He had a handsome, mixed-heritage face and a pleasant demeanor, but she saw right through him. Unimpressed, she said, "Stay away from me. I'm not interested!"

Lambert had been skeptical of Manley's claims, but after hearing Yvonne's words, he believed them.

Not interested in men. She really was a lesbian!

He took two steps closer, leaning against a flower trellis with a suave, casual air, and said with a faint smile, “There's an old saying about drowning your sorrows. If something's bothering you, miss, you can talk to me about it."

"You seem to know the culture so well. Does that mean you also think the women here are easy?" Yvonne propped her head on her hand, a cold sneer on her face as she looked at the man before her. “I can't stand arrogant men like you!"

Lambert wasn't offended. His brown eyes sparkled with a charming glint. “I understand what you mean!"

Yvonne frowned slightly. "If you understand, then stay away from me!"

Lambert truly had no interest in Yvonne; in fact, he felt a little repulsed because she was into Stella. But for Stella's sake, he endured it. "Actually, some things can be changed. Maybe if you try it once, you'll find it's easier to accept than you think!"

Yvonne gave Lambert a bewildered look. Not wanting to get entangled with him, she turned and walked away.

Lambert slumped into a chair, dejected. He had really tried his best, but he just couldn't muster any interest in this woman!

He watched Yvonne walk about thirty feet away and sit down, continuing to drink. He took out his phone, wanting to ask Estelle if he could visit her in C City.

*

Not far away, Hannah watched Yvonne drinking alone. She walked over to the table of various liquors, picked up a glass, and then, when no one was looking, opened a small capsule and dropped its contents inside. After swirling it to mix, she handed it to a servant.

"Take this drink to Ms. Yvonne!"

Hannah gestured in Yvonne's direction.

The servant nodded and carried the tray toward Yvonne.

She approached Yvonne and set the drink down. "Your drink, miss!"

Yvonne was still preoccupied with her mother's words. She distractedly picked up the glass and took a sip.

Hannah watched Yvonne slowly drink from the glass she'd sent, then turned and left to find Jonathan.

Just then, an important guest of the Lamont family was leaving. As Jonathan and Geoffrey were returning from seeing them off, Hannah seized the opportunity to approach.

"Jonathan!" Hannah said gently. "Have you seen Yvonne? I can't find her, and she's not answering her phone. I'm worried she's had too much to drink!"

Jonathan's handsome face was impassive. "I haven't seen her. Have the servants look for her."

"Please, you help me look," Hannah said meaningfully. "She said she wanted to find a quiet place. If you find her, maybe you can talk some

Sse into her, help her give up, so

she stops tormenting herself."

Qu

Mr. Hanson was also there and looked at Jonathan imploringly. "Jonathan, Yvonne has been in low spirits these past few days. I shouldn't be saying this, but the person who caused the problem

should be the one to solve it. Please, talk to her. She'll definitely listen to you."

"I'm begging you!" Hannah's eyes were full of earnest hope.

Seeing this, Geoffrey couldn't refuse. "Jonathan, why don't you go look for Yvonne?

If she's not feeling well, have someone take her home."

Jonathan's dark eyes were deep as he gave a faint nod. “I understand.”

Hannah beamed. "Thank you, Jonathan!"

The others headed back to the villa while Jonathan walked into the courtyard.

After a few steps, he stopped and beckoned a maid. “Go check the conservatory for Ms. Yvonne."

His father was showing Mr. Hanson some courtesy, so he would show his father the same. But he had no intention of actually finding Yvonne himself. Everything that needed to be said had been said; more words would be pointless.

After exchanging a few messages with Estelle, Lambert looked up and saw a man in

his forties sitting with Yvonne, chatting with her.

Lambert's eyes darted, and he discreetly watched the scene unfold.

The man sitting with Yvonne was a director named Arvin. They had worked on a

movie together, so they were acquainted.

After a bit of conversation, Arvin noticed that Yvonne was drunk.