Yasmin stepped out of the bathroom after a quick shower. She glanced around as she made her way to the closet. There was no sign of Declan.
"He has not returned yet!" She shrugged when she remembered his solemn expression as he stared at the phone. The way he went out in a hurry made her suspect that something was not right.
"I hope everything is fine."
She put on a maroon sleeveless middy that fell just above her knees. She turned to leave after grooming her hair and applying light make-up. When she saw Declan walk in, she took a subconscious step back. His glum expression made her stomach flip.
She pulled her chin down and walked past him, but Declan came in front of her. She looked up at him and moved to the left while he stepped to the right. When she went to the right, he shifted to the left.
She moved to the left again. Declan put his hand against the closet this time, blocking her way. It caused her to retreat, but he put his other hand against the closet shelf.
Trapped between his arms, she stared at him with a trembling heart. Her back pressed against the shelves. As she noticed him leaning towards her, her breath hitched in her throat.
They kept staring at each other without even blinking, as if they were competing to see who would bat their eyelashes first.
Yasmin was the first one to blink. She found Declan intimidating and enticing at the same time. His proximity was enough to raise the temperature. Her whole body tingled when his warm breath fell on her face. Her thoughts were clouded by lust. She was not in the state of thinking anything straight. All she wanted was to kiss him senselessly.
She became excited when she noticed his gaze fell on her lips. She believed he would kiss her this time.
'Please, Declan…'
Her lips quivered and parted slightly. She closed her eyes and waited for his lips to touch hers.
Declan initially wanted to kiss her. But he changed his mind after noticing her eagerness, his lips quirking into a wicked grin.
'You made me suffer last night. Why would I satisfy you?'
He took a fresh towel from the closet and hung it around his neck. Then he turned around and strode to the bathroom.
Yasmin opened her eyes and peered at him with a gaping mouth. She felt a flash of irritation. She gritted her teeth, a scowl appearing on her face.
"Such a tease," she grumbled, fists clenched. She stormed out of the room, ruthlessly pushing her hair away from her shoulder.
Amy had already served the breakfast.
The table was not filled with various dishes like the day before. There were only cereal bowls, toast platters, and scrambled eggs.
Yasmin sat on a chair and took a plate of toast and scrambled eggs. She started eating without waiting for Declan. However, she couldn't stop herself from glancing at the stairs, hoping he would come at any minute.
She finished eating whatever she had taken, but Declan didn't come. She wondered why he was taking so long.
Declan walked down the stairs, talking on the phone. He had a briefcase in his hand. He halted his steps as he noticed Harry rushing over to him.
"I have an urgent meeting to attend. I will have breakfast at office."
Yasmin also got to her feet. She was about to go to him, but he walked out in a hurry. She stood there speechless, gaping at the main door.
"How can someone work so hard that he has no time to eat?" She murmured, her eyebrows furrowing. "He doesn't have time for me. Huh…" She sighed loudly. "I will undoubtedly grow old waiting for him." She went back to the room sullenly.
************************************************************************
At the head office of Wilson and Co…
After a long meeting, Declan came out of the conference hall and headed to his desk.
Melissa, his secretary, rushed over to him. "Mr. Wilson, you have an appointment with Mr. Johnson in an hour," she informed him, handing him a file. "The details are here."
"Hmm…" He opened the file and began flipping through the pages.
"What do you like to eat?" she asked.
"Sandwich."
"Alright." Melissa turned to leave.
"Send Francis to my office."
"Okay…" Melissa turned back to him, but Declan had already entered his office. "Mr. Wilson," she murmured, sighing. Then she hurried to call Francis.
Declan was busy checking the file.
Knock-Knock…
"Come in."
Francis came in, pushing the door open. "Good morning, Boss," he greeted him, taking his seat across from him. He pushed a small pouch towards him. "Your new sim."
"You took so long in arranging a new SIM card that you didn't have time to attend the meeting." Declan arched his eyebrows, dissatisfied.
Francis scowled at him, showing his displeasure. "Sometimes I think I should resign. You give me so much work. But you never appreciate my efforts."
Declan remained calm as if he had not heard him. He removed the old SIM and tossed it in the trash.
"Your salary will increase next month," he said, inserting the new sim card into the phone.
Anyone would be happy to hear it, but Francis felt a knot in his stomach. His workload doubled every time Declan gave him a pay raise.
Francis imagined himself with unkempt hair and dark circles under his eyes because of working around the clock. He didn't say no to the hike in the salary, though. He didn't further complain either.
Declan set the phone aside, glancing at him. "What took you so long?" he asked.
"You assigned me two important jobs, if you remember."
Only then did Declan remember about the young man from Yasmin's college. "Any update on the young man with Yasmin?"
"Hmm…" Francis nodded curtly. "His name is Caleb Wynn… Good in studies. His family is wealthy and has a political background."
"Is that so?" Declan frowned and rolled the paperweight, leaning back on the seat.
"Hmm… What I have found out is that he likes Yasmin… I mean, Madam."
"Oh…" Declan twirled the paperweight, his face darkening. "What about Yasmin? Does she also have feelings for him?"
"Not sure." Francis shrugged. "She never said yes to him, nor did she stop him from coming after her."
"She likes him." Declan grabbed the paperweight tightly, his knuckles turning white.
"Don't assume anything," Francis cautioned him. "She didn't say yes to him."
"She didn't say no either," Declan growled, his eyes cold.
"It doesn't matter right now. She is your wife. And that young man can do nothing."
"I swear I will kill them both if she dares to cheat on me," Declan grumbled. His grip around the paperweight grew even tighter.
Unaware of Declan's sour mood, Yasmin had a nice time at college. She didn't get distracted during classes like the day before. She had fun with her friends like she used to do.
When her friends asked her about Declan's homosexuality, she cleared the air. She even exaggeratedly explained how Declan got intimate with her. No one doubted her after observing her flushed face.
Buzz-Buzz…
In the meantime, her phone vibrated from an incoming text message. She clicked on the message and read it.
'This is my new number. Save it… Declan.' She smiled as she typed, 'I get it.' She hit the send button.
"Who is that?" Lisa asked.
"Declan." Yasmin giggled.
"Oh…" All her friends smiled teasingly.
"I am envious of you," Lisa murmured.
"You are damn lucky, girl," a blonde chimed in.
"Declan is so hot." A woman with curly hair fanned her face with her hands.
Her friends continued teasing her.
Yasmin was overjoyed when everyone commented on how envious they were of her marrying such a wealthy and attractive man. For the first time, she considered herself fortunate to have married him. She didn't whine about Natasha like she usually did.
After waving everyone goodbye, she came out of the campus and waited for her cab to arrive.
She sensed a middle-aged woman's gaze on her. She thought the woman had come to pick up her daughter. But she began to doubt her intention when she noticed her staring at her. She stepped away, checking the location of the cab on her phone. She peeked at her, only to meet her gaze. It made her uneasy and irritated at the same time.
"Do you know me?" She asked, approaching her.
The woman smiled and nodded. "Yes. Aren't you Declan's wife, Yasmin?"
Yasmin blinked, her mouth agape. "You know him!" she exclaimed, taken aback.
The woman chuckled. "I am Grace." She stretched her hand towards her.