Chapter 164 The Valdemar Family Banquet 1
The misty night, with a chill in the air, enveloped her. Yvette, in a light-colored short dress, slipped into the fancy car.
The car came to a smooth stop. She stepped out and nervously handed over her invitation.
The waiter looked surprised for a second but quickly composed himself. "Miss, your invitation is verified. Please, come in."
Yvette tried to shake off the awkwardness and walked straight to the hotel lobby, even though she felt the waiter's eyes on her a few more times.
Right now, Yvette was so nervous she was clutching the hem of her dress. She knew she was stepping into a world she didn't belong to.
Yvette had contacted Hayden. As long as she got into the hotel and found his personal servant, they'd sort her out.
As she walked into the lobby, the chandelier's dazzling light made her skin glow. But in that moment, the beauty she had at home seemed to vanish.
Surrounded by people with perfect makeup and high-end evening gowns, she felt like a joke.
Yvette suddenly regretted her decision.
When she first got Hayden's call, she wanted to say no. She and Albert were getting divorced, and going to the Valdemar Family banquet felt wrong.
But then, Yvette got an invitation to the family banquet.
That's when she realized she needed an invite to go to the Valdemar Family banquet.
Looking at the fancy gold-embossed invitation, Yvette bit her lip, feeling torn.
Knowing her marriage with Albert had only a few days left, as Albert's wife, she felt she had to go when Hayden personally called, mentioning his poor health and wanting to see her.
Most importantly, Hayden said he had something really important to tell her.
Yvette lowered her eyes, took a deep breath, and gathered the courage to walk inside, eager to meet Hayden ASAP.
The lights made Yvette's silhouette stand out, but the place was so bright, she could barely see her shadow. She was rushing, and the more anxious she got, the more likely things would go wrong.
In her haste, Yvette accidentally bumped into a nearby woman.
Carol Martinez, with perfect makeup and even her hair looking flawless, let out a startled cry as her pure white high-end dress got stained red with wine. She glared at Yvette.
"What's your problem?" Carol shouted, clearly pissed.
Yvette was stunned and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Let me help you clean it."
As she spoke, Yvette reached into her bag for a tissue.
But Carol ignored her. "Give me your name. How can a hotel like this have such clumsy staff! Do you know how much this dress costs?"
"I'm sorry," Yvette kept apologizing, ignoring Carol's assumption that she was a waitress. "I'll take responsibility. You can send it for cleaning..."
Before Yvette could finish, Carol cut her off, "Cleaning? This dress can't be washed, especially not with red wine. It's ruined! Can you afford to pay for it?"
The more Carol thought about it, the angrier she got. She grabbed Yvette's arm, not letting her leave. "Get your manager here right now. I need an explanation, or I'm not letting this slide!"
Carol's loud voice drew everyone's attention. All eyes turned to see what was going on. Yvette felt the weight of their stares, and the whispers made her cheeks burn.
Yvette lowered her eyes, staring at her toes. Coming to this banquet was a mistake. She was afraid that people would find out she was Albert's wife.
Yvette's breath caught. Just as she was at a loss, a familiar voice called out, "Yvette!"
Yvette was startled and turned to see David hurrying over.
David looked at Yvette with concern, and his gaze suddenly steadied her.
David stepped between Yvette and Carol. "Carol, this is a misunderstanding. She's my friend."
Carol was taken aback. She hadn't expected the person she was picking on to be David's friend.
Carol's expression showed a hint of embarrassment, but she couldn't argue with David. "David, I didn't know she was your friend. But she stained my dress, and it's a new high-end piece that took me a long time to get. It's ruined with the wine stain!"
"I understand," David said, gesturing for her to calm down. "I'll handle this and make sure you're satisfied."
Carol glanced at Yvette behind David. "Alright, for your sake, I'll let it go."
"Thank you, Carol," David nodded to her and then turned to Yvette. "Come with me."
Yvette had been silently standing behind David, listening to their conversation.
It wasn't until David quickly resolved the issue that she snapped out of it and nodded. "Okay."
Yvette changed into an outfit suitable for the occasion and styled her hair appropriately. Looking at the unfamiliar self in the mirror, she instinctively clenched her fists and turned to leave.
David, who had been waiting outside, turned around, his eyes lighting up. Yvette's fair skin blended seamlessly with the light pink evening gown, and under the bright lights, she seemed to emit a soft glow, looking like a moonlit maiden with a pure beauty.
David instinctively averted his gaze, pursed his lips, and approached Yvette. "Yvette, why are you here?"
Yvette lowered her eyes slightly, remaining silent.
David looked at Yvette with concern, worried that the earlier fight had scared her. "People here are all ill-intentioned. This isn't a place for you."
"I received an invitation," Yvette said, biting her lip and revealing the truth. "Mr. Hayden Valdemar invited me."
David was surprised. "My grandfather?"
Yvette nodded. "Yes."
David was shocked. He couldn't understand why Hayden would invite Yvette. He pondered, 'Is it to help James humiliate her? To force her and Albert to divorce sooner?'
David sighed, "Stick with me. Try to avoid interacting with anyone here."
"Okay." Yvette agreed and followed David towards the hall. David walked quickly, seemingly having something urgent. Yvette felt a bit guilty, thinking she was causing trouble for David.
Yvette jogged a couple of steps to catch up with David. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble today. I'll pay for the dress..."
Before Yvette could finish her sentence, she looked up and met Albert's deep eyes.
