Chapter 654
Elsie’s pupils dilated in terror, her slender, delicate legs trembling violently beneath her skirt!
“Ever since our last visit to him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that his eyes were lingering all over you.”
Avery grabbed her chin forcefully, tilting her face upward with such strength it felt like her jaw might
shatter, “This time, I’m certain, he’s taken a fancy to you. It seems he’s not as refined as I thought; if he
can’t have the genuine article, then keeping a knock–off by his side for his viewing pleasure and to
indulge his desires is a fine alternative.”
Elsie’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice a broken whisper of desperate plea, “Mr. Chambers, please,
don’t send me to Mr. Chad Abernathy! For all the years I’ve loyally served you. I beg you not to send
me away, please!”
“Value? What value do you have left!”
Avery, who had been holding back a tempest of fury since his return, let it all out on Elsie, shoving her
so violently in the chest that she stumbled backward and hit the wall with a thud, her back cold with
pain.
“Harvey, pack her things. Send her off tomorrow!”
“No, please!”
Elsie collapsed at Avery’s feet, her face lifted in supplication, hands clasped together, “I swear to serve
you till death! I will never betray you! Ask anything of me, just don’t cast me aside!”
Her tears and fear were genuine. But how much truth lay in her words, even she couldn’t discern.
Mr. Chambers had been her savior, rescuing her from a life of destitution and giving her a place to call
home.
She couldn’t forget how he carried her on horseback, taught her to play the piano, to savor wine, to be
cultured.
It was he who had transformed her. Before returning to Elmsworth, Mr. Chambers had been her
everything, the light she sought all her life.
But now, she saw through him. From the day Avery had her face altered to resemble Evadne, she
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtshould have realized.
To Avery, she was merely a tool to be used and discarded. Without her, there would be other girls.
Saving her was just a coincidence.
Such a man who gave her a new life, yet trampled her body and dignity to shreds. Was he still worth
her love, her protection?
“Mr. Chambers! Please, in your anger, remember to be rational and calm!”
In his urgency, Harvey blurted out, “Ms. Archer is the masterpiece you’ve crafted with your own hands.
Replacing her with just any girl might not guarantee the same talents and loyalty. And consider this:
Ms. Archer has already made quite the impression on Elvis, even willing to share a room with her. Do
you know how hard it’s been to get to this point? We’re just one move away from checkmate!”
With those words, the icy malice in Avery’s eyes finally began to dissipate.
“Once Elvis is back in the country, let Ms. Archer find another opportunity to get close to him. Once he’s
completely off guard, caught in our honey trap, will we not have the perfect chance to deal with him?”
Elsie’s heart ached unbearably, her tears now mingled with a tinge of blood, cascading down her
cheeks.
Trembling, she covertly opened her palm, as if seeing in the reflection of her tear a vision of Elvis‘
brazen, buoyant grin.
Avery half–closed his eyes, appearing to take in the advice, and strode past the woman still kneeling
on the ground, leaving her
behind.
Harvey sighed at the sight of his boss’s retreating back and reached out to help Elsie to her feet.
“No need. I can stand on my own,” Elsie wiped away her tears viciously, steadying herself as she
stood.
“Ms. Archer, with Mr. Chambers in such a mood, it’s best you stay out of his sight for the next few days.
Hide if you can,” Harvey offered helplessly.
“Something happened?” Elsie’s concern was not for Avery, but for her own safety, which required her to
stay informed.
“Alas! Mr. Chambers took a moment to visit Mr. Chad Abernathy and came back with some news. Mr.
Chad Abernathy had actually given the life–saving medićine Mr. Chambers couldn’t part with to the
Ashbourne family! You know, despite Mr. Chambers and Ms. Ashbourne’s history, Mr. Chad Abernathy
never used to get involved directly.
At such a critical moment, for him to step in and play the good Samaritan, doesn’t it make Mr.
Chambers, who’s been using the medicine to threaten Chairman Ashbourne, seem like a petty villain?
Ms. Ashbourne will only hate him more, look down on him
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Chapter 654
even more. Isn’t this just using Mr. Chambers as a stepping stone to elevate himself? No wonder Mr.
Chambers is raging!”
Comparisons were odious. Avery had been carefully laying his plans, only for Chad’s interference to
make him feel like complete fool.
“Mr. Chad Abernathy pulling this stunt, it’s not for Thaddeus‘ sake. He must have designs on Ms.
Ashbourne.”
Harvey sighed, “Mr. Chambers has long suspected Mr. Chad Abernathy of having feelings for Ms.
Ashbourne, and now it seems he’s ready to make his move. Can you blame him for his urgency?”
Elsie’s smile was wan and wistful. So, his eagerness to offer her up like a sacrificial lamb to that man
was to distract him from his own beloved.
Suddenly, she felt a deep admiration and envy for Evadne. She was a well–bred heiress, wise and
educated, who saw through Avery’s childhood affections and his fervent pursuit without swaying her
own heart.
How she longed to be like Ms. Ashbourne, a woman with clear self–awareness and a strong inner core.
If only in another life.
When Harvey returned to Avery, the latter had nearly torn his luxurious room apart in a fit of rage.
Finally running out of steam, Avery slumped onto the red velvet sofa, yanking at his tie in frustration.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
“The men I sent to watch the Ashbourne family, why haven’t they reported back yet? Are they looking
to die?!”
“Mr. Chambers, keep your shirt on! Our team’s been burning the midnight oil, monitoring the Ashbourne
family round the clock. We’ll dig deep and surely unearth something valuable!”
Before Harvey could finish his sentence, his phone chimed with a notification. He quickly fished out his
phone.
The sight that met Harvey’s eyes was earth–shattering, prompting him to dash over to Avery and hand
him the phone, his hands trembling with excitement.
“Mr. Chambers! This is our chance for payback; take a look at this!”
Avery, visibly annoyed, furrowed his brow and lazily glanced at the screen.
The next second, he shot up from the couch, snatched the phone, and stared intently at the photo,
zooming in on the faces of the two people locked in a deep kiss, over and over, making sure he wasn’t
mistaken.
“It’s unmistakable, Mr. Chambers!”
Harvey’s eyes were wide as saucers, “If we leak this scoop, it’ll create a tsunami of scandal! That’ll be
the time for you to settle scores for all the wrongs you’ve endured!”
A wicked and excited gleam appeared in Avery’s eyes as he suddenly burst into raucous laughter,
tears streaming down his face.
After a moment, he handed the phone back to Harvey and settled back onto the couch, pouring himself
a celebratory glass of red
wine.
“What’s the rush? If we’re going to play this game, we can’t get our own hands dirty.”
Harvey, confused, asked, “Then what do you suggest we do?”
Avery’s lips curled into a sardonic smile as a plan took shape in his mind, “There’s someone out there
who’s down on his luck, someone who needs a break even more than we do. Why not give him the
chance to turn the tables?”