Chapter 33
Chapter 33
This pic popped up on the official court’s website, and it was an old one from three years ago. In the pic, Arnold was rocking his
robe, standing in the courtroom, oozing confidence, and power.
The software that Thaddeus developed, man, as long as you’d got a clear face, no matter who you were looking for, you could
scan the photo. in, and in just a few minutes, it would dig up any related info from the photo databases all over the world. It was
way more precise than your typical search engine.
But searching for Arnold? That took a whole ten minutes, which meant the guy didn’t exactly make a habit of putting his face out
there. No selfies, no social media. Nada.
He was just a prosecutor, so what was with all the mystery?
“Cas sius... Arnold...” Thaddeus mulled it over for a bit, then it hit him. His eyes went wide. “Could it be...” His eyes narrowed,
he looked grim, throat tight, struggling for breath.
“Ilana, you’re all over the place, open to everyone. You jumped into Cas sius’ arms the minute you left me, and even got tangled
up with another young man from the Ashbourne family!”
Suddenly, the sound of a sports car engine roared from behind him. Thaddeus snapped back to reality and looked out the
window.
A black sports car zoomed past him, like a whirlwind in the night. That was Ilana’s car! Why the hell would she show up here out
of the blue? There had got to be more to this!
The pit of Thaddeus’ stomach felt like it was on fire. He punched the car window.
“Follow that car!”
The entrance of the hotel was swamped with the press. The investigators had a hell of a time getting a disgraced Ives into the
car. The press conference was a total sh it show.
Arnold didn’t hop in the car. Instead, he headed to the back door, patiently waiting for his sister. A few minutes later, the black
sports car pulled up, stopping right in front of Arnold.
Jason rolled down the window, greeting him politely, “Hello.”
“Hello, Jason.” Arnold leaned over to take a look at the languid Evadne in the pa**enger seat, a fond smile on his face. He
reached out and pinched her soft cheek. “Looks like Jason’s been taking good care of you. You’ve put on a little weight on your
face.”
“No, I haven’t!” Evadne pouted grumpily.
“You totally have. You’re all chubby, and it makes you even cuter, haha!”
The first thing Arnold did when he saw her was call her fat. No wonder the guy was still single!
Thaddeus was lurking in the shadows, watching all this unfold. His handsome face was grim, fingers clenched into a fist.
Gordon was nervously checking the rearview mirror. He was scared shi tless. He thought to himself, it was only natural for a
woman as outstanding and beautiful as Ms. Ilana to have men falling all over her. Only their boss would fail to see that. What an
idiot.
“So, am I looking sharp today or what?” Arnold raised an eyebrow, showing off to his sister with a smug grin.
“You’re looking dashing. You must’ve gained quite a few fans this time. Lots of girls have been searching for your info online.
You’re trending.”
Evadne crossed her arms, leaning against the car window, looking up at Arnold. She radiated youthful energy.
Thaddeus kept his eyes on his ex-wife, feeling a stir of emotions. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he wished he were in Arnold’s
place right now. He wished he could share a moment with her. He wanted to see the carefree look in her eyes. She’d never
smiled at him like that.
“Ha, what’s the point of being worshipped by the world? I just want you to worship me. That’s enough,” Arnold scoffed.
“Ugh, you’re so cringey, Arnold. You’re not cut out for the role of the romantic. Playing the fool suits you better, haha!”
The siblings shared a few jokes before getting back to business.
“But I’m going to need your help moving forward.” Evadne furrowed her brows. “We need to make sure we punish the person
who slandered our Ashbourne group.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll get what’s coming to him. At least three years in jail! I won’t give him a chance to have his sentence reduced,
and there’s no way in hell he’s getting bail!”
Arnold looked at her with admiration. “But all of this is thanks to you. Your plan was spot on, Ives fell right into your trap. He
couldn’t have been more cooperative. If only all the bad guys were this stu pid, It would make our jobs a hell of a lot easier.”
True, Ives was such an idiot it was pitiful. But the key to successfully prosecuting him was that Keith finally agreed to testify and
expose the illicit money-making activities Ives had been carrying out in the hotel over the past two years.
