After receiving the news, Evadne left Silveke Harbor in a hurry, her foot heavy on the gas as she raced toward the Elmsworth District Attorney''s office.


    Her fiery red Lamborghini executed a wless drift,ing to a standstill in front of the courthouse. She swung the door open, her slender legs gracefully stepping out, only to freeze in her tracks.


    "Thaddeus?!"


    Parked under a roadside tree, a low-key ck Maybach was hard to miss. Thaddeus, with his broad and imposing stature wrapped in a ck coat, stood like a perfect sculpture against the biting cold, having waited for her arrival for quite some time.


    Without waiting for Evadne to approach, Thaddeus rushed toward her eagerly.


    "Evadne, are you cold?"


    Immediately, Thaddeus shed his coat to wrap around Evadne''s thinly clothed frame, feeling it insufficient, he then opened his arms wide to envelop her in a warm embrace as if wishing to melt her into his very bloodstream.


    "The car''s heater is pretty strong, no chance of feeling cold."


    Evadne, with her hands warm against his face chilled as ice, teased, "Look at you, standing out here waiting. Couldn''t you have waited inside the car? This wind''s cutting like a knife — are you joking?"


    "I was afraid I''d miss the moment to see you."


    Thaddeus caught her hands, kissing the palm of her hand with a gaze full of affection, "Besides, have you forgotten? I''ve been a soldier. Standing guard in temperatures way below zero, much colder than this. I''m used to it."


    Hearing this, Evadne was reminded of their shared struggles and fiery past, her eyes brimming with tears, and her left pinky trembled imperceptibly.


    Soon after, Arnold, d in his prosecutor''s uniform, hurried toward them, his dashing appearance eliciting a spontaneous "Wow, Arnold looks sharp!" from Evadne.


    "Indeed." Thaddeus agreed with a smile.


    "Jealous, are we?"


    Evadne teased, pinching his finger, her eyes narrowing yfully, "You used to be such a proud creature, always eager to outshine anyone Iplimented, whether male or female, friend or foe, as if you''d spread your feathers right there and then. Now, after all these years, tired ofpeting?"


    "It''s not about not being able topete. It''s about not wanting to," Thaddeus said, pecking her cheek lightly, "I was afraid back then."


    "Afraid?"


    "I was afraid I wasn''t good enough, that I didn''t deserve to stand by your side, afraid someone else would take you away. So many fears, enough to keep me up at night."


    Evadne pouted, "So, now you''ve realized you''ve got me trapped, you''ve becent?"


    "No." Thaddeus''s gaze deepened with emotion.


    He slid his hand inside the coat, gripping her closer, making her shiver slightly, "It''s that I''vee to understand, no matter how many people like you, Cynthia, or if you someday grow tired of me and don''t want to be with me anymore. I will always love you, protect you. Even if you want to leave, my heart will forever follow you. Once I understood that, everything else fell into ce."


    True love is not about possession or living in fear of loss but allowing her to be forever youthful and spoiled, free and carefree in a world of love.


    Evadne leaned shyly against his shoulder, feeling enveloped in the warm current of love. But now, it was her turn to be afraid. She knew Thaddeus would never stop loving her. But she feared, at the height of their love, she might lose him... "Sorry for the wait, you two must be anxious!" Arnold arrived, panting. "We just got here too."


    Thaddeus, arm around his wife, opened the car door for her, "Arnold, let''s talk inside."


    With the car''s heater warming them up, the atmosphere was cozy, yet the mood


    was tense.


    "Arnold, you said Averymitted murder? What''s going on?" Evadne couldn''t wait any longer.


    "This morning, I searched the Chambers Group and Avery''s office. Inside one of the books on his shelf, I found a hidden camera," Arnold''s voice still shook with emotion.