Chapter 160 A Game of Tacit Understanding
Both of them denied it, but the three strangers exchanged these knowing looks, like, "Yeah, right, something's definitely up with those two."
Yvette felt the weird vibes too and snatched the tissue box from Albert, whispering, "Thanks, I got it."
Yvette's whole "keep your distance" act was super obvious, like, no mercy at all.
Albert got a bit ticked off, grunted a low "hmm," and plopped back in his seat.
Sensing the tension ramping up, Victor shot a glance at Sylvia, but she just looked away, totally ignoring him.
"Hey, since we've had a few drinks, how about a game?" The guy with the small eyes, who'd just asked about Albert and Yvette, piped up again.
He whipped out a deck of cards, split them into three pairs, shuffled, and laid them out in front of everyone, making it clear there was no backing out.
Victor, trying to lighten the mood, said, "I'll go first."
Small Eyes explained, "Three pairs of cards. If you draw the same one, you're a team. We'll play games."
Victor grabbed a card. "Like what?"
Small Eyes said, "Answering off-topic. The pair that draws the same card plays the game. You gotta answer with something totally unrelated to the question, or you drink. Cool?"
Yvette thought about it, a bit wary of sensitive questions, but since it was about answering off-topic, she figured she could dodge any slip-ups.
She reached out and drew a card, holding it tight.
Seeing Yvette draw, Sylvia and Albert followed, and soon, all six cards were dealt.
Sylvia peeked at her card and leaned in close to Yvette, whispering, "Yvette, I got a 6. Are we a pair?"
Yvette was about to answer when Small Eyes, like some judge, shot them a sharp look and grinned, "No talking ahead! Even if you two are cute, no cheating!"
Albert, sitting across from Yvette, had already flipped his card, laying it on the table.
Yvette was stunned, staring at the "8 of Clubs" in front of Albert, then looked down and revealed her "8 of Hearts," feeling a bit awkward.
Tonight was crazy! From bumping into each other at this random bar to sharing a table, and now drawing the same card. It felt like some weird spell was tying them together.
Yvette swallowed and, while Small Eyes wasn't looking, slid her "8 of Hearts" to Sylvia under the table.
Feeling Yvette nudge her, Sylvia looked down to see a card waving frantically in front of her. She glanced at Yvette, who signaled her.
Following Yvette's gaze, she saw the card in front of Albert.
Sylvia got the hint, secretly taking Yvette's card and passing her own.
Yvette was so focused on dodging Small Eyes that she totally forgot about the pair of eyes always glued to her from across the table.
Everyone flipped their cards one by one, and just as Small Eyes leaned in to announce the pairs, Albert suddenly shot up from his chair.
Albert's face was stone-cold, his voice icy, "I'm out. Need a smoke."
Everyone was caught off guard by Albert's sudden move and stared at him.
Small Eyes was about to lay into him when Victor cleared his throat, "Uh, I gotta hit the restroom too."
He gave Sylvia a look, signaling her to follow.
Sylvia, confused by all the day's "secret missions," shook her head, not wanting to go.
Victor had no choice but to call her out in front of Yvette, "Hey, Sylvia, I need to ask you something."
Sylvia, annoyed, snapped, "What do you want?"
"Just come on," Victor insisted, bending down to whisper, "It's about those two."
Sylvia shot him a wary look, still ticked off about how he always sided with Violet over Yvette.
But she thought, 'Maybe Victor knows something since he's close to Albert.'
Reluctantly, Sylvia got up and followed Victor outside.
They ended up in a small alley behind the bar. Victor pulled Sylvia to a quiet spot. Seeing Sylvia still on edge, Victor finally spoke, "Why don't we just bail?"
"Bail?" Sylvia looked at him, shocked. "What about Yvette?"
Victor said, "You know Albert. He might not be Mr. Sweet Talk, but he'd never let Yvette get hurt."
Sylvia shot back, "But Albert is the biggest threat. They're getting a divorce. I can't leave her alone with him."
Victor sighed, "Sylvia, we can't just ruin their marriage. Albert really likes her. I don't think Yvette can just walk away that easily. As her friend, you want her to be happy, right?"
Sylvia scoffed, "Just because Albert likes Yvette, she has to go along with it? Victor, weren't you all about Violet before? Why the change of heart now?"
"There was a mix-up," Victor admitted awkwardly, "I thought Albert liked Violet, and she asked for my help, so I helped her. Anyway, my point is, we should leave. They've both been drinking, and maybe it'll help them talk things out. If they can clear up the misunderstandings and share their true feelings, staying married would be best. If not, they can split without regrets. What do you think?"
Sylvia looked at Victor skeptically, blinking as she thought it over.
Albert slipped out the back door of the bar, standing in the alley, half-hidden by the wall under the streetlight.
He stood there, half in the shadows, the glowing tip of his cigarette reflecting his mood. He looked bummed out, his eyes filled with deep sadness.
He had seen Yvette's desperate attempt to switch cards with Sylvia. To Yvette, everything about him seemed like a plague, something to avoid at all costs.
Albert took a deep drag on his cigarette.
