Chapter 6

Yasmine said calmly, “Fine. Go ahead.”

The next two days passed the same way.

Whenever Yara came by with food, she would complain about one ache or another, and Leo would take her out for a “check-up.”

The meals Yara brought were things Yasmine could not stomach, but Leo never paid them any mind.

After three days in the hospital, Yasmine had lost a lot of weight.

Even the nurses began looking at her with pity.

She only gave them a faint, grateful smile and showed no sign of sadness.

Maybe she had grown numb to it all. Even if she saw Leo and Yara in bed with her own eyes, her heart would not stir again.

She thought she had already had enough of it. She wanted to wait a little longer before she left for good. But she had not expected that someone still saw her as a thorn in their side.

When she returned from the hospital, she found that her packed bag had been rifled through.

A sense of dread washed over her. She rushed to check and realized that the jade bracelet she had hidden at the bottom was gone.

Her parents had loved each other so much. Her father gave his life for the country when she was still a child, and her mother spent the rest of her life alone.

That bracelet was her father’s gift and a symbol of his devotion to her mother. It was the one thing her mother had held onto all her life.

On her deathbed, her mother had given it to Leo. She had asked him to put it on Yasmine’s wrist and swear to treat her well for life.

Leo had said, “If I ever fail Yasmine, may I lose everyone and witness my family’s ruin.”

Yasmine had quickly covered his mouth to stop him.

Back then, she had truly believed him.

It was only after learning he had deceived her all along that she took the bracelet off.

But where had the bracelet gone?

She tore through the house in panic and searched every corner.

Then, she spotted Noah in the yard playing with his friends. Dangling carelessly from his hand was her bracelet.

Her heart jumped to her throat.

“Noah, give that bracelet back to me!”

Noah turned and made a face at her.

“Even my mom doesn’t have something like this! Why should I give it to you?

“I’d rather smash it than let you wear it. La-la-la!”

He tossed the bracelet to the ground.

With a sharp crack, it shattered into pieces. He was not satisfied with that, and he stomped on the shards.

“Stupid bracelet! Here, take it! Pick it up yourself!”

The last thread of Yasmine’s reason snapped.

She rushed forward and slapped Noah across his smug little face.

He fell to the ground and sobbed loudly.

“You trash! You hit me! I’ll tell Dad to kick you out!”

“Yasmine, you’re mistreating Noah again?!”

Just as Yasmine leaned down to gather the broken pieces, Leo slapped her so hard that she fell to the ground.

The jagged shards cut deep into her palm, and blood oozed from her hand.

Leo did not even look at her. He went straight to Noah, gathered him into his arms, and comforted him.

“Noah, this is all your Auntie Yasmine’s fault. I’ll make her apologize.”

But Yasmine refused to do so.

“He’s the one who broke my bracelet! Do you have any idea what that meant to my mother—”

Leo cut her off impatiently and said, “Your mother is dead! It’s just a bracelet. I can buy you another!”

Yasmine staggered back. She was unsteady on her feet.

Leo realized he had gone too far. For a moment, guilt flickered in his eyes.

But it vanished the instant he saw tears well up in Yara’s eyes.

“Leo, maybe Noah and I should move out. I can take care of him myself. We don’t want to get in your way.”

He looked at Yara and thought she was trying to hold her pain back and was only thinking of him. Then, he looked at Yasmine, who seemed cold and unyielding.

Disappointment filled him.

“Yasmine, I’ll ask you one last time. Will you apologize to Noah?”

“I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?”

“Fine. Fine! Your temper’s gotten out of control lately. Don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Leo let out a bitter chuckle and picked up his phone.

“I suspect Yasmine has ties to foreign agents and is leaking state secrets. Take her in for interrogation.”

The “evidence” he handed over was nothing but letters from the foreign professor Emma had arranged for her studies.