Chapter 223 You Should Know the Difference Between Flattery and Sincerity
Yvette felt a bit awkward; she probably shouldn't have brought that up.
Back in the countryside, Albert and Yvette had run wild, rarely bothering to go home. David had always been the responsible one, rounding them up for meals.
But sometimes they'd venture too far—out into the fields, or all the way to the foothills of the mountains—making them hard to track down.
Yvette had lost track of how many times she'd been scolded for not coming home on time.
But whenever Albert coaxed her, challenged her, she couldn't resist following him on another adventure.
Yvette looked down. Given their current circumstances, Albert's amnesia… it had been a careless, insensitive remark.
David's expression was a bit off, too, as he said, "We were just kids back then."
They both silently agreed not to bring up the countryside in front of Cheryl and Albert.
Albert's eyes darkened a bit; he could tell Yvette was talking about something from the countryside.
The knowing look, the unspoken understanding between David and Yvette… His jaw clenched.
He was Yvette's husband, yet, they shared a past he was excluded from, flaunting it right in front of him.
Albert let out a cold laugh, his icy gaze sweeping over them. He muttered, "Boring."
Cheryl's eyes darted between the three of them, sensing something was off.
Feeling Cheryl's curious gaze, Yvette quickly composed herself and fanned faster, saying, "It's getting warm, Cheryl. We should probably head inside."
Cheryl nodded and slowly stood up. Yvette quickly reached out to help her. Cheryl didn't resist, letting Yvette assist her.
Albert watched Yvette's genuine concern for Cheryl, his throat tightening.
For a fleeting second, he almost believed her concern was genuine. But he didn't dare.
She had once treated him the same way, but it was all an act, just for his money and property.
Albert frowned, stepped forward, and separated Yvette, supporting Cheryl himself.
Cheryl looked at him confused, then glanced back at the displaced Yvette, grumbling, "Albert, are you out of your mind?"
"At your age, you should know the difference between genuine concern and calculated flattery," Albert said coldly.
Cheryl pinched his arm, saying, "You're the one who's out of your mind!"
Before dinner, they still made it back to the Valdemar estate on time.
Yvette went back to her room to take a shower. When she came out, Albert and David had already left.
Yvette instinctively looked around, and Cheryl, already seated at the dining table, spoke up, "Don't look for them; they were called back to work."
Cheryl pointed to the seat next to her, saying, "Sit here, closer to me since no one else is here today."
Cheryl's attitude had softened considerably in the past few days. With Cheryl around, life at the Valdemar estate wasn't so bad.
Compared to James and Lisa, who either ignored her or made things difficult for her, Cheryl was practically an angel.
Sitting down next to Cheryl, Yvette answered, "Okay."
After dinner, Yvette went back to her room to study.
When she looked up again, it was already past ten at night.
Yvette stretched, planning to head downstairs for a glass of water, but she noticed Cheryl still sitting on the sofa so late.
"Cheryl, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Cheryl nodded and pointed upstairs, saying, "I was looking for Albert. We just finished talking, and he had another work call. I didn't want to disturb him, so I came down to sit for a while."
"Now?" Yvette was a bit surprised and glanced upstairs.
"Yeah." Cheryl looked at the time, her eyes showing an unreadable expression as she said, "Albert was so busy with work that he forgot to eat dinner. I had them make him some dinner. Go check in the kitchen if it's ready and bring it up to him."
"Okay," said Yvette.
Albert finished his call and came downstairs.
Cheryl walked out of the kitchen, her expression unclear. For some reason, Albert saw a hint of mischief in the old lady's eyes.
But when he walked up to Cheryl, her expression was back to normal, nothing out of the ordinary.
Seeing him come down, Cheryl looked up and asked, "Finished your call?"
"Yeah." Albert glanced at the kitchen, asking, "Why were you in the kitchen so late? Hungry?"
"Yeah, Yvette heard you hadn't eaten and made you some dinner to bring to your room." Cheryl smiled, adding, "I was a bit hungry too, so I had a little as well."
A trace of unease flashed across Albert's face. He pressed his lips together but kept a blank expression, saying, "It's not good for your health to eat so late at your age."
"Isn't it worse to go to bed hungry at my age?" Cheryl waved her hand impatiently, urging him upstairs. "Go on. She went to the trouble of making it for you. Don't let it go to waste."
Albert said seriously, "Don't forget what I said this afternoon."
Cheryl questioned, "What was that?"
Suddenly, she grasped what Albert was saying and responded earnestly, "I can tell the difference between tell the difference between genuine concern and… other motivations."
Despite his words, Albert still went upstairs reluctantly.
When Yvette saw him come in, she got up from the bed and pointed to the dinner on the table, a simple bowl of pasta.
Yvette said softly, "Cheryl said you didn't have dinner, so she had someone make you some pasta."
A sardonic smile touched his lips. She had made it. He knew it. But she wouldn't admit it, pretending it was the kitchen staff. As if a family dinner would ever consist of a single bowl of plain pasta.
Albert couldn't be bothered to expose her. He was indeed hungry and finished it in a few bites.
Yvette handed him a glass of water and took the bowl downstairs to wash it. She intentionally washed it very slowly, hoping Albert would leave before she went back up.
But no matter how long she waited, the door to the room never opened. Yvette knew that Albert might stay at the Valdemar estate again tonight. This meant she would have to share a room with Albert again.
Yvette walked upstairs with heavy steps. She opened the door, about to speak, but was suddenly grabbed by a strong hand.
In a dizzying moment, Albert had pulled her to the bed.
Albert pushed her heavily onto the bed, pressing his whole body against hers.
Yvette was startled. When she looked up, she met Albert's bloodshot eyes.
Albert's eyes were full of lust and anger. His voice was hoarse and restrained, "Yvette, have you no sense of shame?"
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