Evadne''s chest rose and fell, the tip of her nose and the rims of her eyes flushing red. She just stared at him, dumbstruck and unable to speak.


    In the days Thaddeus had been gone, she had never known fear. She defied fate and challenged demons, bravely fighting against all the darkness in the world. But the moment he appeared like a saving grace to shield her, she felt fear. She felt the urge to cry, her heart softened, and the strong facade she had built crumbled, leaving her like a fragile seashell swallowed by the tide of his presence.


    It turned out Evadne could be afraid, just like any other girl. But only in front of Thaddeus.


    Ignoring the searing pain in his back, Thaddeus gripped her trembling shoulders and looked her over from head to toe. When he was certain she was only shaken and not physically harmed, the knot in his chest finally loosened.


    Baron stared, dumbfounded, at the man who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. He was so terrified he felt his soul leaving his body. But he snapped out of it quickly, screaming at his son, "n! Run!"


    n might have been vtile, but he wasn''t stupid. He didn''t recognize Evadne, but he certainly recognized Thaddeus. Realizing the catastrophic trouble he was in, he broke into a cold sweat and turned to flee.


    He had barely taken two steps when a sharp pain shot through his lower back.


    "Ah-!"


    The next second, he tumbled down the steps,nding face-first in a muddy patch in the garden. He scrambled to get up, but a foot pinned his tailbone to the ground, immobilizing himpletely. The pressure was immense, feeling as if his bones were about to crack. "Who... who the hell is that?!" he growled through clenched teeth.


    "Your worst nightmare," a yful, wicked voice answered from above.


    "Jareth?!" Evadne stared at the man she hadn''t seen in ages—Jareth Fairhaven, looking as untamed as ever, with his devilishly charming eyes. Seeing her two best friends together again filled her with an indescribable emotion. She was also amazed that, despite the sudden action, the ck woolen overcoat draped over his broad shoulders hadn''t slipped off. It was as if it were welded on. As always, appearances were everything. A man of style.


    Jason''s face lit up with surprise. "Mr. Fairhaven!"


    "Evadne, Jason," Jareth greeted them with a narrow-eyed smile, all while grinding his foot down harder.


    With a sickening *crack*, n''s tailbone broke.


    "Jareth..." Baron had heard of the infamous Mr. Fairhaven, a man who moved freely in both high society and the underworld. He waspletely petrified. What had he done to deserve having three of the city''s most powerful tycoons show up at his doorstep on the same night?


    With a thud, Baron''s face went white, and he copsed to his knees.


    Seeing that his boss had made his dramatic entrance, two of Jareth''s bodyguards rushed over to subdue n.


    "Thad, you okay?" Jareth strode over to Thaddeus, his voiceced with concern.


    "I''m fine," the man said, standing ramrod straight, not even a flicker of pain on his face.


    Jareth''s eyes widened in disbelief. "That was a huge nter, and it shattered all over you. Are you made of steel-reinforced concrete or something?"


    "You still talk too much," Thaddeus retorted, his gaze shifting away from him. His dark, unreadable eyes swept over Evadne''s pale, flushed face in a deliberately casual manner.


    "You brat..." Jareth chuckled, a warmth spreading through his chest. The fact that Thaddeus was back to insulting him felt right, like old times. Could this mean his emotional functions were returning? That he was getting better?


    Inside the Zade family''s living room, Baron clung to his son, who was now bruised, swollen, and slumped on the floor. Father and son huddled together, trembling.


    Evadne and Thaddeus sat on the sofa, with enough space between them for another person. They had once been deeply in love, sharing every intimacy, but now they maintained a careful, painful distance.


    Thaddeus''s face was a mask of indifference, his profile as sharp and cold as a mountain peak. Evadne stole a nce at him, then quickly looked away, her own gaze filled with sorrow She lightly toushed her shoulder where his hand had been, imagining she could still feel the lingering warmth of his palm.