Chapter 502 We Know Where Yvette Is
Under the harsh fluorescent lights, Albert's office exuded an air of austere formality that seemed to press down on everything within its walls.
Felix stood awkwardly before Albert's imposing mahogany desk, his posture betraying the discomfort that gnawed at him. Albert had granted them entry but couldn't be bothered to spare them even a glance, leaving Felix to wrestle with the humiliation of being so thoroughly dismissed.
Clenching and unclenching his fists, Felix finally summoned the courage to break the suffocating silence. "We know where Yvette is."
He understood the gravity of his words—this was crossing the Rubicon. Once spoken, there would be no taking it back. Revealing that the Hayes family possessed knowledge of Yvette's whereabouts was tantamount to painting a target on their backs.
But with Clifford's life hanging in the balance, they had no choice but to roll the dice on this desperate gambit.
The effect was immediate. Albert's head snapped up, his piercing gaze finally acknowledging their presence. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet as his eyes locked onto Felix and Gabrielle with predatory intensity.
Albert remained silent, but his stillness was more unnerving than any outburst.
Felix exchanged a meaningful look with Gabrielle before pressing on. "Our people have been tracking her movements, ensuring her safety. We can lead you to her."
Albert leaned forward slightly in his leather chair, adopting the posture of someone prepared to listen, though his expression remained unreadable. He offered no immediate response, simply waiting for them to reveal their hand.
Gabrielle's voice trembled as she spoke, her words betraying the fear that threatened to overwhelm her resolve. "All we ask is that you lift the bounty on Violet's head—let her live peacefully in Luken. Do that, and we'll take you to Yvette."
Albert's expression darkened like storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
"What exactly do you think you know?" His voice carried the chill of winter frost.
"We know her current location and her medical condition," Felix repeated, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "We're prepared to share that information, but only if you guarantee Violet's safety."
A cold laugh escaped Albert's lips—he had always despised those who dared to negotiate with him, especially when they presumed to use Yvette as leverage.
Without acknowledging their proposal, Albert pressed his intercom. "Vincent, please escort Mr. and Mrs. Hayes from my office."
His tone remained controlled, but the underlying fury was unmistakable, his eyes reflecting an arctic indifference that brooked no argument.
Panic flashed across the Hayes' faces as the reality of their situation crashed down upon them. If Albert refused their offer, securing the antidote formula from the Swift family would become virtually impossible.
They attempted to explain themselves, but Albert had already closed the door on negotiation.
Vincent burst through the office doors with two security guards in tow, moving to physically remove Felix and Gabrielle from the premises.
"Unhand me!" Felix's protest rang hollow, his voice cracking with a mixture of rage and terror as his body betrayed him with involuntary tremors. "We came here to offer you information—how can you just throw us out?"
Gabrielle tried a different approach, allowing tears to stream down her cheeks in a desperate attempt to persuade Albert. "We only want what's best for everyone—you find Yvette, we save our son. Why won't you consider it?"
Albert observed their distress with glacial detachment, dismissing them with a casual wave of his hand that spoke volumes about his disdain. The security team efficiently escorted the couple from the office.
As Vincent prepared to follow them out, Albert's voice stopped him cold. "Wait."
Vincent turned back with a respectful nod. "Yes, Mr. Valdemar?"
"I want you to investigate everyone the Hayes family has met with in the past forty-eight hours."
Once Vincent departed, the office settled back into its oppressive quiet. Albert's brow furrowed as his fingers drummed a steady rhythm against the desktop, the sound echoing in the silence like a metronome counting down to some inevitable conclusion.
Something didn't add up. The Hayes family had no apparent connection to Violet—what could possibly motivate them to risk everything for her sake?
Albert's eyes narrowed as curiosity began to gnaw at him. Violet was clearly harboring secrets, and those secrets seemed inexorably linked to Clifford's condition.
Could Violet somehow hold the key to saving Clifford? The notion seemed preposterous, yet...
He needed answers. The closer he came to the truth, the closer he would be to bringing Yvette home.
A sharp knock interrupted his brooding. "Mr. Valdemar," Vincent's voice carried through the door.
"Enter."
Vincent strode purposefully across the room. "I have the information you requested."
Albert raised an eyebrow, impressed by his assistant's efficiency. "Go on."
"Yesterday, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes paid a visit to the Swift family," Vincent reported. "Our surveillance in that area is limited since we were forced to withdraw our operatives, but we managed to gather some intelligence."
Albert's frown deepened as he waited for the rest.
"It appears the Hayes family was attempting to purchase some form of medication from the Swifts."
"Medication?" Albert's surprise was evident.
While the Hayes family wasn't among the city's elite dynasties, they certainly weren't reduced to begging for medicine from other families. Then again, before their fall from grace, the Swift family had maintained significant influence in Luken's pharmaceutical industry, particularly during Violet's grandfather's era.
Viewed in that context, the connection began to make sense.
"I'll dig deeper into the specifics," Vincent offered.
"Do that."
Albert's mind drifted back to his last encounter with Clifford—the young man's complexion had been ghostly pale, his lips drained of color, his eyes vacant and lifeless. He had appeared to be teetering on death's doorstep, wrapped in an aura of impending mortality.
If this were merely a severe but treatable illness, the Hayes family would never stake their entire future on helping Violet escape her predicament. Whatever medication Clifford required had to be something impossibly rare—something only the Swift family could provide.
What kind of condition could Clifford possibly have? Some rare disease? A terminal diagnosis?
Unease crept through Albert's chest as he suddenly looked up, fixing Vincent with an intense stare. "Contact the Hayes family. Now."
Vincent looked momentarily startled. "Of course."
As Vincent worked to establish contact, Albert closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. His interlaced fingers gripped each other so tightly that his knuckles turned white, while his fingertips trembled with barely contained tension. His jaw clenched as if he were enduring some internal torment.
Vincent had never seen his typically composed employer in such a state, and it unsettled him deeply.
Albert had encountered Clifford before the explosion—he had witnessed the young man's condition firsthand. This sudden deterioration, coupled with the Hayes family's desperate pursuit of medication from the Swifts, was too coincidental to ignore.
It felt like a chain reaction stemming from that catastrophic blast...
But Yvette had been caught in that same explosion.
Albert drew a shuddering breath as pain lanced through his chest, spreading like wildfire through his entire being.
Vincent approached with the phone, and Albert noticed his own hands trembling as he accepted it.
"Mr. Valdemar?" Felix's voice came through the speaker, cautious yet surprised.
"I want to see Yvette," Albert stated with crystalline clarity, each word carved from ice. "Once I've seen her, I'll lift the bounty on Violet in Luken."
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