Chapter 205: Yvette Yates’s Conflict

Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Yvette Yates’s Conflict

The man shrugged nonchalantly. "I don’t accept that sudden breakup of yours."

Yvette Yates’s expression turned grim. She stared hard at the man in the doorway for a few seconds before, as if remembering something, she suddenly shoved him aside and hurried in.

Evan Keller and the others stood by the door, taking in the whole room.

Yvette Yates’s room, like the living room, was very tidy. It also had a small balcony outside, where some potted plants were arranged.

Directly opposite the bed stood a large wardrobe. Its top was piled with clutter, looking as if it was rarely moved.

The room also contained a small bathroom. By the door stood a laundry hamper, piled high with clothes.

But Evan Keller’s eyes narrowed. If he wasn’t mistaken, there were several articles of men’s clothing in the hamper.

And they showed obvious signs of having been worn, not at all like props a woman might leave out to pretend she wasn’t living alone.

Beside the hamper was another careless pile of clothes, which looked like what the man had just taken off.

After rushing into her room, Yvette Yates threw open the wardrobe, checked the balcony, and even looked under the bed, but she couldn’t find what she was looking for.

Evan Keller was about to ask what was wrong when Yvette Yates suddenly charged at the man, grabbing his arm and demanding, "Where is he? I’m asking you, where is he?"

The man’s nonchalant smile slowly faded. He grabbed Yvette Yates’s wrist. "That pretty boy? I kicked him out."

"I told you, Yvette Yates, you can’t get rid of me. Since you’re the one who got me out, you’d better be ready to support me for life."

Yvette Yates’s face went pale. She never imagined that a momentary lapse in judgment would bring her this much trouble.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but what is the relationship between you two?" Evan Keller frowned, cutting into their argument to ask his question.

From their conversation, Evan Keller could tell something was off about their relationship, so he pressed for an answer.

Yvette Yates had been furious, but after hearing Evan Keller’s question, she instantly deflated.

"It’s nothing, just... ordinary friends." Yvette Yates opened her mouth, but that was all she could manage to say.

But everyone present could see their relationship was far from being that simple.

What kind of "ordinary friend" lets himself into a woman’s apartment to take a shower when she isn’t home?

Combined with the conversation he’d just overheard, a suspicion began to form in Evan Keller’s mind.

’Does Ms. Yates have a thing for rescuing men from the gutter?’

Before Evan Keller could confirm his suspicion, he saw the man lean in and whisper something in Yvette Yates’s ear.

Yvette Yates shot the man a terrified look, then her eyes instinctively darted toward Evan Keller and the others.

Before she could ask for help, the man beside her wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his tone laced with a threat. "Darling, have you thought it through?"

Evan Keller took a step forward. "Threatening someone right in front of the police?" he said sternly. "Ms. Yates, don’t be afraid. Whatever the problem is, just tell us. We can help you."

He expected that with their guarantee of safety, Yvette Yates would feel secure enough to explain everything.

But Yvette Yates bit her lip and shook her head, rejecting Evan Keller’s offer. "No, thank you for your kindness, but I’m fine."

Evan Keller assumed she was just embarrassed to speak in front of everyone and beckoned for her to come out and talk privately.

But Yvette Yates shook her head again, refusing his offer once more.

’I can’t,’ she thought. ’If I tell the police, this lunatic will definitely splash my secrets all over the internet. If my family sees it, my future will be completely ruined.’

So, even though she was tempted by Evan Keller’s offer, Yvette Yates still shook her head and refused.

The man beside her, seeming utterly confident in his hold over her, let go of her shoulder and casually picked up the clothes he’d left on the floor to put them on.

Evan Keller noticed that the right side of the man’s clothes was dusty, while the other side was clean.

Once dressed, the man started pushing Evan Keller and the others out of the room. "She said she doesn’t need help. Are you people deaf?"

"This is just a little lovers’ quarrel. We fight, we make up. We don’t need you to intervene. Darling, back me up here!"

As he said the last part, the man shot a look back at Yvette Yates, his eyes filled with a warning.

Yvette Yates flinched, standing by the edge of her bed with an awkward and guilty expression.

But she still managed to summon her courage. "Excuse me, officers. I’ve done the anti-fraud quiz, and you’ve already checked the place. Your work here should be done, so I won’t keep you any longer."

Her words were a clear dismissal.

Zoe Sawyer had been watching everything unfold. Seeing the complicated look on Yvette Yates’s face, she asked hesitantly, "Is she really going to be all right?"

’She looks like she’s about to cry.’

"She’s afraid the man will expose her secrets, but she’s also afraid we’ll actually give up on helping her," Heath Hale said, seeing right through Yvette Yates’s predicament.

"She’s obviously in a deeply conflicted state. She wants to take a gamble, but she’s terrified of losing."

"You can see she really dislikes the man beside her—she’s practically repulsed by him."

"But she has to compromise because he has something to hold over her."

Remembering what she’d seen from the doorway, a plan quickly formed in Zoe Sawyer’s mind.

She beckoned to Heath Hale, and when he leaned closer, she explained her idea.

"It’s a little risky, but we can give it a shot," Heath Hale said after a moment’s thought, agreeing to the plan.

Although they now knew who the killer was, he hadn’t made a move yet.

They couldn’t just grab Yvette Yates and tell her, "This guy wants to kill you, you need to get away from him," could they?

For one thing, he hadn’t done anything yet, and they couldn’t arrest a man for a crime he hadn’t committed.

Besides, they could protect her for a while, but not forever.

The best solution was to resolve the problem permanently.

Zoe Sawyer glanced around. From where the bathroom was, she could block the view from the bedroom by just turning a little.

’If I have Heath Hale stand there too, it’ll be double insurance!’

"Ms. Yates, sorry to bother you, but could you help me out?" Zoe Sawyer called out to Yvette Yates from the bathroom doorway, a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "I have a bit of a... personal situation and need to borrow something from you."

Although Yvette Yates found it strange, she still grabbed a pad from her room and hurried over to Zoe Sawyer.

Just as she passed it over, a small bottle was slipped silently into her sleeve.