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.

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 moisturized, Boyd kissed them again, content.

“Don’t do that again,” he said.

Yasmine arched an eyebrow, admiring her well-cared-for hands. “Fine, since you asked so nicely, I won’t make it difficult for you.”

Boyd laughed, shaking his head as he gently tugged at her ear. “Staying over tonight?”

Yasmine gave him a languid look. “Not going back until you finish my paper.”

“Really?” Boyd paused, hand still on her ear.

Yasmine smirked and pushed his hand away. “Of course. But until it’s done, all those things you’re thinking about are off the table.”

Boyd’s frown deepened at her words.

Yasmine patted his shoulder. “No room for negotiation.”

the coffee table.

cut

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

Boyd swept the books off the table, scooped Yasmine

tomorrow night,

he laid her down on the bed and leaned over her, Yasmine put her hand over

her hand. “She’ll

of his embrace. “Then we’ll talk after she leaves. I’m not used to doing it under the watchful eyes

she wasn’t joking, Boyd sat up

of bed. “I’m

—

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

left yet, and Boyd was speaking with a detached tone on the sofa. “You

sounded anxious. “I think my major is totally

was silent for a moment before conceding, “If you’ve really decided, then it’s up to

sigh of relief.

conversation, but she had a

emerged from the bedroom, Serana stood up from the sofa, her eyes lingering on her for a moment.

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

from the coffee table and toss it in the trash. She

cook a table of dishes that her husband and son liked, tidy the house

water glass, half-drunk,

a couple of trash bags and

I’d say Serana was the

and set the glass on the coffee table. “Good thing you do

it faded away. She

be it. What’s there to be glad

her back on the bed in the bedroom. “Being mistaken for a maid after an afternoon’s hard work—I doubt she’d find that

relieved she wasn’t upset, or that I

moment.

Then why did you feel

the difference, if

definitely one I don’t want to hear,” Yasmine said with a smile, but pushed him away and dived under the covers. “As you say,

small smile curling his lips. “Is

shower, go sleep in another

covered her again,

reply, diving back into

—

nestled under the blankets, her phone set aside, her back

slipped under the covers, and was greeted by her

into her still-lucid eyes and smiled lightly, kissing

dodged him. “Do you think I

Boyd paused, “So…”

a faint smile, “So let’s start with that paper tonight—no

her firmly into his embrace. Yasmine stared at the well-defined muscles on his chest for a

next morning, Boyd was gone. She got out of bed, washed up, opened

to a corner—a pitiful sight to see. She pushed her

He was the one who insisted on having her there. The clothes were his own stubborn arrangement. Hadn’t he brought all this

back and headed out, only to

greeted her cheerfully, “Morning,

the simple fare of milk and sandwiches. Truth to be told, Yasmine wasn’t adept at even such basic

his phone, looked up at her arrival,

took a sip of

to take you to school after breakfast. I’ve got to head