His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 1198

Searching blindly in the dark was pointless. Thaddeus convinced Evadne to go back inside the villa to warm up while he mobilized his men and coordinated with Jareth to organize a search party.

They sat on the sofa together, not on opposite ends as before, but close, as if drawn by an invisible magnetic force. Neither of them knew who had moved first.

But Evadne was in no state for romance. She sat huddled, her arms wrapped around herself, still wearing the cold, damp down jacket. An aura of icy dread emanated from her. She listened silently as Thaddeus made calls, methodically deploying his teams.

Ordinarily, his calm, collected presence would have been enough to soothe her. But this time, her mind was a chaotic mess, her heart feeling as if it were being torn apart by countless sharp claws. The pain radiated through her chilled body, and the crushing anxiety made it almost impossible to breathe.

"Mrs. Abernathy, you must take off that coat, or you'll catch a cold!" Alva bustled over with a cup of hot tea. "Drink this while it's hot. It'll warm you up."

Evadne's lips trembled. "I'm fine. Give it to Mr. Abernathy."

"He's tough as nails," Alva scoffed. "As a boy, he'd roll around in the snow, and he used to go winter swimming in the lake on the military base. You don't need to worry about him!"

Thaddeus, who was on the phone with Jareth, glanced over at Evadne. Her delicate face was completely devoid of color. Though she was clearly trying to hold herself together, her body, wrapped in the white jacket, was trembling slightly. She looked like a fragile ice sculpture, ready to shatter with the slightest gust of wind.

Ending the call, Thaddeus's voice was low and warm. "Jareth is on his way. Don't worry. Ms. Archer is strong; she’ll be okay."

"Thank you, Mr. Abernathy." Evadne offered the cup to him.

"You don't have to."

Thaddeus looked down and saw the lingering traces of frostbite on her once-flawless hands. His heart constricted, a bitter ache spreading through his chest as if it were being hollowed out from the inside. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask if her hands still hurt.

Alva, ever discreet, had already slipped away.

"The last time Elsie called you, what did she say?" Thaddeus asked, his voice a little hoarse as he fought to regain his composure.

"Nothing… I don't think she had the chance." Evadne recalled the loud bang, and a chill ran down her spine, her lips paling. "It sounded like her phone was dropped or fell somewhere. I heard a series of tumbling noises, and then the call cut off. That's all I know."

"It's nearly dawn. Why would she be out alone at this hour, and why would she call you?" Thaddeus’s brows drew together, his mind focusing on the motive, the key to the problem. "If she was in danger, she could have called the police first. Or Elvis and Aaron. Why you?"

Evadne’s lips pressed into a thin, pale line as she fell into a contemplative silence. She had been wondering the same thing.

"Her motive is crucial," Thaddeus continued, his tone deepening. "Only by understanding why she did what she did can we trace her movements and figure out what happened. The police might not take a missing person report until forty-eight hours have passed, but we need their help now. Ms. Ashbourne, you need to contact Aaron immediately. Have him pull traffic camera footage to track Elsie’s movements."