The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

“Yasmine, don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you again. I’ll protect you, I swear you won’t get hurt again.”

Her body tensed, “Let go of me.” But Boyd only held her tighter.

Yasmine began to struggle, “Let go. You’re hurting me!”

Boyd immediately released her, his gaze scanning her body, his voice gravelly with concern. “Where?”

Yasmine pushed him away, “Stay away from me! I don’t need your protection right now. On the

contrary, you just hurt me. Don’t come near me. Get out!”

Her roar halted Boyd’s advance, and after a lingering look, he indeed stepped back a few paces. “Don’t

get worked up, I’ll get you a glass of water,” he said, trying to calm the situation.d2

Yasmine’s hands trembled slightly, barely able to contain her emotions.

When the door opened again, she flinched, but it wasn’t Boyd who entered.

“Madam, are you alright?” The maid asked, concern evident in her voice upon seeing Yasmine’s

condition.

Yasmine shook her head.

“Mr. Boyd asked me to bring you water.”

She took the glass. The warmth seeping into her hands helped her calm down. “Where is he?” she

inquired after taking a sip.

“He is in the study.”

Boyd spent the entire afternoon alone in the study, even missing dinner. At half-past eight, he

reappeared in the room, a glass of milk in hand, as punctual as ever.

The next day, Yasmine visited Greenfield Village.

Three days later, Herschel unexpectedly showed up at the villa, so Yasmine stayed at home.

“Ms. Yasmine.” Herschel had always been respectful towards Yasmine, but he was not one to smile or

speak much. A simple “Ms. Yasmine” from him sounded devoid of emotion.

Yasmine was puzzled by Herschel’s presence. After all, he was in charge of the affairs in Country B – it

was unlikely he had time to spare for a visit here.

Despite knowing she shouldn’t pry, with Boyd’s recent odd behavior, she couldn’t help but ask, “What

brings you here?”

“I’ve come to see Father.”

Of course.

“What’s… what’s wrong with him?”

“Ms. Yasmine, you don’t know?”

Yasmine wrapped her shawl tighter around her, “What should I know?”

Herschel’s brow twitched, “Well, I’ll go see him.”

Without another word, Herschel made his way straight to the study. Yasmine lingered a moment before

following.

As Herschel swung open the door to the study, he noticed Yasmine trailing behind. He let the door stay

open, a silent invitation for her to listen.

Boyd, seated inside, furrowed his brow upon seeing Herschel. “Who let you in?”

Yasmine paused at the threshold of the study, the scent of unlit tobacco wafting out. The crystal ashtray

on the desk was brimming with cigarette butts – all twisted and broken, yet none showed signs of

having been lit.

Herschel’s voice was chilly as he scanned the room, “You can’t stay here any longer.”

“Get out. It’s not your place to meddle in my affairs.”

“Father,” Herschel’s voice was firm, “Ms. Yasmine may not be entirely indifferent to you. If you continue

like this, you’ll not only frighten her but perhaps cause her to worry.”

Boyd shook his head, “I won’t scare her. She worries about me? I don’t want her to worry. But I also

want her to worry about me…. She doesn’t wish me well, and she hates me. If I’m doing poorly, she

won’t worry.” His speech was disjointed, making little sense.

Yasmine gripped her shawl tighter. What was happening to Boyd? Why would he say things like this?

“She will worry about you.”

“She won’t. She hates me. Get out. I’m not at the point where you need to lie and console me.”

Herschel took a deep breath and said, “She hates you, yes, but she forced you away and now wants to

leave you. Do you think it’s all for nothing?”

Boyd stared out the window, wondering what it was all for. She hated him, even though she knew he

loved her. She chose to marry another man to punish him, to make him lose hope completely. The fact

that she didn’t want to be with him now was also because of her hatred, nothing else.

Did anyone even need to ask? He knew it all.

Herschel glanced at the still figure standing by the door and said slowly, “She hates you and wants to

revenge on you. She wants you to live a life filled with guilt and pain. However, whether it was the time

you forced her to leave or now that she’s determined to leave you, she doesn’t want to see you

suffering. You may suffer, but don’t let her see it. So father, if you truly love her, it’s best not to let her

see you like this. She’s not like most people. If she gets what she wishes, she won’t necessarily be

happy.”

Yasmine’s grip tightened, her eyes flickered, and she stepped back.

After a while, Boyd’s voice carried from the study, “Just leave. I’m not going anywhere.”

