Chapter 212

Evadne had just resolved Mari's problems and returned to the mansion with Jason.

The entire ride back, she couldn't stop replaying the moment Thaddeus had gently wiped her hair. Her chest tightened, and her throat went dry.

"I'm sorry, this is my first time doing this... I don't have much experience."

Liar.

He had been involved with Acacia for years. Even if they hadn't gone all the way, he must have done plenty. And now he had the nerve to act innocent in front of her?

The moment she stepped inside, Evadne kicked off her heels. Instead of heading straight to bed, she slumped onto the couch, her expression dark.

Jason handed her a warm glass of milk, concern etched on his face. "Miss Evadne, it's late. Drink this and get some rest."

"How did Mari and Jareth cross paths tonight?" Evadne's mind raced. "Mari is always under the Abernathy family's watch. What happened?"

She couldn't sleep, her thoughts consumed by the vulnerable girl.

"I asked Jareth. He claims he doesn’t know why Mari was at his club. Said she was frantically searching for something—that she might’ve been in danger if he hadn’t found her."

Evadne's brow furrowed. "Searching for what?"

"A teddy bear. The one you gave her."

Her breath hitched, fingers curling into fists. "The teddy bear I gave Mari was thrown into Sapphire Nights Club?"

Jason, ever the skilled lawyer, had extracted the necessary details. "I pressed him about anything unusual at the club. He denied it—but then mentioned his sister, Edith."

"Ah."

Evadne's eyes narrowed. She didn’t need to see it firsthand to piece it together. "Glynnis. Still up to your old tricks, aren’t you? Anyone who dares hurt Mari will pay."

Jareth, chased home by Thaddeus, stumbled through his front door in the early hours of dawn.

He collapsed onto his bed, eyes shut, but the memory of Mari’s lips against his in the dim light refused to fade.

Sweet. Soft. Intoxicating.

A sudden heat surged through him, and he groaned, throwing an arm over his face.

"Damn it. I’m a damn animal."

He squeezed his eyes shut, willing sleep to take him, but the throbbing ache below forced him out of bed. A twenty-minute ice-cold shower later, he finally managed to calm down.

By the time the sun rose, exhaustion dragged him under.

He didn’t wake until well past noon.

Dressed and ready, he stepped out of his room—only to be met by Edith’s furious glare.

"Jareth, you’ve gone too far!"

"Too far?" He arched a brow. "Because I told you to stay away from Sapphire Nights? Because I warned you about Glynnis?"

He reached out to ruffle her hair, sighing. "Edith, when did you become so naïve? Can’t you tell who’s good for you?"

She slapped his hand away, disgust twisting her features. "Don’t touch me with the same hands that touched Mari. It’s disgusting!"

Jareth froze, pupils contracting. "What did you just say?"

Humiliated from being dragged away in public, Edith unleashed her fury. "I hate her! You’re mine—only mine! Who does she think she is, trying to take you from me?"

His brows knitted together. "Edith, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You turned the entire club upside down for her! For a stupid, broken toy!"

Her voice cracked, her stomping echoing through the hall. Servants passed by, eyes averted, not daring to linger.

"I’m your sister! When have you ever cared about me like this? You just throw money at me! But for that idiot, you’d move heaven and earth! Have you lost your mind?!"

"Mari is not an idiot." His voice turned dangerously quiet. "And I won’t let you call her that again."

Edith paled, his icy stare sending chills down her spine.

"When we were kids, after Dad died and Mom was drowning in work, who took care of you? Who fed you? Carried you on his back? Changed your diapers?" His jaw clenched. "You say I don’t care? That I’m not good to you? In twenty years, nothing has cut deeper."

"Jareth—" Her voice trembled.

"I still care. But we’ve grown up. The way I show it has changed—you just refuse to see it." His gaze darkened. "What I don’t understand is why you hate Mari so much. What has she ever done to you?"

"I just don’t like her! She doesn’t deserve you!"

His expression hardened. "You have no right to look down on her. In status, she’s a rising star at Abernathy Group—higher than either of us. Even if she had nothing, it wouldn’t matter. The woman I want? No one stops me."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Edith seething in humiliated silence.

A full week had passed since Ada Ang terminated her contract with K World Hotel.

Jason had spent every day monitoring the wedding planning team—but found nothing.

Frustrated, he rubbed his temples. "Miss Evadne, we’ve hit a wall. Are we looking in the wrong direction?"

Evadne, engrossed in a video game, didn’t glance up. "Has anyone reached out to Caroline Porter?"

"No. Radio silence."

"Hm. Still waters run deep." She smirked, executing a brutal in-game kill that made Jason wince. "Time to stir the pot. Gather the team. Conference room, now."

Thirty minutes later, the eight employees previously assigned to Ada’s wedding sat waiting.

Evadne strolled in ten minutes late, cheerful as ever.

"Apologies for the delay, everyone. Urgent matters."

She took her seat at the head of the table, scanning their faces with a confident smile. "I’ve drafted a new wedding plan. We’re going after Ada again—I want her back."

Gasps filled the room. "Really? That’s amazing!"

Her sharp eyes caught the subtle shift in Kevin’s expression.

Right on cue, he raised his hand.

"President Ashbourne, hasn’t Ada already signed with Abernathy Group? How can we possibly win her back now?"

Her fingers tapped the table, lips curving. "Oh? Ada’s with Abernathy? Funny. Big news like that, and you know before I do?"