SWNOVELS Chapter 411
Chapter 411
Jareth was stunned; his mouth slightly open, it took him a while to close it.
“Thad, have you ever noticed that you tend to be a masochist? You’re totally cut out for being henpecked. At this rate, you’ll need to hand over all your credit cards, and I may have to foot the bill every time we go out.”
“Haven’t you been paying every time we go out anyway?” Thaddeus nonchalantly asked.
Indeed. Thad was a homebody, aside from work, working out, boxing, he had no interest in hobbies. From what Jareth could remember, he was always the one who took the initiative to hang out with Thaddeus, driving over to the Abernathy estate to pick him up, and rarely did Thaddeus ever plan anything. But Jareth enjoyed it with no complaints.
Even though he lost his dad at a young age, he knew he was loved in his household. On the other hand, Thaddeus seemed to have everything but also nothing.
So, he hoped to bring as much joy as possible to him. Even if most of it was fleeting, he hoped Thad wouldn’t live in constant gloom.
“Jareth, I actually enjoy being bossed around by Evadne.”
Thaddeus squinted his eyes slightly, a gentle smile on his thin lips, “It shows that Evadne cares about me, thinks about me. I wish she would just handcuff us together 24/7, so I can be with her all the time. For Evadne, I’m willing to sacrifice my freedom.”
“Hold up, man, you’re making it sound like you’re a freak!” Jareth rubbed his arm, breaking out in goosebumps.
“You’re naturally rebellious. You can’t understand how I feel.”
Thaddeus‘ smile deepened, teasing Jareth, “You’re lucky you chose my sister, Marilla. She’s gentle and timid. She wouldn’t dare to boss you around, let alone want to. What other woman would put up with you?”
“Hey! The fact is, the number of women who like me is comparable to the crops in the field. There are countless!” Jareth grumbled.
“Oh, so you’re proud?” Thaddeus gave him a cold, stern look.
Jareth gasped, quickly resigning himself to it, “No, no, I wouldn’t dare.”
“Let me remind you, if you ever cheat on Marilla or mistreat her, I and Evadne won’t let it slide.”
Jareth quickly raised his hand, “I swear to God! I will love Marilla forever. She’ll be the only one for me, and I’ll only love her. Or else, may lightning strike me, the Fairhaven Group go broke, and I end up begging!”
Seeing Thaddeus silent, he quickly added, “I’ll even get a vasectomy!”
Finally, Thaddeus spoke, “Alright, I’ll ask Evadne. She knows a lot of doctors.”
Jareth pouted; he almost cried, while Thaddeus tried to hide his smirk.
The two stood silently for a moment. When he saw Thaddeus‘ gloomy expression fade, Jareth couldn’t help but ask, “What’s up with your dad? Why does he suddenly want to go see Cynthia?”
“I don’t know. Who knows what got into him, what weird impulse he’s having.”
Thaddeus clenched his jaw, anger bubbling up from within, “Twenty years, he’s never mentioned my mom, as if she never existed in his life. And now, suddenly remembering her, talking about debts, such belated affection is worse than indifference!”
Jareth paused, and jested while holding a cigarette, “Even though you are much more outstanding than your dad, a real man with responsibility, belated affection is worse than indifference. Well, like father like son.”
Thaddeus‘ face turned dark in an instant. What a true friend, always knowing where to stick the knife!
“Yes, I know I’ve made a huge mistake; and I’ve failed a good woman. So until now, I’m making up to Evadne. I’m willing to give everything for her, even my
life.”
Thaddeus closed his eyes, the image of his mother’s suicide vivid in his mind, causing a headache.
“Frederic, can he do it? He’s selfish at heart. He’s never loved my mom; he only loves himself. Even I don’t deserve Evadne’s forgiveness, let alone him.”
Jareth sighed softly, feeling sorry for his friend. Just then, his phone rang, breaking the somber mood.
“What’s the situation?” Jareth put it on speaker, asking anxiously.
“Mr. Fairhaven, things aren’t looking good!”
