Chapter 174

Jason was so sp ooked that he was about to drop his jaw.

While his dear lady was not only cool as a cucumber but also yawned in boredom.

“Why are you revealing my true identity now? Look, you’ve scared Jason.”

“Alea, how come you’ve gone radio silent after you went back to Elmsworth? Everyone at the studio is hoping for your return!” Liva’s eyes were welling up with tears as she spoke

“Ah, I’m sorry, darling. I be tied up with some family matters for a long time, so you’ll have to take over the reins at Aetheria studio for now.”

Speaking of wnich, Evadne sighed with guilt, “But don’t worry about the studio going under. Each piece of jewelry I’ve designed is worth a pretty penny, and we have more than enough funds to keep us afloat. Yet, you must tell everyone not to put their lives on hold for me. If they want to leave the studio, I’ll wish them well, no hard feelings. That includes you, Liva. If you want to leave, just say the word. There’s no need to tough it out.”

Liva rubbed her eyes, “Alea, you’ve helped me a lot. I would never abandon you.”

“Liva, I’m incredibly grateful for all your help. I don’t want to be a burden to you. It’s an honor if you choose to follow me, but you have the right to choose any life you want.”

Evadne’s eyes twi nkled with warmth, and she chuckled softly, “I can not succeed without you guys.”

Jason overheard their conversation, and he couldn’t help but tear up.

He realized he had been so full of himself.

He never truly understood the lady. He thought she was perfect, but it turned out she’s a goddess!

Man, he’s so out of his depth!

“Alea, if the Abernathy group comes knocking again, I’ll turn them down flat and tell them you plan to team up with the K Group. That’ll burst their bubble.

Evadne smiled, “Don’t turn down the Abernathy group outright. How can we dash their hopes if we don’t give them any in the first place?”

Liva’s eyes widened in surprise, then she nodded in understanding. “I get your drift.”

“Wouldn’t it be a bit of a snooze if we won easily before the game even started before Thaddeus even made his move?”

Evadne’s sly smile appeared again, “Tve been planning this for a long time. How could I not give Mr. Thaddeus a chance to show his chops? Imagine his disappointment when he gave it his all to win the competition, only to find his opponent waiting at the finish line. That’s way more crushing than a mere loss.”

After the video call ended, Jason was still reeling from the shock of the lady revealing her true identity.

Even though he knew the lady was talented, he was dumbstruck when he found out she was actually Alea. He couldn’t help but join his hands in a gesture of respect.

This was definitely the closest he’d ever been to a deity!

“Hey, snap out of it!” Evadne winked at Jason and snapped her fingers.

Like being brought out of hypnosis, Jason came back to reality.

“Jason, do you think what I’m doing was a bit unfair?” Evadne casually propped her arms on the armrests and gave her swivel chair a spin.

“Considering how brutally Thaddeus treated you, I’d say he’s getting off easy” Jason gritted his teeth in anger.

“Ah, with your blessing, I can rest easy.”

Evadne closed her eyes comfortably and slowly turned halfway around, facing the bright floor-to-ceiling window

“The most painful part of my three years with Thaddeus wasn’t his lack of love for me, his cold indifference, or his disregard. What hurt me the most was his blatant love for Acacia during our marriage.

I watched as he repeatedly bought one-way tickets to fly abroad. I watched as he went out of his way to create a unique birthday gift for Acacia, even flying to France to commission a master craftsman, despite ordinarily hating to be inconvenienced. You would think that he’d show some basic respect for me, even if he

didn’t love me.”

Evadne’s back was to Jason, her tone emotionless, like a storyteller recounting a tragic love story to an audience.

Jason felt a lump in his throat. He knelt on one knee beside Evadne and said, “Thaddeus deserves to be punished for hurting you so ruthlessly for a worthless

woman!”

Evadne chuckled and waved her hand, “The old me would have been filled with rage, but now I feel calm, even a bit amused. If Acacia is trash, then Thaddeus is a garbage can. Acacia went from being recyclable to non-recyclable trash, but Thaddeus has always been a garbage can. I have feelings, but I’m not sentimental. There’s no point in dwelling on a garbage can. But I do want to see Thaddeus running around trying to win me over. I want to see him try his best for me but fail.

Thaddeus had always been a heartless man.

Funnily enough, so was she now.

To get a chance to see Alea, Thaddeus took a special flight to Aetheria.

In the high skies, he suddenly remembered the first year of his marriage to Evadne. To create the Heart of Flame necklace for Acacia, he had taken time out of his busy schedule to fly to France and persuade a designer who had worked for royals.

