In an instant, Thaddeus''s heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest, hisrge hand clenching suddenly against the door.


    "Why?"


    Emeric was genuinely puzzled. "Thaddeus has been treated by you as the only good thing in this world, and your rtionship is so stable. You''ve been living together for so long. Why not make it official? It would make things much easier for both of you."


    Evadne''s lips curved into a light smile, "Between Thaddeus and me, a marriage certificate doesn''t change a thing."


    "How can it not? To me, the most tangible expression of love is to give your beloved an irreceable status!"


    Emeric''s eyes sparkled with emotion, "I only ever married your mother, and she was the only special person in my heart, the truedy of the Ashbourne family. Even though she''s been gone for years, her ce in my heart has never changed. She is still my wife!


    Out there, people will only call you ''Ms. Evadne'', ''President Ashbourne'', or Mr. Thaddeus''s girlfriend. Don''t you want to be rightfully Mrs. Abernathy? Isn''t that what you''ve always wanted?"


    Evadne lowered her gaze, silent.


    "Child, do you still care about the fact that you two were once divorced? Is there still a knot in your heart?" Emeric asked worriedly.


    Thaddeus felt a pang of heartache.


    He didn''t know if Evadne''s scars had healed, but he knew his hadn''t.


    Anxiety, sorrow, regret, guilt. He had once hurt the woman he loved most, and he couldn''t get over it for the rest of his life.


    Bones broken, wounds deep.


    He couldn''tfort himself into thinking Evadne had forgotten. Her not caring or mentioning it didn''t mean she had forgotten.


    "It''s gone, dad. I''ve held no grudges for a long time. And as you know, I can endure physical hardships, but I can''t stand being wronged in my heart. So don''t worry too much. I don''t want to get married now, mainly because there''s a big issue unresolved-And that''s Avery Chambers."


    Evadne''s eyes grew cold, "Without dealing with him, I can''t rest easy, I can''t eat. And I know, he''s biding his time because there''s no progress between Thaddeus and me. But I know him well, once Thaddeus and I get married, it would be like stepping on his toes. You''ll see, Avery will definitely strike at the Abernathy group and KS Group relentlessly. He won''t show mercy to my friends or family because of his so-called affection for me.


    Avery is like a viper lurking in the dark, ready tosh out and bite the throat of his prey, delivering a fatal blow.


    Jareth and Mari have just gone through so much to be together, I don''t want our families, our loved ones, to suffer any more harm for now."


    Outside the door, Thaddeus''s emotions surged, his respect for his love growing once again.


    In terms of vision, wisdom, and scope, he couldn''tpare to her.


    All he knew was that at the height of their love, he wanted to give their rtionship a conclusion, to give her a status, to make up for her past regrets.


    But he hadn''t considered that making a big move now would inevitably provoke Avery, that mad dog, to bite back mercilessly.


    Even if they were to marry in secret, with Avery''s means, he would surely find out.


    Moreover, this time, he wanted a grand wedding, to carry Evadne home in glory. The bitterness of a secret marriage, the disrespect, he wouldn''t let her suffer any of it.


    "Evadne. I hadn''t realized you were thinking so much. I''m getting old, not as far- sighted as you."


    Emeric sighed with relief, "Well, in that case, you and Thaddeus should n carefully. But I tell you, that boy Thaddeus, he''s so caught up in you, even without a certificate, he''s not going anywhere."


    "He better not."


    Evadne knelt beside her father, gently massaging his legs, "If he runs, I''ll catch him and break his legs!"


    Emericughed, "That sounds just like what I used to say about Elvis."


    "What''s the difference? Men need to be kept on a tight leash, or they''ll float away."


    The father and daughter shared an unspokenughter.


    Thaddeus too, smiled silently, stepping away from the room, leaving them to their private conversation.


    Even so, a sense of loss washed over him.


    He understood Evadne''s concerns, but he truly, deeply wanted to make her his wife.


    He loved her so much.


    After Thaddeus left, Evadne pondered for a moment before softly asking:


    "Dad, can I ask you a question?"


    "Sure. What''s up?" Emeric rxed, eyes half-closed, "Since when do we need formalities between us?"


