Chapter 488

The news hit Cassius like a bolt of lightning.

Still waiting?!

Last night, the rain had poured relentlessly until dawn, only to start again this morning. The forecast warned of an approaching hurricane by nightfall.

Thaddeus had been standing outside all this time—without food, without water. Was he trying to kill himself?!

"Thaddeus has been out there the entire time? Even through the storm? What the hell is going on?!"

Evadne's eyes widened in shock, her hands gripping Arnold's shoulders with desperate force. "Tell me! Why didn’t anyone tell me? You saw him, didn’t you? And you kept me in the dark?!"

"Stop shaking me, Evadne! I’m gonna puke!" Arnold groaned, his vision swimming.

"Evadne, enough!"

Cassius stepped in, prying her hands away and pulling her into his arms. "Whatever Thaddeus is doing, it’s his choice. If he wants to stand out there, let him. He won’t stay forever. Eventually, he’ll leave."

His words carried a bitter double meaning.

"Even if he turns to stone out there, it’s his own damn fault!"

Arnold, still furious over everything Evadne had suffered, spat out, "Sis, he’s just playing the martyr, thinking he can win us over with this act. Not a chance! Even if lightning strikes him down, I won’t forgive him!"

"This is between him and me! It has nothing to do with you!"

Evadne’s eyes burned with fury as she struggled against Cassius’ hold. "Did you see him yesterday? Did Emeric see him too? Did you all gang up on him?!"

"Just calm down," Cassius murmured, tightening his grip.

"Evadne, what are you saying? We were standing up for you! We were making him pay!"

"I don’t need you to!"

Tears of rage welled in her eyes, her breath coming in sharp gasps. "Why are you interfering? Is this really for my sake? Or are you just punishing Thaddeus to ease your own guilt?!"

The words struck Cassius and Arnold like knives. Seizing the moment of distraction, Evadne broke free and bolted toward the gates of Silveke Harbor.

Kicking off her sandals, she sprinted barefoot down the endless, ornate corridor.

She hadn’t even laid eyes on the man she loved, yet her heart had already burst from her chest, fleeing the gilded cage of the mansion without a backward glance.

Then—she skidded to a halt.

Bet stood before her, his gaze sharp as a hawk’s, an immovable force. Even alone, his presence filled the space, unstoppable.

"Evadne, you’re going to see him?"

"Bet, don’t you dare stop me," she panted, sweat glistening on her flushed cheeks.

His brow furrowed slightly before he shook his head. "You’ve been a fool for three years. Isn’t that enough? He’s not worth it."

"If he’s not worth it, then who is?!"

Her chest heaved, tears of pain spilling over. "He saved my life when I was eleven! In Zenithia, we fought side by side against terrorists—he risked his life for me! Last year, on Misty Mountain, he took a bullet meant for Cassius to protect me! Tell me, Bet, if he’s not worth it, then who is?!"

"Evadne, I get it. You’ve idolized him since he saved you at eleven. You see him through rose-colored glasses—this unshakable attachment blinds you to anyone else." He exhaled deeply, his voice steel. "But back then, he saved you not because you were Evadne, not because he loved you. It was just coincidence."

"Bet! How can you say that?!"

"Everything he’s done since has been out of guilt, trying to make up for the past. And all the blood and tears you’ve shed for him these past three years? In my eyes, you’ve repaid any debt tenfold. There’s no reason for this to continue. He’s not your soulmate. Holding on will only destroy you."

"Bet! Listen to yourself—are those even human words?!"

Her heart twisted, her vision blurring with tears. "The child we lost was an accident! I didn’t even know I was pregnant—how could he? The miscarriage was my choice to keep secret! It had nothing to do with him! How many times do I have to say it?!"

But Bet’s expression remained cold, unmoved.

"Evadne, you’re young. There are better men out there. Whatever he gave you, they can give you too. And if they can’t, we will."

"I’d rather have one drop from the ocean than all the rivers in the world! Bet, I’m warning you—don’t block me. Don’t make me hate you!"

Like a provoked lioness, she bared her teeth, ready to force her way past. But her slender frame was no match for the soldier’s strength.

