Blake tilted Yasmin's head and looked directly into her eyes. "Everything's over now, understand?"He kept his gaze locked onto hers. Feeling self-conscious, she nodded. "Yeah."In short, Blake didn't marry Giselle, the divorce wasn't finalized, and Annalise wouldn't oppose their relationship anymore.There was a flutter in Yasmin's stomach. She snuck a peek and saw Blake staring at her tenderly. Unable to suppress her longing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. Blake immediately reciprocated, but her phone suddenly started ringing in her bag.She snapped back to reality and realized that they were still on the streets. Blushing, she said, "Hang on, my phone's ringing."Blake released her, and she quickly pulled out her phone and saw that Chris was calling her. He told her that business was blooming and asked her to come back to help. Yasmin looked at the time. It was already 8:00 pm, which was usually the busiest time for nigh
Yasmin's heart ached for Blake when she heard this. No wonder he always looked exhausted whenever she saw him lately. It took over ten hours for a round trip from Cirrus Town to Stanton City, so he was bound to be tired.She grabbed a blanket and covered Blake with it.Soon, they arrived at Miller Village. Chris and Malcolm got out of the car first.Yasmin softly woke Blake up. "We're here."Blake's eyes sprung open, bloodshot and weary. When he realized it was Yasmin, he lowered his guard and relaxed. "Have you closed the stall?" His voice was husky with sleep. Yasmin nodded. "Yeah. It's already past 9:00 pm, and we're home now. If you're tired, you can go upstairs and sleep after showering.""I'm all right." He sat up, noticing the blanket. "Were you the one who put this on me?""Yeah." It was usually the other way around. Yasmin smiled and took out the apple Chris had given her. "This is for you, Mr. B. It's for Christmas Eve!"She liked calling him that. It sounded m
Yasmin decided not to hold her feelings back anymore. Happiness now radiated from her, and she looked like a sunflower bathing in the sunlight—bright and cheerful. Blake couldn't tear his eyes away. With a smile, he took her hand and tried to pull her onto his lap.However, she wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head. "Eat first, or the pasta will get cold.""All right." Blake released her and glanced at the pasta. A fried egg was nestled on top, along with some grilled vegetables.Yasmin was well aware that Blake had a habit of avoiding vegetables when eating.She frowned and said sternly, "You have to eat your vegetables. You'd best finish them all, Mr. B."Blake glanced at her reluctantly. "But I don't want to.""You have to. I'll be watching you," she demanded. "Usually, you're the bossy one who keeps giving me commands. Now, it's my turn."Blake gave in to his stern wife and obediently ate the vegetables. After he finished eating, Yasmin gave him a sweet s
"Okay." Blake kissed the tip of her nose and said, "Let's sleep."The two of them drifted off to sleep, wrapped tightly in each other's embrace.…When Blake woke up the next morning, Yasmin was already gone. He put on his clothes and went down in search of her.However, things were quiet downstairs, and the only person left was Jessica."Jessica, where's Yasmin?" Blake asked. Jessica replied, "She went to set up the stall with Chris. She said that since today's Christmas, she'll be back once they finish selling the remaining flowers."Blake frowned when he heard this and immediately set out to find Yasmin.Yasmin wore a white skirt, and her long hair was braided into two fishtail braids.Her looks already made her appear youthful, but this hairstyle made her look even younger. Soon, Chris' classmates came over.They were two handsome male students who promised to give Chris a hand, and they were stunned when they saw Yasmin."Chris, is this your sister?" asked one of C
Yasmin frowned. "I'm not slow.""Yes, you are." Blake's expression was sour. "Are you trying to act cute by tying braids?"Yasmin was at a loss for words. Frowning, she retorted, "You're just old, Mr. B. Everyone ties braids nowadays. It's nothing special.""I don't care. I just know you're not allowed to seduce men," Blake stated coldly. Yasmin was starting to get angry. Smacking him in the arm, she defended herself, "I didn't seduce anyone! That boy was just 13. Why would I try to seduce him? You're being unreasonable."Blake hugged her tightly and said firmly, "I don't like it when other men stare at you."He especially detested when men stared at her with blatant desire.Yasmin was self-conscious about being hugged in public. "Don't hug me here. It's embarrassing."People in small towns like this enjoyed gossiping. But Blake didn't mind. "So what? We're not locals, so why should we care about others' opinions?"Chris watched the two of them banter and shook his head, am
The two of them stared at the river without speaking. When the wind picked up, Blake took his jacket off and draped it over Yasmin's shoulders. Immediately, she felt much warmer. She glanced over and noticed he was only wearing a shirt. Worried he might catch a cold, she quickly told him, "I'm not cold. You should wear it instead.""We were walking earlier, so I'm not cold either." Blake held her hand and smiled. "We should head back for lunch. It's time to return to the city.""Okay." This time, she was returning with him willingly.After all this time, she was starting to miss her father, Eunice, and Arthur.When they returned, lunch was already prepared. Jesicca greeted them warmly when she saw the two come in.Today's lunch was extravagant. Jessica, who was in her sixties, raised a toast to Blake and thanked him for helping Chris. Blake accepted the drink with a smile. "It's nothing, Jessica. I'm the one who should thank you for taking care of Yasmin.""No, I should b
After Yasmin finished showering, she sent Eunice a message."Eunice, Blake brought me back to Stanton City."Eunice was surprised. "Why did you come back with that bastard, Yaz? He married that woman!"This reminded Yasmin that Eunice still didn't know the truth, so she quickly explained everything.However, Eunice never replied.Yasmin, starting to feel worried, followed up with a call. The first thing she heard when Eunice picked up the phone was exclamations. "Holy shit! There's nothing going on between Blake and that woman!""I know. Didn't I tell you that already?""It has nothing to do with that. Blake clarified it on his social media account! Go check it out." Eunice was awestruck by Blake's courage. Someone had exposed the failed wedding on the Internet. In response, Giselle kept defending herself by saying that her relationship with Blake was still going strong, but they had no plans to get married.She even stirred rumors to take advantage of Blake's reputation.
