Rebirth 119
She was just a teacher who worked as a psychology consultant at Aurelith University after her divorce.
Suddenly, she laughed at herself, wondering when she had become so insecure. She used to be confident and vibrant, just like Yoselin, but now...
Yonas sat down and placed the apple back in her hand, looking into her eyes with a serious expression. He spoke each word slowly. "This isn't a game. I'm serious. I thought you could feel that."
His gaze was intense, almost burning her with its heat. "Yasmine, tell me, what kind of person do you think you are?"
Yasmine was at a loss for words. "I..."
"What kind of person are you?" Yonas continued to stare at her, his eyes so piercing.
"Just like Xavier's mother said, a divorced woman with a tarnished reputation, Yasmine scoffed bitterly.
But Yonas shook his head, his eyes now cold and unyielding. His pupils seemed to lock onto hers. "Do you accept that?"
Accept it? Why should I? Xavier is the one with a tarnished reputation, Yasmine's thoughts raced. The world was always. harsher on women, and divorced women faced more discrimination than men. When Selena said those words, Yasmine wanted to retort and ask why she would be so mean to a woman like her. "Of course not," Yasmine replied, pressing her lips.
Yonas's gaze softened. This was the Yasmine he knew. "Yasmine. I've never wanted to just play around with you. I'm serious."
Yasmine's heart was in turmoil, but she didn't know how to respond. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Look at me," Yonas said, lifting her chin and locking eyes with her as she tried to avoid his gaze.
Yasmine's eyelashes trembled as she met his eyes. "I misspoke," she admitted. She realized that her impulsiveness had led her to say something she shouldn't have. Even if Yonas were just playing, he had helped her so many times, and she shouldn't have said such words. And if he truly meant what he said, she definitely shouldn't have responded that way.
"You still don't believe that I really like you. What about you?" Yonas asked.
Yasmine's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know how to respond. Should I say yes or no? How can I lie to myself?' she wondered. "I... I don't know," she stammered, unsure if she should admit her feelings or deny them.
Yonas smiled faintly. "How about I help you figure it out?"
"Figure it out?" Yasmine looked at Yonas in confusion.
As Yonas's handsome face slowly drew closer, his lips brushing against hers, Yasmine felt her breath catch and her heart pound, yet she had no desire to push him away.
Yonas lifted his head again and asked, "Do you understand now? He didn't spell it out, and Yasmine didn't want to either, but her heart was racing faster and faster. She understood now. Only with someone you like would you not resist such intimate contact.
Yonas didn't push her to admit anything further. Instead, that evening, he brought a pot of freshly cooked oatmeal. "I made this myself. You have to finish it."
Yasmine looked at the porridge with anticipation and took a sip. Along with the diced mushrooms, there was a faint aroma of ganoderma. "Thank you," she said.
D
Yonas must have been quite busy, yet he was still taking such careful care of her while she was sick. But Yasmine didn't think she was a child who needed constant attention. "Don't you have work to do? I can take care of myself," Yasmine said seriously. Yonas had just finished sending an email. "What do you think I spend so much money hiring them for? It's not to let them sit around doing nothing"
Just then, his phone rang. After listening for a few seconds, Yonas gave a meaningful smile and put the call on speaker, placing the phone next to Yasmine.
"Is Yasmine feeling better? Can I go see her? I've been staying at home just to give you two some space, but I'm really worried about her. Yonas, you're so dumb! It's been so long, and you still haven't won her over. Now that she's sick, you'd better make a good impression. Yoselin's voice came through the speaker. "Um, Yoselin..." Yasmine said awkwardly.
The voice on the other end abruptly stopped, and the call was quickly hung up. A few seconds later, Yasmine's phone rang "Yasmine, are you feeling better? I was just joking earlier. Don't take it seriously," Yoselin said timidly.
Yasmine chuckled softly. I'm much better now. The fever's gone.
"That's good to hear. I'll hang up now, Yoselin responded.
After the IV drip was finished and she had finished her oatmeal, Yasmine took a nap. When she woke up, she found Yonas resting his chin on his hand, dozing off. He had brought her to the hospital early in the morning yesterday and had stayed by her side for so long. He must have been utterly exhausted.
His sleeping face lost much of its sharpness, appearing softer and more gentle. His eyelashes were thick and long, and she couldn't resist reaching out to touch them. They felt very soft. Her hand then moved to his nose, his cheek, and finally to his lips that had kissed her several times. That night, when he placed his hand on her lips, she had wanted to do this.© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. She tried to pull her hand back, but he caught it. Her breathing quickened. "Weren't you asleep?"
"I sleep lightly," he replied. He had woken up as soon as she opened her eyes. He just wanted to see what she would do. Yasmine pulled her hand back and turned over, pulling the covers up and going back to sleep.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Louise, who had previously insisted that Helen had instigated her, suddenly changed her story. Now, she claimed that Yasmine had bribed her into committing the crime. With no concrete evidence to prove Helen's involvement, Yonas released a recording from that day. However, Louise immediately changed her story again, saying that Yonas had forced her into it.
Of course, Selena was delighted. She believed that Yvette had persuaded Xavier and even gifted her a gold bracelet in thanks.
However, Yvette soon noticed that something was increasingly off with Xavier. He would often sit alone, lost in thought, sometimes even zoning out during meals. When she spoke to him, it would take him a long time to respond. The embrace from that night, rather than providing her with a sense of security, only made her more anxious and uneasy.
After Yasmine was discharged from the hospital, Yonas took her home. Ever since their last conversation, Yasmine had been feeling awkward and avoided his gaze. She pretended to sleep with her head turned to the side the entire way. This time, she had stayed in the hospital for a full two days before Yonas finally agreed to let her be discharged.
Back home, Yasmine relaxed on the sofa, finally free from the lingering smell of disinfectant. "This feels so good," she sighed with relief.
Yonas placed her medication on the table. "Don't forget to take your medicine. He was about to leave but hesitated. The memory of the late-night call he had received made him worry Yasmine, I'm really worried about you.
Yasmine felt a moment of daze. The last person who had expressed concern for her like this was Yonelin and Lucy. And before them, her father.
"Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll call you right away." She rally realized what it felt like to have someone to rely on.
"You can call me even if nothing's wrong," Yonas said, giving her gentle look before turning to leave. His expression grew serious as he answered a phone call. "Hello? When will you be back?" the person on the other end of the call asked.
He replied, "Half an hour."
"Alright, come straight to my study," came the authoritative voice on the other end, which left him puzzled. His grandfather had never interfered in his affairs, so why was he suddenly calling him back? He got into his car and drove directly to the Russell residence. As soon as he parked, he hurried toward his grandfather's study.