His Ex Wife is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus)

Thaddeus stared in disbelief at the three pills resting in his hand.

A cold dread, born of the unknown, churned and twisted within him, spreading like a poison ivy vine through his chest.

He knew Avery too well. The man was as cunning as a fox, with the heart of a viper. For all Thaddeus knew, every word that had just slipped from Avery's tongue was nothing more than a cleverly spun web of deceit.

Those pills-who's to say they weren't filled with poison? Maybe Avery was just looking for the cleanest, most bloodless way to take him out of the picture.

"If I swallow these, will you let Evadne go?" Thaddeus asked, his voice breaking like dry autumn leaves underfoot, each word like a pebble in his throat.

Avery's smile was as casual as a Sunday morning, "Sure."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe you? If you want me dead, face me like a man or send your goons. Hell, just shoot me already."

Thaddeus's fist met the glass in a furious punch. "Don't think I'll fall for your cowardly tricks!"

"Two choices." Avery's smile widened, like a Cheshire cat's. "It's either you or her, Thaddeus. The choice is yours."

Thaddeus's heart felt like it was being shredded by a thousand tiny blades. He roared, "Avery! Leave Evadne out of this!"

"That plea of yours shows you've chosen already." Avery picked up one black pill, leaving the other two behind. "Just take one. No need to make this harder than it has to be."

"All of them!" Thaddeus shot back, seeing through Avery's ploy. "I'll do what you want. Just let Evadne go!"

he knew there was

might force some vile concoction down Evadne's throat or retaliate against her if he resisted

already on

along, Thaddeus could buy them more time to

it was poison, he'd endure it. He had

you've got

enough, a maid appeared, seemingly out of thin air, with

it to me." Avery's

glinted with

his gold-rimmed glasses, like

with unshed tears, to

ticked by, each second stretching

Avery was about to unleash a

suddenly threw his head back and, without a moment of hesitation, swallowed all three pills in one

very

by an invisible

unconscious, fluttered her long lashes, her delicate fingers twitching ever

dilated in

reaction

consequences they might bring.

them all without fear, without hesitation. Was he