Chapter: 76

When she remained still, Alan took Kaitlin's hand and they walked off.

Reaching a quieter corner, Alan let out a sigh. “That was overwhelming, wasn't it? Didn't you notice the smell? How did you manage to talk to her for so Long?"

His voice carried a note of contempt, but Kaitlin seemed amused.

“It wasn't that bad. It's quite normal for women to wear perfume, you know," she responded.

“Why don't you wear any then?" he inquired.

Kaitlin, since her pregnancy, had cut back on cosmetics and completely abandoned perfume.

"That's really none of your business," she replied.

"Kaitlin, when will you stop being angry with me?"

Alan's voice showed his frustration. Despite his repeated attempts at making amends, Kaitlin's forgiveness seemed ever elusive.

Was he going about it all wrong?

Kaitlin, without a word, maneuvered past Alan in search of Phoebe.

The anger had left her, replaced by a sense of disillusionment.

She was determined not to repeat her past errors, rendering Alan's attempts futile.

Yvette watched their tense exchange from a distance, quickly grasping the complexity of their relationship.

With a plan forming in her mind, Yvette approached Alan and spoke in a light, teasing tone.

"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Hewitt, you seem quite taken with Ms. Gilbert."

Alan's face darkened, his brows knitting together. “What exactly are you implying?"

"I'm offering my assistance, Mr. Hewitt. Women often understand each other best," Yvette proposed confidently.

Alan gave her a speculative look.

“If you think I don't need your help, then we'll pretend this conversation never happened. However, judging by Ms. Gilbert's glances, she doesn't seem completely disinterested in you."

This comment caught Alan off guard, his eyes widening with intrigue.

“Do you really believe that?"

"Absolutely," Yvette assured him. "Sometimes, 'no' from a woman might just mean she's waiting for you to prove your sincerity."

Encouraged yet cautious, Alan considered her words. "And what do you get out of helping me?"