    "Dad, did you love mom?" Evadne asked seriously.


    "Love her? I loved her the most. Absolutely." Emeric answered even more earnestly.


    "Then why, if you loved mom so deeply, couldn''t you have been faithful to just her?" She lifted her puzzled face to him, looking deeply into his eyes.


    Emeric felt like he had a lump in his throat, his weathered hands on the armrests showing veins.


    "Of course, Suri, Myra, and Aviana are great people. They have been nothing but kind to mom, to me, to my brothers. But I''m still greedy. I still wish mom didn''t have to share her husband with other women. I don''t want the love that should have been solely hers to be divided among others." At this point, Evadne''s voice choked up.


    She felt sad and bitter for her mother.


    "Evadne, I''m sorry."


    Emeric closed his heavy eyelids, tears swelling, "I can''t tell you why, but please believe one thing. My love for your mother spans lifetimes. To this day, she''s the only one in my heart."


    "Dad."


    "When I was sick and felt useless, I thought about giving up treatment, about dying.


    That way, I could be with your mother in heaven sooner."


    Evadne sighed deeply as she rested on her father''sp.


    Emeric''s evasive replies only added to her confusion, fueling her desire to


    uncover her mother''s mysterious past.


    Upon Thaddeus''s return to his room, Gordon was taken aback:


    "Mr. Thaddeus, back so soon? Did Mrs. Abernathy say yes?!"


    The man shook his head, a shadow of sadness crossing his face, "No proposal was made."


    "Why not?! It was such a perfect opportunity!"


    "We''ll find another time," Thaddeus said, trying to brush it off with a vague reason,


    "A proposal needs its own moment. Hijacking Jareth and Mari''s celebration would seem insincere."


    Gordon pondered for a moment, "Yeah, you''re right."


    Thaddeus, looking at his reflection in the mirror, remembered Myra''spliments on his suit, his spirits lifted once again as he smiled, thinking of Evadne, "There''s plenty of time. She won''t be able to escape me."


    The night before, Cassius mentioned a local wine tasting event happening the next morning, attended by the elite, offering exquisite wines not found elsewhere. He invited Chasel to join him.


    Chasel, having a great fondness for wine, dly epted and went to bed early in anticipation.


    The next morning, his rm woke him up, but Cassius was nowhere to be found.


    "Cassius? Cassius?" he called out, rubbing his sleepy eyes, when suddenly his phone buzzed with a message from Cassius:


    [Got called away by my dad for something urgent, but I''ve prepared everything. Breakfast is in the living room, made it myself.]


    Chasel''s lips curved into a sweet smile:


    [Anything at your dad''s that needs my help?]


    [All good. Also, I''veid out your outfit for the wine tasting in the living room. They have a strict dress code. Enjoy your breakfast and get dressed. I''ll be back to pick you up soon.]


    With a yful glint in his eyes, Chasel sent a "kiss" emoji and got out of bed, heading to the living room.


    There, avish breakfast awaited him, and to his surprise, a meticulously chosen


    outfit:


    A pristine white suitplete with a bow tie,pel pin, and leather shoes.


    The attention to detail was touching.


    After freshening up and being careful not to stain his outfit, Chasel dressed


    himself.


    Staring at his reflection, he felt an odd sensation, as if he was dressing up not for an event but as a groom.


    Then, Cassius''s message came through:


    [Ready, Chasel? I''m at the door.]


    A morning apart made Chasel''s heart swell with longing, and he hurried outside-


    There stood Cassius, leaning against the railing, a gentle smile in his eyes. Instead of dressing up, he wore a thick ck coat, entuating his sturdy, towering presence, yet with a hint of restrained elegance.


    But only Chasel knew how passionate Cassius could be, just for him.


    "Really?" Chasel pouted, grabbing his hand, "Just me in all this get-up. Feels a bit odd."


    "I like it," Cassius said, his gaze locked on Chasel, unable to look away as he offered his arm, "Let''s go, my fox."


    With a sly smile, Chasel hooked his arm around Cassius''s, ready to face whatever


    the day might bring.