That evening, Gordon drove Thaddeus to see Mr. Hamilton. On the way, they received news that Alexia had been released on bail. Gordon mmed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration.
"Damn it! Why is that evil woman so hard to kill?!"
"She''s Chad''s right hand. You could even say she knows more of his dirty secrets than anyone else," Thaddeus said, leaning back against the seat with his eyes half- closed, his jaw tight. "Chad won''t discard a pawn like her until he''s squeezed everyst drop of value out of her. That''s always been his style."
Gordon shook his head, gritting his teeth. "What is this woman''s deal, anyway? You asked me to look into her background, but it''spletely clean. There''s nothing. What kind of past does she have that Chad would go to such lengths to hide it? A man like him could have any woman he wants. Why her? She''s an empty-headed liability! Sometimes I think she just makes things harder for him!"
Thaddeus''s handsome face was veiled in a frosty haze, his dark eyes cold and bottomless. Gordon''s casual remark had sparked an idea. He was right. With Chad''s power, he would have no shortage of brilliant and loyal followers. Why choose Alexia?
And was her name even Alexia? If her records were fake, her name was likely fake, too.
After Evadne saw her grandfather safely back to Havenbrook Manor, she put on an apron and went straight to the kitchen, preparing a nourishing, restorative meal for him and Mr. Murray. She had no appetite herself, but her grandfather insisted she join them, so she sat down for dinner.
"Grandfather, about what happened today..."
"na, I''ve had a lot of time to think," he said, his weathered face etched with guilt as he gently squeezed her hand. "From now on, whatever you and Thaddeus need, whatever help I can offer, I will do it without hesitation..."
Evadne smiled faintly, her voice light. "You''ve already done more than enough, Grandfather. You can leave the rest to me... and Thaddeus."
Just saying his name sent a pang of sorrow through her heart.
Hamilton lowered his eyes and sighed. "It''s all my fault... the sins of my past. If had stopped Chad sooner or if had called the police when it happened, instead of covering it up, covering for him... things would never have gotten to this point."
"Mr. Chad was still a minor back then," Evadne said, her beautiful eyes turning somber. "Even if you had called the police and he''d been
sent to a juvenile for tenor
twenty years, he would still be the same man standing before you today. To truly solve a problem, you have to find its root."
Hamilton looked at her, confused. "na, what do you mean... the root?"
"Grandfather, you watched Mr. Chad grow up. Did you ever notice anything... different about him,pared to other children? His mental state, perhaps? After all, a normal person isn''t capable of such... brutality."
Hamilton froze, his brow furrowing in deep thought.
"Mr. Hamilton, Sr., Mr. Thaddeus is here," Mr. Murray announced.
Just as he spoke, Thaddeus walked into the living room. His suit jacket was draped over one arm, and he moved with the elegant, aristocratic grace of a European nobleman.
"Grandfather, I''m here." He paused, his gaze fixed on Evadne''s faintly flushed cheeks. "Ms. Ashbourne is here as well."
Evadne pressed her lips together, avoiding his captivating eyes as she turned to Hamilton. "Grandfather, I have to go now. Please get some rest and remember to take the medicine I prepared for you."
Thest thing Hamilton wanted was for her to leave. If he could, he would have locked her and his grandson in a room together for the night.
Just as Evadne was about to walk
past Thaddeus, he suddenly grabbed her arm. His long fingers closed around it, slowly but firmly pulling her back to face him. The
eyes met their beautiful faces reflected in each other''s pupils.
Cóntent
"Evadne," Thaddeus murmured, his voice low and deep as he leaned closer. "Could
you stay a little longer? There''s something I need to talk to you about."
***