Chapter 1916


    Assistant hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to speak up, "It''s hard to have the


    best of both worlds."


    The best of both worlds.


    Boyd let out a wry chuckle after a few seconds of silence. There was no such thing as the best of


    both worlds. What he wanted seemed to be too much.


    He looked towards Serana, who had appeared nearby without him noticing. His eyes held a hint of


    chill.


    Serana bit her lip, her face pale as she walked over slowly. "I... I heard Yasmine woke up. I wanted


    to see her."


    At her words, the assistant''s eyebrows raised involuntarily, and he casted a fleeting nce her


    way.d2


    Boyd''s voice was cold as ice, "You want to see her?"


    Serana stepped back, intimidated by his frosty tone and stern look. "Because you want, you must


    have your way?"


    Serana''s lips moved slightly, not quite grasping his meaning.


    Boyd stood up straight, his expression indifferent, his gaze briefly sweeping over her abdomen.


    "The baby, have you decided whether to keep it?"


    Not just Serana, even the Assistant was surprised by Boyd''s sudden question. Serana couldn''t


    figure out what Boyd was thinking. Before, he had wanted her to terminate the pregnancy.


    Now that Yasmine''s baby was gone, would he vent his anger on her and be even more insistent that


    she abort? Then kick her out of his life for good?


    She covered her belly in a slightly flustered manner, nervously saying. "You risked hurting Yasmine


    to protect me from harm. I have no reason not to keep it."


    Boyd watched her for a long time before nodding, "If you want it, then keep it."


    This response was unexpected for Serana, but it brought her no joy. Boyd''s uncharacteristic


    behavior instead filled her with fear. She didn''t know why. She felt an unusual unease.


    "Don''t think about seeing her. Upsetting Yasmine won''t do you any favors."


    Serana bit her lip hard.


    --


    When Yasmine came to, the first person she saw was still Boyd. Just like before, he was


    unrelenting, determined to linger.


    He gave her water to drink and then made a move to feed her. She turned her head away gently,


    "Don''t Bryson and the others know I''m in the hospital?"


    Boyd paused, "I was afraid they''d disturb your rest. Too many people around would annoy you."


    "You could throw me in the middle of Times Square now and it wouldn''t matter. The only person


    who can bother me now is you."


    Boyd put the bowl aside and stood up, "I''ll call them."


    Yasmine didn''t move.


    Bryson and Aliza seemed to have been in the hospital the whole time, not leaving. Soon after Boyd


    left, they came in.


    Bryson, a middle-aged man who had taken care of her for years, striving to establish himself in P


    City, and giving her a secure life, was always upright andposed, mature and restrained. But


    now, seeing her, his eyes were red, his face filled with guilt and sorrow, like a deeply hurt elderly


    father.


    He looks different from when she saw him after she fell down the mountain and was taken to the


    hospital back then. He had aged. Indeed, the young Yasmine, no matter how badly she was injured,


    could rely on her youth to recover quickly and continue to frolic like nothing had happened.


    Being used of heartlessness by Boyd used to upset her. Now she was no longer a child, and


    though her body wasn''t as badly hurt as when she was younger, her heart had been shattered.


    She now wished she truly was heartless, so she wouldn''t feel the tearing pain and could forget


    about this incident in the days toe.


    Bryson had revolved his whole life around her, and she wondered how she could ever repay him. All


    she could do was to live well and happily.


    When she was determined not to let Boyd bear the title of a murderer, not to let him live with guilt


    and remorse for killing Serana, where had she ced Bryson in her mind?


    There were people in this world who truly cared about her and wanted her to have a better life than


    anyone else. Why did she rush to sacrifice her own well-being to fulfill the lives of others?


    One lesson nearly cost her life, and yet she risked it again, costing her child''s life.


    "You... oh..."


    Bryson seemed to have too many words to say, but nothing seemed right.


    Yasmine smiled, "Sorry for worrying you."


    With tears in his eyes, Bryson said, "It''s my fault. I should never have allowed you to be with that


    man again. If I had been more assertive and taken you away from P City, none of this would''ve


    happened. It''s all my fault. I failed to protect you." He couldn''t help but wipe away the tears from the


    corner of his eyes.


    Yasmine watched him quietly, a wave of sadness washing over her. "I won''t make the same mistake


    again, Bryson."


    Bryson sighed repeatedly, and Yasmine turned her attention to Aliza, "Aliza, I''m hungry."


    Aliza hurried forward, picking up the bowl of porridge, "I''ll feed you."


    "Alright."


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Afterward, Yasmine asked Bryson to hire a nurse for her. Bryson and Aliza took turns with the nurse


    taking care of her, and Yasmine did not refuse. All of Boyd''s arrangements were rejected by her.


    There were a couple of days when Boyd didn''t appear. And just like how no one would ever bring up


    the baby Yasmine had lost, they avoided mentioning Boyd.


