NovelGoldEvadne pressed her lips together, brows furrowing as she sank into a stifling, oppressive silence.
Elspeth was out of her mind, Chad tormented animals for sport, and then there was Chad's uncle-the Austin
family heir-who had murdered his lover in a fashion so brutal it still echoed in whispers...
A chilling thought crept over her, making her blood run cold-
Could it be that everyone in the Austin family was, in sway, unhinged?
Was Chad's mother's mental illness something he inherited too? Was that what drove him to these extremes?
"Is Chad... truly unstable?"
Jason shook his head, stunned, as if the idea wouldn't fit. "But he never seemed off, not at all. He always looked
perfectly composed, almost coldly so!"
"That's exactly what scaresmost." Alva's voice was raw with worry, her eyes rimmed red. "What if he's just
been pretending all these years, hiding his true nature so he could draw close to Mrs. Abernathy? What if he's
planning something? What if he means to hurt you?"
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"Hurting animals like that-it points to violent tendencies, a cold-blooded nature, maybe even something
sociopathic. But right now, there's no real proof he's suffering from any diagnosed mental disorder," Evadne said,
forcing herself to steady her thoughts, her eyes dark with contemplation. "Still, mental illness can run in families.
It wasn't just Elspeth. | suspect her brother wasn't exactly... normal, either."
"Ms. Evadne, wait-I just remembered something my father once mentioned!"
Jason's eyes widened. "Back in the day, my father's colleague was assigned to the case when the Austin's eldest
son, Mason, was charged with murder. He was sentenced to death at the first trial, but on appeal, his lawyer
submitted a psychiatric evaluation that changed everything. The sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Our justice system is thorough-if Mason slipped through all those evaluations, it could only mean one thing: he
was severely disturbed, through and through!"
Evadne lowered her gaze, lashes casting shadows over her eyes. She didn't disagree.
"In short, Mrs. Abernathy, you need to stay as far away from Chad as possible! There's an old saying 'the child is
father to the man'-people rarely change at their core! After disappearing for twenty years, do you think he'd just
suddenly cback and behave himself? God knows what he's plotting..."
Alva suddenly slapped her own forehead, alarmed. "Oh no! What if he's here to compete with Master Thaddeus
for the inheritance? He's unstable enough—what if he turns on him?!"
It was all speculation, but the fear was real-Evadne's throat felt tight, as if invisible hands were squeezing the air
from her lungs.
After a long moment, she looked up at Alva, her eyes shining with fierce resolve.
"If that's the case, then | have even more reason not to avoid him."
Alva and Jason stared at her, dumbfounded. "Why?!"
"If he's cback and intends to play by the rules, then | have no quarrel. But if
he means Thaddeus harm, | won't stand by and let it happen."
Evadne lifted her chin, her
In
midnight-dark eyes calm but unyielding, like a lake hiding secrets beneath its surface. "Now that Chad's returned
to the Abernathy Group, | know he'll keep his real plans hidden from Thaddeus and the rest of the family. Bubif
he wants to get close toand | reach out to him, he won't be able to keep everything a secret. s
Even if he tries, the only way I'll ever know what he's up to is by getting close myself. If | stay away, I'll know
nothing. So, whatever happens, | can't back down."
"But Mrs. Abernathy! That's too dangerous!"
Alva's voice wavered, and tears threatened to spill. She'd heard about the separation from Gordon and the worry
showed in every line of her face. "Now that Master Thaddeus....can't be there to protect you, what will you do?
You cant take this risk alone!" s
Evadne forced a small, reassuring smile, pushing down the sharp ache in her chest. | never planned to rely on
Thaddeus for the rest of my life. In the end, there's only one person anyone can truly depend on and that's
themselves." s
Just as her words faded, her phone rang. Aaron's nflashed on the screen.
A strange, electric dread gripped her heart. She answered, voice steady, "Aaron." "Evadne, the DNA results are
in."
Aaron's voice trembled with emotion, barely holding together. "Hans... is Hubery!"
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