Page 39 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

"Sure." Rafael's expression shifted, growing more serious. "I have something to tell you."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Ethan came by yesterday," he began, his voice steady but his eyes betraying a hint of tension. When he mentioned having something to tell me, I didn't think Ethan's name would pop up. "He threatened not to go through with the divorce unless I back out of the deal with your father."

"He did what?"

A cold wave of anger washed over me. Ethan had always been manipulative, but this was a new low, even for him. I took a deep breath, my mind racing with responses. Part of me wanted to reassure Rafael immediately, tell him that Ethan didn't stand a chance, but I stopped myself. That was a secret that only I knew. There was no reason for me to be worked up over this, Ethan was trying to fight dirty, but he had no idea I was always ten steps ahead. Instead of getting angry, I reached for Rafael's hand, squeezing it gently.

"Thank you for telling me," I said softly. "I'll take care of it."

"Yasmin, I don't want you to feel pressured to do this alone," Rafael started, but I shook my head, silencing him with a smile.

"This is my fight," I said firmly. "Ethan is no match for me. We'll get through this together, but I need to handle Ethan on my terms."

Rafael nodded slowly, respect and concern mingling in his eyes. "Just... be careful, alright? And let me know if you need help."

"I will," I promised, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him lightly. "I think it's time I held up my end of the deal."

"That's not necessary," he immediately protested, not giving me a chance to retort.

"Why not?" I asked, surprised at how passionate he was about this. "We agreed on this, Rafe."

He paused, biting his lip. "First off, you're not allowed to call me anything else. I won't stand for it. Secondly, I think we can both agree this is much more than just some deal between us."

I ignored his comment about the nickname I gave him, instead focusing on the issue at hand. "I agree, Rafe," I emphasized the name, watching as his breathing deepened. "But I still want to fulfill my end of the deal. It's only fair."

"Fine," he took a deep breath, shaking his head as if to rid himself of his lustful thoughts. "I'll contact my parents and set up a meeting for us."

"That's all I ask."

"It is odd that they haven't reached out, even after the pictures I uploaded of you wearing the ring."

I nodded, unable to disagree. "That does sound odd."

"Whatever," he smiled, kissing me again. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

-28-

Rafael

As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help but replay the words I had spoken just minutes earlier in my head. They were innocuous enough, but something about them felt strange, off. I tried to shake off the feeling as I headed to the car, but it clung to me like a shadow. It was odd that my parents hadn't reached out. Truthfully, I was now genuinely concerned. I hadn't heard from them since the day they threatened me to get married. The memory of that confrontation was still fresh in my mind, a mixture of anger and bewilderment.

You would think they'd be happy that I'd followed their orders, that I'd bend to their will but their lack of a response screamed that they weren't happy with me. But if that were the case, they'd reach out to tell me exactly how disappointed they were, right? Surely, they'd respond in some way, instead of being silent.

"Daniel," I called out to my driver. "Change of plans. We're going to my parents' house."

Daniel nodded and adjusted the GPS. The drive to my parents' house was about 45 minutes from the city. It was usually a peaceful, scenic drive, but today the beauty of the rolling hills and green pastures was lost on me. I opened my briefcase and began sifting through the six-month report for one of my hotels, hoping to distract myself. The figures and graphs provided a temporary escape from my troubled thoughts.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, Daniel was pulling into the driveway of my childhood home. The sight of the familiar brick facade and the towering oak tree in the front yard stirred a mix of nostalgia and unease. I checked my phone before exiting the car and found a text from Yasmin, inviting Roman to review the contract with us. I quickly sent her a text back.

Then I dialed Roman's number. He answered on the first ring, his voice calm and professional. "Hey Roman, just wanted to let you know that I'll be late for lunch. Something's come up."

"No worries. What's going on?" he asked.

"I'm at my parents' house. It's just dawned on me that they haven't contacted me about my engagement," I explained, trying to keep the worry and annoyance out of my voice.

Roman paused for a moment. "Yeah, that is strange. You'd think they'd be all over your engagement since they insisted on it."

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