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,”

admiring her well-cared-for hands. “Fine,

so nicely, I won’t make it difficult

laughed, shaking his head as he gently

tonight?”

him a languid look. “Not going back until you finish my

paused, hand still on her

his hand away. “Of course. But

things you’re thinking about are

deepened at

patted his shoulder. “No room

the books on the coffee table. “What about

Yasmine cut him off

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

frustration, Boyd swept the books off the table, scooped Yasmine

and headed

night, no

down on the bed and

mouth. “Serana’s still here. Have you

her hand. “She’ll

“Then we’ll talk after she leaves.

doing it under the watchful

wasn’t joking,

bed.

—

shower, Yasmine found that Boyd wasn’t in the bedroom. She

stepped out, intending to get a

left yet, and Boyd was speaking with a detached tone on

before graduation. You’re thinking about

he said.

anxious. “I think my major

a moment before conceding, “If

it’s up to you.”

breathed a sigh of

beginning of their conversation, but she

about what it entailed.

Serana stood up from

her for a moment.

stood and handed Yasmine a glass

temperature.”

glass, watching Serana pick up

toss it in the

Bryson’s wife, Aliza, would play the

at home. She would cook a table of dishes

son liked, tidy the house until it was spotless,

she prepared the meal.

water glass, half-drunk, was handed

trash bags and stepped out

I’d say Serana was the maid

twitched as he finished the water and set the glass

“Good thing you do know

eyes at the doorway, her gaze briefly

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

it.

sighed and scooped her up, placing her back on the bed in

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

that amusing.”

shallow, “So are you relieved she wasn’t upset, or

didn’t make her upset?”

a moment. “Is there a

difference? Then why

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

consequences would probably

don’t

dived under the covers. “As you

consequences are indeed severe.”

her for a while, a small smile curling his lips. “Is

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

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

the blanket.

pinned it back down and covered her again,

“I’ll take a

diving back into

—

his shower, Boyd found Yasmine already nestled

set aside, her back

slipped under the covers,

fragrant scent.

gazed into her still-lucid

“I didn’t think you’d fall asleep so

deepened, Yasmine dodged him. “Do you think

severe consequences?”

Boyd paused, “So…”

“So let’s start with that

arguments.”

to compromise with regret,

at the well-defined muscles on his

hold her as she drifted

woke up the next morning, Boyd was

opened the closet,

clothes had

sight to see. She pushed her