!” Elvis asked directly, gritting his teeth.
Thaddeus looked at him in surprise.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not doing this to help you. I’m doing this for Evadne’s sake. As the saying goes, the observer sees clearer than the player. There are some people she can’t see through, but I can see them clearly. I don’t trust Evadne with this scheming person. I’m afraid she’ll be manipulated,” Elvis said, his heart aching for his sister.
Thaddeus silently agreed.
“Let’s work together to break them up,” Elvis suggested, cracking his knuckles.
“What if she really wants to be with Avery?” Thaddeus asked, his heart splitting in two at the thought.
*Based on my understanding of Evadne, she won’t for now. I know what Evadne looks like when she’s in love, and no one knows better than her brothers.” With that, Elvis gave Thaddeus a cold laugh.
Thaddeus swallowed hard, his cheeks burning with guilt and regret.
Obviously, he was aware of what it meant to be loved by Evadne.
Once upon a time, she had given him her whole heart and soul, her fervent love belonged to him,
He had been loved unconditionally, but unfortunately, he missed this earnest affection due to his blindness and ignorance.
“So that’s why I say we should take action now, while Evadne’s feelings for Avery are likely just a slight crush. We should nip this in the bud.”
Elvis squinted, grinding his teeth, “If we continue to let them develop this way, I’m afraid the old saying that constant dripping wears away a stone will come to pass. Evadne won’t be able to resist his passionate advances, and then it’ll be too late! You better think about it, boy. But I guess you have no reason to refuse, right? After all, our main motto is ‘If I can’t have it, no one else should.”
With that, he rose to leave.
“Are you helping me because you still remember our days as old school chums?” Thaddeus asked, his back turned.
Elvis paused, raising an eyebrow, “Oh, you finally remembered. Took you long enough. We were schoolmates, indeed. But as for affection, there’s none of that. See ya.” Thaddeus was speechless.
On the way back, Emeric offered his car for Evadne and Avery to ride in.
Anyone with eyes could see that Emeric was creating an opportunity for them to be alone.
On the way back, the three ladies didn’t take separate cars, but squeezed together for some juicy gossip.
“Is Emeric trying to play matchmaker for Evadne and Mr. Avery?”
As soon as the car started, Aviana couldn’t help but speak, “Wow, if that’s true, that boy is really hitting the jackpot. Becoming the son–in–law of the prestigious Ashbourne family, he must be pinching himself in his dreams, huh?”
“The Chambers family is also a prominent and influential family in Elmsworth, not inferior to the Abernathy Group. Mr. Avery wouldn’t exactly be a burdensome son–in–law.” Suri pointed out with a hint of exasperation.
“Evadne, has always had a soft spot for Thaddeus. Has she really sorted out her feelings to welcome a new romance?” Myra’s pointed question was like a needle hitting the mark.
“As the saying goes, the best way to get over an old romance is to start a new one. If Evadne doesn’t date other men, she’ll never get over Thaddeus.”
Aviana pondered, then said in surprise, “What I find strange, though, is Emeric’s attitude. Didn’t he tell us before that he didn’t think highly of any of the Chambers family’s sons? Why has he suddenly changed his mind about Avery?”
Suri’s slender brows slightly furrowed.
The young master of the Chambers family, it seemed, was quite adept at plotting and scheming.
Meanwhile, Evadne was staring out the car window, not in the mood for chatting with Avery..
Avery sat quietly beside her, his gaze never leaving her for a second.
Even just being by her side made him feel incredibly blessed!
“Ave, you’ve been with me throughout my hospital stay. You must be tired.”
Evadne didn’t look at him, but her tone was gentle, “You must be exhausted too. Once you get home, rest well, and try not to visit me for a while.”
“Evadne, don’t you want to see me?” Avery frowned, his heart tightening.
!
“Ave, I don’t know what you’ve said to my father, but if, if you still want to be friends with me, I hope everything ends here.”
Evadne looked at him then, her beautiful eyes cool, “There’s no chance for me and Thaddeus, and likewise, there’s no chance for you and me.”
“Evadne, you’re misunderstanding me. I didn’t say anything to Mr. Emeric.”
Evadne closed her eyes, shaking her head, “You’re still seeing me through the lens of our childhood, but it’s been fifteen years. I’m no longer your guiding light, and I can’t do anything for you anymore. Ave, our childhood bond brought us back together, and I cherish this connection. I hope you don’t destroy it. If you still refuse to listen to me, the only thing I can do is to avoid seeing you.”
This was a gentle refusal. Evadné had tried to use words that were as easy to accept as possible.
But each word was like a frosty dagger, piercing Avery’s heart, leaving it bleeding and in tatters.
He took a deep breath, his already pale and delicate face now devoid of any color, His hands clenched into fists unnoticed.
He thought, “Evadne, I’m hopelessly in love with you. But you keep using my heart as a target, inflicting wound after wound, thoroughly hurting me. How could you be so cruel!”
As the atmosphere grew tense, Evadne’s phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen to see Erica’s name displayed. Her heart fluttered, and she quickly answered.
“What’s wrong?” She lowered her voice, mindful of the presence of others.
“Ms. Evadne! Are you free tonight? I need to see you!”
Erica sounded desperate and her voice was very low, like she was whispering a secret, “I have something very important to tell you! But I’m currently at the Abernathy family’s place, and there are eyes everywhere. I can’t talk freely!”
Evadne’s heart jumped. She checked her watch, “I’ll come see you tonight.”
Avery watched her without a word, but he was secretly paying close attention.
However, her voice was probably too low for him to hear anything.
“No, no! l come to you. Please don’t come here!”
Erica sounded incredibly scared, her voice trembling, “I’ll come to you. Just tell me a place where we can meet!”
“Okay, I’ll text you the location.”
Knowing Erica was in a dangerous situation, Evadne quickly ended the call without further ado.
Seeing her troubled expression, Avery immediately asked, “Evadne, is something wrong? Can I help you with anything?”
“No need!” Evadne reflexively rejected his offer.
Avery paused, his eyes filled with sorrow.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get any closer to her.
In front of her, there was always an impenetrable wall of ice, creating a divide that he could never bridge!
Evadne took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her forehead, “Ave, I’m sorry. You don’t need to drop me off at Skyrim anymore. There’s some business I need to take care of at the hotel. I’ll drop you off first.”