"Showbiz is a messy world. Have your fun with starlets like her, but when ites to marriage, you need to find a respectable, elegant girl from a good family, like Ynda."


    Bet didn''t reply, but his gaze turned cold and heavy as he looked at her.


    April sensed the shift in his eyes. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?" she asked, lowering her voice.


    Bet''s expression remained unchanged as he let out a low, chillingugh.


    "I just find it surprising to hear those wordsing from you. You''re a highly respected university professor. I never took you for someone who engages in professional discrimination and demeans other women."


    He added, "And for the record, I don''t y with people''s feelings."


    "Bet, I..." April realized she had misspoken and tried to exin, but Bet gave her no chance.


    He reached out and pulled her car door open. "Professor Martinez, please get in," he said coolly.


    Seeing his closed-off demeanor, April could only let out a heavy sigh and get into the car.


    The vehicle sped away.


    Bet remained standing on the curb, silently watching it disappear into the night.


    "What are you looking at?" Yvonne asked, walking up and taking his hand. "April''s driver... I''ve seen him with Vincent''s secretary before," Bet said.


    "Professor Martinez? How could she be connected to the Walker family?" Yvonne eximed in shock.


    "It seems April and Vincent have a rather close rtionship," Bet said, then suddenly asked, "Did she know about your undercover mission?"


    "No, absolutely not," Yvonne answered without hesitation.


    Undercover assignments were top secret, never to be disclosed to anyone, not even close family.


    Besides the issuing department, the only person at the police academy who knew Yvonne had left for a mission was the administrative vice principal.


    Someone at April''s level would never have had ess to that information.


    Hearing this, Bet''s furrowed brow rxed slightly. He took Yvonne''s hand and led her toward his car.


    Since Bet had been drinking, he couldn''t drive.


    Yvonne got into the driver''s seat and drove them back to his apartment at Cherry Bay.


    Helen was on vacation for the holiday.


    The apartment was dark and quiet until Bullet heard the door open and came


    trotting out, giving a few happy yips to greet his master.


    Bet flipped on the lights and patted Bullet''s head.


    They changed into slippers in the entryway and went inside.


    Smelling of smoke and alcohol from the reunion, they both went to their separate rooms to shower.


    Yvonne finished her shower,


    wrapped herself in a towel, and


    walked to her closet. She pulled out


    a simple house dress and stood


    before the vanity mirror, drying her hair.


    Over the hum of the blow-dryer, she faintly heard the sound of a beautiful piano melody.


    She instinctively turned off the dryer and stepped out of her room.


    By the living room''s floor-to-ceiling windows stood a ck Yamaha piano. Bet was seated before it, his long, elegant fingers dancing across the ck and white key


    He had also just showered and was dressed in a simple grey t-shirt and pants. The casual clothes did


    nothing to diminishi his ajr of nobility. to was reminder that true elegance wasn''t about wearing finery, but something ingrained in one''s very bones.


    Yvonne padded over barefoot. Reaching the piano, she yfully pressed her


    slender fingers down on the keys, creating a loud, dissonant chord.


    Bet caught her mischievous hand, a helpless smile on his face. "Behaving badly again."


    "I don''t want to hear it," Yvonne said, pulling her hand away with a pout.


    Bet looked at her, his dark eyes filled with confusion.


    "You''ve yed it for someone else," she said. "I don''t want to hear it anymore."