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

that again,”

eyebrow, admiring her well-cared-for hands.

I won’t make

laughed, shaking his head as he gently tugged at her ear. “Staying

tonight?”

a languid look. “Not going back

hand still on

hand away. “Of course. But until

about

frown deepened at her

shoulder. “No room

books on the

cut him off

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

swept the books off the table,

headed for the

tomorrow night,

down on the bed and leaned over her, Yasmine

“Serana’s still here. Have

hand. “She’ll

embrace. “Then we’ll talk after she leaves.

it under the watchful eyes of a

she wasn’t joking,

of bed. “I’m going to

—

that Boyd wasn’t in

and stepped out, intending to get a

left yet, and Boyd was speaking with a detached

graduation. You’re

he said.

anxious. “I think my major

moment before conceding, “If you’ve

it’s up to you.”

a sigh of relief.

hadn’t caught the beginning of their conversation, but she had a

about what it entailed.

Yasmine emerged from the bedroom, Serana

on her for a moment. “I’ve got homework. I

stood and handed Yasmine a glass of water. “It’s at the

temperature.”

watching Serana pick up an

it in the trash. She took a sip

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

wife at home. She would cook a table of dishes that her

until it was spotless, and

she prepared the meal.

glass, half-drunk, was handed to

of trash

I didn’t know any better, I’d say Serana was the maid

as he finished the water and set the glass on

thing you do

doorway, her gaze

She looked at Boyd with a half-smile that wasn’t quite a

not, so be it.

scooped her up, placing her back on the bed

after an afternoon’s hard

that amusing.”

shallow, “So are you relieved

didn’t make her upset?”

pondered for a moment. “Is there a

why did you feel

you’ve pointed out the difference, if I were

would

I don’t

him away and dived under the

consequences are indeed severe.”

watched her for a while, a small smile curling his lips.

on her phone, looked up at him. “If you

or shall I

the blanket.

covered her again, his tone

take a

diving back into her

—

found Yasmine already nestled

aside, her back to him, still

frowned slightly, slipped under the covers, and was greeted

fragrant scent.

into his arms, he gazed into her still-lucid eyes and smiled

forehead, “I didn’t think you’d

kiss deepened, Yasmine dodged him. “Do

severe consequences?”

Boyd paused, “So…”

“So let’s start with that

arguments.”

no choice but to compromise with regret, still pulled her firmly

stared at the well-defined muscles on his

motionless, letting him hold her as she drifted

morning, Boyd was

closet, and chose

clothes had

pushed her clothes aside, making