Chapter 606 From Now On, We Are Family
Violet sensed the sudden chill emanating from David beside her and glanced at him. Following his gaze, she spotted a group of men who had fallen completely silent. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the two figures she'd been desperately searching for—Albert and Yvette.
Violet lifted her gaze, shooting them a contemptuous look. What did it matter if Albert had blacklisted her? From now on, she would reclaim control. The fate of both the Valdemar Group and Yvette's life would ultimately rest in her hands.
She leaned closer to David in a deliberate show of intimacy. His body tensed slightly, clearly uncomfortable with her proximity, but unwilling to display his displeasure under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Violet smiled with satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan.
Only after David finished his speech and escorted Violet down from the stage did Yvette finally process what had happened. The engagement announcement between David and Violet seemed impossible to believe.
Yvette turned to Albert in bewilderment, finding his brow furrowed in concern. Evidently, this news had caught him off guard as well.
Feeling Yvette's gaze, Albert looked down and met her eyes. A storm of emotions passed between them, both silently acknowledging their shared worry.
Two people with seemingly no connection suddenly becoming a couple could only mean they were united by some unspeakable motive.
The mere thought sent a chill down Yvette's spine.
The peaceful moment between Albert and Yvette was quickly shattered as Violet approached, arm linked with David's, stopping directly in front of them. Both wore the smiles of victors.
Violet arched an eyebrow, her challenging gaze sweeping over them as her crimson lips parted. "Yvette, who would have thought we'd soon be family?" Her tone dripped with provocation.
Yvette's brow creased slightly, discomforted by Violet's antagonistic manner. She instinctively looked up at Albert, their exchanged glance revealing mutual displeasure.
The four stood face to face while a current of tension flowed around them. Everyone in the room fixed their attention on this tableau, afraid to miss a single moment of the unfolding drama.
"Don't you realize how ridiculous this charade is?" Albert asked coldly, his expression impassive.
Violet's face fell—she hadn't expected such a direct rebuke from Albert. Her expression faltered momentarily before she recovered, pressing closer to David and feigning happiness.
"There's nothing ridiculous about matters of the heart," Violet replied with a forced smile. "Just like you and Yvette—breaking up, getting back together, having relationships with others, yet still ending up together. Perhaps everyone's relationships seem absurd to outsiders, but only we truly know our own happiness." She stared directly at Albert. "You should know that better than anyone, shouldn't you?"
Albert's brow tightened, a flash of disgust crossing his face. "Your romantic life is none of my concern. But I'm warning you both—stay away from us."
His voice cut like a winter wind, piercing and glacial, striking straight at Violet's heart.
Albert constantly made it clear that he truly didn't care about her—neither about her affair with Rodolfo nor her relationship with David. Yet when he discovered Yvette's history with David in Eldoria, he had nearly fallen apart.
The contrast delivered another painful blow to Violet's heart.
She took a deep breath. "Albert, we're going to be family now. Is such hostility really necessary? We should try to get along."
Albert's cold gaze swept over David. "In the Valdemar Family, getting along isn't a requirement."
Though his words and gaze were icy, the way he wrapped his arm around Yvette as they turned to leave was remarkably gentle.
Violet studied Yvette's face—even her impeccable makeup couldn't hide the exhaustion in her features and eyes. It seemed Benjamin was right about Yvette's health being far from optimal.
As she watched Albert protectively guiding Yvette away without a backward glance, the fake smile finally vanished from Violet's face.
Nothing infuriated her more than seeing Yvette nestled against Albert like a cherished girl, with him shielding her from all harm. Violet had experienced that kind of happiness for years before Yvette stole it away. Everything happening to Yvette now was well-deserved!
Violet drew a deep breath and turned to David. "How are the negotiations with your father progressing?"
David cast her a contemptuous glance and scoffed. "Violet, try to exercise some restraint. Your intentions couldn't be more transparent."
"My intentions? Who's more obvious than you?" Violet's eyes turned cold. "We each have our motives for this arrangement. What's this? Telling me not to pretend while you're putting on an act yourself?"
David's expression shifted as he realized his emotions had been affected by Albert's words. He composed himself and said firmly, "Rest assured, everything I promised is moving forward."
He paused before asking, "Yvette seems fine. What's the situation with Clifford?"
"Clifford's condition is more severe than hers. He's completely dependent on medication now," Violet explained. "The current treatments are all experimental. I only have drugs that suppress the symptoms. A cure might be impossible, but at least we can keep him alive."
"Albert and Yvette still don't know about this?" David inquired.
Violet didn't dare tell David that she possessed treatment drugs. For him, the ideal scenario wasn't using medication to blackmail Albert and Yvette—he wanted to witness Albert's devastation after Yvette's death. Once Albert was too broken to fight back, David would seize control of the Valdemar Group.
Fearing he might destroy the drugs and eliminate her leverage, Violet kept her final trump card hidden.
She nodded. "Neither of them knows Clifford is taking medication I provided. Yvette is getting her prescriptions elsewhere."
David pondered this information. "Violet, let me ask you something, and I want an honest answer."
Violet started. "What is it?"
"Which do you think is more agonizing—watching your partner's life slowly slip away while being powerless to help, or having them suddenly die without warning?"
Violet's red lips parted, but no words came out.
When no answer came, David simply smiled and shook his head. "Never mind. They're equally devastating."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
