Although S-Star Group had weathered the storm, Lionel''s case had hit a standstill. And Aaron, following Evadne''s strategy, had people secretly monitoring Warner''s every move.


    After settling all of Jeff''s affairs, Avery made his way to the top-notch Elmsworth Sanatorium to visit his mother.


    Mrs. Chambers had be gaunt, almost skeletal. Seated in a wheelchair, turned away from her son, she was cared for by a nurse in the sun-drenched courtyard.


    But what Avery saw filled him with profound sorrow. His mother''s frail body seemed like it could crumble into ashes under the sunlight and scatter in the wind.


    "Mr. Chambers, your mother''s condition...it''s dire."


    The attending doctor shook his head with a gloomy expression, "She''s in the advanced stages of Alzheimer''s. It''s not just her memory; her ability to speak has also deteriorated. And your mother has a significant heart condition, which in thete stages of this disease, only adds to the danger."


    Avery sighed deeply, his lips pressed tightly together in distress.


    "You know, there''s no cure. My advice is spending as much time as you can with your mother. Make herst days asfortable as possible."


    "Who says there''s no cure?" The man''s voice was hoarse, suddenly a whisper. "Huh? What did you say?" The doctor looked puzzled.


    "Who told you my mother''s disease is incurable? Who said she''s beyond help?!" Avery''s eyes zed with fury as he suddenly roared at him. His emotions were spiraling out of control!


    "There''ll be a cure soon. This isn''t cancer; why can''t it be cured?!"


    Avery grabbed the doctor by the cor, lifting him off the ground with his strength!


    The doctor was utterly terrified; luckily, Harvey arrived just in time and pull Avery away, "Mr. Chambers, calm down. He''s just a small-time doc; he doesn''t know anything!"


    Avery, feeling a burning rage inside, slowly approached his mother.


    Dismissing the nurse with a wave, he half knelt beside Mrs. Chambers, tending to her with utmost gentleness, "Mom, I''m here to see you. Ave''s here."


    It took a moment until Mrs. Chambers slowly opened her clouded eyes, staring nkly at Avery as if frozen in time.


    "Mom."


    "Jeff, what will it take for you to believe me?"


    A flicker of coherence appeared in Mrs. Chambers'' eyes, but it was fragmented. She kept on slowly, word by word, "I''ve never had anyone else. I only have you." Avery was stunned. He gripped his mother''s withered hand tightly, identally leaving crescent marks on her skin, "Mom! Look at me! It''s your son, Ave! Mom!" "Jeff, take me home," Mrs. Chambers'' eyes filled with tears as she gently touched Avery''s cheek.


    The man felt as if struck by lightning, his blood turning cold, his teeth clenching.


    She mistook him for her husband. In the countdown of her life, she forgot her own son but remembered the man who had hurt her the most!


    The depth of that pain was beyond others'' grasp.


    "Mom, Jeff is gone."


    Avery''s once gentle gaze turned cold and hard, "I killed him; I avenged you. From now on, you only have me. You having me is enough."


    "Who are you?!"


    Mrs. Chambers'' eyes, bloodshot, widened in terror. Shocked, she iled her arms, scratching Avery''s pale face, leaving two bloody trails.


    "You''re not my son. My Ave would never be as cruel as you! Never as cruel!"


    Kneeling, Avery faced his mother''s madness with a cold, resolute expression, unmoving in his silence. He felt he was going mad too, just quietly.


    Hearing themotion, two nurses rushed to subdue Mrs. Chambers as she trembled and struggled.


    "Call the police. He''s a murderer, a murderer!"


    But who would believe the words of a patient in the advanced stages of Alzheimer''s? Mrs. Chambers'' muffled cries and shouts gradually faded as the nurses took her away.


    "Mr. Chambers, don''t be sad. She''s not in her right mind; you mustn''t dwell on her words!" Harvey tried tofort him, deeply moved by the scene. If it pained him so, how much more must it hurt Mr. Chambers.


    "How long, how much longer?"


    Avery closed his bloodshot eyes, his chest heaving with unrest, "He can wait, but my mother can''t!"


    Harvey gritted his teeth, lowering his voice, "Mr. Chambers, maybe you should try giving her the medicine? What if it works by some fluke?"


    "No!"


    Avery firmly rejected the dangerous suggestion, "That drug, only in trial for less than half a year, has already killed a couple of healthy individuals, showing its fierce and unstable nature! I can''t put my mother at such risk!"


    "But you''re running out of options!"


    Harvey couldn''t hold back, blurting out the doctor''s prognosis, "The doctor said, with conservative treatment, she has at most half a year left! It could even be less!"


