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

that

eyebrow, admiring

so nicely, I won’t

head as he gently tugged at her

tonight?”

languid look. “Not going back until you

hand still on

his hand away. “Of course.

thinking about are off

frown deepened at her

patted his shoulder. “No room for

on the coffee

cut him

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

off the table, scooped

and headed for the

tomorrow night, no

the bed and leaned

“Serana’s still here. Have

hand. “She’ll leave

of his embrace. “Then

doing it under the watchful

she wasn’t joking,

of bed.

shower, Yasmine found that Boyd wasn’t

out, intending to

hadn’t left yet, and Boyd was speaking with

two years before graduation. You’re thinking about this too

he said.

“I think my

moment before conceding, “If you’ve

it’s up to you.”

breathed a sigh of relief.

caught the beginning of their conversation, but she

about what it entailed.

Serana stood up from the

lingering on her for a moment. “I’ve

Yasmine a glass of water.

temperature.”

accepted the glass, watching Serana pick up an orange peel

in the trash. She took

way Bryson’s wife, Aliza, would play

at home. She would cook

the house until it was spotless, and always speak softly

she prepared the meal.

glass, half-drunk, was handed

grabbed a couple of trash bags and stepped

know any better, I’d say Serana was the

the water

“Good thing you do know she’s

her eyes at the doorway, her gaze

looked at Boyd with a half-smile that

so be it. What’s

scooped her up, placing her

maid after an

that amusing.”

shallow, “So are you relieved

didn’t make her upset?”

pondered for a moment. “Is there

Then why

out the

consequences would probably

one I don’t want to hear,” Yasmine said with

and dived under the covers. “As you

consequences are indeed severe.”

a small smile

scrolling on her phone, looked up

sleep in another room, or shall I go?” With that,

the blanket.

pinned it back down and covered her again,

“I’ll take a

reply, diving back

Yasmine already nestled under the

back to

the covers, and was

fragrant scent.

his arms, he gazed into

didn’t think you’d fall asleep so

dodged him. “Do you think I was joking

severe consequences?”

Boyd paused, “So…”

faint smile, “So

arguments.”

with no choice but to compromise with regret,

at the well-defined muscles on

him hold her

next morning, Boyd

closet, and chose an

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

to see. She pushed her clothes

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