Chapter 66

I no longer felt like a lovesick fool. I was clearly the sharp-eyed hunter now. A slight shock ran through me: Had Hayden been talking about me with Yasir? Probably just badmouthing me, I bet.

“As you can see, Hayden and I are about to get a divorce. I’ve got to make a living somehow, right? Men can’t be relied on in the end.” I offered a slight smile, my tone calm, but my words were infamously cold. If it hadn’t been for Yasir’s arrival, I might have forgotten that I could switch suppliers and make even more money.

Yasir opened his mouth, speechless. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes before he finally offered a new proposal. “Fifty-fifty. I’ll keep an eye on Hayden and Joanna. How does that sound?” He still thought I cared about Hayden, attempting to curry favor.

I scoffed, unimpressed. “Hayden’s not even worth two percent of the profits.” Yasir didn’t understand me at all. Now, Hayden wasn’t even worth my time; he was less important than the soup before me.

Yasir froze, his jaw dropping, staring at me in shock. Perhaps it was because of how intensely I had once loved Hayden, doing so many irrational things that everyone now thought something was wrong with me.

I didn’t know how long the dead silence lasted before Yasir spoke again. “Yvonne, are you really getting a divorce?” he asked, disbelief evident in his voice. He had always heard rumors that Hayden planned to divorce me for another woman, but now it seemed I was the one truly wanting out.

I raised my eyes to him coldly. “Does it amuse you?” Yasir felt a chill run through him. Oh my. Yvonne’s a completely different person now. No wonder Hayden was so down last night, drinking alone. Even I’m starting to think twice before messing with her, he wondered. Yasir, so sure of himself moments ago, now felt his resolve falter.

“Sixty-forty,” Yasir muttered, his face paling slightly. It seemed he’d made this concession after much internal struggle, but it wasn’t the deal I wanted.

“I’ll take seventy-thirty,” I said firmly, unwilling to budge. Yasir rubbed his temples, looking like he was about to lose his mind. He hadn’t expected to be outmaneuvered by someone who had once been a lovesick fool.

Just then, Hayden returned from his call. As soon as he walked into the living room, I turned to Yasir, reminding him, “There are plenty of people who want to work with me. If you’re not interested…” Before I could finish, Yasir reluctantly spat out, “Deal.” He’d also noticed Hayden entering, knowing our conversation was about to end abruptly. If we didn’t finalize this now, any delay could bring complications. This was an opportunity Yasir couldn’t afford to miss.

7:49 PM

Even with the seventy-thirty split, Yasir still stood to profit. I smirked and took a small sip of my soup. The soup, bland moments ago, now had a hint of sweetness. Despite coming from the same pot, Yasir’s soup tasted distinctly bitter.

When Hayden entered the dining room, he immediately sensed the shift in atmosphere. “Jamie hasn’t withdrawn the lawsuit yet,” Hayden said, his eyes on me. “I’ll meet him at noon and talk things through,” I replied slowly. Jamie wasn’t about to give up easily. I had suggested he sue in the first place, and now it was up to me to rectify the situation.

Hayden didn’t press further. Instead, Yasir spoke up. “Yvonne, you’re really something. You’ve even handled Nevin’s case?” Yasir knew a little about Nevin, but not much. After hearing Hayden’s words, he seemed a bit shocked.

Not wanting to continue the topic, I dismissed it casually. “I didn’t really help much.”

“So what? You’re indeed impressive,” Yasir said, giving me a thumbs-up. When I didn’t respond, he paused, then turned to Hayden. “Yvonne is really amazing. You two are just the perfect couple.”

I was momentarily stunned. The forced compliments were painfully obvious. Yasir was clearly trying to flatter us, and his intentions couldn’t have been more transparent. I noticed Hayden pause in his soup-drinking. He must be taken aback by Yasir’s clumsy performance, I thought.

“Why are you saying that?” Hayden shot Yasir a cold, sideways glance, his eyes icy. Yasir took the hint and immediately shifted to trying to win me over. “Yvonne, you’re too thin. Have a muffin.” Yasir gestured toward the plate of muffins, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

I felt uncomfortable, a chill creeping down my spine. Hayden, sitting beside us, watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, an unmistakable aura of menace hanging over him. But Yasir seemed oblivious, continuing to insist.

I thought back to the past Yasir—the rich, spoiled young man from Elysiumville, surrounded by women and never sparing me a glance. Now, he was practically bending over backward to please me. Sure enough, money really does make the world go round, I wondered.

After breakfast, I was about to leave for work when Hayden stopped me. “You’re not fully recovered. Stay home and rest,” he said. His words were domineering, commanding. Before, I would have been overjoyed by his concern, but now, my mind was consumed with work.

“I’m fine,” I said, already heading for the garden. Yasir followed me, mumbling to Hayden, “Yvonne really seems like a different person now. Did you break her heart or something?” I didn’t care how Hayden responded; I didn’t listen.

I waited in the car for a while, then Hayden joined me. His face was stormy, an icy coldness radiating from him.

“We’ll work separately from now on. I can drive myself,” I said, breaking the silence. Hayden didn’t reply, and the atmosphere in the car grew even colder. The driver remained silent, acting like a robot. Yasir’s car followed us for a while, then turned off at a junction.

Soon after, I received a WhatsApp message from him: [Yvonne, when can we sign the contract!] “[Wait for my update]” I replied, then put my phone down and leaned back, trying to rest. I had slept for a long time after passing out last night, but I didn’t feel completely rested. Two months of sleepwalking had left me physically drained.

A little while later, I dozed off again. I wasn’t sure what I dreamed about, but when I woke up, I felt a coolness on my face. I reached up and touched it, realizing it was tears. Did I cry again? I thought, a little surprised.

“Why are you crying?” Hayden’s voice suddenly cut through the quiet, causing me to stiffen. I’d forgotten we were still in the car.

“The wind got in my eyes,” I said, casually pulling out a tissue and wiping my eyes. The driver must have heard us because he silently rolled up the window beside me. Luckily, I always kept the window open a little, whether or not the air conditioning was on, or else my excuse would have seemed weak.

“You…” Hayden was about to say something when his phone rang. I unconsciously glanced at it out of the corner of my eye and saw that it was a call from Joanna.