The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

☛ Bookmark This Website

The car pulled to a curb and Yasmine spoke with a detached indifference before swinging the door

open and stepping out.

She glanced at the nearby diner, a sardonic smile creeping over her lips. The place was one of P City’s

top-tier spots, not the kind of joint a college kid with no family to speak of could afford – hell, even folks

from a decent background wouldn’t waltz in there without a second thought.

Talking about splashing the cash.

Boyd followed, stepping out of the car’s other side.

Yasmine was on the edge of the pavement, the rush of traffic buzzing by. Boyd, with a furrowed brow,

strode over to her and guided her across to the safety of the sidewalk.

Yasmine brushed off his hand, “I’ll say it again – I’m not feeling great, I’m not going to the hospital, and

I certainly don’t need you hovering over me every second. You go meet whoever you’re meeting. I’m

heading home.”d2

She pulled out her phone to order a ride.

Boyd, with pursed lips, snatched the phone from her grasp. Yasmine looked at her empty hand, her

usually impassive face darkening with irritation. “Boyd, there’s a limit, you know. My temper’s been

good lately, but don’t mistake that for weakness.”

Instead of responding, Boyd opened the car door and nudged her back in. “Can’t bear the thought of

leaving you here to fend for yourself. Does that make me heartless and cold? I don’t think so.”

Her smile was syrupy sweet, “Heartless and cold? Those words don’t even begin to do you justice.”

Boyd slid back into the car and shut the door behind him. “Drive.”

Rubbing at her temples, Yasmine continued, “So you’re playing the soothing boyfriend now, only to

deal with Serana later? Doesn’t that wear you out?”

“You and she are never on the same scale for me,” Boyd said. “Making you feel better doesn’t mean I

have to deal with her. And like I said, she’s not your concern.”

Yasmine gave a half-hearted smile, watching the road ahead, “If you don’t listen to me and end up

taking me to the hospital anyway, you might as well fire your driver and sell the car.”

She noticed the driver stiffen – clearly, he wasn’t deaf.

Boyd turned to look at her, his hand briefly checking her forehead for fever before letting it drop. “You

sure you don’t need the hospital?”

She gave him a withering glance and remained silent. The look in her eyes said it all – she was looking

at him like he was an idiot.

Boyd pressed his lips together, then took her hand gently, “Home.”

“My place,” Yasmine corrected.

He didn’t speak, just gave a meaningful look to the driver, who understood immediately.

On the ride back, Yasmine, leaning against the seat with her eyes closed, seemed genuinely

uncomfortable.

As expected, Serana’s call came through. Boyd answered honestly, saying that Yasmine wasn’t feeling

well – and Yasmine didn’t even bat an eyelash.

Was Boyd honest? Painfully so. Not just with her, but with everyone. It seemed ‘lies’ were not in his

vocabulary. But then again, she couldn’t fault someone for being too sincere.

Half-asleep, she felt the car stop and was just straightening up when Boyd scooped her out of the seat.

Seeing they were at Boyd’s apartment, she frowned, “So my words are just bullshit to you now?”

He gave her a disapproving glance.

Yasmine knew he disapproved of her choice of words, but at the moment, she couldn’t be bothered to

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

come up with something more elegant that carried the punch she intended.

“I have everything you need here. Aren’t you feeling unwell?”

She didn’t bother to respond.

Back in the apartment, Boyd set her on the couch. “Rest up. I’ll whip something up for you.”

Yasmine wasn’t hungry, but she didn’t protest. Just like she said, her words were as good as nothing to

Boyd.

During his cooking stint, she took a quick shower. Emerging, she caught the comforting scent of

chicken soup.

In the dining room, Boyd motioned for her to sit while he ladled the soup into a bowl for her. The table

was set with light appetizers – nothing fried, all looking refreshingly appetizing.

Yasmine didn’t play coy, digging in as soon as she sat down. Boyd took a seat opposite her, also with a

bowl of soup. After a few sips, she noticed he was just having soup as well, and her eyes flickered.

