Chapter 1915


    Boyd''s hands clenched tighter, a storm brewing in his chest. "You can hate me, but you''ve got to


    give me a chance to make things right. We lost the baby, but we can still—"


    "Boyd." Yasmine''s voice cut through the turmoil, calm and steady as she slightly tilted her head,


    lying on the hospital bed in the most non-threatening posture, eyes fixed on Boyd. "The answer you


    just gave me, there''s a part of me that''s relieved. Better that you had this nned all along than


    deciding on the spot to shoot me after seeing me go after Serana. I prefer it this way."


    Boyd stayed silent, just watching her.


    Yasmine continued, "I''m not an easy person to deal with. I''ve got a fiery temper, I''m relentless, even


    more so when I''m right. I hold grudges, and I''m vindictive. I''ve been tangled up with you this long,


    and I''ve started to believe that cliché that love makes you stupid, because for you, I''ve done some


    really dumb things. We should''ve cut ties long ago, instead of dragging this out to where we are


    now. I''ve learned my lesson. So don''t you go thinking there''s anything left between us. There''s no


    future for us, not like you think there is."


    Boyd felt his strength waning, and he sank into the chair by the bed, reaching for Yasmine''s hand,


    only for her to calmly lift it and ce it on her stomach.


    "Do you remember the first question I asked you today?"d2


    Boyd thought for a second, "Serana..."


    Yasmine hummed softly, "If it had been before, I wouldn''t have confronted her. It wouldn''t have been


    worth the hassle. But now, I don''t care as much, and her name doesn''t bother me anymore. I


    couldn''t understand why I was being punished like this when I hadn''t done anything terribly wrong.


    Maybe I''d ruined someone''s marriage and this was karma. You should let go, too. You''ve done so


    much for Serana, can you really say you don''t love her?"


    "I don''t. I love you!" Boyd insisted.


    Yasmine chuckled lightly and took a deep breath before speaking again, "You love me, huh?"


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    Boyd repeated with conviction, "I love you."


    "Then I''ll take it that you do." Yasmine said, "But you shot me for her, caused me to lose our baby,


    and I hate you for it."


    "I hate you, and I don''t want to make this easy for you. So Boyd, you better be in love with me,


    because what I''m about to say won''t have the intended effect of getting back at you otherwise."


    Boyd''s eyes grew heavier with sorrow. "I love you."


    Yasmine nodded with a smile, "Good."


    After a long pause, she took another deep breath and continued, "That day at the hospital, when I


    saw you with Serana for her check-up, I wasn''t there to confront you. I called you after you''d


    ignored me for days, willing to set aside my pride. I wanted to surprise you, to have you with me for


    my check-up. But you were busy, and then I saw you rushing off with Serana. Andter, when


    Johnson kidnapped me to the graveyard, I actually felt sorry for him. His son''s favorite snacks were


    so simple, but there are far better treats in this world, than cotton candy and jelly beans. I thought I''d


    give my child the best of everything and that they''d need their father too. So, I decided if you came


    to rescue me, I''d stop fighting. We''d settle down and I''d even try to temper my fiery nature."


    The agony of what could have been ate at Boyd, a bitter taste he couldn''t shake off. Swallowing


    hard, he grappled with the unease and guilt that overwhelmed him.


    She had envisioned a future for their child, and a life with him.


    Yasmine observed him with a smile, "You''ve been good to me. I felt your love. I never imagined


    you''d shoot me. Setting aside my innocence in this whole mess, the choice between me and


    Serana, it was never a real choice. Johnson and Logan made it clear—you should take Serana''s life


    for them. Was that a choice? How was that any different from being forced to kill her?"


    Her voice trembled with the effort to control her emotions, her bitterness and irony twisting into an


    aching sorrow that spread throughout her.


    She covered the quiver in her voice with a lightugh, "Serana said she''d die for you, but I told her I


    wouldn''t. I''m not that foolish. Do I look like someone who''d say they''d die for love?"


    Boyd shook his head sorrowfully, "I wouldn''t want you to die for me."


    Yasmineughed, "But do you know why I wanted to kill Serana? Why I really did?"


    A flicker of confusion crossed Boyd''s eyes briefly before Yasmine''s voice filled the room again.


    "I thought, since Serana was going to die anyway, it didn''t matter who did it."


    She paused, herughter tinged with cold sarcasm, "Even then, I was thinking about you. Your


    company was going public, you had ambitions, and your life couldn''t be burdened with a murderer''s


    guilt. Better for me to do it. I''d take the fall, and you wouldn''t have to live with the guilt of killing the


    woman you''d protected all your life. You might hate me, but maybe I''d be in jail by then. Hah."