The man he sent to follow Ward sounded frantic, “Just as Mr. Abernathy suspected, Ward does have a local gang waiting for him in Country T! We found out that they are a notorious criminal group with connections to government officials and businessmen. Drugs, arms smuggling, murder, they’ve done it all! They’ve been here for years and have deep ropts, even the government and the royal family can’t touch them!”
Thaddeus and Jareth locked eyes; both wore grave expressions.
They thought it would be tricky, but they didn’t expect it to be this tough!
“Where is that bastard now? You guys didn’t lose him, did you?!” Jareth asked through gritted teeth.
“Our guys followed him to the vicinity of Star Island in Country T, saw him board a yacht. Our two teams tried to flank him, even had a fierce gunfight! But soon, Ward’s reinforcements appeared from Star Island. They were all well–trained, with precise shooting and heavy weaponry! Our guys took heavy losses, and two of our men was seriously injured, they didn’t make it.”
Jareth was shocked, his fists clenched, veins popping out in anger!
Those he sent were his elite forces, and although they worked for him, he wasn’t a heartless capitalist.
Hearing about his men’s death, he couldn’t just stand by and do`nothing!
“Are you sure he landed on Star Island?” Thaddeus asked, his face icy cold.
ace icy cold.
“Pretty sure! After we retreated, we couldn’t let it go. We sneaked closer to Star Island under the cover of darkness. Through a telescope, we saw Ward’s yacht docked by Star Island, and there were no other islands nearby that were habitable. He must be there!” The subordinate said with absolute conviction.
“Good, you’ve all done a great job during this time.”
Thaddeus‘ tone was soft, even apologetic, “Once we get back, I will thank you properly on behalf of Mr. Fairhaven. Leave the rest to me.”
“You’re going to handle it yourself? Those guys are ruthless. They kill like it’s second nature! We’ve been through hell and back, and we still can’t handle them.”
“They’re not ordinary gang members. Many of them are mercenaries, just like Ward. You can’t beat them.”
“Thad, don’t push yourself so hard. Being alive is more important than anything else!”
Jareth was visibly anxious, gripping Thaddeus‘ arm tightly, “Do you realize how many heart’s would break if something happened to you? How am I supposed to explain to Evadne and Marilla?!”
“I’ve seen worse. I once survived the battlefields of Zenithia, and I’ll survive this too.”
Thaddeus gave a slight smile and gently patted Jareth’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Evadne is waiting for me at home. And my mom, in spirit, will watch over me.”
For Elspeth, the hardest part was not being under house arrest. It was not being able to see Victor and get her injections, which was the real torture!
Two days had passed, and she had tried every trick in the book to escape from Windermere Estate, but to no avail!
This time, Frederic was determined to confine her like a prisoner.
“Mom, mom?”
Late at night, Glynnis stood at the door with a tray in her hand, “You haven’t eaten all day. You can’t go on like this. I brought you some food, your favorites. Please open the door, mom.”
But there was no response from inside the room.
Glynnis began to panic. She turned the doorknob and found that the door was unlocked! She was furious! Those servants of the Abernathy family were all fair–weather friends; always looking out for their own interests!
The news of Frederic’s impending divorce from Elspeth had already spread throughout the Abernathy family. Seeing her mother’s decline, they began to neglect her.
They claimed that they had delivered the meal but the door was not opened. But the door was never locked! They were just phoning it in!
Glynnis walked into the room, which was pitch black, and she couldn’t help but shiver.
Suddenly, moans of discomfort came from the bedroom.
She rushed to the bedroom door; the moment she pushed the door open, Glynnis dropped the tray she was holding in shock!
Elspeth was rolling on the bed, her limbs stiff, her hair disheveled, her face pale as death. It was a terrifying sight!
“I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it.” Elspeth moaned in agony, her entire body trembling.
Glynnis was terrified, her back against the door, “Mom, what’s happening to you?!”
This was her mother, but Glynnis was as scared as if she’d seen a ghost!
“Glynnis, I’m dying.”
Elspeth fell off the bed and crawled to Glynnis‘ feet, clutching at her skirt, “No one else can help me now, only you can help me!”
“How can I help you?” Glynnis asked, trembling.