“That lazy, huh? You can’t even make yourself a proper meal when you’re in the kitchen?”

A smile touched his lips, “This is fine by me.”

She went back to eating in silence.

Later, after they had finished, Boyd asked if she was feeling any better. Yasmine gave a noncommittal

hum.

The next day, Yasmine called in sick to school. Boyd, deciding to play the devoted caretaker, stayed

home with her.

The living room was his makeshift office, papers strewn across the coffee table, while Yasmine half-

watched some TV show.

Before noon, Serana called to check in on them and offered to come over with lunch, which Boyd

promptly turned down.

Yasmine rested her forehead in her hand, listlessly watching a TV show she had stumbled upon

halfway through.

Boyd made no effort to hide, so she couldn’t help but overhear. At times like these, she felt as though

women discussing their love lives were truly akin to lunatics. She didn’t want Boyd to have any secret

dealings with Serana behind her back, but neither did she want to watch them openly interact under her

very nose, acting as though they were guiltless. It was even more annoying.

After hanging up the phone, Boyd gave her a glance, “What do you want to eat for lunch?”

“I don’t know.”

There was still some time, so Boyd didn’t press her further.

However, not long after, the doorbell to the apartment rang. Yasmine, groggy with sleep, was jolted

awake by the sound. The TV in front of her had already switched to commercials.

Boyd got up to answer it.

It was Serana.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

Serana flashed a smile, “I heard Yasmine wasn’t feeling well. Thought I’d come by to check on her.”

Yasmine’s brow twitched. Nobody knew better than Serana herself that her presence was the last thing

Yasmine needed. It was almost like she’d come to rub salt in the wound.

Serana entered with a bag of groceries, clearly planning to stay for lunch. She smiled at Yasmine,

asking where she felt unwell.

“Feeling sick,” Yasmine replied, her voice light as air.

Serana’s expression shifted ever so slightly, but she maintained a smile, “Then I’ll whip up something

light for lunch.”

Boyd said, “I can handle it. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”

Serana shook her head, “Let me do it. You guys did stand me up last night, so making up for it with a

lunch isn’t too much to ask, right?”

Yasmine let out a sarcastic laugh from her perch on the couch.

Without waiting for their consent, Serana headed straight for the kitchen. “By the way, guys, I bought

quite a lot of groceries today. Mind if I invite someone else over?”

Boyd frowned, “Who?”

“A friend of mine.”

Without looking back, Serana opened the kitchen door, effectively cutting herself off from them.

Boyd’s expression darkened. Yasmine wasn’t sure if it was because Serana had shown up

unannounced, the fact that she insisted on cooking, or the sudden, inexplicable desire to invite a

stranger into his home.

Yasmine, watching his mood sour, smirked and tossed the remote aside before standing up and

heading for the bedroom.

She wasn’t on the same level as Serana? Well, it was about time to put that theory to the test.

Boyd stood in the empty living room, looking even more upset.

Before lunch, the doorbell rang again. Serana dashed out from the kitchen to answer it.

Boyd sat on the sofa, his efficiency with paperwork drastically lower than when Yasmine had been

watching her shows beside him earlier.

Serana returned with her guest, “Boyd.”

Boyd put down his papers and stood up, giving Serana’s companion a cursory glance.

The man was dressed simply, with a polite, shy smile that seemed a bit out of place. Seeing Boyd

stand, he quickly said, “Hi, I’m Patrick, Serana’s classmate.”

Boyd gave Serana a cold look and nodded slightly.

“Just in time. Lunch is ready. Boyd, could you call Yasmine to the table?”

“Sure.”

Yasmine had no intention of making things easy for Serana, but Boyd wouldn’t allow her to skip lunch.

Since he couldn’t win with words, he had to use force. He carried her straight to the dining room.

She wasn’t wearing shoes, so he threw a cushion from his chair onto the floor for her to step on.

Despite her reluctance to afford Serana any respect, Yasmine still cared about Boyd’s feelings. She

couldn’t bring herself to cause a scene in front of their guests.

