The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1920

Chapter 1920

If she could have it her way, Yasmine wouldn't even think about attending graduation. If it weren't for the avalanche of regrets that might follow, she might have really skipped it.

Walls have ears, they say. The whole school probably knew about her losing the baby. Even the old gardener tending to the backwoods was likely in on the gossip. Showing up at graduation meant she'd be the center of attention.

She loathed those pitying stares, but what could she do?

Nobody dared approach her with questions or snide remarks, but getting pregnant before graduation was juicy gossip back then. Wherever Yasmine went, people would instinctively steer clear, and the whispers weren't exactly kind.

Derek, who attended the same school, saw this and was no longer his usual easygoing self. With furrowed brows and a cold demeanor, he wrapped an arm around Yasmine and pulled her close.

It was almost like marking his territory.d2

Yasmine glanced at him, "Not bad, learning to protect a lady now, are you?"

"Shut it, how much less of a man can I be in your eyes?"

Yasmine smirked, "Right now? Very manly."

Their interaction surprised everyone. What? When did these two get together? They were known to be close, but this fast? Yasmine's rebound speed was something else.

When Boyd arrived, all eyes were on him again. Yasmine was taking photos, clearly at Derek's insistence. She never liked being in front of the camera unless necessary. But there was Derek with

his camera, occasionally snapping candid shots of her. She was suddenly in the mood, or maybe she felt like humoring Derek, so she smiled for the camera.

"Wanna join me for a shot?" She invited Derek.

Derek paused, scanning the surroundings. At that moment, someone handed him a bouquet of vibrant, bold roses. He accepted the flowers and approached Yasmine, "Hold these and take a picture with me."

The bouquet was big enough to cover her upper body. Many at the ceremony received flowers, but a bunch this size turning heads as it made its way through campus was something else.

She sniffed the roses, "Getting more romantic, aren't we?"

Derek shrugged, "Like it?"

Yasmine raised an eyebrow and beckoned him over with a gesture. He leaned in, and Yasmine plucked a single rose, kissed it, and pressed it to Derek's lips. "I love it."

Derek stiffened up. Kissing didn't have to be this extravagant. He handed the camera to a classmate and pulled Yasmine close, posing for several shots.

Boyd stood nearby, struggling to contain himself. He might have stormed over and whisked Yasmine away if not for his restraint. Still he couldn't help approaching them, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Yasmine glanced at the camera's photos. The roses were quite the scene-stealers. Handing the camera back to Derek, she caught sight of Boyd standing before her, his aura cold and dark.

She scanned the crowd, their indifferent silence speaking volumes. Raising an eyebrow, she had no intention of pretending she didn't know Boyd, especially in front of people who knew they'd been an

item.

"Something wrong?"

Boyd remained silent, just looking at her.

Yasmine's lips curled slightly, "Let's go. Time to celebrate the end of my academic life." Clearly, she wasn't speaking to Boyd.

Derek glanced at Boyd, nodded, and then turned to leave with his arm around Yasmine's shoulder.

Boyd grabbed Yasmine's wrist.

Yasmine, looking at the roses scattered on the ground, finally cooled down. She turned to face him, her voice icy. "Let go."

Boyd didn't speak, but his grip tightened. Yasmine laughed coldly, raised her other hand, and slapped Boyd across the face. The slap echoed sharply, followed by gasps from the crowd.

Yasmine pulled her wrist free. "Jerk."

She picked up the roses from the ground, brushed off the dust, and walked away.

Derek spoke softly after some distance, "Are you sure it wasn't just you wanting to slap him?"

Yasmine sneered, "Well, I wanted to. But I needed a reason. He's not worth the trouble over past issues."

"According to your life philosophy, shouldn't the past be more slap-worthy?"

"The past?" Yasmine paused by the car door, "I won't hit him over the past. He'd love for me to get angry over it. Why should I give him that satisfaction? I'll let him stew in guilt and pain for the rest of

his life."

Derek opened the car door for her, shivering, "Women are terrifying."

