After Ivan left the house, Yasmin immediately called Blake. She was mostly worried about his brewing anger and how difficult it would be to calm him down later.The phone rang for a while before it was finally answered. However, there was silence on the other end, as if Blake was waiting for her to speak first.Yasmin stood at the top of the stairs, glancing around to make sure no one was around. Then, she whispered into the phone, "Darling, I'm home."When she called him "darling", it was actually just to flatter him, of course.Blake's cold demeanor softened a bit when he heard her voice. He asked, "When you went back with him earlier, you two didn't do anything, did you?"The suspicion in his voice was evident. Yasmin snorted. "What could possibly happen in just half an hour?""A lot can be done in half an hour."Yasmin was both speechless and irritated. "We were in the car the whole time, Blake. From the restaurant to my place, you can check for yourself—the journey takes ab
Yasmin suddenly remembered this detail. Before even coming to Merania, she had already undergone a DNA test with Imogen. Yet, Ivan had never mentioned this to her. He only offered to help her leave Blake.In hindsight, he must have known she was Imogen's granddaughter. However, he kept it a secret. He manipulated her into leaving Blake, just to keep them apart.If Blake had brought Yasmin to Merania to meet Imogen, Ivan wouldn't have had the chance to gain Imogen's favor.Yasmin's realization sent a shiver of fear down her spine. It was clear now that Ivan had been plotting this for a long time, possibly starting four years ago."Yes, that's right," Imogen confirmed. She also realized this herself recently. Everything had been orchestrated by Ivan.She asked, "Yasmin, did Ivan know you were from the Sander family long before?"Yasmin couldn't recall at first and was about to shake her head when a memory suddenly flashed in her mind.That time!It was when she went to the mounta
Yasmin was resolute. She couldn't leave alone with the secrets. It would put Imogen's safety at risk if Ivan found out. She couldn't bear to think about her grandmother suffering because of her actions.Hence, she shook her head. "No, Grandma, I can't leave without you. You and Dad are still in Ivan's clutches. I need to get all of us out of here!"Stuart was still in the ICU, and she feared that leaving could endanger both him and Imogen. Yasmin was determined to find a way to save her family.Imogen said, "It's alright, Yasmin. I'm old and my health is failing. A few years less doesn't matter."Yasmin shook her head vigorously. "No, I can't leave you behind. Grandma, I've thought about it. When Ivan and I have our wedding, he'll be convinced everything is going smoothly."That's when you'll give me the USB flash drive. He'll be off guard, and that's when we can all go to Rimmervale together."Yasmin had been going over this plan numerous times since she was confined by Blake. I
Yasmin's breathing quickened. "The bodyguards here are all Ivan's people. Don't act impulsively."If Blake came now, Ivan would certainly find out. If it came down to that, things would get even more complicated.Yasmin feared causing more trouble. Right now, Blake was a threat. His presence was hindering her plans, so Yasmin held back her anxiety as she said, "Darling, can I set up the surveillance tomorrow? Just one more night.""No." Blake didn't like this feeling. Either she stayed by his side, or he would storm into her room.Yasmin bit her bottom lip, not knowing how to persuade him.Blake seemed genuinely unhinged now. She believed he might be psychologically troubled. He was full of doubts, was always guarded, and had tremendous mistrust in everyone.Perhaps the events from four years ago had changed him.But now, she was genuinely afraid of him. She feared he might lose control and decide to use a helicopter to bring her back to Stanton City this instant. That would be
Blake's lips curved into a faint smile upon hearing Yasmin's words. He no longer seemed upset. "You finished your shower?""Yeah," Yasmin replied as she leaned against a pillow while holding her phone."I just visited Grandma. She said her eyes don't hurt anymore, but they're still bandaged. She needs to avoid using them for now and have a doctor come daily to apply medication.""That's good," Blake responded.After that, neither spoke for a moment. Yasmin faked a yawn, pretending to be very sleepy."Are you tired?" Blake asked."Yeah." Yasmin stretched lazily. "You wore me out this morning. Then I went out to eat and had to deal with Ivan when I got back. I'm exhausted…"She yawned several times in a row. Tears of fatigue welled up in her reddened eyes. Her neck still bearing the marks he had left earlier in the day.That morning, she was freshening up when he leaned against the bathroom door, watching her intently. On a whim, he grabbed her from behind and lifted her onto the
After finishing her sentence, Yasmin lay back down. She appeared upset and unwilling to talk further.Blake called her name, but Yasmin merely muttered, "Let's stop talking. I'm going to sleep."Yasmin hugged a stuffed animal and turned her back to the video call to sleep.Blake watched her for a moment. Then, he downed the rest of his wine and picked up a file from the coffee table.Soon, Yasmin's steady breathing came through the phone, indicating she had fallen asleep. Blake's gaze lingered on the screen. Yasmin had always been a restless sleeper. She turned over, and one fair leg slipped out from under the covers. Then, she curled up, draping her leg over the blanket. She hugged the blanket as if it were a body pillow.Watching her, Blake couldn't help but smile.Yasmin had the habit of hugging things while asleep. When they slept together, she would cling to him like a koala bear.In the early days, when their relationship was still strained, Blake found it annoying. Even
But with so many people around, Imogen decided to say nothing and nodded for Yasmin to go ahead.Yasmin directed the technicians to install the surveillance cameras in certain places.Having surveillance in Imogen's room was actually a good idea. If Yasmin needed to leave, she could still check on Imogen via her phone. And if they needed to have a private conversation, they could simply unplug the camera. As such, Yasmin didn't mind this arrangement.Installing the surveillance cameras was quite simple. It just needed to be mounted on the ceiling at the right angle.Yasmin noticed Clara standing nearby, watching without leaving. She frowned slightly and asked, "Clara, is breakfast ready? Grandma is hungry."Clara replied, "Yes, breakfast is ready.""Please help Vanessa bring Grandma downstairs for breakfast," Yasmin instructed, trying to get her to leave.Vanessa was a smart woman. She instantly understood Yasmin's intention. She glanced at Clara and said, "Clara, I can't suppor
Blake asked when Yasmin didn't respond, "You don't seem happy?"She wasn't sure how she managed to smile, but she forced out, "I'm not unhappy, just surprised. Why did you move here so suddenly?""I want to be closer to you, that's why."Yasmin feigned concern. "But being this close, aren't you afraid Ivan will find out?""Do I need to be afraid of him?" Blake's eyes were full of undisguised sarcasm.Yasmin responded hesitantly, "Of course you don't need to be afraid of him. You're stronger than him, but Grandma is being watched by his people. I don't know how many of the household staff or bodyguards here are his spies. Please, just be patient for now and don't make this difficult for me, okay?""How am I making things difficult for you?""That's not what I mean. Can you just help me out here, please?" Yasmin pleaded. She was really at her wit's end.Blake was an unstable factor now. He was like a ticking time bomb. She needed to plan Imogen's escape while also managing his fi