Yasmin's blood ran cold as fear struck her. She looked at Vanessa solemnly and said, "Vanessa, replace these medications with the ones Grandma really has to take. Don't let anyone see you swap them out."There was no telling who among the housekeeping staff and bodyguards reported to Ivan. Besides, Imogen had only just had surgery, and her movements had to be kept to a minimum. Yasmin would have to lie low and observe how things pan out for the time being.She added for good measure, "Vanessa, this stays between us. Grandma can't know about this."The last thing she wanted was for Imogen to have a heart attack after learning Ivan had been poisoning her. She figured it would be wise for them to hold off the news for now.Yasmin and Vanessa were still talking when the former's phone rang. She jumped in surprise and glanced at the name flashing across the screen. Her mouth ran dry when she saw Ivan's name—like the words had been carved by the devil himself.She must have spaced out,
Yasmin's eyes widened in shock. "Why?""Why? Haven't you heard about what happened four years ago?" Isaac countered, perplexed.Yasmin truly hadn't heard anything. She recalled Ivan telling her that Blake had solved the little hiccup that had occurred at Windmere Group and agreed to let her go. She hadn't asked about the events in Stanton City since.Isaac knew from Yasmin's silence that Ivan had spun her yet another lie. He said gravely, "Four years ago, Windmere Group experienced a crisis after you left. Ivan and Neil worked together to kick Blake out of the board of directors and took away his position as the acting CEO of the company."However, Blake had his own supporters in the company. With their endorsement, Neil could not kick him off the board so easily. But all this was well within Ivan's expectation. After all, his goal was never to rip Windmere Group out from under Blake but to sell off its shares and projects."At the time, Neil had used his position in the company t
Yasmin's heart thundered in her chest. Her instincts cried at her to run, so she did.However, Blake grabbed her by the arm to stop her from fleeing. He chuckled darkly as he drawled, "Where are you running off to? I only just got here, and we have so much to catch up on, don't you agree, Yasmin?"She blanched. The next second, the pungent scent of chloroform invaded her nose, and darkness claimed her.When Yasmin awoke, she found herself lying on a couch in a suite. She felt drained. Although she tried to get up, she couldn't summon enough strength to do so.Just then, the door to the suite opened. A backlit, towering silhouette entered the suite and came to a stop before her. It was Blake, and a sneer tugged his lips as he perched next to her. She could feel his menacing gaze raking over her limp form.Yasmin tried to move, but her limbs felt like they were weighed down by lead. Blake snorted at her effort and said, "Don't bother. The drug hasn't left your system yet."He sat e
The thought prompted Blake to tighten his grip on the gun once more, his gaze devoid of warmth. Once he killed Yasmin, she would stop haunting his dreams. He would stop recalling the things that happened four years ago, and he would not be tortured by those memories any longer.It was then that Yasmin saw the scar running along his neck. Isaac had told her that Blake was ambushed by the mercenary group while he was in his car. He sustained gunshot wounds and a cut to his neck.She wondered if the scar had come from that event. Tears spilled fiercely down her cheeks as she thought about how much danger he had been through.Blake saw her tears and chuckled humorlessly. "Scared?"Yasmin shook her head. "I heard you were nearly assassinated once. You were shot and you took a cut to the neck. Is that how you got that scar?"Blake's smile grew even more wicked when he heard this. "You said you were used as a pawn, but when I was nearly assassinated two years ago, you never once came b
Blake seemed shocked by Yasmin's request. He raised a brow at her and asked, "That's your last wish? To kiss me?""Yes," Yasmin said. "Since you don't believe me no matter how much I've tried to explain to you, all I ask for in my final moments is to kiss and hug you."He was surprised to hear this. He narrowed his eyes, demanding, "What are you playing at?""You're holding a gun to my head, and I could die at any second. What tricks could I possibly pull? It's not as if you'd believe what I say, so…" Her gaze fell on his lips, hoping she hadn't guessed his feelings for her wrongly.She did not want to stoop so low and use his feelings as a weapon, but she didn't want to die, either. She still had to save Imogen from Ivan's evil plot, and Tristan was waiting to see her, too.And so Yasmin would play her cards well if it meant her survival. She would not die until she had made sure Imogen and Tristan were safe.Without waiting for Blake to respond, she pushed her aching body up an
Yasmin kissed his throat and brushed her lips across the scar on his neck, her slender hand feeling up the buttons of his shirt. As she undid them, her free hand slid down his firm chest.She felt the proof of his desire and chuckled. "See? You're turned on as well. Why don't you just admit that you want me?"She slipped her hand under his waistband. He stiffened and tried to hold her hand still, but she was as lithe as a snake. She evaded his touch and lowered her head.As Yasmin knelt next to him, she did her best to worship every part of him with her mouth. Blake tensed under her. She had never gotten on her knees and taken him with her mouth before. It was a strange sensation—to hate her yet be unable to push her away. He even felt excited, the thrill making his blood sing.They stayed on the couch, their silhouettes tangled.Yasmin grew tired after a while. Her jaw ached, and her tears were spilling freely down her cheeks. She couldn't do this anymore. Perhaps she just wasn
Blake saw Malcolm waiting for him in the corridor the moment he left the room. Malcolm had been here for a while, but he dared not open the door and interrupt when he heard the amorous noises coming from within.Upon spotting Blake coming down the hall, Malcolm glanced at the bite marks on the former's neck. Having confirmed his guess, he informed dutifully, "Mr. Ford, we stalled Ivan and brought Ms. Starr over here last night without him knowing. He has been combing through the town looking for her ever since he discovered she was missing this morning."Blake snorted. "He certainly has a lot of time on his hands. Let's give him a small surprise, then."The surprise Blake had planned for Ivan revealed itself that afternoon when the latter's car exploded. Ivan had detected the scent of smoke when he got into the car and jumped out immediately, but his arm still got caught in the resulting blast.He was later sent to the emergency room. As the doctors peeled off the layer of burnt
Yasmin batted her eyelashes at Blake, blinking her large, doe eyes as she played up her innocence.Blake snorted and asked derisively, "You think I'd believe you?" He had stopped trusting her a long time ago.Yasmin knew very well that he thought she was seducing him out of fear, but even so, she had to stand her ground. She hooked one slender leg around his thigh and purred, "You're welcome to kill me if you don't trust me."She even dared to look wounded by his stoicness.Blake's eyes roved over her body as his lips pressed into a tight line. "How many times will you pull the same cheap trick? You could at least pretend to have some dignity."He was talking about her honey trap."Do you really want to kill me?" Yasmin asked, her voice low and sweet. When he made no reply, she knew he was reluctant. She willed her heart to slow into a steady beat as she caressed his handsome face. "Or would you rather have some fun with me?"To show him what she meant, she rose on her tiptoes a