As Evadne spoke, Thaddeus, though silent beside her, couldn''t stop his eyes from drifting toward her. Her sharp, piercing gaze might have seemed intimidating to others, but to him, it stirred a strange, unidentifiable feeling in his heart. He found that in this moment, she was more beautiful than ever, radiating a brilliant, dazzling light.


    Baron copsed to his knees again. Evadne''s words had struck him like a bolt of lightning. But he had already boarded Alexia''s pirate ship. What could he do now but see it through to the end? Besides, he had seen the news a few days ago. Thaddeus was no longer the CEO of the Abernathy Group; he had no real power. That meant he had chosen the winning side with Chad. If he switched his allegiance back to Thaddeus now, he''d be a dead man for sure.


    "Mr. Dempsey... Ms. Evadne, what''s the point of threatening me now? Even if you kill me, Mr. Dempsey won''t get his position back!" Baron stammered. "Besides, the blood sample was real... Even if I hadn''t provided it, the police would have found out eventually. The oue would have been the same!"


    "Shut your damn mouth! Say one more thing like that and see what happens!" Jareth couldn''t stand to hear it and red, ready to strike.


    "Don''t hit my dad! If you want to hit someone... hit me!" n threw himself in front of his father in a dramatic disy of filial piety.


    Evadne''s expression was grim. He was right. He had been bribed, but the blood sample was also real.


    "Mr. Zade, I didn''te here tonight intending to use force." Thaddeus, who had been silent for some time, finally spoke, his voice cool and distant. "If it weren''t for your son''s disrespect toward Ms. Evadne, I would have been willing to sit down and talk this out calmly."


    Evadne''s eyes flickered, and she pressed her lips together.


    Baron looked at the man''s emotionless, handsome face, and a shiver of fear ran down his spine. *He had nned to talk calmly, but now... what was he going to do?!*


    "But now, I see no need for that."


    As soon as the low words were spoken, Jareth took a file from a bodyguard and pped it across Baron''s face. "Here. Open your eyes and take a good look at how your ''devoted'' son has been honoring you."


    Baron trembling hands picked up the documents. It was the mortgage agreement for their house, with n''s signature and thumbprint clearly visible.


    n saw it and, with reddened eyes, lunged to snatch it away, but his father pped him back. "You animal! You sold the house... What are your mother and I supposed to do?! Are you trying to kill us?!"


    "You... how do you have my mortgage agreement?!" n''s mouth twitched in disbelief as he stared at Jareth.


    Jareth narrowed his eyes, a devilish grin spreading across his handsome face. "Because you mortgaged your house to me."


    The Zade father and son were both stunned. "What?!"


    Even Evadne was taken aback, looking at Jareth in surprise.


    "In order to walk out of that casino in Country M in one piece, your son signed over everyst asset your family had," Jareth exined, tilting his head with a wicked, charming smile. But what you don''t knoWIS that the casino is owned by Fairhaven family."


    "What...?!" n felt the world go dark.


    the


    "Which means, I am now your biggest creditor." A bodyguard respectfully brought over a chair, and Jareth sat down, his ck coat draping elegantly around him. "The payment is long overdue. So, Mr. Zade, when can I expect the remaining five million?"


    n hung his head, looking like a thoroughly defeated dog.


    Jareth smiled, with boyish delight and looked over at the stoic Thaddeus. "Thad, you said you didn''t want to talk things out calmly right? Let me give you an idea. For five


    million, I''ll break both of this punk''s


    arms. Two and a half million a piece. We''ll call it even."


    Terrified, n dropped to his knees with a thud.


    "Your son has a serious gambling problem. Without his arms, he might just kick the habit. Of course, if he figures out how to hold cards w his mouth, I can''t help you there," Jareth said slowly. He then waved his hand, and two bodyguards moved to carry out the order.


    "Mr. Fairhaven, don''t! I''ll give you the money! Just spare my son!" Baron pleaded, banging his head on the floor. "What do you want me to do? I''ll do anything! Just don''t hurt my son!"


    His son was hisst line of defense. His psychological wall had finally crumbled.


    Evadne let out a quiet sigh of relief, a faint, satisfied smile on her face. She hade here tonight intending to do something simr, and while it might have worked, it certainly wouldn''t have been as effective as Jareth''s methods.