Chapter 162 Nothing Happened Last Night
The heavy curtains were pulled tight, shutting out all the light. The only light in the room came from a bedside lamp, casting a soft, hazy glow.
Yvette was curled up in the middle of the bed, eyes shut tight, but her brows were furrowed.
She was parched; her lips, mouth, and throat felt dry and burning. Yvette shifted uncomfortably, then lazily opened her eyes.
A wave of soreness washed over her whole body. She looked around, confused, and locked eyes with Albert.
Albert stood by the curtains, his face shadowed in the dim light, making it hard for Yvette to read his expression. He was only wearing a towel around his waist, his upper body bare, showing off his muscular torso.
Yvette's breath hitched, and for a moment, her mind went blank.
"You're awake?" Albert's voice was low and husky, still thick with sleep.
Yvette was stunned, not knowing what to say, feeling super awkward.
Albert turned and pulled open the curtains.
Morning sunlight flooded the room, bathing everything in a warm glow. In the gentle light, the curves of Albert's waist and back looked especially enticing.
She had no memory of last night and no clue what had happened. Maybe the booze was too strong and knocked her out completely.
Yvette looked down and saw she was naked, wrapped in the blanket.
Flashes of their past encounters in bed suddenly ran through her mind. They were on the brink of divorce, and she had planned to leave and study abroad. 'How did this happen?' Yvette thought.
Their relationship had started because of alcohol and her bad decisions. She didn't want last night's drunken mistake to mess things up again.
Thinking of this, Yvette felt a tightness in her chest, her breathing quickened.
Albert walked towards the bed, his voice deep. "Are you okay?"
Yvette flinched, instinctively raising her hand to block him, looking at Albert defensively. "Don't come any closer!"
Albert paused and frowned at her.
"Don't come any closer," Yvette's voice was thick with a sobbing tone, almost crying. "Albert, we're getting divorced. Do you know what you're doing?"
Albert stood still, his gaze suddenly turning cold.
Yvette started crying, her eyes filled with tears, looking at him full of defense.
Albert's explanation was stuck in his throat, unable to say a word.
Last night, when Yvette held him, Albert had suppressed his desire and didn't have sex with her. Her body hadn't fully recovered, and they were still at odds. He knew that if they had sex, she might overthink and believe he wanted to make up in this way.
But he hadn't expected Yvette's reaction to be so intense. Her strong rejection made him feel deeply hurt, as if having sex with him was what she hated most.
Albert took a deep breath, clenching his fists to resist the pain in his heart.
He gave Yvette a cold glance, walking to the couch, picked up his clothes, and quickly got dressed.
Albert grabbed Yvette's clothes to give to her but stopped after a few steps. He threw her clothes onto the bed, not wanting to see her defensive and rejecting expression anymore.
"Don't worry," Albert's voice was icy. "Nothing happened last night."
With that, he didn't spare Yvette another glance and left the room.
Albert stepped out of the hotel, the morning sun warm on his skin, but all he felt was restless and irritated.
He flagged down a cab to North Airlines, walked in with a stern face, and ran into Victor, who had left early last night, in the elevator.
It was work time, and the elevator was packed with colleagues exchanging greetings. Victor looked Albert up and down several times, noticing he hadn't changed clothes, and gave a knowing smile.
Finally, the elevator doors opened, and they walked out together. Victor immediately followed, fishing for details. "So, you didn't go home last night? Is there a turning point in your relationship?"
Albert kept walking, expressionless, but couldn't shake off Yvette's rejection that morning. He frowned, trying to keep his emotions in check.
Victor seemed pleased with himself. "Looks like it was a good idea for me to drag Sylvia away yesterday, giving you two a chance to reconcile. So, I've made up for my mistake of helping Violet pursue you."
Albert didn't want to hear any more and quickened his pace towards his office.
Just then, Albert's phone rang. He glanced at it and saw it was his grandpa, Hayden Valdemar, whom he hadn't contacted in a long time.
Albert paused, quickly walked into his office, and closed the door. He answered the phone, "Grandpa."
Albert had always kept his distance from the Valdemars, but he had great respect for Hayden, who had always been kind to him. Although he stubbornly refused to go home, he never hated Hayden.
Hayden's voice was weak, and he coughed twice before speaking. "Albert, when are you planning to visit me at the nursing home? If you don't come soon, you might not get another chance!"
Although the tone was reproachful, Albert knew Hayden missed him a lot.
Albert frowned. "Don't say that."
"Come tonight." Hayden's tone became serious. "I know you don't want to see them. They are busy tonight and won't be here. You can come without running into them."
Albert remained silent.
As the end of the workday approached, Albert checked his watch several times. As soon as it was time to leave, he clocked out on time, a rare occurrence, and left North Airlines.
Arriving at the upscale nursing home where Hayden lived, a servant who took care of him led Albert to his room.
Although it was called a nursing home, Hayden occupied an entire building, not much different from a mansion.
Walking into the room, Albert immediately noticed how much older Hayden looked. His hair was grayer, his face had more lines, and he just seemed weathered.
It had been more than six months since they last met, and back then, his health hadn't deteriorated so much.
Albert walked up to him, feeling a pang of guilt, and greeted, "Grandpa."
Hayden glared at him and said sarcastically, "It's truly my honor to see you again in my lifetime."
Albert was used to Hayden's sarcastic remarks. He pressed his lips together. "You seem full of energy when scolding me, so your health must be fine."
Hayden coughed twice, glancing at him several times before asking, "I heard you got married. Do I have the honor of meeting her in my lifetime?"
"Probably not," Albert replied seriously, "We're getting divorced."
