Chapter 1921


    After what felt like an eternity of chatting andughter, the group had indulged in quite a few drinks.


    Derek, ever the cautious one, had managed to hold back, but even he felt like he was floating on his


    way out.


    Yasmine, who had never been one to hold her liquor, had craftily dodged a few rounds, but still


    ended up in a dizzy whirl.


    And Nick, he was utterly stered.


    Yasmine instructed Derek to help Nick, directing them straight to the hotel. Whether Nick was a


    lightweight or not was beside the point. Rtionships needed to be cemented. The suite at the hotel


    was her way of showing goodwill.


    People said Nick was easily swayed, and that wasrgely true. Get on his good side, and he was


    putty in your hands. That was something worth praising, after all.d2


    No matter how domineering his mother was, the family business was eventually going to be his.


    On the way to the hotel, whether it was the drinks or motion sickness, Yasmine felt nauseous. As


    soon as they arrived, she dashed out of the car and bent over at the roadside to vomit.


    "You okay?" Derek asked, pulling Nick out of the car and looking helplessly between him and


    Yasmine.


    Yasmine waved him off, "Go on in. I''ll be there in a bit."


    Derek suggested, "You know, you might as well not go back tonight. Let''s just get a couple more


    rooms and stay here."


    "Sure." Yasmine agreed, feeling like she couldn''t take much more. Alcohol really wasn''t her friend.


    After purging what she could, Yasmine straightened up, wiped her mouth, and walked into the hotel


    lobby. She asked the front desk for a ss of water, rinsed her mouth, and then copsed onto a


    table in the lobby''s sitting area. Her head was pounding, and she dreaded standing up, fearing the


    world would spin out of control.


    When Boyd returned to the hotel and saw a familiar figure slumped over a table in the lounge, he


    staggered over. He knew her too well. Touching her flushed face, he softly called, "Yasmine..."


    The receptionist handed Boyd his ID with a suspicious nce at the scene unfolding before them.


    "Do you know her, sir?"


    Boyd smiled faintly, "Yes, she''s... she''s my girlfriend, and the mother of my child."


    The receptionist looked doubtfully at the pair of young adults before her. After Boyd picked Yasmine


    up in his arms.


    Yasmine furrowed her brows and lifted her gaze to nce at him, her eyes filled with confusion.


    "Boyd?"


    "Yeah... it''s me..."


    It had been a long time since she called him by his name. Boyd couldn''t help but kiss her forehead


    gently. "I''ll take you to rest."


    The receptionist, seeing the ID matched the name Yasmine had murmured, handed it over without


    further question.


    Yasmine, though groggy, instinctively resisted Boyd''s embrace, but her strength was no match for


    his. "Don''t touch me."


    Boyd just held her closer, kissing her hair in the elevator.


    "Yasmine, you can''t leave me. Don’t be mad anymore. You can hit me, yell at me, anything."


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


    Yasmine felt a surge of anger and pushed harder against him. "Let go..."


    But Boyd pressed his body against hers, sealing her lips with a kiss. No matter how she struggled,


    she couldn''t break free from his embrace.


    This was all too familiar territory for both of them, a kind of automatic ignition when they were


    together, each knowing exactly how to entice the other.


    By the third time, Yasmine was painfully aware of what had transpired. Boyd kept taking without


    end, incessantly calling her name.


    She tried to push him away multiple times, yet each time he stopped her in his own way. She felt as


    if she were being pulled into another world, sinking and then resurfacing.


    When it was finally over, the dawn was breaking. Pushing away the sleeping man, Yasmine got out


    of bed, found her clothes, and dressed shakily. Her legs felt like jelly as she stood.


    Before leaving, she nced back at Boyd with an expressionless face and left the room. As she


    opened the door, she came face-to-face with Serana standing in the hallway. Serana''s smile, tinged


    with surprise, froze when she saw Yasmine. "What are you doing here?" Serana nced at the


    room number and bit her lip.


    Yasmine''s eyes briefly swept over Serana''s slightly protruding belly. "Is this hotel yours?" Clearly, it


    wasn''t.


    Yasmine, feeling miserable and not in the mood for conversation, simply walked past, her clothes


    disheveled and her shirt buttons undone.


    Serana blinked, diverting her gaze.


    "Have you forgiven him?" Serana suddenly asked.


    Yasmine paused, her eyes fixed on the empty corridor ahead, then slowly turned around. Her


    casual smile carried a deadly sting. "No."


    Serana''s tense gaze rxed a bit. "Someone was investigating Boyd, looking into his past, and it


    led them to me. If I''m not mistaken, that person is Boyd''s biological brother. He''s determined to take


    Boyd back to B Country. I believe Boyd has met him. I think going back would be best for him.