Just last night, Evadne secretly met with Keith, who was drowning his sorrows in a small bar, and Informed him of the press
conference the next day. She told him that Ives might betray him to save his own skin.
But Keith said, “No way! You... You’re not going to use me like this and make me testify. I’m not that stu pid!”
Evadne advised him, “If you’re still this stubborn, then you really are an idiot.”
So, Evadne and Keith made a deal last night. Evadne said, “I’ll be honest, I’ve got evidence of your secret dealings with Ives. I
haven’t given it to the police yet because I wanted to give you, who once served under my father, one last chance.”
Keith reflected on his journey over the past twenty years, from being the manager of a banquet hall to climbing up the ranks to
deputy manager. None of it would’ve been possible without Chairman Emeric’s support and trust. But once he had power, he lost
himself, and in the end, he got what was coming to him. He felt regret and guilt.
“If Ives doesn’t betray you at the press conference tomorrow, I’ll hand this evidence over to the police myself. Everything will be
handled as per the rules. If he does betray you to save himself, like I predicted, then you can expose all his crimes to the police.
Admit your mistake, and I’ll hire the best lawyer to defend you, to reduce your punishment as much as possible. It’s your choice.”
Evadne managed to convince Keith to hand over the evidence and become a witness, striking a major blow to the Stirling Group.
She knew that even when she had the upper hand, she shouldn’t oppress others too much, or it could backfire.
Arnold hit the road back to the prosecutor’s office to keep the grind going, while Evadne had to clock in at the hotel for her shift.
The siblings parted ways for the time being.
On the move, Jason, sharp as a hawk, clocked a Maybach in the rear-view mirror, tailing them. “We’ve got a shadow! Should we
call the police?”
Evadne nonchalantly glanced at the rear-view mirror, her heart ski pping a beat. That was Thaddeus’ ride. Clearly, he was also at
the press conference, just keeping a low profile. Seemed like, the man did give a da mn about his fiancée’s family.
Evadne scoffed, “Forget the hotel, let’s go for a spin in Evergreen Meadows.”
“But the guy tailing us...” Jason was still a bundle of nerves.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve got your back.” Evadne flashed a grin, calm yet commanding.
Jason gawked at her in disbelief.
The black sports car weaved through the traffic, with Gordon in hot pursuit. He swore he hadn’t been this on edge since his job
interview at the Abernathy Group.
Thaddeus kept his eyes glued on Ilana’s car, curious about the man in the pa**enger seat. The guy’s driving skills obviously
couldn’t hold a candle to hers, otherwise, they would’ve lost them by now.
He caught a glimpse of Ilana’s flowing hair in the wind, like ink bleeding on paper. Thaddeus’ eyes softened a tad. She could be
so carefree, so happy-go-lucky. Just like the blazing sunset in front of him, searing into his eyes, causing a pang in his heart.
Finally, the black sports car pulled over at Evergreen Meadows. Evadne got out of the car, leaned against the rail, and reveled in
the breeze. Thaddeus emerged from his car, his figure a silhouette of strength against the setting sun. He looked at Ilana in the
wind, her red dress adding a touch of elegance. She was like a vibrant oil painting.
Thaddeus clenched his jaw. He couldn’t help but close the distance between them. But when he was just a step away, she took a
step back, maintaining a safe distance.
“Mr. Thaddeus, you tailed me all the way from the press conference, what’s the game plan?” Evadne asked with a smile.
“Ilana,” Thaddeus uttered her name, his face a mask of fury. His eyes unintentionally landed on her left arm. Seemed like, her
injury had healed up.
“Mr. Thaddeus, did you bring along your birth certificate today? Let’s get the divorce sorted. Even though it’s late, I can pull some
strings with President Ashbourne to expedite it for us,” Evadne mocked.
The word Divorce was a joke to him.
“Ilana, are you getting a kick out of this?” Thaddeus’ eyes darkened, and he took a step closer to her.
“What?” She furrowed her brows.
“Playing the Ashbourne brothers like a fiddle and using them to corner the Stirling Group. Ilana, I’ve seriously underestimated
you!”