Yvonne held the steering wheel with one hand and answered the phone with the other.


    It was Jeffrey, his voice tinged with frustration.


    "It''s the holiday today, why didn''t youe home to visit? Mom had the maids cook


    a whole table of your favorite dishes. She waited all night for you. In the end, she


    was so upset she went to her room without even eating."


    "Yvonne, Mom carried you for ten months. You''re her daughter. She''s always thinking of you."


    A cold smile touched Yvonne''s lips. "Thinking of me? Jeffrey, do you even believe that yourself? Isn''t Queena Teresa''s daughter? After raising her for nearly twenty years, their bond is deep. The bond of raising a child will always be stronger than the bond of birth."


    Jeffrey was speechless on the other end of the line. After a long silence, he spoke again, his tone nowced with a hint of pleading. "Do you have time tomorrow? Pleasee see Mom and Joseph."


    "I have a shoot tomorrow morning. Maybe in the evening," Yvonne replied dismissively before ending the call.


    She tossed the phone back into her purse and looked up to see Bet watching her, his eyes narrowed.


    "Are the Spencers giving you a hard time?" he asked, his voice low and edged with displeasure.


    "Not really a hard time, just annoying. Teresa is Yvonne''s biological mother, after all. Even thew doesn''t support severing parental ties."


    Yvonne shrugged, not letting it bother her.


    Neither the Spencers nor the James family were worth her time or energy.


    The roads were clear at night, and after a little over half an hour, they arrived at Cherry Apartments.


    When Yvonne and Bet walked in, Bullet''s ears perked up at the sound, and he shot out like an arrow.


    "Bullet, did you miss me?" Yvonne knelt and hugged therge dog tightly.


    Bullet let out a couple of low barks, as if in response.


    Yvonne led Bullet to his bowls, pouring him some food and refilling his water.


    Having been alone all day, Bullet was hungry and began eating eagerly.


    Yvonne went to the guest room. She had stayed here for a while before, and many of her things were still there, untouched.


    She found a nightgown in the closet and went into the bathroom to remove her makeup and shower.


    When she came out, she was drying her long, wet hair with a towel as she walked into the living room.


    Bet was standing by the French


    windows, smoking. He must have just showered as well, as his short hair was still damp. His tall,


    UT


    imposing figure, silhouetted against the pale moonlight seemed strangely lonely and proud


    Bullet had finished his food and


    dozing on the floor but immediately


    stoo


    up when he saw Yvonne wagging his tail and circling her feet.


    Yvonne patted Bullet''s head and looked up at Bet.


    "Why aren''t you in bed yet?" Seeing her, Bet instinctively stubbed out his cigarette He walked over and naturally, took the towel from her, patiently drying her hair.


    "I just came to check on Bullet. I''m going to bed now," Yvonne said, letting him tend to her hair.


    His long, cool fingers asionallybed through her hair, his fingertips brushing against her cheek, leaving a trail of tingling warmth.


    Yvonne instinctively grabbed his hand and looked up at him.