Blake exposed Giselle's true intentions one word at a time.She gasped, her face ashen. "But I never did anything to her. She's completely fine, isn't she? My plans never succeeded, so why are you still doing this to me?"Giselle broke down and began sobbing.Blake sniggered. "Well, it's too late. You had your chance, but you didn't take it. Now it's time to pay the price for your actions."He continued, "Also, you'd better stop testing me. Your family has been riding on my coattails for so long, so if you keep this up, I'll make your family business disappear."With that, he hung up mercilessly.Giselle could only toss her phone and wail into her hands. …"Did you see the news, Yaz?" Eunice was still on the phone with Yasmin. Yasmin replied, "Yeah.""And did you see what happened to her manager? She was arrested for tax evasion. Karma's a bitch!" Eunice cackled. She couldn't be more satisfied with what happened to Annie, especially when she recalled how Annie strutted in
Pamela thought that Yasmin's voice sounded strange, but since Yasmin was an important client, she didn't dare offend her.Politely, she replied, "It's okay. Please take your time.""Alright, please leave for now. I'll look for you once I'm finished here," Yasmin said in a strained voice."Okay." Pamela left soon after.Once she was gone, Yasmin awkwardly tapped Blake's shoulder. "Alright, stop it. You almost got us caught just now."Blake was now satisfied. A man who had been sated was no longer as surly. He became shockingly gentle, wrapping his arms around her waist and saying, "Join me for dinner later.""Okay," Yasmin weakly agreed. "Please let me go now."Blake finally released his hold on her. Yasmin's legs felt like jelly, and she nearly stumbled as soon as he let go.He steadied her and looked down at the torn train of the wedding dress. The front, however, still looked fine. He smiled and said, "You still look beautiful in the wedding dress."Yasmin glanced at the mir
Blake didn't respond, choosing instead to stare at Yasmin. She had just removed the tiara, letting her long hair cascade over her left shoulder. This brought attention to her fair skin and made her appear as if she was an otherworldly beauty.No wonder Ivan had been mesmerized earlier. A woman in a wedding dress truly possessed a sacred kind of elegance.Blake's gaze traveled down to her chest. She looked exquisite, but something was missing—the ring. His face darkened as he asked, "Where's the ring?""I took it off when I was trying on the wedding dress. I put it in my bag," Yasmin replied. She turned around to retrieve it for him.Maybe it was the way the wedding dress hugged her slender figure, or the graceful way she bent down to pick up the ring, her hips subtly lifting. Either way, the movement exuded an undeniable allure.Blake suddenly felt an overwhelming urge rise from within him. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her waist as if possessed.Yasmin froze
Ivan sneered in response. "Oh? Do you want to come over and have a drink at the wedding?""There's no need for a wedding toast, but I'll send you a nice little gift soon. You've had Lizzie abducted, and I haven't settled that score yet." Blake's tone was cold and menacing.Still, Ivan wasn't afraid. He took a couple of steps forward, smirking as he said, "Feel free to try—but you should think it through. You have more loved ones than I do. "Besides your mother and Lizzie, there's also your grandmother. I could blow up your mother's hospital today, kidnap Lizzie tomorrow, and have your grandmother killed the day after."Blake's cold laughter came through the phone. "Is that so? Well then, I guess I need to send you a big gift today."The two men continued their exchange from a distance. Yasmin, who was unable to hear the conversation clearly, was trembling with fear. She was terrified of what they might be discussing.It was at this moment when Wendy hurried in from outside. She
Yasmin stepped into the fitting room and changed into the wedding dress. When she emerged, her long hair was elegantly pinned up, and her red lips were vibrant. It made her look breathtakingly beautiful.Ivan saw her and was momentarily stunned. His gaze was unwavering as he stared wide-eyed. Then, he caught himself and smiled. "Yasmin, you look stunning."She gave a slight smile in response, adding to her allure.Ivan was almost entranced. He picked up a crystal-encrusted tiara from nearby and placed it on her head. She glanced upward, her eyes sparkling as she stood there in the white wedding dress. She looked absolutely mesmerizing, and Ivan couldn't take his eyes off her.Meanwhile, Blake watched from across the street with a growing sense of jealousy. The sight of them together made him smirk cynically. Unable to contain himself, he pulled out his phone and called Yasmin.He didn't want to see them looking so perfect together. It irritated him to no end.When Yasmin's ph