    Avery had anticipated this, but hearing it made him feel as if he''d been struck on the head, his body swaying unsteadily.


    "In that case, why not take a chance? Extending her life would be a blessing."


    Just then, Harvey''s phone rang. He pulled it out and checked, his pupils shrinking in shock, "Mr. Chambers! Bad news!"


    Avery''s gaze darkened as he took out his phone, opening Twitter - A viral tweet was causing an uproar.


    #HumanDrug Trials# [Exposed]


    A tweet from Elmsworth Daily had crossed a million shares. And in Elmsworth, who didn''t know that the Abernathy Group was one of its backers!


    The tweet was sharply worded, tantly stating: In the shadowy depths of the underground market, a deep blue pill was spreading like wildfire, masquerading as a harmless recreational drug. In reality, it was a sinister experiment being conducted on living humans!


    Moreover, Twitter was aze with a video. It showed a member of the S-Star Band in the throes of a drug overdose, the imagery shockingly vivid!


    Twitter was in an uproar, to the point of experiencing technical glitches due to the overwhelming response. The impact was disastrously clear!


    "The Elmsworth Daily must have a death wish, airing this kind of dirtyundry for all to see. Have they lost their minds?!" Harvey was panic-stricken, his smartphone feeling like a ticking time bomb in his hand.


    "They''re backed by the Abernathy Group. Who else but Thaddeus would dare to make such a bold move?"


    Avery slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes behind gold-rimmed sses darkening ominously, "So, the battle for public opinion begins, huh? How courageous."


    "The worst part is, we can''t even pull the story without drawing even more attention to ourselves!" Harvey''s mind was racing with the implications. Then, a call came through. Avery nced at the screen disying "Alexia" and clenched his jaw before answering.


    "Mr. Chambers, the noise from your end has reached us. What exactly is going on?" Alexia''s tone was stern, almost usatory.


    "It''s Thaddeus'' doing. He''s stirring the pot, trying to use public opinion against me,


    to corner me." Avery was already on edge, and Alexia''s tone only added fuel to


    the fire, "I''ll exin everything to him personally!"


    "Hmph, save it. Boss is furious and has no time for your excuses!"


    Avery''s fair face twisted in anger. He wished he could hop on a ne to the country and tear her face apart directly!


    "Sort out the mess on your end, will you?" Alexia''s voice dripped with sarcasm, "Have you forgotten who you are since bing chairman? Such a basic mistake!"


    Avery was under immense pressuretely, dealing with his father''s affairs, corporate restructuring, and S-Star Band''s demands. Thispse had given his enemies an opening.


    "There''s no need to lecture me. I''ll handle it. Even if this firestorm consumes everything, I won''t let it disrupt the boss''s ns!"


    "Mr. Chambers, enjoy your newfound power while itsts. But remember, pridees before the fall."


    In the tranquil afternoon sun, Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy were once again patronizing


    thedy''s diner, which was famous for its ssic burgers.


    Sitting side by side on the diner''s bench, they focused on their meal.


    Though Thaddeus had known hardship in his youth, being adopted into the Abernathy family meant he was raised with the manners of a true gentleman by Hamilton, especially at the table.


    Evadne, on the other hand, had no such reservations in his presence. Outside, she was the epitome of grace and elegance. But here, she''d let loose, devouring her burger with gusto, not even sparing the fries.


    "Evadne, take it easy," Thaddeus'' hand gently rested on her back, his initial intent to remind her to quiet down lost in his reluctance to disturb her.


    Never mind, he thought, his girl was adorable no matter what, and he''d pamper her all along. Let the world think what it would.


    "I am taking it easy!"


    Content, Evadne set down her burger, her bright eyes squinted, "How are the


    retweets?"


    "We''ve got over a millionments and ten million shares," Thaddeus used his left hand to dab her lips with a napkin while scanning his phone with the other. "Good, but it''s not enough. We need to fan the mes higher."


    At the sight of the olddy meticulously preparing another order, Evadne''s eyes suddenly welled up with emotion, "Avery thinks he can control everything from atop the Chambers Group, snuffing out one problem and plugging another. But he can''t blind the millions of people seeking the truth!"


    Feeling a surge of passion for her words, Thadence pulled her into a warm embrace, cherishing this moment of peace amidst the turmoil.


    Just then, a message popped up on Thaddeus'' phone from Gordon.


    [Mr. Abernathy, bad news! The head of Elmsworth Daily just called. He can''t


    withstand the pressure from above and ns to delete the Twitter post and pull the story from the trending list!]