By the time the sun reached its zenith, Evadne hurried back to Silveke Harbor.


    News of her return sent Aviana bounding down the stairs like a gust of wind,


    "Evadne!"


    "Aviana!"


    Evadne rushed forward, and the two women embraced tightly, "I can''t thank you enough for what you''ve done this time."


    "Oh, hush now, I''m just relieved you two don''t hold it against me. I was scared out of my wits!"


    Aviana''s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her hand tapping her chest as if to calm her racing heart, "Thank goodness Lionel managed to pull some strings. If that guy hadnded Mr. Gordon behind bars, dragging your man into this mess and getting him in hot water, I would have been beside myself! How could I ever face you both after that?"


    "Don''t be silly, even if you hadn''t stepped in, we would''ve found a way to spring Mr. Gordon."


    Evadne''s eyes softened as she gently patted Aviana''s back, "S-Star Group is such a behemoth in Elmsworth, with its many members. How could they possibly keep track of everything?"


    "People just aren''t what they used to be!"


    Aviana''s eyes held a fiery indignation as she shook her head, "Mr. Griffith''s losing his grip with age! Without Lionel holding the fort, S-Star Group would''ve crumbled long ago! But even Lionel can''t be everywhere at once. He''s been trying to clean up S-Star Group''s act, to steer the ship straight. But with the other old-timers ying their own games, none of them respecting his authority, every step he takes is an uphill battle."


    After a moment of silence, Evadne asked softly, "Aviana, have you thought about visiting Mr. Griffith again? If I remember correctly, it''s been a while since you''ve been back."


    Aviana''sshes fluttered, veiling her thoughts.


    "Now that Mr. Griffith is too weak to run S-Star Group, Aviana, don''t you want to go back and lend him a hand?"


    "Even though I''m Mark''s only daughter, the moment I chose Emeric over my family, I cut all ties with S-Star Group. What bes of them doesn''t concern me." Aviana''s gaze turned cold again, a clear sign of resistance.


    Back in the day, during a horrific shootout, Ms. Griffith took two bullets to protect Emeric, nearly losing her life.


    That incident alone had almost given Mark a heart attack, but when his own daughter willingly put herself in harm''s way for a man, he was left speechless.


    Who would have thought that after recovering from her injuries, his darling daughter would insist on marrying Emeric, not only giving up her body but also her heart to him, and to be epted into the Ashbourne family, she even underwent a hysterectomy, a decision that was both shameless and reckless.


    Thus, the Griffith family severed all ties with her, and years passed with no signs of reconciliation.


    Emeric had tried to persuade Aviana to make amends many times in private, to no avail.


    He felt guilty and had been secretly supporting S-Star Group''s ventures as an outside investor, under an alias, for many years.


    Otherwise, under the pressure of internal discord and external threats, the foundation of S-Star Group would have faltered long ago.


    Knowing this was a historical issue, Evadne didn''t press further and instead shifted the subject,


    "Aviana, are Cassius and Chasel around?"


    "Fromst night till noon, those lovebirds haven''t woken up yet!"


    Aviana winked mischievously, her gossip-loving soul itching to spill the beans, "I''ve never seen Cassius sleep in all ese years. Mr. Bright must really have some magic charm."


    Evadne said, "Cassius is now like a king indulging in his concubine''s beauty." Aviana pped her hands with delight, "Exactly!"


    Evadne rolled her eyes, "Aviana, it''s fine to joke about it with me, but please, for the love of God, don''t say that in front of my brother and Chasel. They couldn''t handle your teasing."


    "Cassius may be thin-skinned, but that Bright boy would probably get a kick out of it."


    After knocking on the door to no avail, Evadne assumed the couple was still asleep in the bedroom and boldly pushed the door open.


    The rooms at Silveke Harbor were extraordinarily spacious, with a living room


    leading to the main and secondary bedrooms, plus a study.


    Her brothers doted on their little sister from a young age and never kept their spaces off-limits to Evadne.


    As soon as she entered, however, Evadne froze in embarrassment, rooted to the spot.


    Scattered across the living room floor were men''s suits, ties, shirts, belts, leading all the way to the bedroom.


    What a passionate night Cassius and Chasel must have had!


    Clearly, this was where the first battlefield had been.


    Transforming into a dutiful maid, Evadne began gathering the scattered clothes, organizing them neatly. Bored, she wandered into Cassius'' study to browse his book collection.


    As a child, she had spent many afternoons immersed in Cassius'' library, often dozing off on the window seat, only to be gently carried back to her room by Cassius when he worried she wasn''tfortable.


    Standing beside the towering bookshelf, Evadne casually scanned the rows of books.


    Then, her gaze was captured by an unmarked spine in the second-tost row, tucked in a corner.


    She bent down and pulled it out, humming a tune while flipping through the pages.


    It was an old, yellowed copy of the Bible.


    Suddenly, something fluttered to the floor-it looked like a photograph.


    Evadne blinked in curiosity, squatting down to pick up the picture that hadnded face-down.


    As she turned it over, a warm smile spread across her face,


    "Really, Cassius, why did you keep this photo of you and Chasel hidden here."


    But in the next instant, her pupils dted in shock!


    The man snuggled up to Cassius'' shoulder in the photograph had a face of refined elegance, his eyes as bright as morning stars.


    He bore a striking resemnce to Chasel, a good eight out of ten in simrity.


    But upon closer inspection, the differences weren''t tough to spot.


    The man in the photo, beaming beside Cassius, looked uncannily like Chasel, yet he was not Chasel!