Their intimate interaction left Patrick feeling awkward.

Serana served them soup with a smile, “It’s a light broth. I added just a bit of vinegar to stimulate the

appetite. Yasmine, you go first.”

Yasmine pursed her lips, stepped on Boyd’s foot, and ground her heel in a bit. She was frustrated but

still had to be mindful of his image.

Boyd’s smiled slightly, understanding her sudden aggression, and let her vent.

Yasmine nonchalantly picked up the spoon and took a sip of the soup, arching her eyebrows ever so

slightly as if nothing had happened.

Serana asked, “How is it, Yasmine?”

Yasmine took another spoonful, her gaze detached, “Your cooking is always flawless.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Yasmine finished her soup without another word, and Serana promptly refilled her bowl.

With her uncharacteristic compliance, Boyd offered Yasmine a bite of food, “Eat something solid. Don’t

fill up on soup.”

Yasmine, seemingly just to contradict him, took another sip, “Am I a child that needs to be told how to

eat?”

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

“Perhaps a child wouldn’t need so much attention.”

Yasmine frowned.

“You’re the Queen here,” Boyd added, almost sarcastically.

Serana, having watched the couple’s every move, put down her fork and looked at Boyd and Yasmine,

then said, “Boyd, Yasmine, I came over today because I have something to tell you.”

Boyd’s gaze narrowed as he glanced at Patrick sitting there.

Yasmine didn’t react.

“I know it was sudden to bring Patrick today. I meant to tell you last night, but then Yasmine felt unwell.

It’s okay to say it today. Patrick is my boyfriend.”

She finished, and Patrick smiled awkwardly.

Yasmine finally looked up at him, giving him a thorough once-over. He was a clean-cut, boy-next-door

type, his smile tinged with shyness, clearly nervous.

She turned to Serana, her lips curling slightly, “I never noticed any signs of you dating before. Why so

sudden?”

Serana replied, “I’ve been in college for three years. It’s not unusual to date, right? And it wasn’t

sudden, he’s been pursuing me for a year and he’s a great guy.”

Yasmine rested her chin on her hand, her gaze flitting over to Patrick then back to Serana, and after a

moment’s scrutiny, she smiled, “Is that so?”

Serana nodded, trying to maintain her composure as she shifted her gaze to Boyd, “You two are my

closest friends, so I wanted to share this with you first.”

Boyd didn’t look pleased.

After drinking two bowls of soup and picking at her food, Yasmine stopped eating altogether.

Boyd remained sullen, not following through on his earlier comment about treating her like a Queen.

She barely touched her meal. And Boyd stayed silent throughout.

What can you say? She wasn’t so helpless that she needed someone to coax her into eating. Nor was

she unable to tell when she was hungry or full. She didn’t need his pampering actually. But helping her

put on one shoe and forgetting the other—while he might not notice, she was the one left

uncomfortBooks Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates…

ble with one bare foot. Sometimes it was the little things that revealed the most, wasn’t it?

Her delicate fingers brushed her temples as she placed her fork down and stood up. “I’m full. You guys

continue.”

Boyd glanced at her and set his fork down too, standing to lift her up, but she stepped away before he

could, smiling at him warmly. “I got this.”

Yasmine walked barefoot back to the bedroom.

A few steps without shoes were better than walking unevenly with just one, as long as there weren’t

glasses on the ground.

Yasmine slipped into her bedroom, pulling on a pair of faded jeans and a comfy sweater. The door had

barely creaked open when Boyd’s chilling voice, heavy with authority, slammed into the silence. “I won’t

agree to it!”

Yasmine’s hand froze on the doorknob, not turning it.

Serana’s voice rose in response, “This is my decision to make.”

“He’s been after you for over a year, and you’ve dodged him for just as long. You claim to know him

well, but do you really?”

“Of course, I do. Why else would I choose to be with him?”

Boyd shot up from the couch, his expression turning icy, “Of course you don’t know him. That’s exactly

what you need to be asking yourself—why you’re choosing him. I’m warning you, you’d better keep

your distance from that guy.”