Yasmine got into the car, "So remember, don't get cocky. Mess with one woman, fine; mess with several, and you'll slip up eventually."

Derek got in too, "Where are we celebrating?"

"Shouldn't you be planning that?"

He nodded in agreement.

"I booked a room. We're not going home tonight."

The car's tail hit the vehicle behind. Derek was stunned, "What... what did you say?"

Yasmine turned, her smile mischievous, "Just us two in a suite, not going home."

Derek surveyed her up and down. "You're not serious, are you?"

Yasmine placed the roses in the back, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed at him. "Maybe give you a chance tonight?"

Derek scribbled a number on a piece of paper and tucked it under the windshield wiper of the rear- ended car before getting back in without another word.

--

Serana wouldn't miss Boyd's graduation for the world. Even with a noticeable baby bump, she didn't hesitate to go to school. The thought of encountering Yasmine filled her with dread, but she went anyway.

Rumors had it that Boyd had been slapped by Yasmine. She scoured the entire school but found no trace of Boyd. When she asked Boyd's assistant, the assistant was clueless, badgered persistently by her until finally divulging that Boyd had booked a room at a hotel. What the assistant didn't reveal was that Ms. Yasmine had also booked a room there.

--

Upon leaving school, Boyd beelined for the bar. In the afternoon, the place was almost empty.

He pondered how he could win Yasmine back. From the moment he had pulled the trigger on her, through the news of her miscarriage, to the present, he had been consumed by this thought.

Yet he had no solution.

He didn't even know what he would say upon seeing her.

Still, he couldn't bear the thought of her being with someone else. Now, whenever he blinked, he saw the radiant roses in Yasmine's arms, her smile while nestled in another man's embrace.

Wasn't she supposed to love him? Hadn't she been willing to shoulder the label of a murderer for him? So why was she now turning to find solace in the arms of another?

Drink after drink, cigarette after cigarette. He drank from afternoon until night, from the silence to the bustling cacophony.

--

After dinner, Yasmine and Derek, breaking their usual routine, ducked into a bar. Yasmine had reserved a private booth in advance, but when they arrived at the bar around nine, they barged into a different one.

At first, Derek was perplexed. He had told her they had a different booth booked, but she insisted on opening the door to this particular booth.

As they entered, Derek had an epiphany and cursed under his breath. God damn it, what was she even thinking!

"Sorry, wrong room. Mr. Summers?"

Derek sneered, thinking her act convincing.

Nick, who was disturbed from his revelry by the intrusion, was initially annoyed. However, seeing Yasmine, he paused. Hearing her call him Mr. Summers, he took a few seconds before asking with confusion, "And you are?"

Yasmine approached with a smile, "Turns out it really is you. I suppose it's most suitable to call myself a junior from your alma mater right now."

"From Summit Ridge University?"

Yasmine nodded, "Coincidentally, I just graduated today."

Up close, Nick was momentarily disoriented by Yasmine's radiant beauty. "Ha, a junior indeed."

Yasmine briefly introduced Derek, "This is the Deputy CEO of Peck Innovations, also from Summit Ridge University."

"Oh, great!"

Derek reluctantly went over and greeted Nick.

The entire booth was filled with Nick's old school chums, none of them known for their virtuous intentions.

The Summers family held some clout in P City. They had a formidable and competent matriarch, though their influence seemed to have waned in recent years. Plus, there was Nick, P City's notorious good-for-nothing prodigal son.

Everyone present was there to milk the Summers family for what it was worth while they still could. Of course, Yasmine was also scheming to milk this "good-for-nothing" for all he was worth. Like the Summers family's teetering entertainment company – it would be such a waste if it fell into someone else's hands.

The entertainment business here wasn't nearly as developed as abroad, but that didn't mean it would stay that way in the coming years. The entertainment sector was destined to claim a significant slice of the domestic economic pie.

Yasmine had her eye on that juicy morsel. Derek was aware of her plans, but who would have thought she would confront Nick tonight? How did she know Nick would be here?

The rest of the evening was spent in casual banter and drinks.

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