<b>Chapter </b><b>509 </b>


    The air in the living room chilled as though a frost had settled upon it.


    Aaron knew better than to intervene. It would only make things worse, like throwing fuel on a fire. So he sl*pped away quietly, unnoticed.


    Lily, too, gently coaxed Mari away, leaving space for the conversation between father and daughter.


    Thaddeus felt his breath catch in his chest. He instinctively wanted to reach out his hands for Evadne’s, but his fingers curled back, halting the gesture.


    -Evadne. I don’t want you to go.


    Thaddeus was no coward; he loved fiercely and unapologetically, and he hated with a passion that was equally intense.


    But he wasn’t just failing Evadne; he felt regret for Emeric as well.


    Whether it was during the painful moments in their three–year marriage or the loss of their child, they were all his faults. He had wounded Emeric’s pride and joy, and for that, he was unforgivable.


    Even if Emericshed out with a tirade of insults or threw another punch, Thaddeus would take it until the man’s anger was spent.


    “Emeric, what’s are you thinking about?”


    Evadne scoffed with a resolute gaze, “If I were ever swayed by your words, I wouldn’t have risked life and limb to leave that suffocating house. You might as well save yourself the trouble and worry less about me. I managed just fine on my own in foreignnds for all those years, without you turning over every stone to find me. But now, to ruin my happiness, you really are pulling out all the stops, aren’t you?”


    Thaddeus stepped forward; worried as he studied Evadne’s determined profile.


    “Evadne!”


    Emeric’s face drained of color, and his breathing became unsteady with anger. “Look at you now! Do you even resemble the heiress of the Ashbourne family? You’re buying groceries at the supermarket! Have you been cooking yourself all this time? Have you not had enough of ying the unpaid housekeeper for the Abernathy family for three years? Is this the love, the life you wanted?!”


    His rage grew with every word.


    His beloved daughter, the child he cherished, was meant to be pampered, not to suffer like this!


    Thaddeus didn’t act like a decent person!


    “Emeric, this is the life I’ve always wanted: the simple life of ordinary people.”


    Evadne fought back the torrent of emotions, her voice turned bitter, “I don’t see it as suffering because this is what I want. All I desire is a small home with my loved one, and the simple routine of daily life.”


    Thaddeus’s l*ps paled as if touched by frost, his clenched hands a testament to his regret.


    A simple routine of daily life, a narrative of love not captured in words.


    That was what Evadne had always wanted, and only now was he able to give it to her.


    “You’ve never experienced these things, and you never <b>truly </b>understood me. You don’t even know what my mother wanted. So, you have no right to judge my life, to obstruct my choices.”


    Evadne’s words struck Emeric with a searing pain, blurring his vision as everything around him became hazy.


    “And by the way, Thaddeus has been the one cooking, cleaning the house, and doing theundry. I just apany him to the store.”


    Evadne’s warm hand enveloped his clenched fist<b>, </b>intertwining their fingers firmly, “My Thaddeus can do everything but give birth. Now, you can stop fretting over me unnecessarily.


    Tonight, you can either stay and try his cooking, or you can leave. It’s up to you.”


    While Aaron had excused himself from the confrontation, he hadn’t left the vi. Instead, he strolled leisurely.


    Wandering into a corridor, he noticed the walls adorned with elegant copper–framed paintings: scenes of early summer, yful dogs, and most of all, portraits.


    He paused before a life–sized portrait-


    The man in the painting, d in a ck shirt with a tall and lean figure, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and eyes sparkling like jewels–That was Jareth.


    Aaron’s eyes widened, admiring the artwork, his good manners restraining him from reaching out to touch.


    “It’s remarkable, strikingly lifelike.”


    “Really?”


    Startled, Aaron spun around.


    Mari appeared behind him, her eyes shy and downcast, clutching a brown teddy bear tightly to her chest.


    Her adorable expression was simply irresistible.


    Aaron’s eyes deepened, and he smiled warmly, “Absolutely. Did you paint this?”


