The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

After dinner, Yasmine and Serana tidied up the dining area.

“Cleaning up” was a generous term, considering Serana was doing most of the

work.

Yasmine, who had grown up in an orphanage, may not have had the easiest

childhood, but she was never required to do chores like cooking, laundering, or

chopping wood. Once she left the orphanage, such tasks were even further from

her reality. Her hands were soft and beautiful, with slender, pale fingers.

Standing beside Serana at the sink, the most Yasmine would do was to wipe

down the already clean dishes. And she had this air about her, as if she had

done some monumental task that deserved high praise.

Enter title…

Serana wasn’t much of a talker. It seemed ever since Yasmine started dating

Boyd, Serana had become even quieter. The time they spent washing dishes

was particularly tough for her. The moment the last plate was dried, she let out a

sigh of relief and quickly said, “There’s nothing left to do now, Yasmine. You

should get on with your evening.”

Yasmine rinsed her hands under the faucet and watched Serana put away the

dishes. “I’ve always meant to say, you have a real knack for cooking and

cleaning,” she said.d2

Serana paused for a moment, then smiled at her. “I’m just curious about these

things, so I tend to pay more attention. Boyd isn’t too keen on eating out. If you

have the time, I could teach you a few of his favorite dishes.”

Yasmine chuckled and shook her head. “No time for that.”

After putting away the utensils, Serana turned and gave her a strained smile.

“They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I’m sure Boyd would

be delighted if you cooked for him.”

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” Yasmine smirked, looking at

her. “Is that what you thought back then?”

Serana’s smile froze instantly. Her eyes locked with Yasmine’s for a few

seconds before she forced herself to look away, her grip tightening on the edge

of the countertop. “It seems like you’ve misunderstood something about us,”

Serana said softly.

Yasmine observed her for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Why so

tense? Who did I misunderstand you with?” she teased.

Serana bit her lip, replying quietly, “Nothing…”

Noticing Serana’s trembling hand on the counter, Yasmine’s eyes sharpened.

“Thank you for the meal,” she said.

Serana didn’t reply, only managing a stiff smile.

Yasmine left the kitchen, thinking Serana’s smile was more unsettling than

comforting.

Boyd was lounging on the sofa, perusing the stack of books she’d brought over,

exuding a mature, reserved charm that struck a chord with her. She approached

and held out her hand. Puzzled, he took her hand and kissed it lightly.

Yasmine looked at him with faint disgust. “I wanted you to smell it, not kiss it.”

“It smells nice,” he said.

“I just washed dishes. So you like the scent of dish soap?”

Boyd pulled her down beside him, his brow furrowing with suspicion. “You?

Washing dishes?”

Yasmine pressed her lips together tighter, withdrawing her hand. “I did half the

work.”

Boyd chuckled and reached into the drawer under the coffee table, pulling out a

tube of hand cream. He squeezed a generous amount onto Yasmine’s hands

and began to massage it in.

The faint scent of flowers filled the air. Once her hands were soft and

kissed them again,

that again,”

eyebrow, admiring her

asked so nicely, I won’t make it

head as he gently tugged at her ear.

tonight?”

languid look. “Not going back until you finish

paused, hand still

pushed his hand away. “Of course. But until it’s done,

about

frown deepened

shoulder. “No room for

books on the coffee table. “What about starting

Yasmine cut

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

swept the books off the table, scooped

and headed

night, no

bed and leaned

here. Have you no

removed her hand. “She’ll

of his embrace. “Then

under the watchful eyes

wasn’t joking, Boyd

out of bed.

—

her shower, Yasmine found that Boyd wasn’t in the

stepped out, intending

hadn’t left yet, and Boyd was speaking with a detached tone on

years before graduation. You’re thinking about this

he said.

anxious. “I think my major

moment before conceding, “If

it’s up to you.”

a sigh of

beginning of their conversation,

about what it entailed.

Yasmine emerged from the bedroom, Serana

moment. “I’ve got

handed Yasmine a glass of

temperature.”

Serana pick up an orange

it in the trash. She

Bryson’s wife, Aliza, would play the part of

cook a table of dishes that her

until it was spotless, and always speak softly

she prepared the meal.

half-drunk, was handed

a couple of trash bags and stepped

didn’t know any better, I’d say

brow twitched as he finished the water and set the glass on

“Good thing you do know she’s

at the doorway, her gaze

at Boyd with a half-smile that wasn’t

it. What’s there

up, placing her back on the bed in the

mistaken for a maid after an afternoon’s hard work—I doubt

that amusing.”

you relieved she wasn’t upset, or

didn’t make her upset?”

pondered for a moment. “Is there a

difference? Then why did

his head, “Since you’ve pointed out the difference, if I

the consequences would probably

I don’t want

but pushed him away and dived under the covers. “As you

consequences are indeed severe.”

while, a small smile curling his lips.

who was just scrolling on her phone, looked up at

another room, or shall I go?” With that, she lifted the

the blanket.

down and covered her again, his tone

take

didn’t reply, diving back into her mobile

—

his shower, Boyd found Yasmine

set aside, her back to him, still

under the covers, and was greeted

fragrant scent.

arms, he gazed into her still-lucid eyes

forehead, “I didn’t think you’d fall asleep so

Yasmine dodged him. “Do

severe consequences?”

Boyd paused, “So…”

smile, “So let’s start with that

arguments.”

compromise with regret, still pulled her firmly

at the well-defined

hold her as she drifted

Boyd was gone. She got out

up, opened the closet,

was Boyd’s apartment, her clothes had pushed his to

She pushed her clothes aside, making