With a steely glint in his eye, Bet didn’t flinch. He simply stretched out an arm, blocking her path before effortlessly scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder.

The world spun as her feet left the ground. She pounded futilely against his back, her fists like feathers against his unyielding frame.

"Evadne, behave."

His voice was low, firm. "I’m doing this for your own good."

Elsie woke groggily in the late afternoon, her head pounding, her stomach churning. The room spun as she sat up, blinking against the dim light.

"Where… am I?"

Then it hit her—she was in a lavish presidential suite, unmistakably one of The Abernathy Group’s hotels.

"Oh no… Elvis!"

Panic surged as she threw off the covers, only to find her dress untouched, pristine. He hadn’t laid a finger on her.

Her last memory from the night before was frozen on that searing, irresistible kiss.

Elsie’s breath hitched, her fingers pressing against her fluttering heart. The room was empty now—no trace of that confident, infuriating man.

"Elvis… what kind of man are you?"

Lost in thought, a knock sounded at the door.

Fighting nausea, she shuffled to answer it. A bellboy stood there, smiling, holding out a small box.

"Good afternoon, miss. A gentleman asked me to deliver these to you. He left a message."

Elsie took the medicine, gripping it tightly. "What was the message?"

"Take two pills twice a day. And don’t skip meals."

With a polite bow, he left.

Elsie stood frozen, repeating the words, her throat tightening. When was the last time someone had cared for her like this? She couldn’t remember.

She was a flower, living in Avery’s shadow—dressed in luxury, admired by men who only saw her as a prize.

Did anyone ever truly care?

But it didn’t matter. She and Elvis were enemies, bound by fate to opposite sides.

Taking a shaky breath, she wiped away the traitorous tear at the corner of her eye. Just as she moved to close the door—

A hand slammed against it, forcing it open.

Dark, familiar eyes glared back at her.

"Harvey?!" Her heart lurched as she hid the medicine behind her back.

"Ms. Archer, alive and well. What a relief."

He barged in, sending her stumbling back. Two of his men followed, silent, their expressions grim as they drew their guns.

"Elvis isn’t here. He’s gone," she said coolly.

"Gone?! You didn’t kill him?!"

Harvey’s face twisted in disbelief. "Then what the hell were you doing last night? Entertaining him?!"

Her head throbbed. "I don’t remember. I drank too much."

"You drank with him?! Do you even realize who he is?!"

Harvey’s voice turned dangerous. "Ms. Archer, you’ve never slipped up before. What happened? This isn’t like you."

"What are you implying? If there was anything between us, do you think I’d be here alone, dressed like—"

Her hand flew to her hair.

Her silver hairpin—it was gone.

Panic surged as she frantically searched the room, tossing aside pillows, checking drawers. Nothing.

Harvey, oblivious to her distress, kept ranting. "I’m not questioning your loyalty, but Mr. Chambers already knows you disappeared with Elvis last night. You think I found you on my own? He tracked you down!"

The image of Avery’s cold, bloodthirsty gaze flashed in her mind. Her stomach dropped.

"You failed to kill him, and you spent the night with him. How can you be sure nothing happened if you blacked out?!"

Harvey exhaled sharply. "Think carefully about how you’ll explain this to Mr. Chambers."

"No explanations are necessary."

Her lashes lowered, her fingers crumpling the medicine box. "I’ve been with Mr. Chambers for years. He knows me. If he doesn’t trust me, then there’s nothing I can do."

Elsie and Harvey left the hotel discreetly.

As their car pulled away, Elvis emerged from the shadows, a tracking device in hand—freshly attached to their vehicle.

His phone screen displayed their route in real time. Following the signal, he traced them to the foot of the hills, where an exclusive, grand social club lay hidden among serene bamboo groves.

Elsie and Harvey stepped out, entered a code, and disappeared inside.

Under the moonlight, Elvis unfolded his palm, revealing a delicate silver hairpin. With a twist, the ruby flipped open—revealing a hidden compartment filled with deadly poison.

"Amateur tricks," he murmured, his lips curling in dark amusement. "You dare play games with me?"

His eyes gleamed with predatory anticipation.

"Woman, crossing paths with me is only the beginning of your tragedy."