Chapter 266. Albert’s Love

Chapter 266. Albert’s Love
Jacintha took the glasses off, deeply unsettled by Albert’s talent. She had only known that he had once been a technology student at a prestigious university, then had suddenly changed direction and become a sculptor, so she had assumed he had simply chosen the wrong major at first. But now it seemed her imagination had been far too limited. For a genius to excel at both engineering and art was nothing unusual at all.

“Why are you showing me all this?”

Albert was silent for a moment before turning to look at her.

“I want to help you, Jacintha.”

Jacintha froze.

Seeing the shift in her eyes, Albert continued quickly, though his voice stayed calm. “I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re dealing with, but my instincts are telling me you’re very afraid. A few years ago, I was so focused on my studies that I overlooked your suffering. It wasn’t until much later, after Carol told me, that I realized just how hard your life had been. So this time, I don’t want to miss it again.”

The fact that, for two years, Jacintha had become Raphael’s sugar baby to pay for Mira’s medical treatment—and had been humiliated by him for it—was something Albert had always carried heavily in his heart. From the very first time Carol brought Jacintha home and introduced her as a friend, Albert had already liked her.

But back then, Jacintha had Jack with her, so Albert assumed she was already married. At the same time, he had been deeply absorbed in researching an important project, and so he had quietly cut off that sudden flutter of feeling he had for her.

Whenever he was around her, he kept a gentle but distant manner. And yet, whenever Jack came over to play with Evelyn, Albert could never help showering the boy with affection. That was why, every time they met, Jack would cling happily to him, while he and Jacintha remained no more than acquaintances who were not particularly close.

Perhaps because he knew he had once carelessly missed his chance with Jacintha, when he met her again later, Albert could no longer hold back. He let his feelings for her surface at last—feelings he had buried for years.

Albert lowered his gaze slightly. “Now you’ve seen what I can do. If there ever comes a day when you need me, tell me.”

His words were simple. There was not the slightest hint of ambiguity in them. And somehow, that only made Jacintha feel even more uncomfortable.

Jacintha was intelligent, so of course she had noticed how Albert felt about her. He was a very good man, the kind of man who would make a wonderful boyfriend or husband, but she truly only saw him as an older brother.

Slowly, Jacintha said, “Albert…”

“I know things are good between you and Raphael,” he cut in. “And I’m not trying to come between the two of you. So you don’t need to overthink it. Just think of it as me helping my little sister.”

He opened a drawer and took out a small black-and-silver device, a little bigger than a thumb. There were three buttons on the surface, and attached to the side was a thin piece of metal that looked like a talisman.

“This is a mini detector.” Albert placed it in her hand. “It can pick up hidden cameras, tiny microphones, certain magnetic tracking charms, and some low-concentration airborne biological toxins.”

Jacintha tightened her grip around the device. “Why do you think I need something like this?”

Albert looked straight into her eyes. “I detected a strange energy surrounding you, and it’s bad. My instincts are rarely wrong.”

Jacintha lowered her eyes to the object in her hand. She wanted to tell Albert that things were far more dangerous than he imagined. But the words rose to her throat only for her to swallow them back down. Albert was only an ordinary human. The fact that he could use advanced technology to uncover even part of the truth was already pushing the limits of what he could handle. She could not drag him in any deeper.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’ll keep it.”

Albert nodded. Perhaps because he had finally said what he wanted to say, his expression seemed a little lighter. But the way he looked at her still held far too much feeling.

Jacintha noticed it immediately, so she took half a step back on her own.

Albert let out a quiet laugh. “Relax. I’m not going to make things awkward for you.”

“Mm.”

“There’s one more thing.” He took out a slim box. “There are three sensor patches in here. If you ever suspect there’s something strange on you, just stick one to your clothes. It’ll change color.”

Jacintha accepted it. “You really prepared all this carefully.”

Albert looked at her. “Because I have a feeling that if I don’t do something this time, later… it might be too late.”

By the time she left Albert’s workshop, it was nearly dusk.

On the way back, she turned on the device he had given her to test it once. The tiny screen lit up, gave a faint vibration, then went dark. She had not even had time to put it away when a notification popped up on her phone saying her shared location had been accessed.

Jacintha knew Raphael was looking for her, so she hurried into the car to return to the manor and meet him.

Inside a black car parked not far from the workshop, Raphael was sitting in the back seat.

The moment he realized Jacintha’s tracker was not heading straight back to the manor, he had changed routes. Lucas sat in the front seat, not daring to turn around or say a word to Raphael. The atmosphere inside the car was so still that if Raphael so much as breathed a little harder, everyone else could feel the pressure.

His fingers tapped against his knee once, twice, then went completely still. Just thinking about her being alone with another man made the restlessness and impatience inside him feel as though they were about to spill over.

A while later, when he saw her location moving back toward the Manor, Raphael leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. “Let’s go home.”