His Ex Wife Is A Billionaire

“Marilla’s gone?”

The news hit Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy like a cold blast of winter air.

“She’s gone! I’ve looked everywhere, she’s just not there!” Lily’s voice trembled on the verge of tears.

Evadne tried to keep her composure, softening her tone to soothe Lily’s distress,

“Lily, you only told us where Marilla might have been taken in the heat of the moment without any details. Now, take a deep breath and tell mè everything that happened. Who informed you that Marilla had been taken to the old Wye factory?”

“Aaron and I were close on the kidnapper’s heels when that hitman, the same one who took Marilla before, blocked our path!”

“Him again!” A sharp pang clenched Evadne’s heart.

The face that haunted her thoughts was the one Marilla had sketched,

eerily resembling Hubery.

“I couldn’t overpower him, so Aaron decided to hold him off while I

went to rescue Marilla!”

Lily bit her lip hard, “But that scoundrel brought backup, a woman! She traded a few blows with me, then deliberately knocked into my knife, wounding me severely. Then, she whispered to me where Marilla was being held and urged me to go save her. I thought I’d found an ally, but it was a ploy–a

diversion, a ruse! She sent me away to make it easier to deal with Aaron! Ms. Evadne, I’ve been such a fool! I deserve to

die!”

“Lily, Aaron’s fine, he’s already en route with backup. Don’t worry, and

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don’t blame yourself.” Thaddeus‘ voice was deep and calm, patiently comforting her.

As Evadne’s mind raced, a thought struck her, and she asked urgently, “What did this woman look like?”

“She wore a mask, but her eyes, I’ll never forget those eyes.”

Lily’s voice was full of conviction, “Because they looked so much like yours.”

“I understand now.”

Evadne exhaled, her tense insides finally relaxing a bit, “Lily, she’s our friend. I can’t tell you who, for her own safety. But I believe the information she gave you is reliable!”

With that, Thaddeus also had a hunch about the woman’s identity, but a darker shadow crossed his brow.

Lily still sounded panicked, her voice hoarse, “If it’s true, then why can’t I find Marilla?”

“Perhaps she only heard snippets of information. But one thing is certain, she wouldn’t be far from that area!”

Evadne clenched her fists, her gaze sharp as a hawk’s, “The area around that factory is desolate, no residential zones, not much in the way of buildings. Search the surroundings thoroughly, you’re bound to find something!”

“Yes!”

As the call ended, Evadne and Thaddeus exchanged a glance that conveyed volumes and simultaneously uttered,

“Avery!”

Whether this time or the last, the mastermind behind the shadows had

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always been Avery!

It explained how Gary had found such formidable support; the hitman was one of Snakey Avery’s men!

Avery was pulling the strings, attempting to use Gary as a pawn to destroy Jareth and overturn the Fairhaven group, positioning himself to reap the rewards in the aftermath.

What sent shivers down Evadne’s spine was that Avery, who had frequented the Ashbourne family since his youth, would certainly have seen and recognized Hubery.

Knowing that the hitman bore a striking resemblance to Hubery, he still chose to exploit him in his scheme to harm her and Thaddeus‘ dearest friend.

Such cunning and malicious intent was beyond comprehension!

Lost in thought, Evadne was brought back to the present as Thaddeus‘ eyes darkened with the brewing storm, “He’s crossed a line, attacking my sister and my brother. I won’t let this go. Avery’s finished!”

“No, we can’t tip off Avery!”

She pressed a hand to his shoulder, her brows knitted, “If it comes to him, who do you think will be in the most danger?”

His eyes widened slightly, “Elsie.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Last time, Elsie helped Elvis escape from The Velvet Haven and passed on crucial information that helped us take down Matthew. Now, she’s risked her life to reveal Marilla’s location, clearly switching sides to our ally! If we confront Avery now, it’s like putting Elsie on the chopping block. With Avery’s ruthlessness, he’d kill Elsie in a heartbeat to vent his anger!”

A tightness gripped Thaddeus‘ chest, filled with a heavy sense of

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foreboding.

His hand wrapped around Evadne’s waist, pulling her close, his husky voice whispered in her ear,

“Evadne, you’re too kind. You can’t bear to let down or hurt anyone who’s ever helped you.”

“I believe that anyone with a conscience cannot stand by Avery’s actions, no matter how compelled they are.”

Evadne’s heart was bittersweet, but her gaze was as steadfast as ever, “As long as there’s light in her heart, I’ll light the torch for her.”

Marilla, drugged and groggy, lay with a swollen cheek, a stark bruise from Alston’s violence.

Alston and a man in a navy suit dragged her out of the bedroom, tossing her carelessly to the ground.

Her slender frame hit the floor hard, curled and vulnerable, with tears clinging to her long lashes.

Even in such disarray, with her clothes disheveled and sprawled on the ground, she resembled a shattered, luminous gemstone, with a heart–wrenching beauty that could stir the soul.

Two other men ogling Marilla swallowed hard, captivated by her plight. Seeing their lustful stares, the woman in the red dress sneered with disdain and jealousy, “Back in school, you guys couldn’t stand Marilla, and now what, got a taste for her?”

AM

One of the men in a white casual outfit laughed wickedly, “Back then she was just a kid, who knew she’d turn out so fine? What man wouldn’t be hooked?”

“Nobody can deny that Jareth has an eye for beauty. No wonder the

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word on the street is that he hung up his wild days after he started taking care of his young, pretty wife. If I had a little stunner like that at home, I wouldn’t be interested in playing the field either. And Marilla, bless her heart, she’s a bit naive. It’s easier when they’re a touch gullible, easier to handle,” one of the men remarked with a sigh.

The woman in the red dress gave him a cold, sidelong glance. “Oh, what’s this? If you’re so smitten, why don’t you marry her, Frank?”

Frank stepped back as if he’d seen a ghost. “No way, no way! If my dad found out I brought home a girl with a screw loose, he’d have my head!”

Marilla’s swollen eyelids were half–closed, her complexion pale as snow, looking as if she might shatter into pieces any moment.

In a daze, she saw two figures approach.

Then, a voice tinged with mockery floated down to her ears,

“Marilla, look up. Look at who I am.”

It was Edith’s voice.

Marilla, barely holding onto life, struggled to lift her eyelids.

The next second, her bloodshot eyes slowly widened, her choked throat struggled to speak as if pierced by a thorn,

“Edith.”

“Tsk, how rude,” Edith said with a cold sneer. She kicked Marilla disdainfully and continued, “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for us to meet again? Do you know the lengths I’ve gone through to

come back to Elmsworth? The hell I’ve endured abroad? Tonight, we’ve got a rare opportunity. It’s time for us to catch up, my dear sister. Time to settle some scores.”