Actually, Evadne was just ying a little game with Thaddeus, teasing him for fun. She knew exactly how dependable her man was, even if others didn''t.


    But her joke seemed to have frightened Mr. Abernathy. He dropped to one knee before her, lifting his strikingly handsome face to look at her with utmost sincerity, raising three fingers as he vowed:


    "Evadne, I, Thaddeus Abernathy, swear that in this life, the next, and every life toe, I will love only you, Cynthia Winter. I will cherish only you, and want only you. If I falter, may I be struck by lightning and die a gruesome death!"


    "Oh... alright, I was just joking."


    Evadne couldn''t bear to see him so serious and tried to cover his mouth, but he caught her hand firmly.


    "Last night, I did go out, with Elvis and Aaron. We went to The Velvet Haven."


    Evadne''s heart leaped, her voice trembling as she caressed his chiseled cheek. "My God... You kept such a big thing from me? Nothing bad happened, right?"


    "Rx, it''s all good." Thaddeus covered her hand with his, gently caressing it. "Elvis found out that the person behind the hit on Mrs. Jones was Avery''s secretary, Harvey. He tried to call you, but you were asleep. I couldn''t bear to wake you, and I was worried about Elvis going alone, so I rushed over. And even if you were awake, I wouldn''t have let you go."


    Evadne felt a warmth in her heart, lifting his face to nt a kiss on his forehead.


    "Unfortunately, Avery anticipated this and had The Velvet Haven shut down, dismissed everyone, and he and Harvey have already left Elmsworth, even left the country."


    Thaddeus clenched his teeth in self-reproach. "It''s my fault, we were a step toote."


    Evadne felt a heavy weight on her heart. "Then... what about Elsie?"


    "She left yesterday, and from what the hostess there said, she''s nning to marry Harvey."


    "What?! Then Elvis, he..."


    "Elvis is not taking it well." The man''s eyes shadowed with sorrow. "It takes the person who tied the bell to untie it. I think the only way to get Elvis back on his feet is to find Ms. Archer."


    Evadne''sshes fluttered, her eyes moist with empathy, feeling deeply for Elsie. "Elsie... she''s had it so tough, really tough. I''m so worried about her..."


    She had already considered Elsie a friend, a future sister-inw. No matter her past, Evadne didn''t care; she only hoped her future path would be smooth and bright. That she and Elvis could have a happy ending.


    "Evadne, don''t cry." Unable to bear seeing her upset, Thaddeus gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "We won''t give up on Ms. Archer, and neither will Elvis. The priority now is to find Avery as soon as possible!"


    "Fleeing overnight shows he was in a rush; Snakey Avery wasn''t fully prepared." Evadne pulled Thaddeus to sit beside her on the bed, leaning into his embrace, yfully scratching his sharp jawline. "Thaddeus, if you were him, where would you flee to?"


    Thaddeus looked down at her, a doting smile on his lips, looking every bit the smitten ruler with his beloved in his arms, yet also pondering seriously. "If it were me, I''d go somewhere familiar, or where I have support, someone to back me up. After all, I''m not a fugitive, no need to hide. Hiding, even if I were wanted, many countries don''t have extradition agreements with ours. With the right connections and enough money, one can still livefortably."


    "You''re right," Evadne mused, resting in his strong arms. "So, I think, Avery might have fled back to Helgen."


    Thaddeus frowned deeply. "If that''s the case, it''s going to be difficult. That would be like letting the tiger return to the mountain."


    After all, Avery made his fortune in Helgen. Helgen was his lucky ce, his stronghold!


    "No matter how hard, we must try. This time, we can''t let that snake slip away!" Evadne clenched her teeth. "I''ll contact Debby and Darcy, ask them to have someone check if there''s any trace of Avery."


    ...


    Overnight, the Chambers Group was turned upside down, sending shockwaves throughout the ranks. News of Chairman Avery''s disappearance spread like wildfire in the Elmsworth circles, stirring a whirlpool of rumors.


    Three dayster-


    Arnold Ashbourne led his team, storming into the Chambers Group building with undeniable authority. Soon, the arrival of the prosecutor''s team was the talk of the town. This was not just a changing of the guard; it was a cataclysm!


    The current puppet master of the Chambers Group, Mr. West, immediately came to intercept, but Arnold''s team was well-prepared, unstoppable!


    "Everyone, freeze! Don''t move!" Arnold''s powerfulmand as he kicked in the door sent employees scrambling, their faces pale with fear. One particrly bold employee, trying to shove documents into a shredder, was swiftly stopped by Arnold, who seized the documents.


    "Seize allputers, hard drives, documents, everything!" Prosecutor Arnold''smand set his team into action, sweeping through the ce like a force of nature.


    "Mr. West," Arnold called out coolly, hands in his pockets.


    "Ah...?" Mr. West was visibly shaken.


    "We''re here to investigate a serious case of embezzlement and bribery involving your Mr. Chambers. Please cooperate with our investigation."


    Mr. West, sweating profusely, nodded. "Of course..."


    "Where''s Avery''s office?" Arnold''s gaze was piercing, his presence so formidable


    it felt as though a storm raged around him. "Take us there, now."