Chapter 58 Belated Affection

George still had various tubes attached to him.

His face turned pallid, and it was evident that it took a lot of effort for him to shout at Yvonne.

Yvonne knew he wouldn't say anything, so she left the hospital.

Upon returning to FA Center Company, Owen informed her that there was a training program being organized at the Seattle Design Institute.

It had been a while since she last went to Seattle, so she was very happy to hear this news. She immediately confirmed her spot and booked an afternoon flight in advance.

On her way to the airport, Elijah, whom she hadn't contacted for three days, called and asked if she had time in the evening.

"No," she replied without offering further explanation. She was still upset with him.

Elijah didn't hurry to hang up and asked again, "Are you this angry?"

"It's nothing. I'm hanging up." She suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction from arguing with Elijah without considering the consequences.

Before Elijah was ready to end the call, she coolly hung up.

The busy tone from the phone made Elijah's heart ache a little.

To Yvonne's surprise, she ran into Anthony at the boarding gate.

There was still a faint bruise on Anthony's forehead, probably from Elijah's punch.

As their eyes met, she quickly looked away.

Anthony didn't stay either and went straight through the boarding gate.

Afraid of running into him again, Yvonne deliberately lingered during the ticket check, creating more distance between herself and Anthony.

Just as she found her seat in the economy class and sat down, the elderly lady chewing gum on her left stood up and dragged her luggage to the first-class cabin.

Before Yvonne could react, Anthony had already taken the lady's seat.

"What do you mean, Anthony?"

The unpleasant encounter at the hotel last time still lingered in Yvonne's mind, making it hard for her to smile at the man beside her.

"We finally meet, can we talk for a while?" Anthony stared at her, his eyes revealing a hint of sorrow. "Yvonne, you don't need to be so wary of seeing me."

"What is there to talk about?" Yvonne said, putting on an eye mask and slightly turning away, leaving her back to him.

"What's your relationship with Elijah?" Anthony suddenly asked.

Yvonne replied without thinking, "We don't have any relationship."

"If, as you say, there is nothing between you, then I wouldn't have gotten beaten up at the hotel." Anthony's tone was melancholic, as if lost in thought.

Yvonne was at a loss for words.

There was some truth to what he said, but her hidden affair with Elijah was not something she could disclose to outsiders.

"Is he good to you?" Anthony's words carried a hint of mockery. "Are you ready to become a stepmother?"

Yvonne chose to remain silent.

"A few days ago, I heard that Emily came back," Anthony continued, paying attention to Yvonne's expressions.

Because of the eye mask, he could only see her cheeks, which remained calm without any fluctuations.

Anthony didn't give up and continued, "Emily came back divorced this time. She is already preparing to open a dance studio. She's planning to live in Winslow."

The woman beside him didn't respond. Her deep breathing indicated she had fallen asleep.

Anthony finally chose to keep quiet.

Yvonne spent the entire two-hour flight sleeping.

As they landed, she felt refreshed.

"Where are you staying? Did you book a hotel?" Anthony asked.

"Don't worry about it," Yvonne replied, rejecting his offer to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Anthony felt ignored and frustrated, but he still took the initiative to retrieve the overhead luggage for her.

They followed the crowd and walked out of the exit, with the sky completely dark by now.

"It's already half past eight. Let's find a restaurant nearby and have dinner," Anthony suggested.

"I've slept for too long, I can't eat," Yvonne said, searching for a taxi on her phone. "Go do your own thing, don't mind me."

"I have someone picking me up. It won't be a hassle to give you a ride," Anthony said, spotting his friend who came to pick him up, and quickly waved.

The hotel where Yvonne was supposed to attend the training was somewhat remote. She waited for a long time and still couldn't find a taxi.

"Is it amusing for you to stand at the windy stop in the middle of winter and compete with me?" Without waiting for her permission, Anthony put her luggage directly into the trunk of a black car.

With his friend driving, Anthony sat in the front seat while Yvonne chose the back seat behind the driver.

"What do you want to eat, Yvonne? It's on me." Since Yvonne got in the car, the gloom in Anthony's heart disappeared. "Do you remember that French restaurant we used to go to when we were studying? It's been a while."

Yvonne didn't want to talk about those days with him and looked at the driver in front. "Could you please take me to 'Helens' Hotel?"

The driver glanced at Anthony, and Anthony helplessly said, "Listen to her."

"Are you planning to stay in Seattle for a few days?" Anthony turned to look at Yvonne.

"About two or three days." Yvonne's training schedule actually lasted a week, but she deliberately mentioned fewer days to prevent Anthony from having other thoughts.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Helens Hotel.

Anthony insisted on carrying Yvonne's luggage and escorted her to the hotel front desk, witnessing her check-in process and receiving her room card.

"Thanks, you should go now," Yvonne dismissed him.

His gaze had been fixed on Yvonne the whole time. "Yvonne, I will also be in Seattle for the next few days. If you need anything, remember to call me. By the way, can you remove my phone number from your blacklist?"

"It doesn't seem necessary," Yvonne said as she turned and entered the elevator with her luggage.

Anthony stood there for a long time before coming back to his senses.