    Yasmine''s attitude was as if this man did not exist in the world.


    In reality, Boyd came to the hospital every day, only to be stopped by the guards arranged by


    Bryson the moment he appeared at the door of the ward, and persuaded to leave.


    He knew whose orders these were, so each time, after confirming her condition with the doctor, he


    would leave again. The harm he had caused Yasmine this time could not be solved by shamelessly


    clinging on.


    What mattered now was letting her heal properly. If she didn''t want to see him, then he would stay


    out of her sight.


    Serana was still in the hospital, unharmed but shaken, dealing with a heart condition and


    pregnancy, a situation that could not afford any mishaps.


    These days, while Boyd hadn''t seen Yasmine, he also hadn''t visited Serana. She thought about it


    the question Boyd asked her at Yasmine''s door thest time, and still Serana didn''t know what point


    he was trying to make.


    However, regarding the need to see Yasmine, she was certain it was imperative. Just whenever


    Serana reached her doorstep, she was stopped.


    Serana had tried to visit Yasmine several times, though Yasmine wasn''t always aware—most of the


    time, she was resting. The gunshot wound, the knife wound, and the miscarriage had taken a heavy


    toll on her body, leaving her extremely weak.


    But she knew when Serana came most of the time. She had heard Serana pleading to be let in at


    least twice.


    Even Aliza, normally so sweet and gentle, spoke of her with a venom that made her teeth clench.


    "What''s with girls these days? Don''t they have any shame? After all the harm she''s caused, she still


    has the nerve to darken our doorstep and stir up trouble."


    Yasmine forced a smile, "If she had any sense of shame, none of this would have happened."


    Her tone was nonchnt, and her expression unflustered, but Aliza''s face reddened with anger.


    She set down the apple she had been slicing in half, got up, and flung the door open with a cold


    re. "Can''t you leave us alone? There''s a limit to shamelessness. We haven''t evene after you


    for the damage you''ve done, and here you are, showing up uninvited. What do you want?!"


    Serana, who was in the midst of a tense negotiation with the bodyguard, was startled. She steadied


    her nerves and said softly, "Aliza, I just want to check on Yasmine. I''m partly to me too, and I


    want to apologize to her face to face."


    "What do you mean ''partly''?" Aliza snapped back, her voice sharpened by anger. "Who do you think


    is primarily at fault here?!"


    Serana retreated a little, "I... It''s all my fault."


    Seeing Serana''s contrite demeanor only fueled Aliza''s fury. "You... just get out!"


    Serana cast a nce into the room, catching a glimpse of Yasmine propped up in bed, her face pale


    and drawn with illness, watching the exchange with detached coldness.


    Yasmine observed Aliza''s outrage with indifference, making no move to stop her or show any desire


    to speak.


    Serana withdrew her gaze and whispered, "I''lle back another time," before hurrying away.


    That final remark set Aliza off again. Back in the room, she couldn''t hide her irritation. "Some people


    really are shameless and invincible. That woman sure knows how to drive a person mad."


    Yasmine gently lifted her hand to catch a strand of hair that had fallen onto her neck.


    "Aliza, I need to wash my hair."


    She had endured and refrained from washing her hair, fearing it might aggravate her wounds. But it


    was bing unbearable.


    Aliza understood Yasmine''s need for cleanliness. After several days, it was indeed reaching a


    breaking point. However, she was at a loss. With injuries on Yasmine’s chest and back, neither lying


    down nor sitting up was an option.


    That damned Boyd, and that cursed Serana.


    "Miss, maybe hold off for a few more days. Let the wounds heal a bit more."


    Yasmine twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "Just cut


    it off."


    "What?" Aliza was taken aback.


    "Just cut it. It''s a burden," Yasmine inhaled slowly.


    Aliza was still hesitant. She knew how much Yasmine cherished her hair, as did any girl who cared


    about her looks—maintaining their skin, applying makeup, styling their long hair. Yasmine was no


    different, always taking care of her appearance.


    But now she was asking to have her hair cut off, and Aliza was troubled. "Maybe I can tie it up for


    you."


    "Don''t worry about me, Aliza. I just want to befortable. It''s too much. It gets in the way when I''m


    trying to sleep, and it''s notfortable."


    "But I don''t know how to cut hair."


    "It''s okay. Just cutting it short will do."


    Yasmine was insistent. Aliza, unable to dissuade her, bought a pair of scissors and cut Yasmine''s


    long hair in one swift move. After a bit of tidying, it looked surprisingly good.


    Yasmine checked her reflection in the mirror and turned, satisfied, "Not bad at all."


    Aliza chuckled, "It''s because you''re naturally beautiful. Anything suits you."


    Yasmine shook her head slightly, feeling the lightness. "Much better."