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

Boyd kissed them

do that again,”

an eyebrow, admiring

nicely, I won’t make it difficult for

shaking his head as he gently tugged at her

tonight?”

him a languid look. “Not

paused, hand

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

thinking about

deepened at her

shoulder. “No room for

the coffee table.

cut him off

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

books off the

headed for the

tomorrow night, no

on the bed and leaned over her, Yasmine put her

“Serana’s still here. Have you no

removed her hand. “She’ll leave

out of his embrace. “Then we’ll

to doing it under the watchful eyes of a

wasn’t joking, Boyd sat

out of bed. “I’m going

—

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

and stepped out, intending to get a

and Boyd was speaking with a detached tone

two years before graduation.

he said.

think my

a moment before conceding, “If

it’s up to you.”

breathed a sigh of relief.

their conversation, but she had

about what it entailed.

from the bedroom, Serana stood up from the sofa,

a moment. “I’ve got homework. I should

Yasmine a glass of water. “It’s

temperature.”

accepted the glass, watching Serana pick up an orange peel from

toss it in the trash.

way Bryson’s wife, Aliza, would

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

liked, tidy the house until it was

she prepared the meal.

water glass, half-drunk, was handed

grabbed a couple of trash bags and stepped

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

brow twitched as he finished the water and set

thing you do know

at the doorway,

Boyd with a

she’s not, so be it. What’s there to

scooped her up, placing her back on the

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

that amusing.”

shallow, “So are you relieved she wasn’t

didn’t make her upset?”

moment. “Is there

Then why did you feel

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

consequences would

your answer is definitely one I don’t want to hear,” Yasmine said

him away and dived under the covers. “As you

consequences are indeed severe.”

small

just scrolling on her phone,

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

the blanket.

and covered her again, his tone tinged

take a

diving back into her mobile

—

found Yasmine already

aside, her back to him, still

slipped under the covers, and was greeted by

fragrant scent.

his arms, he gazed

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

deepened, Yasmine dodged him. “Do you think I was joking

severe consequences?”

Boyd paused, “So…”

a faint smile, “So let’s start with that paper

arguments.”

but to compromise

Yasmine stared at the well-defined muscles on

hold

next morning, Boyd was gone. She

opened the closet, and chose an

was Boyd’s apartment, her clothes had pushed

She pushed