    Everyone''s life has parts that belong to their family. They''ve missed out on many years. Besides, his


    family has responsibilities that he needs to take on."


    Yasmine looked at her calmly, "So?"


    "I don''t think he''ll agree to go back, and the likely reason is that he can''t let go of you. Either forgive


    him and go to B Country with him, or if you can''t forgive him, don''t give him hope. Stay away from


    him."


    Yasmine''s eyes narrowed slightly, staring at the carpet for a long moment. "Will you go back to B


    Country with him?"


    Serana hesitated, unable to answer right away. Ever since Boyd asked her whether she wanted to


    keep the baby three months ago in the hospital, Boyd hadn''t shown his face to her again. If it


    weren''t for that detective digging around and finding her, she was certain that Boyd would''ve quietly


    slipped away with him and not even given her a heads up.


    Serana''s silence was met with a cold, mockingugh from Yasmine. "Look, I don''t owe you an


    exnation about me and him, but let me make one thing crystal clear—I will never forgive him.


    Never. You want to be with him? Fine, be with him. But Serana, just know this: happiness will


    always be out of reach for you two.


    "At least a guy like him, I bet he''ll never have the chance to have his own kids with another woman.


    How could he? He''s taken that right away from me. How could he even think about being a dad


    again after what he''s done? And then there''s the thought of facing your kid—what''s going to go


    through his mind when he looks at them?"


    Serana''s face drained of color, and her body shook uncontrobly. "You..."


    "Don''t get so worked up, Serana. I''m just stating the facts. Honestly, who''s got it worse in this


    twisted triangle?


    "Sure, I might look like a tragedy right now, but it''s all about mindset. I could start fresh, find a new


    guy, get married, and even have more kids because my conscience is clear. But what about you


    two? As long as I don''t forgive Boyd, he''ll be living with guilt forever, and you—well, you''ll just be


    living in pain."


    With that, Yasmine''s face broke into a triumphant, mocking smile, as if she''d just won a battle. Her


    words were like daggers, each one striking Serana''s most vulnerable spots.


    Serana knew Boyd just as well as Yasmine did. And she knew that what Yasmine had said was


    true.


    Once upon a time, she had rejoiced over Boyd''s decision to protect her at Yasmine''s expense, even


    to the point of causing Yasmine to lose their baby. She thought Yasmine, with her fiery


    temperament, would never entangle with Boyd again.


    Yasmine was determined to kick her out of Boyd''s life, but in the end, it was them who had to face a


    future as strangers.


    In Serana''s mind, that was probably for the best. But Yasmine was right. Yasmine was hurt, but


    Serana and Boyd would suffer for a lifetime. How cruel.


    "You... you loved him, didn''t you? Yasmine, how can you bear..."


    "As if this whole mess was my doing," Yasmine said coolly. "Did I force you to put yourself in


    danger, or did I make Boyd pull the trigger? Does my love for him justify him hurting me without a


    second thought? I can love him, and I can stop loving him. You think you can hurt someone and just


    walk away scot-free? Please."


    "I''m actually relieved to see him find his family. Honestly, it would be best if he took you with him


    and left town. The mere thought of you two together turns my stomach." With those final words,


    Yasmine turned and walked to the room next door, pausing before taking out her key card and


    opening the door.


    Serana stood there, pale and trembling, Yasmine''s words spinning chaos in her mind. Even if Boyd


    really took her away, he wouldn''t care for her like before. Besides, Boyd seemed utterly indifferent


    to her now.


    The door Yasmine left through remained ajar. Serana walked through it slowly and softly shut it.


    The man on the bed was still asleep, his brow furrowed but showing no sign of waking. The


    crumpled sheets were a testament to the turmoil of the night. Just thinking about what might''ve


    happened between the man and woman in that room made her feel suffocated.


    Her hand instinctively went to her slightly rounded belly. Over the past few months, she had


    pondered why Boyd had asked if she wanted to keep the baby, and why he hadn''te to see her


    since. The only conclusion she coulde to was that he wanted nothing to do with her. He was


    ming her. So even if Boyd really did go back to B Country, he might not take her with him.


    She bit her lip hard, looking at Boyd, her fist clenching the fabric of her shirt over her stomach. She


    had waited so long for Boyd to part ways with Yasmine. If she didn''t seize this moment, when would


    she get another chance?


    She was selfish. She wanted to be with him, to be cared for by him.


    He might feel guilty about Yasmine, but was he really going to let that bind him forever?


    No. She wouldn''t allow it.


    Now that things hade this far, she had to fight for what she wanted one more time. She couldn''t


    erase Boyd''s guilt towards Yasmine, but what if she could make him feel guilty towards her as well?