Chapter 740
Chapter 740
“Deaf?!”
Thaddeus‘ chiseled features remained impassive, but Evadne’s stunning eyes widened in shock, her voice bursting forth in
excitement.
“Yes! Absolutely certain! I’ve got the diagnosis report right here... I’ll send it to you both straight away! Glynnis is still at the
hospital. They say she’s completely deaf in her left ear and her hearing has significantly declined in the right. She’s already using
a hearing aid!”
Gordon’s voice, filled with uncontainable glee, echoed around the room, “Mr. Abernathy, you’re too much! That wasn’t just a slap
you gave her, it was like you unleashed the fury of the gods!”
“Gordon, you’re exaggerating,” Thaddeus scolded softly, his brows slightly knitted together.
Evadne, however, burst into laughter, clapping her hands in delight until they turned red, “Hahaha! That’s what I’m talking about!
Karma at its finest! She spent her days mocking Marilla; let’s see her strut around now!”
Evadne realized Thaddeus‘ intense gaze was fixed on her, her laughter suddenly stopping, her cheeks flushing with a hint of
shyness, “Uh, maybe I’m being a bit too...”
Her unfinished sentence was swallowed by his passionately invasive k*ss. Thaddeus held her soft b*dy gently in his arms, his
large hand seemingly accidentally stroking up her bottom spine he found irresistibly alluring, his fiery k*ss lingering on her soft,
vulnerable lips.
As she trembled in his arms, he released her with a playful timing, his thumb rubbing her flushed lower lip as he chuckled in a
husky voice, “You were wondering if you’re being too wicked, hmm?”
Evadne, lost in the depth of his tender, stormy gaze, her eyes shimmering, breathlessly whispered, “Maybe I should be even
naughtier.”
Thaddeus‘ hand returned to her waist, kneading gently, “Your wicked side drives me wild.”
Cheeks flushed with warmth, Evadne bashfully punched his chest lightly. But he was already breathing heavily, his eyes tinged
with red, unmistakably stirred with desire.
The rogue, he wanted her again.
“Mrs. Abernathy! You should have seen Mr. Abernathy today; he was quite the hero!”
Gordon’s booming voice shattered the intimate atmosphere, “Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy took Mr. Frederic Abernathy along today,
and in front of him and the entire staff of Windermere Estate, he dealt with Glynnis.
Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy hit Glynnis; fuming, he didn’t spare her any dignity. Mr. Frederic Abernathy tried to protect Glynnis for
the sake of Abernathy pride, but Mr. Thaddeus Abernathy wouldn’t indulge her a bit. He not only banished her from Elmsworth
but also gave her two sound slaps. Little did we expect this extra twist!”
Evadne blinked her watery eyes, shooting Thaddeus a suspicious glance.
“Glynnis‘ sins are too numerous to document, but she should never have been so foolish as to cling to Frederic in my presence.”
Thaddeus‘ sharp gaze flickered with cool indifference, yet his fingers relentlessly tracing the lines of her waist, “Her deafness
isn’t my fault. If blame must be assigned, it falls on Frederic who refused my demand to have her kneel and apologize to my
sister. Otherwise, I would have spared her those slaps.”
“My Thaddeus, since when did you become such a smooth talker?”
Evadne playfully exposed his true intentions, loosening his perfect Windsor knot with her fingers, “You’re not some mindless
brute. You intended to hit her hard; you wanted to ruin her.”
Thaddeus didn’t bother to hide it, pecking her lips lightly, “So, I’m wicked too. We’re a match made in heaven.”
“That remains to be seen.” A shadow crossed Evadne’s eyes, “Gordon, how long will Glynnis be in the hospital?”
*Just a couple of days, I guess.”
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“Can you arrange for someone to get close to her?”
“Besides her doctor, Mr. Frederic Abernathy’s men are guarding Glynnis‘ room. Our people can’t get anywhere near her,” Gordon
sounded frustrated.
Glynnis had become yet another flashpoint in the heated relationship between the Abernathy father and son.
Frederic’s tight security was nothing but a silent battle with Thaddeus. Father and son? More like archenemies! “Evadne, what
are you planning?” Thaddeus asked softly.
“I want Glynnis‘ blood for a DNA test.”
Thaddeus and Gordon were both stunned!
“I want to see if Glynnis, with all her malice, is actually a genetic aberration, really part of the Abernathy family. Curiosity always
did get the better of me.”
Lately, Evadne had found things increasingly odd, and even comparing photos of Frederic and Glynnis, she couldn’t see any
familial resemblance, whereas Marilla bore a slight similarity to Frederic in her appearance.
And the odd thing was, Glynnis didn’t even look like Elspeth. It just didn’t add up.
“But no matter, if we can’t get to her right away, it’s fine.” Evadne’s laugh was cold, “Sooner or later, she’ll need to go to the
hospital for check–ups. Once she’s overseas, getting her blood sample will be easy.”
“Evadne, you seem very sure of yourself,” Thaddeus tasted the cunning in her fox–like gaze, sensing there was more to the
story.
“With high–risk sexual behaviors, HIV transmission rates can reach 80 percent. Now let’s see if Glynnis is one of those lucky 20
percent.”
