"Why didn't you go upstairs to sleep?" Blake asked.Yasmin's face was flushed with sleep. She rubbed her eyes, only then realizing she was in his arms. His body heat warmed her."I was waiting for you to come back for dinner," she said softly.Blake was stunned, his gaze softening. "Fell asleep waiting?""Yeah. You didn't say when you'd be back." She felt a little embarrassed. "You can put me down now."Instead of putting her down, Blake carried her straight to the kitchen. Her bare feet dangled without slippers."Where are your shoes?" Blake asked, setting her on a dining chair."By the sofa."Blake went to fetch her cute little cotton shoes, squatting down to slip them on her feet. "It's getting cold, so remember to wear socks.""Okay," she responded, feeling the warmth of the moment.Blake could be really gentle. If life were just about the day-to-day, he'd be the ideal man—successful and faithful, a real catch.Dinner was already laid out on the table."Let's eat." Blak
"Done." After licking off the milk foam, he felt satisfied and let her go.Yasmin's face turned red. She ran off like a little bunny.Blake laughed. Was she really that shy?After finishing his dinner, he went upstairs to look for her. However, he didn't find her in her room. He called out, "Yasmin.""I'm here." Yasmin poked her head out from the attic, holding a book."What are you doing up there?"Her lips curved into a smile. "This is my secret hideout. Wanna come up?" Yasmin invited him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.Blake wasn't interested in the attic. But seeing her enthusiasm, he didn't refuse and climbed the stairs.Yasmin said gleefully, "Look, my hideout hasn't changed at all."When the house was cleared out, the court forgot the attic. As such, everything there was left untouched.Blake looked around. There was a dressing table, a bookshelf, hundreds of dolls, and many photo albums. Clearly, she grew up surrounded by love. That was why she was so innocent.
"Why? Do you have secrets here that you can't share?" Blake turned to ask her.Yasmin wouldn't say. Her face was flushed a deep red as she pushed him toward the slide. "Anyway, this is my private space. You can't just barge in. Go down the slide, hurry!""I don't want. That's for kids." Blake refused to use the slide."It's convenient. You have no idea how cool my room is. If you climb out the attic window, you land straight in the pool. You can dive straight in from here."Blake was baffled by her room's design. "Your dad wasn't scared you'd fall to your death?"She could climb out to an apricot tree from her room and dive into a pool from the attic. Didn't her dad consider the possibility of an accident when he designed this room?"That's the fun part. What would you know, old man?" Yasmin insisted on him taking the slide down.Blake wouldn't budge. Somehow, they ended up sliding down together. Blake was worried she might fall, so he held her tight.They landed at the bottom,
Yasmin was stunned. Her hands were still around his neck. "Your mom woke up?""Yeah." Blake pulled away her hands. "I need to go to the hospital."Yasmin couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.Blake's mom was awake. Would she push for their divorce again? Now that Blake had agreed to help save her dad, she didn't want to part ways with him.She felt a little upset but knew it wasn't the time for complaints. Thus, she obediently stood up.Blake glanced at her. "Not happy?""No." She shook her head and went to grab his coat for him.As Blake got dressed, he stared at her and asked, "Did Roxy come to apologize today?""No." Yasmin shook her head again."Have you thought about what compensation you want?" She was somewhat distracted when she responded, "What compensation?""She had someone steal your sketches, wasting all your hard work. Have you thought about how much you want from her for the damages?"Yasmin hadn't really considered it. She thought for a moment. "Two
Giselle bit her lower lip. "Weren't you two supposed to get a divorce? How come you're living together now?""We're not getting divorced," Blake replied calmly.Giselle's eyes darkened. She had worked hard caring for Annalise in the hospital, and now he wanted to be with Yasmin? That couldn't happen.She had to make Blake marry her before Annalise got better. Once her child was born, she would lose all leverage. The longer she waited, the slimmer her chances became.When they arrived at the No. 10 villa at Newphoria Bay, Giselle slightly clenched her fists and pretended to twist her ankle as she exited the car."Ah!" She cried out in shock.Blake reacted quickly and grabbed her hand. He looked concerned as he asked, "Are you okay?"Pretending to pass out, Giselle firmly shut her eyes. Thus, Blake's question went unanswered.Blake pressed his lips together, carrying her into the villa.Annie opened the door for him.Blake carried Giselle upstairs, laid her on the bed, and th
When Blake returned, Yasmin was looking at her phone.Hearing someone at the door, she quickly hid her phone under the pillow.Blake opened the door just in time and caught her slipping the phone under the pillow, pretending to sleep. He furrowed his brow and took off his coat. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"Yasmin didn't answer and pretended to be asleep.Blake sighed as he walked toward the coathanger. He removed his shirt and pants, then wore a robe. Approaching the bed, he noticed her red nose."Why have you been crying?" He turned on the night lights to see her face better.Yasmin sniffled and said, "It's nothing.""If it's nothing, why'd you cry?" He thought about what she might have been doing. "What were you looking at on your phone?""Nothing.""Let me see.""No!" She refused, but Blake had already grabbed the phone.Yasmin tried to snatch it back, but Blake flashed the phone in front of her face—unlocking the face ID.She was stunned. "Give it back!"Blake held
Yasmin bit her lip. "Mr. B, if your mom gets better, will she make you marry Giselle?"She didn't want him to marry Giselle, especially since the baby wasn't even his. Why should he be stuck with her?"Do you not want me to?" he asked.Yasmin nodded. "Yeah, I want to be with you."Her words made his heart skip a beat. He pinched her chin and said, "If you don't want a divorce, you'll have to listen to me from now on."He kissed her, his familiar and dominant presence overwhelming her.He was a good kisser. Yasmin quickly got lost in the moment, gently responding while wrapping her arms around his neck.Blake's gaze was so deep, as if it could swallow everything up....The next day, Yasmin came downstairs feeling refreshed.She went to check on Mary, who was making breakfast.When she entered the kitchen, Mary was about to mash some potatoes to go with grilled salmon.Yasmin quickly said, "Mary, don't just serve the mash plain. Mix in some chopped veggies and spices as well
Frowning, Blake asserted, "This is my house. Where else would I be?"He continued, "Now, where were we? Oh right, hiring a lawyer. Roxy, do you really want to go to court?""I..." Roxy faltered, struggling to find the words.Ignoring her presence, Blake reached out and touched Yasmin's head like she was a little cat. "Did you sleep well last night?""It was okay," Yasmin answered. They spoke as if Roxy wasn't there.Inside, Roxy was in turmoil. What's happening? Weren't they supposed to get a divorce? Why do they seem so close?With Blake around, Roxy didn't dare act up. She just stood there, biting her lip in frustration.Blake was about to have breakfast and didn't want to deal with Roxy any longer. He left her with a choice, "Court or five million, you decide."Then, he took Yasmin's hand and went to the dining room.They both sat down. Blake saw the mashed potatoes on the table and raised an eyebrow. "Did you add veggies?"She was always like this, finding ways to make hi