Rebirth 160
Right after her talk with Morgan, Yasmine spotted a hashtag on social media, which said, "Ts Mr. Russell Buying an Engagement Ring for Ms.C White?"
Ever since Irene's comeback, the paparazzi had been relentless, dissecting her and Yonas's every move and relationship
status
With a shaky finger, Yasmine clicked on the news article. In displayed a clip of Yonas and Irene stepping into a jewelry store. A mere ten minutes later, they exited, Irene now holding a little gift box. The article mentioned an interview with a store clerk who verified the purchase of a diamond by Yonas and Irene with the same box they carried
Yasmine locked her phone silently. She hadn't wanted to see it, but there it was-the smile on Yonas's face. Before they met, he was known as a stern man, a man who rarely smiled. That changed after they got close. But now, the smile that was once hers alone seemed to be shared with Irene, too.
A wave of unease washed over her as Yasmine reached for her water p
glass and drained it, 'Is Yonas really getting serious with Irene? she pondered
Back at the Russell estate, Yonas was promptly shown to the study by the butler upon his return. Engrossed in his writing, Nathan laid down his pen as Yonas entered.
"Take a gander at this, will you?" Naduan said, pointing to his work.
Yonas gave a couple of appreciative glances, but something about Nathan seemed off today.
"What's up, Grandpa You called me here for something" Yonas asked, even though he hadn't planned on coming back today.
Nathan settled into his chair and smiled. "How's the collaboration with Irene these days? I heard EverPeak's rep is coming by this afternoon to check out the quality. You two should be there.
"Got it Grandpa Irene already briefed me, Yonas said,
Nadun pulled up a news article on his phone. "Care to comment on this?
Yonas took the phone, and the headline was all he needed to understand the situation. "I was with Irene at the jewelry store yesterday, he admitted. Then he added after a pause, "But it was just a bracelet, not an engagement ring" "It's not the ring I'm talking about. It's about you and Irene, Nathan said with a meaningful look
Yonas avered his gaze. "We're just old friends. That's all"
Nathan switched off the phone screen, his expression turning grave. Tm afraid Irene might not see it that way. The White family and we have been close for generations"
"Trene has been asking about you since she left for abroad, and the first thing she did upon her return was to seek you out. William's mentioned it to me more times than I can count, and Eve always dodged the subject," Nathan added. "Grandpa, I consider Irene a friend, Yonus stated, his eyes cold,Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.
After all that had happened, he couldn't see Irene as a close friend anymore. Their interactions were more cautious than friendly.
Nathan nodded. "I understand. But you should be aware of Irene's feelings. Even if you don't reciprocate, you must consider the company's interess
"Are you suggesting I should be wish
Irene for the sake of the company... Yonas's voice trailed off.
"No! The Russell family may be tied to the White family, but I won't have our children's marriages used as business leverage. I won't meddle in your decisions, but one thing is clear you must not hurt Irene ve come to see her as a granddaughter, Nathan said, his eyes
earnest.
Yotias gave a solemn nod, having no-intention of hurting Irene.
At the Russell
Group's factory, Irene and Yonas stood at the entrance, awaiting Everlcak's representative. They had just arrived themselves. Yonas's appearance showed sufficient respect to EverPeak, a multinational giant MARCAS
DE LUNES A DOMINGO PARA
Soon, a luxury sedan rolled up, and a sharply dressed young man emerged. He offered his hand to Yonas first, saying politely. "Mr. Russell, Ms. White, I'm Dennis Norton, Everl'eak's representative" "Nice to meet you, Mr. Norton. Yonas shook his hand with respect.
Irene smiled and said. "You look younger than both of us, Mr. Norton."
"Ms. White, you're too kind. You look like you just left college, whereas I've been in the workforce for years, Dennis replied.
Dennis had studied up on Yonas and Irene, understanding their characters well before meeting them.
As they toured the factory, they saw only well-maintained machinery and hardworking employees.
The factories of the Russell Group and White Group were next door to each other, producing parts designed to fit together. If one part failed, the other set would be useless, too.
This was by design. It was a clause in the EverPeak contract to ensure both companies worked in sync and maintained quality.
Dennis followed Yonas into the production area, inspecting a part while quality control personnel analyzed it for ten minutes before reporting to Dennis.
"Mr. Russell, this batch is flawless, Dennis said
After a thorough inspection of both the Russell family's and the White family's factories, Dennis smiled at the pair, saying, "You two would make a perfect match.
Irene playfully twirled a strand of her hair and offered, "Mr. Norton, I'm hosting dinner tonight Care to join us?"
"Absolutely, it's an honor, Dennis agreed.
At the Sanchez residence, Yasmine sat in Morgan's office, guiding Yoselin to the couch. She lit some calming incense. "Relax" Yasmine instructed. Yoselin's eyes drifted shut as she let her body go limp. Once Yoselin was under, Yasmine moved in front of her, waving her hand in front of Yoselin's closed eyes. "What do you see?"
"I see Yasmine. We were having dinner. We went to a concert. It was a blast, Yoselin replied.
Yasmine was puzzled, thinking. 'A concert? I've never been to one with Yoselin. Is she imagining things?
"Yoselin, are you sure it was with me? What else do you see?" Yasmine pursued, looking at Yoselin with excitement.
with sweat.
Then Yoselin continued, "There were crowds, people with glow sticks and fans. It was sweltering, and Yasmine's forehead was beaded with Yasmine's brow furrowed. She tried to make sense of Yoselin's vivid description. They'd only known each other for less than a year, and the summer before, she was still with Xavier.
Why would Yoselin remember a summer concert with me? And why are the details so lifelike! Yasmine wondered.