Yasmin's heart ached as she listened, her eyes reddening. "You're doing great, Trist. If Mom were with you right now, I'd definitely give you a big hug."Tristan mumbled, "Mom, stop acting like it's the end of the world. You sound so sentimental. I'm doing just fine here. I've got friends to play with and plenty of household staff members to look after me. "You just take care of yourself in Merania, and do whatever you need to do. Once you're in Rimmervale, we'll see each other again."Yasmin nodded. "Yes, we'll see each other very soon."Just then, the door swung open, and there Ivan stood in the doorway. Yasmin jumped in surprise and instinctively ended the video call."Why are you crying?" Ivan asked, noticing her red eyes.Yasmin wiped her tears and smiled. "It's nothing. I just miss Trist."Ivan understood that being a mother made Yasmin emotional whenever she thought about her child. He then asked, "By the way, how was Trist's winter camp? When is he coming back?"Feelin
Yasmin huffed in exasperation. "I just stole his proposal a few days ago, and now he's starting to get suspicious. If I tell him I don't want to take wedding photos, he'll be on to me for sure. If he gets suspicious, my plan will be completely ruined."Blake remained silent on the other end of the line.Yasmin sighed and continued, "It's really not a big deal. This is the last thing I need to do with him. The wedding is in seven days—it'll all be over by then.""When are the wedding photos being taken?" Blake asked.Yasmin hesitated before answering, "Didn't I already tell you? The day after tomorrow, in the afternoon."Blake only replied with a simple, "It's late. Go to sleep." Then, he ended the call.Yasmin could tell he was not all too pleased, but she really didn't want to stir up more trouble than necessary. There were just seven more days to go—Yasmin wanted to get through the final spurt safely and smoothly.…On the day of the wedding dress fitting, Yasmin was having b
Yasmin had no idea what Ivan would do to her if he learned the truth. She feared that if she angered him, he might lock her up somewhere no one would ever find her."I did that because my grandma suggested it to me," Yasmin explained."Your grandma knows about all of this?" Blake asked."Of course. Do you think someone as sharp as her wouldn't notice that every time you visited, we disappeared for hours? She figured it out a long time ago and asked me what was going on between us.""So, you told her everything about us?""Yes, she knows we've reconciled. I even planted a listening device on Ivan. We're hoping to acquire evidence of his illegal activities." Yasmin nodded as she spoke."Did your grandma suggest that to you too?"Yasmin replied briefly, "Yes."Blake let out a soft laugh. "Your grandma is quite the master of strategies.""She really is," Yasmin agreed with a smile. But seconds later, her expression grew serious. "Blake, there's something I need to tell you.""Wha
Yasmin's face turned pale as she realized the extent of the surveillance at the Burke residence."Can the surveillance footage from the study be deleted?" Yasmin asked at the time.The housekeeper shook her head. "It can't be deleted. The surveillance is linked to Mr. Burke's computer. His computer is password-protected, and only he has access to it."Yasmin's heart sank at the news. She knew that once Blake made his move to sabotage Ivan's project, Ivan would inevitably discover that she was involved.Hence, she had already discussed a plan with Imogen to handle the situation. Although the process had been nerve-wracking, everything had gone smoothly. Ivan seemed to believe her explanation.With the project now in jeopardy, Ivan would likely need additional funding, which meant it was unlikely that he would call off the engagement. Yasmin assured herself that Ivan wouldn't do anything drastic to her—not when he needed money from Sander International.After seeing Ivan off, Yasmi
Ivan gently touched Yasmin's face and said softly, "Forget it. Four years ago, you did wrong by him. It's understandable that he threatened you. But don't worry, I've already forced him back to Stanton City."Soon, I'll deal with everyone who has wronged you. I'll make him miserable and ensure he has no time to harass you."Yasmin stared at him in surprise. "Ivo, what are you going to do to those people?""I won't let a single person who hurt you get away with it. However they treated you, I'll make sure they experience the same," Ivan said, his eyes dark with resolve.Yasmin took a deep breath, unable to find the right words.Ivan seemed to realize that his current expression was too grim. He softened his demeanor and asked with a forced smile, "Let me see what you bought for me."Yasmin quickly snapped back to attention and began showing him the gifts she had purchased. Since she had never bought him anything before, Ivan looked somewhat dazed as he looked at the gifts.He pic