He had never begged anyone so shamelessly before.

His sincerity moved the designer, who reluctantly designed and made the necklace for him.

But now, the Heart of Flame was permanently sealed in a box, and he would never lay eyes on it again.

The necklace no longer represented his genuine affection but regret and shame.

Thaddeus stared into the impenetrable clouds. As if in the hazy clouds, he saw Evadne’s radiant face, as bright as spring.

1/2

10:38

This illusion was too real. It made his heart flutter, and he instinctively reached out to touch the window.

But the window was ice cold.

He took a deep breath, memories washing over him like a tidal wave.

“You know how much Ms. Evadne adores that necklace, right? When she heard you were giving it to Ms. Acacia, she was so envious she cried!”

“If it were Ms. Evadne, she would never sniff your gift. She’s the type to treasure even a discarded tie of yours. She wouldn’t hurt your feelings so casually”

A sharp pain shot through Thaddeus’s chest like something was tearing him apart, and his vision blurred.

The woman he thought would cherish his love had tra mpled all over it without a second thought.

Yet, as wrecked as he was, that’s what Evadne craved.

His pele lips twitched into a silent, bitter smile.

What kind of force made her stick with a jerk like him for three years?

Evadne, why was she so devoted?

Just then, Gordon came over with a cup of coffee and set it on the table..

“Mr. Thaddeus, I’ve contacted Ms. Liva, the head of Alea Studios. She said she’d meet with you.”

“Really?” His desolate eyes finally lit up.

“Yes, but she only agreed to meet. She’s a bit frosty, not very warm.”

Gordon sighed worriedly, “I’m afraid this might not go well.”

“Don’t worry. As long as someone from Alea was willing to meet me, I won’t lose hope.”

After arriving in Aetheria and anxiously waiting for three days, Thaddeus finally met with Liva at the coffee shop across from Alea Studios foot into the studio.

“Mr. Thaddeus, I’ll cut to the chase.”

Without even stepping

Liva crossed her arms and looked at Thaddeus arrogantly, “So far, Alea has only designed jewelry for the First Lady, royals, and people who have made outstanding contributions to the country, society, and charity. Ada Ang may be an international superstar, but she’s not qualified to request our services.”

Gordon muttered under his breath, “She’s so co cky, it’s just jewelry design, not military medals!”

“Even though you might think I’m showing off. I a**ure you that’s not my intention. Early on, I established a charity fund under my mother’s name with the Abernathy group. Over the years, I’ve been committed to public welfare, supporting nursing homes, impoverished students, and orphans in welfare institutions. I hope you can look at the bigger picture and not just see it as making jewelry for a celebrity. As long as Alea is willing to cooperate, name your price. Besides, I will donate all the extra income generated from Ada Ang’s wedding at our hotel to the charity fund for charitable causes.” Thaddeus sat there, his voice booming.

“Oh, so you’re suggesting that Alea lacks vision and is narrow-minded?” Liva scoffed.

Thaddeus clenched his throat, “That’s not what I meant.”

“Over the years, there have been many people who have sought Alea’s designs under the guise of charity. Are you one of them, Mr. Frederic? Isn’t the money you donate to your own charity fund just taking from one pocket and putting it in another?”

Thaddeus’s brow furrowed, his large hands clenched on his knees.

Gordon couldn’t take it anymore and said in his non-native but fluent language, “Ms. Liva, we genuinely want to cooperate. You’re being too harsh!”

Thaddeus remained calm and signaled Gordon to be quiet.

“The Abernathy group’s fund has always been under my management. Every penny of the charity money raised has a transparent account that you can check. I can let you review the books.”

Liva said coldly, “I’ll relay your intentions to Alea, Mr. Frederic. But whether we can cooperate depends on Alea’s decision. Because you’re not the only one who wants to cooperate.”

With that, Liva got up and left, not touching her coffee.

“Such a pain. Do Aetheria women hit menopause this early?” Gordon couldn’t help but complain.

“Now’s not the time to complain. We need to prepare a backup plan.”

Thaddeus said, adjusting his tie, “Alea was being tough on us. I think she’s the same with Evadne. After all, we have the same goal. I don’t think Evadne can offer better conditions than me.”

“So, what do we do next?” Gordon asked urgently.

“We can start with Ada Ang, but we can’t lose focus on Alea.”

Thaddeus clenched his fist, his eyes gloomy, “Keep a close eye on Evadne. If she makes any further move with Alea, let me know immediately!”

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