<b>Chapter </b><b>237 </b>


    Meanwhile, Evadne was leisurely lounging in the sun on a swing chair in the backyard of the Silveke Harbor home.


    This particr swing was rarely upied by anyone else because it was specially built by her father for her mother. She would often be found there, barefoot and carefree like a young maiden, swinging in the breeze or loungingzily in the afternoon sun.


    Her father would either push her mother on the swing or sit by her side in silence, the two of them nested together, watching the world go by.


    After her mother passed away, her father, Emeric, would have the swing cleaned every day, as if expecting her mother to return at any moment


    “Miss Evadne, Ada has dered her allegiance to our side and has expressed a desire to host a dinner for you as an apology,” Jason<b>, </b>pushing the swing gently, informed Evadne.


    “Well, it’s a great chance for you to practice your Spanish,” Evadne responded, biting into an apple with a crunch.


    “Always joking.” Jason chuckled, his gaze drifting towards her l*ps, which were even more enticing than the apple she was eating.


    “If it were in the past, I might have epted her invitation, disregarding my real feelings,” Evadne mused, chewing her apple. “But now, as her idol, I can’t ept it so easily.


    The miracle can only appear once, otherwise it is not worth much.”


    “Indeed. Ada treated you so rudely before, so you should give her a real lesson and let her understand that she has to pay a big price for offending you.”


    “Not really. It’s just that I’m a little tired recently and I’m toozy to socialize.”


    Evadne yawned. “Also, we did the coboration before.”


    No matter how one looked at it, Ada’s previous act of not showing mercy to Evadne was still shooting herself in the foot.


    The phone rang. It was an unknown number. She hesitated but picked up anyway.


    “Hello, is this na Waverley?”


    Evadne’s heart skipped a beat. It had been a long time since she heard that name.


    “Hello, I am na.”


    “Ms. na, this is the Misty Mountain National Forest Park, I am the new forest ranger captain, Sean, a disciple of Professor Leo, the voice on the other end introduced himself.


    Upon hearing the name of the forest park, Evadne was taken back to thirteen years ago when she first met Thaddeus. It was also where Thaddeus saved her life.


    “Oh, you’re Professor Leo’s disciple. Did he stop being a ranger?” Evadne asked, her eyes lighting up at mention of the old friend.


    “Yes, Professor Leo is retiring next month, this is hisst patrolling month,” Sean sighed.


    He continued, “Professor Leo has pancreatic cancer<b>, </b>we don’t know if we will be able to see him again after this farewell.”


    “What? Professor Leo…” Evadne sat up, her heart tightening.


    “<b>I </b>understand,” Evadne said, her expression solemn. “I will make time to visit Professor Leo.“”


    Once the call ended, Evadne sat in silence, her eyes welling up with unsaid tears.


    “Miss Evadne… who is Professor Leo? What happened?” Jason asked, kneeling <b>in </b>front of her, offering her a clean white handkerchief to wipe her tears.


    “An old friend,” Evadne forced a smile, her heart ached. “Jason, help me contact some reputable gastroenterologists in Elmsworth and Skyrim. I want to help my friend<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    “I’ll do it today,” Jason promised, respecting her privacy and not asking further.


    Just as she hung up, another call came in. This time it was from her cute disciple, Camille.


    “Camille…<b>” </b>


    <i>*</i>Ah! Master! You sly woman<b>! </b>The biggest sly woman of the century!” Camille’s voice exploded on the other end of the line. “How could you hide your identity from me? I feel so deceived! I want to report you for emotional fraud!”


    “You just figured that out?” Evadneughed, wiping her nose with the handkerchief. “Maybe I should go get a perm, to fit my sly woman persona.”


    Elspeth had had enough. After receiving a p in the face from Thaddeus and getting the cold shoulder from Frederic, her carefully cultivated image of a gentle and understandingdy had taken a nosedive. It was a raw deal, and she wasn’t going to swallow it sitting down.


    Frustrated and angry<b>, </b>she stormed off to the Fairhaven mansion, with her sobbing daughter Glynnis <b>in </b>tow.


    “Glynnis, you’re more trouble than you’re worth!” Elspeth snapped, her anger making her words sharper than a dagger. “And your brain, it’s like a broken wagon wheel utterly useless!”


    <b>In </b><b>a </b>fit of temper, Elspeth jabbed a manicured finger at Glynnis‘ forehead, leaving a mark. “You thought you could ride on the coattails of your future sister<b>–</b>inw, Acacia, didn’t you? But, oh no, you underestimated her and ended up being yed like a fiddle. If it wasn’t for me stepping in, your granddad and your dad would have disowned you after that disastrous scene at your granddad’s birthday party!”


    “My dad adores me! <b>He </b>wouldn’t disown me<b>!</b>” Glynnis retorted, her n*eck stiff with defiance.


    Elspeth’s hand flew,nding a p on Glynnis‘ face. “I taught you <b>to </b>respect your elders, not talk back!”


    Glynnis was stunned, cringing in pain, her eyes filled with resentment.


    “Now you’re running around with Edith, <b>that </b>sly fox, and she’s leading you around by the nose! What good are you? <b>If </b><b>you </b>were a man, you’d have run the Abernathy family business into the ground by now!”


    <b>Elspeth’s </b>frustration reached a boiling point as she berated her daughter. “You’re not as clever as Edith and her lot, and you’re not as obedient as your sister. Stop being a stepping stone for Evadne! <b>Your </b><b>sister</b>, with all her quirks<b>, </b>has <b>more </b><b>potential </b>than you. Do you think I like putting all my eggs in your shaky basket? You’re


    <b>useless</b>!”


    Glynnis was speechless, her pride wounded, and tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes.


    Elspeth dragged a sobbing Glynnis into the grand Fairhaven mansion. The staff, used <b>to </b><b>the </b>tranquility of the house, stared and whispered among themselves. “Did our young master take advantage of Miss Abernathy?” one housemaid spected.


    “Did she get… pregnant?” another suggested.


    “Impossible! Our young master might be adies‘ man, but he never brings the drama home,” a butler chipped in.


    As the rumors swirled around her, Glynnis seethed with humiliation but couldn’t utter a word <b>in </b>her defense. “Where is Mrs. Jareth? I demand to see her!” Elspeth bellowed, channeling the fury of a wronged woman.


    “Mrs. Jareth is indisposed today<b>, </b>Elspeth. Perhaps you could return another day…” the butler tried to pacify her.


    Elspeth was having none of it. “My daughter has been wronged by your precious Edith, and do you think hiding will make the problem disappear? Today, I demand an exnation, or I’m not leaving!”


    At that moment, Mrs. Jareth descended the grand staircase, Edith by her side. Her calm and collected demeanor instantly dwarfed Elspeth’s rage.


    “Elspeth, this is the Fairhaven house, not a fish market. You can’t just barge in here and cause a scene, she admonished.


    Glynnis, who had been hoping to mend fences, was crushed by the sight of her future mother–inw and her own mother’s shameful disy.


    “Don’t shift the topic!” Elspeth scoffed. “Your daughtermissioned a counterfeit Alea jewelry piece, forged Glynnis‘ signature on the receipt, and let my daughter take the me! And she hasn’t even apologized! <b>If </b>this is the way the Fairhaven family does things, I must say I’m appalled!