“Find Victor immediately. He has my medicine! I can inject it myself!”
At the mention of the drug, a glint of desperation appeared in Elspeth’s eyes, her bloodshot eyes wide open, “As long as I have that drug, everything will be fine. Without it, I’d rather be dead!”
“Mom! You’re no different from a drug addict! You can’t keep injecting that stuff. It’s killing you!” Glynnis was both anxious and angry, on the verge of tears. Even she knew what her mother’s so–called “medicine” was. If word about Elspeth’s condition got out, that would be the end of everything!
“Just go and get it for me!”
Elspeth was hysterical, her fingers tugging at Glynnis‘ skirt, “If I’m done, you’re done! Do you think Frederic can protect you? Can he continue to pamper you? He hates me and he’ll hate you too! Your sister has Jareth to protect her, what do you have? You only have me!”
Glynnis‘ face changed drastically, as if being enlightened all at once.
With no other choice, Glynnis followed the address given by Elspeth and sneaked out of Windermere Estate in the dead of night.
She drove fast, both to save time and to vent her frustrations.
Thinking about Elspeth’s words, “Your sister has Jareth, what do you have?” she was seething with rage, honking the horn in fury!
Why did that idiot have all the luck? Why?! It seemed that Elspeth really couldn’t afford to go down just yet; otherwise, her future in the Abernathy family would be like walking on thin ice. Who would plan for her future then?
On the other side, Victor was alone in the hospital, packing up his stuff, ready to leave Elmsworth for a while. Suddenly, his phone on the table rang.
Seeing that it was Evadne, Victor’s face lit up with a smile and he immediately answered the call,
“Ms. Ashbourne.”
“Victor, are you still in Elmsworth?”
“Yes, I’m still here, but I’m about to head to the airport. Do you need anything?”
Evadne paused for a moment, and then said in a serious tone, “Don’t leave tonight. I’ll reschedule your flight.”
“Did something happen?” Victor looked concerned, “If you have any arrangements, I’ll stay.”
Actually, he didn’t want to leave at all. He didn’t mind the trouble; he just didn’t want to be unable to help her.
“Glynnis will be at your hospital soon. If she comes to you out of the blue, it must be about Elspeth.”
At that moment, Evadne was at her villa in Elmsworth, sorting through Thaddeus‘ left–behind clothes.
She carried herself with the grace of a dainty housewife, but her words were as icy as a winter’s gale, “I heard that Elspeth has been confined by Mr. Abernathy. Without his command, she can’t leave Windermere Estate. She hasn’t been able to get her fix for days. I imagine she must be in quite a lot of pain now, wouldn’t you say?”
Victor calculated the time in his mind, and then slowly nodded, “Indeed, Elspeth should have come for her shot two days ago. It’s been two days now, and her withdrawal symptoms must be kicking in.”
Humming a whimsical tune, Evadne hung Thaddeus‘ robe in the closet, “When she comes, give it to her. All of it. Let Elspeth get her fill.”
“Well, so when Glynnis comes, she’ll definitely be asking you for the stuff.”
Victor was puzzled, “If you want to torment Elspeth, you should cut her off from the drugs, and let her live in agony every day. Why would you want to give her more?”
“Ms. Ashbourne, why would you want that?”
Evadne lightly stroked Thaddeus‘ robe, her beautiful eyes softening for a moment, but her lips curled into a cold smile, “If she wants to fall, I’ll gladly push her over the edge. Besides, isn’t it true that the more she uses that stuff, the better it works?”
“I’m not some philanthropist. Why would I help her get clean?”
Indeed, if they cut off Elspeth’s supply now, it would be indirectly helping her get clean. And if the Abernathy family noticed her erratic behavior, they would certainly restrict her even more, possibly even sending her overseas.
A light bulb went off in Victor’s head!
That would mean all their previous efforts would be wasted.
Only by letting her continue to use, while lowering her guard, could the plan proceed perfectly.
Such was the brilliant Ms. Ashbourne, beautiful, cunning, and ruthlessly pragmatic!
At that moment, Glynnis‘ sports car had already pulled up outside the hospital.