Chapter 9
“Yasmin, shut up!” Logan snapped. “Damn it! Can you all stop?” Jeremy, who had been silently playing on his phone, abruptly stood, ruffling his messy hair in frustration. “Can’t Yasmin just retrieve her belongings? She’s an adult! She’s married! Why are her things still here? Let her take them and be done with it! This bickering is infuriating!”
Yasmin’s eyes lit up. Reclaiming her mother’s belongings was her primary goal. She hadn’t expected Jeremy’s unexpected support. The room fell silent. Most of Annie’s possessions were priceless heirlooms. Patricia, Logan, Wanda, and Veronica were reluctant to relinquish them.
Patricia quickly broke the silence. She grabbed Jeremy’s hand, whispering, “Jer, those are your assets. What will you do if Yasmin takes them?”
“Grandma! Those are Yasmin’s assets! Her mother left them to her! What do they have to do with me?”
Before anyone could react, Jeremy grabbed a nearby antique ornament and started toward the door. He turned to Caleb, asking, “Caleb, aren’t you going to help your wife?” His tone was bratty, but Caleb showed no annoyance. He calmly grabbed two jewelry boxes, seemingly content to cooperate.
Logan wanted to stop Jeremy, but with Caleb’s involvement, he couldn’t. These were Yasmin’s mother’s belongings. With some already missing, what excuse could he use to justify keeping them? Despite the pain, he ordered the maids to pack.
Everything was loaded into Yasmin’s G-Wagon—completely filling the trunk and back seat. Patricia was heartbroken, glaring at Wanda and Veronica. If it weren’t for them, this wouldn’t have happened!
“Caleb, Yasmin, it’s almost lunchtime. Stay and eat,” Logan offered, attempting to appease Caleb.
“No thanks. I have class,” Yasmin replied, eager to leave.
Veronica looked expectantly at Caleb. “Caleb, I made your favorite foods today.” Her attempt to seduce Yasmin’s estranged husband disgusted Yasmin. She rolled her eyes. She didn’t care if Caleb stayed and prepared to leave.
Jeremy’s voice cut through the air. “Of course, he’s leaving with Yasmin. Why would he stay?” He looked at Yasmin, his gaze implying, “Are you stupid?”
Yasmin almost laughed. Since when was Jeremy so funny? She even found him endearing. Before leaving, she smiled meaningfully at Veronica. “Veronica, if you have ulterior motives, be more subtle. It’s embarrassing.”
Veronica’s expression shifted, but she quickly recovered, adopting a look of forced tolerance. “Yasmin, Caleb and I have been friends for years. Be mature and stop overthinking. It’s inappropriate.”
“Who hit her?” Caleb suddenly asked.
Logan, grieving over his late wife’s heirlooms, tensed. Cold sweat formed on his back. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Caleb’s silent presence applied pressure.
Finally, Logan caved. “It was… a misunderstanding,” he forced out, then turned to Yasmin. “Yasmin, I was upset. You know I didn’t mean it! It won’t happen again, I promise! Caleb, you have my word!”
He hadn’t considered Caleb would object to hitting Yasmin. Yasmin found the irony amusing. He supported Veronica yet conveniently defended her? A slap followed by a sweet treat? A twisted game?
Seeing Yasmin’s silence, Logan tried again. “That emerald bead necklace… Wanda will buy it back for you at the auction.”
“Alright.” Yasmin didn’t press further. Edith was still hospitalized, and Logan was her legal guardian. She couldn’t antagonize him yet.
With Annie’s belongings secured, Yasmin’s mood improved. A slight smile curved her lips, but the pain in her cheek made her gasp.
“You got slapped, and you didn’t complain?” Caleb asked from the passenger seat.
“Complain to who? You?” Yasmin was about to mock him, but hesitated. Caleb’s intervention had made Logan back down. Thinking of slapping him at the bar, guilt flickered. She cleared her throat. “Why didn’t you tell me the Barnes family dropped the charges? If I had known, I wouldn’t have…” slapped him. She took a deep breath. “Either way… Thanks—”
“It wasn’t me.” Caleb, who had been watching her joy, looked away. “It was Grandpa’s decision.”
“Oh.” Yasmin’s smile faltered. She forced a lighthearted nod. “Mr. Grant Senior is the best!” She shouldn’t have assumed it was Caleb. She’d lied about Mrs. Grant Senior’s help; Mr. Grant Senior had intervened. Essentially the same.
“Am I not treating you well?” Caleb asked.
Yasmin was confused. “You? Treating me well? Do you think you do? If you treated me well, would I have been humiliated last night?”
“Ms. Whitmore, if you refuse to be my wife, you don’t get the privileges.”
Yasmin was about to argue when Caleb’s phone rang. He answered. “Veronica?”
Yasmin’s mood plummeted. Her lashes lowered, hiding her loneliness. His expression darkened. He responded with a single word, “Alright.” Then, he hung up.
“Yasmin, take me back to the Whitmore estate,” he stated.
Yasmin laughed, her temper flaring. They had just left! “So, I’m your personal chauffeur now? I drove you there, and now I have to drive you back? Should I escort you to her bed while I’m at it?”
Caleb’s tone held disapproval. “Yasmin Whitmore, Veronica hurt her hand.”
“What?”
“She said you pushed her accidentally. Now, her left hand is hurting again.”
When had she…? When Veronica had reached for her, Yasmin had brushed her hand away—with minimal force!
“You actually believe her?” Yasmin scoffed.
Caleb’s voice was flat. “Minnie, I believe in facts.”