Herschel let out a sigh, “She refuses to compromise. You know this clinging won’t elicit any response

from her. This vicious cycle leads nowhere but mutual destruction.”

Silence filled the study for a long time.

“She won’t leave with me, so I’ll follow her wherever she goes.”

Herschel, patience spent, left the study with a stern face, crossing paths with Yasmine. Their eyes met

briefly before both turned and walked away in silence.

Not until they were downstairs did Yasmine speak, “What’s wrong with him?”

Herschel undid his suit jacket and sank onto the couch. “As you’ve seen, he’s practically driven mad by

you.”

Yasmine’s expression faltered, then she scoffed. “Driven mad by me? Well, I must really be a curse.

Tell him to release this curse, and it’d be better for everyone.”

“You heard him. He won’t.”

And so they were back at an impasse.

“So you’ve come all this way to do what?”

“I’d like him to live like a normal person for a few more years. Either you two separate, or you go back

to Country B with him.”

“I’ll take the former,” Yasmine declared, without a fraction of hesitation.

“Frankly, you’re heartless. If he had even half the indifference you do, he probably wouldn’t have ended

up like this.”

Yasmine just smiled faintly, unfazed. “So how do you suppose we split up?”

Herschel had always known the kind of person this woman was, yet he had to admit, she had a knack

for getting under his skin. His father’s downfall wasn’t without reason, after all. “He refuses to go back

home with me. So make it clear to him. Make him let go of you for good.”

“What should I say? That I don’t hold a grudge, and he shouldn’t dwell on the past?”

“Something like that.” Herschel stood up, a towering presence over her. “You better not rile him up.

He’s had a few spells before. Do you know how Serena died?”

“Couldn’t bear the pain of a heart attack, and took her own life.”

Herschel let out a dry chuckle. “She was pushed down the stairs during one of my father’s episodes.”

Yasmine’s hands clenched involuntarily, her complexion paling slightly.

Herschel continued, “But don’t overthink it. She did kill herself. Jumped into the hospital’s lake. Not

because of a heart condition, I think, but out of guilt for my father. Do you know why?”

Yasmine forced a thin smile, “Why should I care about their affairs?”

“Because she deceived my father. She used her unborn baby as a bargaining chip to leave with him.”

“She got what she wanted. What’s there to feel guilty about?”

Herschel’s smile was faint, “Ms. Yasmine, who exactly is the father of your daughter, Ms. Chloe?”

Yasmine’s expression turned ashen, and she abruptly stood from the couch. “That’s a ridiculous

question. She is a Summers.”

“I share the same last name with Father, but I’m not his biological son.”

When Yasmine kept silent, Herschel continued, “Anyway, if you want him to let you go, you’ll need to

untie his emotional knots. Don’t let him end up like Serena, sacrificing a life for guilt.”

Straightening her shawl, Yasmine stepped away from the couch, “His predicament is of his own

making. Why should I be the one to untangle his emotional knots?”

“Okay then, you can just keep dragging it out. In my father’s words, as long as he’s with you, living a

few fewer years doesn’t matter.”

“By that logic, staying away from me might let him live to a ripe old age. But you’re oversimplifying

things. I can’t break his heart’s walls. Do you think he’d believe me if I said I don’t hate him? That’s

impossible. He’d just assume I’m saying it to get away from him.” With a sly smile, she added, “What

you should be doing now is finding him a shrink.”

With that, Yasmine turned and ascended the stairs.

Herschel took a few steps, watching her retreat up the steps.

“After all these years, shrinks have always been at his side, but he battles himself, his heart fortified

stronger than steel. If therapy worked, would we be here now?”

Yasmine paused mid-step. “If even a shrink can’t help, I certainly can’t.”Books Chapters Are Daily

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A vein throbbed on Herschel’s forehead. This woman was simply maddening.

Herschel didn’t linger, nor did he leave any further instructions.

At dinner, Boyd emerged from his study, calling her to eat, appearing as if nothing had happened.

Yasmine sat eating alone, while Boyd watched TV in the living room. She barely touched her food

before heading upstairs.

The bedroom door opened again, sooner than usual. The man who should have arrived punctually at

eight-thirty was early today.

She instinctively shrank back, but seeing his usual demeanor, she tried to relax.

Boyd handed her a plate of fruit. “You didn’t eat much at dinner.”

Yasmine was silent for a few seconds before taking it from him. As Boyd turned to leave, Yasmine

suddenly broke the silence.

“What do you know?”