He handed his ID to the front desk and instructed, "Give me a room right opposite hers."

Yvonne's feelings for Anthony were long-dead.

She attended Seattle University for her college studies, and at that time, Anthony was her Spanish professor for an elective course.

Their acquaintance, love, and breakup all happened in Seattle.

In Yvonne's heart, Seattle was a place that carried both the beauty and cruelty of her first love.

Anthony was already a married man. Now, even the thought of those days disgusted her.

This hotel was the venue for the training program. The top floor had a multimedia conference room that could accommodate over a hundred people.

After Yvonne finished her registration, she received an electronic card. With that card in hand, everything, including accommodation and meals, was taken care of.

The organizers provided buffet meals for all the participants. Yvonne didn't have much of an appetite after the flight and only had a bowl of soup before heading back to her room.

Just as she was about to take a shower, Joseph sent her a video call request.

She opened it, and Joseph's smiling face appeared on the phone screen.

Surprisingly, Elijah was also there.

"Auntie! The photo of you and dad at the parent-teacher meeting was selected as the 'Most Beautiful Parents' by the school and displayed in the showcase!" Joseph eagerly shared the news with her.

But for Yvonne, this was not good news at all!

If she carried the label of being a married woman with children, would any man dare to pursue her in the future?

"What's wrong, auntie? You don't seem to be in a good mood!" Joseph tilted his head and asked.

"Not at all!" Yvonne squeezed out a smile. "I just landed from the flight and haven't recovered yet."

At this moment, Elijah leaned closer to the screen and stared at her, asking, "Where did you go?"

"To Seattle." She lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact with him. "There was a spot available for a training program in my department, so I came."

"When will you be back?" Elijah furrowed his brows.

"Next Wednesday," she replied.

Without saying anything further, Elijah walked out of the camera's view.

After chatting for a while, they ended the call.

Just as she put her phone down, Elijah called her.

"You went to Seattle and didn't even tell me?" He sounded reproachful.

"There was no need to say anything about it." She couldn't figure out why Elijah would say such things, and retorted irritably.

They were merely friends with benefits. There was no need to report every time she went out.

"Indeed, there's nothing to say." Elijah sighed and hesitated, "If I can find some time this weekend, I'll come visit you."

"No! Don't come!" Yvonne was so frightened that she almost jumped out of her chair.

She was used to Elijah's indifference and disregard, so this sudden concern overwhelmed her.

"You're so afraid of me coming there. Does that mean you have another man hidden in your room, huh?" Elijah joked.

She didn't think Elijah would joke around with her, and replied seriously, "There's no man. Even the bugs in my room are all female."

"Get some rest. Goodnight," Elijah said and hung up the phone.

Yvonne pondered over this phone call but couldn't figure out what Elijah's current thoughts were about her.

Does he like her?

Forget it!

It must be the possessiveness that's inherent in men!

As long as he doesn't plan to let go, his women must be unconditionally "faithful" to him in both body and emotions.

How is that even possible!

After taking a shower, Yvonne checked the time and realized it was already 9:30 at night. It was a bit early to sleep, so she opened her laptop to see the progress of the RD competition.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Yvonne looked through the peephole and saw a waitress holding a large bouquet of red roses.

She twisted the doorknob, and the waitress politely called out, "Miss Brooks, your roses."

Yvonne's first thought was that it was a mistake. She shook her head and said, "You must have the wrong person. I don't know anyone here who would send me flowers."

"Please take a look, is this your information?" The waitress handed over the card outside the bouquet.

Yvonne glanced at it and saw her own name and phone number on it.

"Well then, it seems it's not a mistake. These flowers are for you. Please accept them." The waitress offered the roses with both hands.

Reluctantly, Yvonne took them in her hands.

As she closed the door, a handwritten card fell from the roses.

[Hope you have a happy day every day]

It was a familiar handwriting.

Who could it be other than Anthony!

Ninety-nine vibrant red roses, exquisite but piercing to Yvonne's eyes.

She didn't care about this belated affection!

Yvonne opened the door and threw the flowers into the trash can.

The next day, after Yvonne woke up and finished getting ready, she stepped out of her room and saw Anthony coming out of the opposite room!

"Good morning, Yvonne," Anthony greeted her warmly, his gaze filled with deep affection.

Yvonne was dumbfounded as she looked at the door number behind him, instantly understanding many things.

"Let's have breakfast together." Anthony didn't notice the change on her face.

"Anthony, there are so many hotels in Seattle. Why did you have to stay here?" Yvonne felt overwhelmed. "We ended our relationship long ago. You have a family now, a wife. Why drag me into your life!"

"I didn't mean anything else. I just wanted to see you a little longer, to chat with you," Anthony innocently explained. "After breakfast, I'll check out and leave."

"The flowers last night, they were from you, right?" Yvonne glanced at the trash can, noticing that the bouquet was no longer there.

"Yes, they were from me," Anthony admitted openly. "I remember red roses used to be your favorite."

"I used to like red roses. But now, when I see them, all I feel is disgust," Yvonne declared resolutely.

Anthony's heart sank, his eyes turning cold in an instant.