Hearing this, Evadne didn''t refuse again.


    She knew that if she refused this time, there would be a next. Chad, though he appeared serene, was in fact deeply obsessive and calcting. When he set his mind on something, he would stop at nothing to achieve it.


    Besides, to help Emeric recover, she had already epted Chad''s favor. Refusing such a small thing now would be overly dramatic.


    At six o''clock sharp, the luxury car glided into Windermere Estate.


    Evadne gazed out the window at the familiar scenery. Memories of her time here with Thaddeus when they were married flooded her mind-bitterness, heartache, and moments of happiness.


    Her eyes quietly filled with tears. She lowered hershes, hiding the sorrow in her gaze.


    Suddenly, Evadne felt the man beside her pat her shoulder. Startled, she turned her head to see a clean, fragrant white handkerchief being offered to her.


    "If I had known that returning here would upset you so much, I wouldn''t have arranged for a dinner at home."


    Chad stared deeply into her tear-rimmed eyes, his voice filled with gentleness and guilt. "Evadne, I''m sorry."


    Evadne...


    Even his tone, so full of tenderness, was almost identical.


    A jolt went through Evadne''s heart, not for the man before her, but for the one who was etched so deeply into her soul that he could never be erased: Thaddeus.


    "Mr. Abernathy, I''m not emotional. Please don''t misunderstand."


    She took a deep breath to steady herself, her voice cool. "Also, I would prefer it if you called me Ms. Evadne or President Ashbourne. It''s formal and befitting of my position."


    Chad paused for a moment, then a faint smile touched his lips, as if her coldness didn''t bother him in the slightest.


    "Alright. Whatever you wish."


    Tonight was supposedly a family dinner, but Mr. Frederic was away on a trip and not at home.


    In the grand dining room, Chad sat at the head of the table. On his right was Evadne, and on his left was Sean, a guest of honor at the Abernathy Group, his face flushed with excitement.


    "Securing the A5 Project was all thanks to your support."


    Chad elegantly raised his ss, smiling at Sean. “I hope we can continue to work closely together. I also hope you can lend your support to KS Group''s future projects in Elmsworth. I, Chad, would be eternally grateful."


    This was tant collusion between business and government.


    Evadne had no appetite and spent the entire time drinking water, feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles.


    After a few drinks, Sean''s face was as red as a baboon''s rear. He looked nothing like a public official and hadpletely devolved into a tool for Chad''s personal gain, his face beaming with the satisfied smile of a man who had been well-fed and well-bribed.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Abernathy. Given your rtionship with President Ashbourne, KS Group''s future development in Elmsworth is in good hands! I will give it my full support!"


    At this, Chad smiled enigmatically. “My rtionship with President Ashbourne? And what rtionship would that be?"


    Sean was a man of the world. He could see that the way Chad looked at Evadne was far from innocent; it was filled with longing and possessiveness.


    To tter the cash cow who was lining his pockets, he chuckled and decided to break the ice.


    "Haha... an excellent rtionship, of course! So, when''s the big day for you two? Don''t forget to invite me for a wedding drink!"


    Evadne''s face instantly turned cold. "Sean..."


    “Sean likes to joke. President Ashbourne and I are merely business partners and good friends. She is my grandfather''s god-granddaughter and was once... my brother''s wife."


    Chad cut in, a faint smile ying on his lips. "We have family ties, so naturally our rtionship is deeper. However, please don''t let your imagination run wild, lest you make thedy ufortable."


    Sean noticed the change in Evadne''s expression and quickly backtracked with augh. "Hahaha, now that you put it that way, Mr. Abernathy, understand! I was getting ahead of myself! President Ashbourne my apologies!"


    “Sean, thank you for your kind intentions, but KS Group has gotten to where it is


    today through its solid capabilities, not through any improper means."


    Evadne''s beautiful eyes were sharp and clear, her fair face like a pristine snow lotus on a ten-thousand-foot ice mountain. "While we are coborating with the Abernathy Group it is only temporary. It doesn t mean we will end up on the same path, so you needn''t trouble yourself with KS Group''s affairs."


    Her public rebuke made Sean''s expression freeze, his eyes darting to Chad''s face.


    But the man''s handsome, refined face showed no trace of anger. He was still smiling faintly.


    There was even a hint of indulgence in it.


    Sean understood. This Ms. Evadne was the apple of Mr. Frederic''s eye.


    He immediately stered on a smile. “Hahaha, President Ashbourne is right. I was


    being presumptuous, truly presumptuous!"


    After forcing her way through the meal, Evadne couldn''t stand to be there a second longer and was about to excuse herself.


    Just then, Sean leaned close to Chad and spoke in a low voice.


    "Mr. Abernathy, about that matter you mentioned to me, the one about establishing a new drug research institute..."