The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

After wrapping up a hectic day at the office, Derek would inevitably make his way to the hospital to visit Yasmine.

Most of the time, he’d grumble about the overwhelming stack of paperwork and corporate hassles. Sometimes, he’d just lug a pile of files into Yasmine’s room, flipping through them and venting to her as she listened.

Bryson and Aliza had both talked to him about not burdening Yasmine with work woes, but Derek paid them no mind.

Yasmine, bored out of her mind, eventually found herself sifting through Derek’s documents without even realizing it.

As days passed, Derek was either furiously gaming by her bedside or sleeping so soundly that it bordered on offensive.

Aliza was exasperated every time she saw him, but Bryson, her husband, eventually stopped complaining.d2

Aliza was baffled. Once, the sight of her son eating had been an eyesore for him. Now, Bryson was pampering him with food and treats just as good as Yasmine’s hospital fare.

The change in her husband’s attitude puzzled her. Before, their son could run himself ragged without earning much more than a sideways glance from his father. Now, what had changed?

Watching her own son’s sloppy appearance, Aliza couldn’t hold back her concern. “What are you thinking? You’re practically coddling him into uselessness. All he does is sleep and eat.”

Bryson disagreed, “Nonsense. Don’t I know my own son? He’s doing great.” Aliza took another look at her son’s unsightly mannerisms, turned away with a heavy heart.

Over time, Yasmine had gotten a rough understanding of the company’s projects thanks to the endless files, which also helped her pass the time.

She wasn’t oblivious to Derek’s intentions. He was clearly trying to distract her and keep her occupied. And she did feel the need to find something to do, but aside from reading, she struggled to find any other engaging activity.

Derek wanted her to be involved with the company, so she went along with it, and it seemed to work well. But the pain of losing her baby was a hurdle she hadn’t expected to be so hard to overcome.

She couldn’t forget. Every dream was filled with her baby’s cries, laughter, and the happy moments when they called her “mom.” She could even envision her baby’s face in the dreams, bearing a striking resemblance to Boyd when he was younger.

The happier the dreams, the more brutal the awakening. And then, her hatred for Boyd grew even stronger.She couldn’t imagine forgiving him in this lifetime.

The best revenge, they said, was to live well and act as if the other person was a stranger. But she realized she hadn’t hated him enough back then.

Because truly hating someone meant wanting them to live a lifetime in misery, almost wishing to see them torn apart a thousand times over.

wished Boyd was dead. She wanted justice for her baby. Now she understood the extreme and seemingly insane actions of Johnson, the regret that

never thought that the pity she once felt for Johnson in the graveyard would one day be her own cross to bear, but what could she do?

times, Yasmine finally allowed her into the room. Seeing Yasmine’s new haircut, Serana

“You cut your hair?”

out of bed. As Serana entered, Yasmine, draped in a robe, stood by the window, arranging the fresh flowers Aliza brought daily

to see me for so long, and that’s your question?” Yasmine didn’t turn around, inserting a freshly trimmed sunflower into

hesitated, “How are your

I

silent, save for the

inclined to

always did around Yasmine, a sensation that had lingered over

accident was all my fault. If I hadn’t chased to the graveyard, you

continue, but because the temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly, and she felt goosebumps all over. She instinctively looked at Yasmine, who still had her back to her, seemingly continuing her task as if

Was it her imagination?

I needed to come and

vase, the stem cut too short, leaning against the rim of the

for thanks,” she said, her voice devoid of

everything on him. You know well enough what happened back then. He was just trying to save us in

want me to hate him or

dropped on

don’t want you to

I hate Boyd or misunderstand him is not

to be a little closer, to hear her voice if nothing else.

sent tremors through his

one thing straight—he was only coerced by thugs to kill you. And I bet those two goons never imagined his bullet would end up hitting me,

You should be over the moon. You and Boyd are quite the pair, aren’t you? I’ve lost, and I’ve lost spectacularly. If

about your health, and my thanks and

two words that, when put together, sound to me like you’re just showing off. I will not accept your thanks,

Serana, each word dropping like solid blocks of ice. “Can your apology seal the bullet wound in my body? Can it heal the knife wound

in panic, her gaze inadvertently landing on the scissors in