His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 440

Chapter 440 

The crowd gasped in shock. 

“Seriously? Edith, hitting herself?” 

Her face was swollen, was she really that ruthless to her own self? 

Edith’s face drained of color, her swollen cheeks turning ghostly pale, “Evadne, what the heck are you babbling about? Have I lost my mind to hit myself?” 

“I think you’ve totally lost it,” Evadne tutted, shrugging her shoulders. “Not only have you gone bananas, but you’ve also scared the daylights out of me. I’m being generous not hitting you up for emotional distress compensation, and you’re trying to sling mud at me? Just because you’re a Fairhaven, you think you can spit venom?” 

The room erupted in clamour! 

Flashbulbs frenzied over Edith’s ashen face! 

“Miss Ashbourne’s integrity is beyond question, right? She’s always been into charity and social work, even helped that poor Abernathy family servant with funeral expenses. She wouldn’t frame Edith, would she?” 

“Even if Ms. Evadne did lash out, there must’ve been a reason, right?” 

“Maybe it was a catfight over jealousy, but still, hitting someone is not okay! I have my reservations about Evadne’s character!” 

Evadne was utterly sick of these petty female brawls. If Edith wanted to scheme against her, couldn’t she come up with something more sophisticated? 

Innocence needed no defense. Being misunderstood didn’t faze her. 

Besides, someone had swollen her own face; it seemed like a win for her. 

Just as Evadne was about to leave the drama behind, an anxious shout came from outside the crowd. 

“Edith! What happened to you? Who’s messing with you?” 

The crowd parted, and Barry, surrounded by the Fairhaven family and flanked by b*dyguards, hurried over. 

“Grandpa. Mommy.” Edith’s eyes brimmed with tears, her l*ps quivering pitifully. 

Seeing her daughter with hair askew and swollen cheeks, collapsed on the floor, and Evadne looking down with icy disdain, Mrs. Fairhaven naturally assumed Evadne was the bully. 

“Someone help Edith up!” 

At Barry’s command, b*dyguards rushed forward, forming a human shield against the prying cameras. 

“Oh, Edith!” 

Mrs. Fairhaven embraced her daughter immediately, shooting daggers at Evadne with her eyes, “Ms. Evadne! If you have a beef with me, come at me, but why bully my daughter?” 

“Mommy, don’t get upset, take care of yourself, I’m okay. I’m fine.” Edith comfortingly patted her mother. 

NOSA 

Such a heartbreaking scene. 

At that moment, the Ashbournes arrived, stirring the atmosphere further. 

Edith’s crude and dirty tricks had escalated things/pulling in the big guns. 

“Chairman Emeric, your daughter sure has a fiery temper, lashing out in broad daylight,” Barry leaned on his cane, eyes coldly fixed on Emeric, his tone barely hiding his fury. “Clearly, you dote on her quite a bit. But isn’t everyone’s child their heart and soul? Evadne is, and my Edith is my treasure too! About this incident, you and your daughter owe me an explanation!” 

The Fairhavens were not to be trifled with! 

Luckily for them, they were dealing with the/Ashbourne heiress. If it were anyone else, it would have been a dead end! 

Cassius’s gaze darkened as he stared at Edith, unsettling her to the core, driving her closer into Mrs. Fairhaven’s embrace. 

Myra released Emeric’s arm, rushing to clutch Evadne’s hand tightly, “Evadne, are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?” 

Her words turned the Fairhaven mother and daughter green with envy. 

1 

“I’m fine, Myra, don’t worry,” Evadne reassured her softly. 

“Evadne, I don’t believe you’d hit someone. You’re too upright for that. Others might doubt, but we never will,” Myra suddenly turned, her icy stare piercing Edith’s face. 

Emeric pursed his l*ps, his brow furrowed as he looked at his daughter with a complex expression. 

He wasn’t worried about Evadne hitting someone; if she had, so be it. His daughter had set many a mean girl straight in her time. 

His concern was about diffusing this mess. 

If this got out, how would others view her? 

Reputation wasn’t trivial; if she was to take over the conglomerate someday, she needed a solid public image, credibility. Otherwise, people would leverage this against her, creating obstacles to her ascent. 

“Mr. Barry, Mrs. Fairhaven, where did you see Evadne hitting anyone? We need evidence for such claims.” 

A clear voice rang out, devoid of aggression but impossible to ignore. 

The crowd turned to see Avery stride confidently toward his flame. 

Evadne’s gaze was deep and cool, silent. 

She didn’t want anyone to bail her out; it wasn’t necessary. And if it were, she’d prefer it be Thaddeus. 

Not Avery. 

“Mr. Chambers, what’s that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting our Edith framed Ms. Evadne?” Barry asked, his face clouded. 

“Whether she did or didn’t, that’s a question for Ms. Edith. A single lapse in judgment could be her downfall.” 

Avery stepped before Evadne, his gaze filled with tenderness, oblivious to the onlookers who murmured in awe. 

“The Chambers family’s young master has eyes for Ms. Evadne, too. It was obvious at the charity auction, and now he’s defending her, risking the wrath of the Fairhavens – isn’t his stance clear enough?” 