    “Uh–huh,” Mari nodded slightly.


    “You must have put a lot of thoughts and efforts into it.”


    “Uh–huh. But it’s okay. The most important thing is that Jareth likes it.”


    At the mention of Jareth, Mari’s eyes sparkled with joy and her cheeks blushed as she said, “Jareth is really nice to me. I have nothing to offer him, so I made him a painting. He doesn’t dislike it, and that makes me happy.”


    Aaron felt a profound stir in his heart.


    In his years as a police officer, immersed in a world of darkness and violence, he rarely encountered such innocent purity.


    This young woman, like a beam of moonlight, unknowingly illuminated a corner of his somber heart.


    “Officer Aaron?” Mari, noticing his intense gaze, blinked in confusion.


    Aaron snapped back to the present, his l*ps curving up, “I remember at Myra’s birthday party, you called Evadne ‘sister–inw.‘ No need for formalities then. You can just call me Aaron from now on.”


    “Aaron?” The young woman repeated obediently.


    His eyes narrowing with intent, Aaron was about to speak when a cold voice interrupted.


    “Mr. Ashbourne, Ms. Mari is our young master’sdy. It seems rather inappropriate for you to be so close to her <b>in </b>private, doesn’t it?<b>” </b>


    Lily approached with a dark look in her eyes, stepping protectively beside Mari, disying a fierce loyalty to Jareth.


    Aaron remained calm with a light smile, “I fail to see where I’ve been inappropriate, to warrant such hostility from you. What, because she is with Jareth, she can’t even have a normal conversation without fear of retribution? Does speaking to a man spell death for him? Is he <b>that </b>paranoid, or justcking confidence?”


    “You!”


    Lily’s anger red, her eyes burning with fury at Aaron’s insinuation.


    If it weren’t <b>for </b>the fact that this guy was Evadne’s brother, Lily would have given him a piece of her mind!


    “Lily, wait.” Mari shook her head and tugged at Lily’s sleeve.


    Though she often came off as tongue–tied and a bit daft, Mari understood the subtleties of social etiquette.


    Officer Aaron was her sister–inw’s brother, and that was the only reason he chatted with her more than necessary. She knew that causing a rift over something trivial would embarrass her sister–inw, and that would be truly unfortunate.


    Aaron’s gaze swept over Mari’s anxious little face, and he smirked nonchntly as he breezed past Lily. <b>“</b><b>If </b>she’s meant to be his, no one can steal it. What’s the use of guarding her like a dog with a bone? You’re worrying for nothing. After all, we kids from the Emeric family are all well–bred.”


    To everyone’s surprise-


    After a heated argument with his daughter, Emeric, torn between leaving and staying for dinner, had chosen thetter.


    In the previous moment, he was red–faced with anger, but in the next he was sitting down to a meal. Only a member of the Ashbourne family could pull off such a dramatic turnaround.


    Poor Thaddeus was terrified.


    Cooking in front of his ‘future father–inw‘ was nerve–wracking. He’d never been this anxious before, feeling like his heart was lodged in his throat!


    Emeric sat regally in the living room, the pressure he emanated on Thaddeus was akin to serving a meal to the Emperor himself.


    “Evadne. I can only cook a few simple dishes, and not even well.”


    Thaddeus stood stiffly in the kitchen, fretting. “What if your dad can’t stomach my cooking?”


    Evadne couldn’t help butugh out. She draped an apron over her man’s n*eck and tied it behind him. “Oh,e <b>on</b><b>, </b>it’s not that bad. But I won’t lie–Dad’s taste buds have been spoiled by Myra’s cooking over the years, he’s be quite the food snob.”


    Thaddeus swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.


    “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here to guide you. Just follow my lead, step by step, and you can’t go wrong.”


    His eyes brimming with tender warmth, Thaddeus wrapped his arms around his petitemander, nting a k*ss on her forehead.


    “At your service, Commander.”


    “Whoops! The meat should go in first, you’ve got the order wrong!”


    “Oh no! Too much vinegar!”


