Chapter 288 She is Yvette's Substitute
Upon hearing the name, a shift was observed in David's typically calm and gentle demeanor.
He knew he couldn't let Yvette go back to Luken by herself.
David's breathing got a bit faster, but he tried to keep it together, not wanting Yvette to notice.
Feeling his palm getting sweaty, David took a deep breath and said slowly, "Jessica."
As soon as he spoke, his dry voice gave away his nerves, even though he was trying to stay cool.
On the other end of the line, Yvette seemed to pick up on something and softly said, "David."
David pressed his lips together. "What's up?"
Yvette asked, "Are you hiding something from me? Who am I really?"
Her voice was calm, and David couldn't read her emotions. But he knew this was a big deal for her.
If she didn't get the answer from him, she'd find another way to get it.
David's throat tightened, and he sighed before speaking slowly, "I know I can't keep this hidden..."
The car sped away from the airport.
In the back seat, Albert sat with a dark expression, eyes closed, and brows furrowed, giving off a tense vibe that filled the whole car.
Victor, a longtime colleague, and Vincent, his assistant of several years, both nervously stole glances at him but refrained from breaking the silence.
It had been ten minutes since they left the airport, and he still hadn't gotten the answer he wanted.
Finally, Vincent's phone rang. He answered it with surprise, but his brows furrowed more and more as he listened.
"Mr. Valdemar, we have results."
Albert, who had been keeping his eyes closed, finally opened them slowly. His deep eyes still had a hint of red. "Speak."
"From what you told us, the Valdemar Group and some private eyes looked into it. Here's the scoop: The woman is indeed named Jessica and has been an illegal immigrant in Stellaria for many years. David then brought her in and landed her a gig at the Valdemar Group's Las Vegas spot. That's pretty much all we've got."
Victor was puzzled. "Illegal immigrant?"
"Yeah, she found a way to sneak in," Vincent frowned. "To work as a surrogate."
Albert had used the Valdemar Group's intelligence department and private detectives, who rarely failed to find or misidentify information.
The lack of more useful info indicated that Jessica's life was indeed that simple and tragic.
Vincent turned back, looking at Albert's expressionless yet tense profile, and slowly exhaled.
Over the past few years, Albert had been trapped in immense regret and self-blame.
He'd thought about telling Albert to give up several times, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Without the hope of finding Yvette to keep him going, who knew if Albert could hang in there.
"Mr. Valdemar, if Jessica isn't Yvette, then we'll find another way to keep looking. As long as we persist, we'll find her eventually."
Albert's gaze drifted outside the car window, catching sight of a family of four sitting on the grass by the roadside, enjoying a happy moment.
He instinctively lowered his eyes, casting a shadow over his face. He knew Vincent saw Jessica as just an illegal immigrant surrogate, not the Yvette he was searching for.
But the feeling he had when he held her couldn't be wrong.
Albert said coldly, "Keep digging into her, starting with David."
He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that David would be with a woman who resembled Yvette but wasn't her.
"I know I can't keep this from you," David's voice rumbled over the phone. "Jessica, I kept it from you because I didn't want those painful memories to resurface."
Yvette pressed her lips together. "Tell me, I want to know."
David paused. "Actually, I've always known about your past. When you came to Stellaria, you didn't speak the language, had no one to help you, and no skills to make a living. You were deceived and ended up working the lowest jobs as an illegal immigrant."
"The lowest jobs?" Yvette was puzzled. "What kind?"
David didn't answer her question directly but continued, "Later, we met, but it didn't last long before you had a car accident and lost all your memories. Since your body didn't want you to remember those painful things, I hoped you wouldn't be trapped in them."
Yvette inquired, "Then why did you agree to marry me when we first met, knowing I was doing menial jobs?"
There was a prolonged pause on the line before he managed to say, "Jessica, because you look a lot like a friend of mine."
Yvette blinked. "Yvette?"
David answered, "Yes."
Yvette fell silent.
Victor, Albert, and even David all called her Yvette, indicating a striking resemblance between them.
David carefully explained, "Jessica, after your car accident, you forgot everything. I think it was because you didn't want to remember those painful pasts, so I've been protecting you carefully. Sorry, I really have been hiding it from you."
Yvette opened her mouth but didn't know what to say for a moment.
She needed time to process this information.
Yvette nodded. "I understand. The kids are calling me, I have to go."
After saying that, Yvette hurriedly hung up the phone.
She blinked, realizing that as an illegal immigrant doing the lowest jobs, she had become the wife of the president of the Valdemar Group's Las Vegas branch, all because she looked like a woman named Yvette.
Lester and Christina were doing something in the room, talking non-stop, and occasionally, CiCi's cheerful laughter could be heard.
"Mommy, BoBo is bullying me!"
"Mommy, CiCi is causing trouble again!"
Lester and Christina ran out of the room, each grabbing one of Yvette's legs.
"Mommy, I was just causing a little trouble. I love you, you can't spank my butt!"
Yvette gazed at her adorable twins and thought, 'I'm David's wife, and I have these lovely, smart children. How lucky for a stand-in.'
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