Evadne crossed her arms, her tone chillingly dreadful, “Besides, the last man she was with, I’ve seen his medical report. He’s
carrying more than just one disease. Looks like Glynnis has no choice but to go to a hospital.”
The room fell silent in an instant. Thaddeus‘ eyes widened in shock, his lips parted, unable to speak for a prolonged while.
His woman, when she was good, she was like an angel. But when she was bad, she was devilish.
Gordon was silent on the other end of the line, his mind racing with thoughts of getting Thaddeus some kind of charm for
protection, maybe a blessed bracelet or something.
And for the love of all that was holy, ever got on Mrs. Abernathy’s bad side!
Evadne had already had her dinner, but Thaddeus was famished after being tied up for a long day. So she took to the kitchen
and whipped up a hearty pasta for her man, accompanied by a couple of sides of crisp, refreshing salad to cut through the
richness – thoughtful to a fault.
Thaddeus, plate in hand, slurped down the pasta with gusto, the crunch of cucumber salad mixing with the flavors in his mouth,
“This salad is crisp and refreshing – delicious. Where’d you get it?”
After gulping down, he finally remembered to maintain some semblance of gentlemanly manners as he hurriedly sat straight,
picked up a napkin with his well–defined hands, and dabbed at his lips.
“I made it,” Evadne poured him a glass of warm water.
Thaddeus‘ eyes widened as he grasped her hand, “You made this?!”
“While I was at Grandpa’s the other day, helping out Marilla, I had Mr. Murray go out and get some groceries. I pickled a whole
bunch – it’s all in the fridge.”
Evadne bit her lip playfully, “Don’t think I did it just for you. I was honoring Grandpa. He loves his pickles – can’t enjoy a meal
without them.”
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Thaddeus felt a warmth in his chest and pulled her onto his lap with his large hand, his voice dropping to a husky whisper,
“Whose incredibly thoughtful wife are you?”
“Oh, whose indeed?” Evadne pretended to be confused, scratching his jaw gently and gazing into the reflection of herself in his
stunning eyes.
“Mine, mine, all mine,” Thaddeus murmured, drawing her closer, his lips grazing her skin, sending shivers down her spine, small
goosebumps appearing due to that, a picture of cuteness and seduction.
“You seem troubled?” Evadne stroked his brow.
“Today, I wouldn’t have known if Grandpa hadn’t blurted it out in anger. Grandma can’t hear anything with her left ear.”
Thaddeus let out a bitter laugh, filled with self–reproach, “Ridiculous, isn’t it? I spent the most time with them as a kid, yet never
noticed anything wrong with Grandma, some grandson I am.”
“I knew about it. Grandpa told me. It was that Christmas when I went to visit Grandma with him.”
Evadne stopped herself from going any further at the casual mention of Christmas. She didn’t dare to
continue.
It was less than two months until this year’s Christmas.
The Ashbourne family loved a good celebration. Each Christmas, they would set up a grand and ornate Christmas tree in the
living room. Cassius would personally prepare gifts for each family member, and they’d generously provide bonuses for the
household staff.
But because of the child they’d lost, Evadne couldn’t bear the thought of Christmas anymore, to the point where she couldn’t
even bring herself to go home on Christmas Day.
That was then. Now, she hesitated to speak, fearing it would bring Thaddeus sadness.
As expected, Thaddeus‘ eyes reddened, and he held her tight, choking back emotion before finally managing to speak, “Thank
you, Evadne. For everything you’ve done for Grandpa, for me, these past years.”
He couldn’t keep on.
“If you appreciate everything I’ve done, then you better treat me right for the rest of our lives,” Evadne let out a bright, hearty
laugh, patting his shaking back.
“Can I spend Christmas with you this year? At your family’s place?”
Thaddeus‘ gaze was intense, his emotions barely contained as he whispered, his long eyelashes fluttering, “I’ve heard the
Ashbourne family’s Christmas tree is quite a sight. I’d like to see it.”
Evadne nestled against his heaving chest like a little lamb, “But you’ll have to help out if you come.”
His voice was warm, “Deal.”
They didn’t touch on the painful memories, yet they understood the depth of love and regret in each other’s eyes, displaying their
profound affection without the need for words.
Longstanding love needed no declaration.
“Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy.”
Mr. Murray rushed in, catching a glimpse of the tender moment and quickly covering his eyes. Thaddeus remained composed,
but Evadne blushed and hopped off his lap.
“Ahem, Aaron’s here, waiting in the living room.”
Hand in hand, the couple went to greet their guest.
“Aaron!” Evadne beamed at the sight of her brother.
“Evadne,” Aaron sat on the sofa, his crescent–moon eyes upturned. He wore a sharp black coat over an
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unbuttoned black shirt – his casual attire did nothing to obscure his innate noble aura.
“Mr. Ashbourne,” Thaddeus greeted him as well.
“Hey,” Aaron responded, though his gaze wandered as if searching for something.
Evadne caught it and said lightly with a faint smile, “Hungry? Stay for dinner. I’ll cook.”
“Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll cut to the chase,” Aaron’s brows furrowed with seriousness.
“Evadne, about the man you asked me to look into – I even went to headquarters, but there’s nothing. No background info, no
DNA or fingerprint samples on file.
This means one of two things: either he’s never committed a crime on domestic soil, or he’s not from around here.”