    “Yikes! The pan’s about to burn, fl*p it now!”


    Their kitchen was a cacophony ofmotion, like a battlefield.


    Emeric, initially resting with closed eyes in the living room, opened them upon hearing the noise and looked


    towards the kitchen.


    The vi has an open–n kitchen, though some distance from the living room<b>, </b>was still visible from his vantage point.


    He saw Thaddeus bustling about. His daughter directed the action, yful in her approach as she asionally bumped him with her hip or flicked his head.


    Far from being irritated, the young man couldn’t stop grinning at his girl.


    Like a lovestruck fool.


    What Evadne loved him about!


    Despite Emeric’s face still being clouded withints, his gaze softened as he watched the young couple, unable to shift his eyes away.


    A term suddenly sprang to his mind-“the warmth of normal life.”


    This rxed atmosphere, this simple joy, wasn’t that what he’d always been seeking?


    “Chairman Ashbourne, look how happy Miss Evadne is. It’s been a while since you’ve seen her smile like that, right?” Mr. Dn, standing nearby,mented with an affectionate smile.


    “Hmph, being wise all my lifetime, how could I end up with a daughter who’s such a hopeless romantic! She’ll have her time to cry in the future!” Emeric grumbled.


    Mr. Dn, trying to persuade him, “Then let her be a hopeless romantic. Our Miss is a beauty with brains; shecks for nothing. With the family fortune, she could throw money off the K building every day and never run out. If she wants romance, why not indulge her? And it’s not like anyone would dare to offend the Ashbournes. As for Mr. Thaddeus, given time and closer observation, you’ll see he’s quite a catch–good looks, good family, impressive work ethic. Most importantly, he’s upright and kind–hearted. He really is head and shoulders above the rest.”


    Emeric’s brows furrowed as he skeptically eyed Dn, “What’s gotten into you today? Has Thaddeus named you his godfather or something? Why are you speaking up for him?”


    Mr. Dn just shook his head with resignation, “I’m just speaking the truth, as I see it.”


    Emeric turned away, brooding silently.


    “Chairman Ashbourne, I know you chose to stay for dinner tonight because you missed your daughter, am I right?”


    Mr. Dn leaned in, observing the trace of loneliness in Emeric’s eyes and couldn’t help but feeling sympathetic, “Miss Evadne has been elusive, and it weighs on you. It’s a rare chance to see her, so you couldn’t bear a hasty goodbye.”


    And so, the formidable man stayed for dinner, despite <b>it </b>being against his pride.


    “You, sir<b>, </b>are as tough as a diamond, but if only you could express your love for Miss Evadne more directly, what problem couldn’t be solved?”


    Emeric pursed his l*ps, his gaze lowered, silent.


    After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Dn, am I really that terrible? I tried to set Evadne up with the Chambers‘ youngest son, thinking she was too young to understand the nature of marriage. Liking someone isn’t as important as suitability. Avery is more attentive and knows how to make Evadne happy better than Thaddeus does. She might not realize what she’s missing now, but marriage is a long–termmitment. When the passion fades and the harsh realities of marriage emerge, will she be able to handle it? Will she have no regrets?


    I just wanted to give Evadne a chance to look at other options. What’s wrong with that?”


    Mr. Dn listened patiently, reflecting for a moment before speaking thoughtfully, “A parent’s love for their child is profound and far–reaching, and your intentions are certainly right. But I disagree with one thing you said. You believe that liking someone isn’t as important as suitability, but I believe that suitability is nowhere near as important as character.


    I don’t know Mr. Avery well enough to judge him, but I will say this: his intentional informing of Miss Evadne and Mr. Thaddeus’s whereabouts to you speaks volumes. You know exactly why he did it. If he fancied Ms. Evandne, he shouldpete with Mr. Thaddeus fair and square. Using your leverage to put pressure on Mr. Thaddeus<b>–</b>well, that strikes me as a bit underhanded.”


    Mr. Dn’s pointed critique <b>left </b>Emeric deep in thought.