Chapter 262. Something Isn’t Right

Chapter 262. Something Isn’t Right
The air grew heavier by several degrees. Luckily, Carol broke the tension quickly by pulling Jacintha closer and launching into a detailed account of her new project. Jacintha played along easily, asking about everything from the script and business partners to her upcoming work schedule. The two girls chatted naturally, happily, as though they had gone straight back to their high school days.

Meanwhile, Albert sat beside them, answering a question here and there whenever Carol pulled him into the conversation. But most of the time, he simply watched in silence.

When a servant passed through the hallway outside the door, the watch on his wrist flashed once again.

Albert frowned slightly.

The abnormal electromagnetic activity in this estate was not coming from just one source. It layered over itself, tangled and overlapping—some of it felt like high-end technology that had been tampered with, while some of it resembled a kind of energy field that should never have existed in a normal environment. With his level of perception, the sensation was impossible to miss, so clear that the skin on his arms prickled faintly.

He leaned closer to Carol and said under his breath, "Stay with me later. Don't go anywhere out of everyone's sight."

Carol had been laughing mid-conversation, but she froze at once. She looked at her brother's expression, then immediately nodded.

Jacintha was still talking and did not notice the two siblings.

As for Raphael, he had been sitting close beside Jacintha the whole time. Every now and then, he bent to kiss her hair or the back of her hand. The gestures were unbearably intimate, and just as shameless.

Driven past her limit by his constant teasing, Jacintha finally looked up at him and whispered, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Raphael replied calmly. "Go on talking. Don't mind me."

Carol instantly turned her face away, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. "Good grief, I'm getting sick of watching you two flaunt your love like this."

Raphael had made Jacintha blush so badly that all she could do was secretly step on the toe of his shoe beneath the table. He did not move away. Instead, he caught her hand and held it in his own.

The afternoon passed in that same atmosphere—warm, lively, and faintly strange.

Carol stayed for quite a long time. She looked through some old draft details, told Jacintha more about the new team, and kept saying that when there was time, she would definitely drag her out to celebrate. Jacintha promised that once Emma was more settled, she would take both Jack and Emma to see Carol and Evelyn.

It was not until dusk had begun to fall that Carol and Albert finally stood to leave.

Jack clung tightly to Albert's leg and refused to let go. In the end, Albert had no choice but to bend down and gently pat his head.

"I'll come again next time."

Jack looked up, his eyes shining. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then you can't break your promise."

Albert looked at the little boy, then smiled very faintly. "I won't."

Before heading out, Carol turned back and hugged Jacintha one more time. "Take good care of yourself. If anything happens, call me."

"I know," Jacintha said. "You too."

Carol tugged Albert's hand. "Come on."

Albert gave her a slight nod, then followed his sister outside. But before getting into the car, he still turned back for one last look.

Jacintha was standing on the doorstep, her long hair falling over her shoulders, her face softened under the lamplight. Raphael stood right behind her, Emma in one arm and his other wrapped around Jacintha's waist. They looked like a happy family.

Albert watched the scene for a few seconds before slowly drawing his gaze away.

After the car left the Wulfhart estate, he said nothing more. He only lowered his eyes to the phone in his hand. The electromagnetic interference data he had secretly collected earlier was still streaming across the screen in bands of numbers.

It wasn't normal.

It was very far from normal.

He looked out through the window, his voice dropping lower. "Carol, from now on, if you ever come to Wulfhart, you are absolutely not to come alone."

Carol turned toward him from the passenger seat. "Did you find something?"

Albert was silent for two seconds. "Not yet. But I have a feeling something there isn't right. If it's only electronic devices being tampered with, that's still manageable. I'm afraid it's not just that."

A chill ran through Carol after hearing him say it. She knew her brother was not someone who frightened people for no reason. If he was saying this, then things were certainly far more serious than they looked.

"Then... should we tell Jacintha directly?"

Albert tightened his grip on the phone. After a moment, he finally said, "Now isn't the time. She's already carrying too much."

On the other side, after seeing the guests off, Jacintha had barely turned back inside when Raphael pulled her to a stop.

She had no time to react before her back brushed lightly against the door that had just swung shut. Raphael lowered his head and kissed her hard and fast, as though he had been holding himself back from doing it for far too long.

Jacintha's eyes widened. "Raphael."

"Mm."

"Jack is still here."

"The kid's busy playing with his presents."

"Emma is watching too."

Raphael glanced at the girl in his arms. Emma really was blinking up at them, her little face the picture of innocence. He stayed silent for two seconds, then bent down and pressed another kiss to the corner of Jacintha’s lips.

“Then let her watch.”

Jacintha was truly at a loss for words with him. She reached out and gave his waist a light pinch. “You really are…”

“I’m jealous,” Raphael said bluntly.

The smile on Jacintha’s lips softened, sweet as honey. She looked at him, ran a hand through his silver hair, then let out a quiet breath. “I know Albert’s very good to me. But to me, he’s only Carol’s brother, and an old friend.”

Raphael stared at her as though he wanted to verify every single word. After a long moment, he finally lowered his head and rubbed his nose against her cheek. The gesture made him look both domineering and strangely like a giant wolf asking to be soothed.

“Even so, I still don’t like it.”

Jacintha let out a laugh. “You’re so childish.”

“I’m only like this with you.”