“I just can’t fathom what Chairman Emeric is thinking. One’s the president of Abernathy Enterprises, and the other’s the golden boy of the Chambers family.” 

“If you ask me, it’s gotta be Mr. Chambers all the way. The guy’s as clean as a whistle, not a single mark on his record. Thaddeus, though? He’s like a rotten apple at the bottom of the barrel – nothing but flies and skeeters buzzing around him! First there was Acacia, then Edith. You just can’t shake ‘em – what kind of parents would push their kid into a swamp like that?” 

Edith’s heart skipped a beat, and she clutched her mother’s arm with a death grip. 

For some reason, even though she had never crossed paths with Avery, he gave her a strange sense of familiarity, including his voice. 

And then there was this inexplicable fear, almost crushing her, making it hard to breathe. 

“Mr. Chambers, are you insinuating that Edith is lying?” Mrs. Fairhaven held her daughter close, her voice trembling with indignation. “My daughter has been beaten to a pulp, and you’re still defending that girl? I know your families are tight, but this is too much!” 

Edith’s face was the picture of innocence, but inside, her mind was racing. 

She had checked – that corridor had no security cameras! 

But Avery’s confidence? Had he witnessed something, or heard something? Why else would he dare to stand up for Evadne? 

“Ms. Edith,” Avery pressed closer, his dark eyes glinting with an icy sheen that sent shivers down her spine, “Did Evadne really hit you?” 

Edith’s voice choked. 

“We’re all adults here, you know. You have to stand by your words. Don’t wait until the truth is laid bare on the table because there’s no antidote for regret.” 

The room fell silent, everyone waiting for Edith’s reply. 

Those few seconds felt like an eternity, pure torment. 

Finally, she caved under the lethal pressure of the man before her – it was irrational, but she was terrified of him, as though he held a knife to her throat. She had never felt this kind of fear, not even towards Thaddeus or Jareth! 

“I had a disagreement with Ms. Evadne, it was my own fault, I lost my footing and accidentally crashed into the door, fell to the ground.” She dared not mention the slap. 

But this one statement was enough to clear Evadne’s name and enough to fuel speculation. 

“Wow, she didn’t actually hit herself, did she? That’s just wicked!” 

“Isn’t it obvious? Mr. Chambers put the pressure on, and she folded. Did you see how loud she was just a moment ago?” 

“Jeez, just a little girl, and she wimps, out when someone calls her bluff. If it were me, I’d never admit it. Let him show some proof!” 

“And you’re still defending her? This is slander. If the Ashbourne family doesn’t let this slide, will Edith ever be able to show her face again?” 

Trouble, and Avery had managed to clear it up for Evadne without breaking a sweat. 

But Evadne remained stoic, no signs of emotion, not even a hint of gratitude towards him. 

Chairman Emeric’s furrowed brow relaxed, and he nodded at Avery, displaying a rare smile of approval. 

Cassius stepped forward, casually draping an arm around Evadne’s shoulders, and addressed Barry with a calm demeanor, “Mr. Fairhaven, I wonder if your granddaughter still requires my sister to explain herself. If you’re looking for an explanation, it’s not out of the question. We can meet after the derby, bring the lawyers from both families, and decide at the police station whether to settle this publicly or privately.” 

Emeric squinted his eyes, internally cheering. 

He couldn’t broach the subject himself, but Cassius, being young and passionate, was perfectly positioned to defend his sister in such a way! 

Mrs. Fairhaven clutched her daughter in panic, while Barry’s complexion turned dark as thunder. 

Cassius’s l*ps curled slightly, “The Ashbourne family never shirks the troubles we stir up. But if it wasn’t us, and someone’s trying to frame or slander my dearly beloved sister, I won’t let it slide lightly. I believe Mr. Fairhaven, who cherishes Ms. Edith, would agree.” 

Everyone’s eyes were watching, and the Fairhaven family members‘ faces couldn’t hide their embarrassment. 

Cassius had backed them into a corner in just a few words. If they agreed, and it turned out to be slander when brought to the police, what then? If they refused, wouldn’t it imply they had something to hide, and wouldn’t the world assume Edith was framing Evadne? 

“Oh dear, what a misunderstanding! Just a misunderstanding!” 

Gary, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped in now, his chuckles smoothing over the tension. “Kids will be kids, right? A little scuffle here and there is normal. We’ve all been young once! Edith, bless her, she doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just been spoiled into being a bit too fiery, speaks before she thinks, gets heated and says anything, doesn’t even remember what she said afterward. Ha ha. Oh, silly girl, causing trouble for you folks. Our families have known each other for years. My big brother and Chairman Emeric had a personal friendship, and Edith is his pride and joy. You know my brother’s character – his daughter can’t be too far off the mark.” 

Emeric’s anger began to subside. 

Jareth and Edith’s father, Harlan Fairhaven, had been a young man he greatly admired, and their friendship had been strong. When Harlan died young in a plane crash, Emeric had mourned for some time. 

Had Harlan still been alive, the Fairhaven family would have been in a different league altogether.