Chapter 167 The Ball
Hayden's words took a bit of the edge off Albert's scowl. He shot a quick glance at Hayden, then quietly moved to stand next to Yvette.
Albert was tall, and as soon as he got close, Yvette felt the pressure.
Yvette bit her lip. "Grandpa, we were just about to..."
Before she could finish, Albert grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her into his chest. Her nose tingled, and she instinctively looked up, meeting his eyes.
Yvette had no choice but to swallow her words.
Seeing Albert and Yvette together, Hayden finally relaxed. He looked at the others and then softly said to Yvette, "Yvette, have fun. Come find me after; I need to talk to you, okay?"
Yvette replied, "Okay."
Hayden smiled warmly. "I don't know why Albert showed up today, but I'm glad you're with him."
Then Hayden turned to Albert and asked, "Why'd you come to the family banquet today?"
Hayden never really expected Albert to show up at these things, but he always sent an invite. He hoped that maybe, just once, Albert would come.
Because if Albert was willing to come to the family banquet, there was still a chance to talk about him coming back to the Valdemars.
Albert's eyes stayed on Yvette as he answered Hayden indifferently, "I wanted to come."
Following Albert's gaze to Yvette, Hayden smiled knowingly. "Looks like you knew Yvette was coming and couldn't wait to join her."
Albert paused. "I didn't know she was coming."
Hayden raised an eyebrow. "Then you two must have a special connection."
"Grandpa," Albert said impatiently, "everyone's waiting for you. Aren't you going to start the banquet?"
Hayden muttered something under his breath and slowly walked away with his cane.
Yvette gave David a pleading look, just as she was about to ask him to stay with her, Hayden turned back.
Hayden walked over to David. "Don't leave the girl Albert brought. Take her to dance, okay?"
The last "okay" had a rising intonation, clearly a command. David's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, sensing the warning.
David nodded. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll take good care of her."
Hayden said, "That's good."
Watching Hayden leave satisfied, David turned back to Yvette with a hint of concern.
Yvette knew he couldn't stay with her anymore, so she gave him a bitter smile, shook her head, indicating she was fine.
Yvette sighed and had to accept the reality.
Albert had been watching their 'silent conversation' the whole time, his eyes blazing with anger again. He grabbed Yvette's wrist and started walking forward.
Yvette was startled. "What do you want?"
"Taking you to dance," Albert said coldly.
"I don't know how to dance."
Albert sneered, "Didn't you sign up for a dance competition before?"
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Yvette's face; she didn't know how Albert knew about that.
Feeling guilty for lying, Yvette lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him, and followed him to the dance floor.
The hotel was lit up like a Christmas tree, with chandeliers casting a dazzling glow.
Hayden said a few words up front, wishing everyone a good time, then sat down to sip his coffee.
Some folks took the chance to chat with Hayden, while others moved to the dance floor, waiting for the music to kick in.
Yvette stood in front of Albert, and as soon as the music started, everyone around them began to dance, but Yvette and Albert just stood there.
Yvette glanced up at Albert. He was dressed casually today, but his chiseled face and deep eyes were still captivating.
The light above made him glow, and Yvette blinked. The next second, she unexpectedly met his gaze.
Startled, Yvette instinctively looked down, avoiding his eyes, but Albert let out a light laugh.
Yvette pursed her lips. "If you don't want to dance, we can sit down and rest. We're blocking the way."
"Of course I want to dance, I never said no." In a fit of pique, Albert grabbed Yvette's hand and started dancing to the music.
The elegant and melodious music echoed throughout the ballroom.
As they danced, Yvette felt completely enveloped by Albert, surrounded by his familiar scent. She instinctively slowed her breathing, focusing on the dance to avoid overthinking.
She had to admit, Albert's tall and slender figure made dancing with him effortless, and they surprisingly moved well together. While dancing, Yvette genuinely felt a sense of harmony from the music and dance.
It was strange; despite mostly only meeting for sex over the past two years, they had this unspoken connection.
Sensing some unfriendly gazes around her, Yvette felt uncomfortable. She remembered David's words that the people here were not kind.
Yvette's eyes instinctively glanced towards David in the distance, feeling that only he could protect her in such a place.
Distracted, Yvette missed a beat and accidentally stepped on Albert's foot, causing her to stumble.
Fortunately, Albert held her waist, his strong arm steadying her.
Yvette finally regained her balance and apologized softly, "Sorry."
Albert glared down at Yvette, his brow furrowed. He'd been keeping an eye on her, but her gaze kept drifting towards David, which made him see red. "Yvette, what are you thinking about?"
Hearing this, Yvette glanced at David again from afar and shook her head. "Nothing."
Albert's aura turned cold, and he stopped moving. He looked down at her. "Are you that eager to get back to David?"
Yvette was stunned, knowing he misunderstood but didn't explain. She just pursed her lips. "Sorry, I didn't mean to step on you."
Yvette's evasive answer completely ignited Albert's anger. "Yvette, you mentioned our divorce in front of Grandpa, and now you're eager to get back to David. What do you want?"
