Chapter 613 Squeezing Out Her Worth Until the End
Inside the car.
David sat behind the wheel, his hands gripping the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity, his gaze distant and turbulent.
Though he knew there were more pressing matters demanding his attention, Yvette's image kept surfacing in his mind like a persistent ghost—her smile, her eyes, her voice replaying in an endless loop that he couldn't silence.
All his life, he'd questioned his own existence, wondering why the world needed him when Albert already filled every space that mattered.
But remembering those fragments of time with her, David finally understood with startling clarity that he was, after all, a man with desires and needs like any other.
Even knowing that in Yvette's heart and mind there had only ever been Albert, he found himself helplessly drawn to her magnetic pull.
She was pure, kind, radiant, beautiful—every word that described goodness seemed crafted specifically for her.
Those years with Yvette in Eldoria remained the most vivid and fulfilling of his entire existence.
Every sweet moment, every heated argument, every unforgettable instant they'd shared was etched permanently in his memory.
He remembered Yvette's laughter with BoBo and CiCi, warm and bright as morning sunshine breaking through clouds. He remembered her luminous eyes, twin stars that could pierce through the darkness consuming his soul. He remembered her hands—soft, warm hands that offered endless comfort and strength whenever they touched his.
David had once held those hands in his own.
Now, all he could grasp was Yvette's medical file.
His peripheral vision caught the folder resting on the passenger seat, and for the first time, cracks appeared in his impassive expression.
Amber streetlight filtered through the windows while tree shadows danced across the glass, casting shifting patterns throughout the car's interior.
David's face twitched almost imperceptibly before he jerked the steering wheel hard, pulling over to the curb. He turned his head toward the passenger seat where Yvette's medical file lay in stark silence, its pale presence so still it seemed almost forgotten.
The words on those pages appeared to leap from the paper, each line heavy with grief and futile hope. David stared down at the report, his chest supposedly empty of emotion, yet suddenly a single drop fell, landing softly on the diagnostic pages.
David stared at the spreading wet mark, momentarily stunned.
What was happening to him?
He'd convinced himself that Yvette's illness left him completely unmoved, but apparently his emotional walls weren't as impenetrable as he'd believed.
David drew a sharp breath and clenched his fists, fighting to suppress the storm brewing inside him. He carelessly tossed the report back onto the passenger seat and gunned the engine, the car lurching forward with sudden force.
The cabin fell silent except for the whisper of wind, while trees outside rushed past the windows like time itself—irreversible and unforgiving. Those fleeting shadows resembled memories in flight, leaving behind only profound regret.
Perhaps his greatest regret was that she hadn't simply stayed by his side with the two children, content and safe.
If only she hadn't brought BoBo and CiCi back to Luken, hadn't returned to Albert, hadn't remembered all those stories between them. Then none of this would have happened, would it?
She would be healthy, living happily with the children at David's side. Wouldn't that have been better than anything else?
Such a waste.
All of this was her own doing.
The phone's shrill ring cut through his brooding thoughts like a blade. David steadied his emotions and answered, Efrain's deep voice emerging with an undertone of urgency.
"Mr. Valdemar, you've received the report, haven't you?" Efrain's voice carried a weight that suggested impending action.
"Yes." David's gaze drifted through the window to the blurred landscape beyond, his fingers drumming a tense rhythm against the glass.
"Have you reviewed it thoroughly?"
Efrain sounded surprised. He'd expected David to show some emotional reaction after reading the report, but his voice remained eerily calm, as if the contents meant nothing to him.
Efrain had heard about the things that had transpired between David and Yvette—actions he never would have imagined David capable of.
David clearly cared deeply for Yvette, didn't he?
"I have," David replied, then paused before adding with evident irritation, "What's your point?"
Efrain snapped back to attention, realizing his tone had been inappropriate. "I wanted to ask, now that you have the report, what do you plan to..."
He trailed off, hesitant.
"Speak," David commanded.
"When do you plan to make your move?" Efrain's voice dropped to barely above a whisper, tinged with uncertainty.
"When the time is right," David answered tersely, his brief words containing layers of calculated planning and unwavering resolve.
Efrain seemed unsurprised by this response, though his tone remained probing. "Are you having second thoughts?"
The question struck something deep within David, and through the phone, Efrain could almost hear his breathing quicken.
But just as quickly, David's cold composure returned.
"What makes you say that?" David asked.
Efrain hesitated before continuing, "It's just that we've already missed several optimal opportunities."
Multiple times, David could have exploited Yvette's condition to their advantage. Their groundwork was nearly complete, the plan fully formed, everything falling into place. Yet David kept insisting they hadn't reached that "optimal moment," refusing to act.
After racking his brain for explanations, Efrain could only reach one conclusion. Even with Yvette's body deteriorating to this extent, once they initiated their plan, they would have to "sacrifice" her. David's reluctance to proceed could only stem from his inability to let Yvette go.
David's brow furrowed slightly. "The time isn't right yet. I know what I'm doing."
"But," Efrain pressed urgently, "aren't you afraid we'll miss our chance? Albert is clearly on guard now. You can't let her go, can you?"
David's gaze returned to the passenger seat where the file lay waiting, its pages dense with text that foretold the fate about to unfold.
The car's atmosphere seemed to crystallize around David's impending response, with only the engine's low hum providing a soundtrack for the drama about to commence.
David's eyes grew distant again, as if he could already see the future playing out exactly as he intended. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, though no sound escaped his lips.
When David finally spoke, his voice was razor-sharp, cutting through the silence like winter ice. "Before she dies, I intend to extract every last bit of value from her."
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