    She had no right to call Serana foolish. Perhaps she was the bigger fool.


    Boyd''s eyes narrowed sharply, his heart feeling as if it were being ripped open, raw and bleeding.


    His expression was one of deeper anguish, his eyes rimmed with red, bloodshot and haunted by


    what he had just heard.


    He had never considered, never imagined that Yasmine would think so much for him, that she


    would be willing to bear so much.


    Initially, he thought she despised Serana, hated Serana. Assessing the situation, he also believed


    that killing Serana at that time was the simplest and most direct solution, so she chose to do just


    that.


    Eventer, while Yasminey unconscious, he had thought her desire for Serana''s death, her own


    survival, was all for their child.


    Now he knew otherwise. It wasn''t about that at all.


    "Yasmine, I''m sorry, so sorry."


    His grip on Yasmine''s hand was firm, unyielding, as if holding onto it was his only anchor.


    Yasmine''s graceful neck quivered slightly, and the rims of her eyes reddened. She stared at the


    ceiling, pulling a half-hearted smile, her eyes widened, willing the tears to retreat.


    "I''ve told you before. I won''t say it''s okay."


    She tried to pull her hand away, to no avail. A wave of disgust rose within her, and with it, the tears


    slowly receded. Then, she slowly turned her gaze and, with a twisted smile, looked at Boyd, "Are


    you sad? Regretful? In pain?"


    He held her hand against his forehead, whispering, "I''m sorry."


    Yasmineughed, "It seems you are sad, regretful, and in pain. Good. I hate you, so seeing you like


    this, it makes me happy."


    "Let me go, Boyd. When our child was still with us, I thought about making it work, for their sake.


    But now that we''ve lost our child, there''s no future for us.


    "I won''t give you a chance to make amends. You can either live with this sadness, this regret, this


    pain for the rest of your life, or live in debt to me. I hate you; how could I possibly let you off easy?"


    Or, he could admit that the person he loved in his heart was Serana and not her, and then her so-


    called revenge would stop at this, barely touching his life.


    "I won''t agree, Yasmine."


    Yasmine closed her eyes, drained from the energy it took to speak her mind.


    They fell into silence, the hospital room bing a quiet sanctuary.


    Boyd, too, stopped speaking, gently cing her hand under the covers, sitting by her side, watching


    her sleep peacefully.


    What it meant to be at a loss, to be out of options, Boyd hade to understand time and time


    again, each apanied by a feeling of despair.


    In the past, when she wanted to break up, he could shamelessly pester her, cling to her, do


    whatever it took despite being called shameless, annoying, despicable. But what else could he do?


    He was at fault, time and time again, and knowing Yasmine''s temperament, he had no other choice.


    He knew how to handle Yasmine: in her presence, he would drop his pride, let her rant, let her vent


    until she ran out of steam.


    This mistake, it seemed however, was unforgivable.


    She hated him.


    She loved their baby. Yet, he had caused their baby''s death.


    He had pulled the trigger and dealt the fatal blow. This time, he had made too many mistakes.


    None could be undone. And yet, he couldn''t bear to part with her.


    Her decisiveness was crushing, and if he truly agreed to let her go, it would be the end of them.


    Once assured she was sound asleep, Boyd slowly stood up and left the room. His assistant had


    been waiting outside, and upon seeing Boyd emerge, he whispered, "Mr. Boyd, now that Miss


    Yasmine is alright, you should get some rest."


    "It''s fine."


    The assistant looked at him with sympathy, "Mr. Boyd, you''re in no shape to be here. How will you


    take care of her if you''re not well?"


    Boyd pinched the bridge of his nose, looking back at him, "Do you think she could ever forgive me?"


    The assistant was taken aback, not expecting such a question. "Given the circumstances, to save


    both her and Miss Serana, what you did was the best course of action. Miss Yasmine is smart, I


    believe she understands that."


    "Does that include understanding why she lost our child?"


    The assistant''s lips pressed into a thin line, unable to respond.


    Boyd let out a bitter chuckle, "She won''t, will she?"


    Leaning wearily against the corridor wall, Boyd continued, "She always had trouble with Serana,


    always pushing me to choose between them. I told her they weren''t even on the same scale. But it


    seems I''m doomed to face this dilemma. I wanted them both to live, yet I chose to hurt her. This


    time, she has all the right to be angry, because the price she paid for this answer was too high."


    After a moment of silence, the assistant mustered the courage to say, "It''s rare to have the best of


    both worlds."