Page 49 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

I woke up to the sensation of warm limbs entwined with mine. For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming, but the steady rise and fall of Yasmin’s breathing against my chest confirmed that she was here, wrapped around me like a koala bear. I opened one eye, just enough to glimpse her peaceful face, her dark lashes resting softly against her cheeks.

My heart swelled with a mixture of love and contentment. Gently, I shifted, wrapping an arm around her, and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Her lips curved into a sleepy smile as she stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

"Good morning," she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

“Good morning,” I replied, my voice a soft rumble. I pulled her closer, savoring the warmth of her body against mine. We lay there, tangled together in a cocoon of warmth, the world outside our little bubble forgotten.

After a few blissful moments, Yasmin shifted again, a playful glint in her eye. "We really should get up," she said, her hand brushing against my chest, then trailing lower, making me acutely aware of my hard dick.

I laughed, the sound deep and husky in the quiet room. “It’s a natural reaction to having a beautiful woman in my bed,” I said, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

She rolled her eyes, a blush tinting her cheeks as she extricated herself from my embrace. "You and your smooth talk," she teased, slipping out of bed. "I'm taking a shower."

I watched her walk to the adjoining bathroom, admiring how the morning light played off her skin. "Mind if I join you?" I called after her, knowing full well she’d say no. She just shook her head with a smile and closed the door behind her.

Reluctantly, I got up and headed to one of the guest rooms for a quick shower. The water was cold at first, jolting me fully awake. As I stood under the spray, my thoughts drifted back to the phone call from last night. Roman had sounded worried after hearing that Ethan had called an emergency press conference for this morning.

Neither of us could figure out what was so important that he had to call a press meeting on a Sunday, but I knew it couldn't be good. With the rumors surrounding him, I would have expected him to avoid the press, they could be ruthless when they wanted to be. The only thing I could think of was it somehow being related to Yasmin, but I shut that thought down. Ethan could be dumb, but surely he wouldn't be dumb enough to anger Ivan Rashid.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything about it now. After my shower, I rushed to our room and grabbed underwear, jeans, and a T-shirt. Yasmin was still in the bathroom, so I got dressed left a note for her on the bed, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

I moved quickly around the room gathering all the ingredients I needed.I cracked eggs into a bowl and whisked them. Then I lit the burner under each pan.

The smell of sizzling bacon filled the kitchen, mingling with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. I poured myself a cup and took a sip, savoring the warmth as I leaned against the counter. Just then, I heard the soft patter of footsteps behind me. Yasmin appeared in the doorway, her hair a tousled halo around her head, her eyes now alert.

"Morning, beautiful," I greeted her, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Morning," she replied, her voice still a bit groggy. She stretched and yawned, then made her way to the coffee pot. "Smells amazing in here."

I watched as she poured herself a cup of coffee and took a tentative sip, her eyes closing in appreciation. "I'm making breakfast," I said, nodding towards the stove where the bacon was almost done.

"You spoil me," she teased, but there was a genuine warmth in her eyes that made my heart swell.

As I turned to the stove to finish up, Yasmin grabbed the remote and switched on the TV. The morning news was on, and I heard the familiar jingle of the network's opening theme. I glanced over my shoulder just as the anchor began speaking.

"We're going live now to a press conference being held by Ethan Williams, CEO of Williams Corp," the anchor announced.

Yasmin and I exchanged a glance. I already knew about the conference but there was a part of me that thought it was just a rumor and it wasn't happening. Now staring at the screen, I wasn't sure what to think.

We listened silently as Ethan spoke, his voice surprisingly confident and commanding. He talked about his vision for the future of his company, detailing the new projects they were launching. Then, as I was plating up the scrambled eggs, Ethan dropped a bombshell.

"I am pleased to announce that Ivan Rashid is partnering with us on this project," Ethan said, a wide smile on his face. "He was very much agreeable when I presented him with the proposal, it also helps that I'm married to his daughter."

The plate almost slipped from my hands. I set it down quickly, my mind reeling. Yasmin's eyes were glued to the screen. Her expression was similar to mine.

"You're married to Ivan Rashid's daughter?" one reporter asked, it was hard to miss the skeptical look on her face. "Does he even have a daughter?"

"He does," Ethan replied smugly, staring into the camera. "And she's mine."

-35-

Yasmin

When Rafael told me about Ethan's threat to him, I couldn't believe what I had heard. I understood why he felt like he could treat me like shit before finding out who my father was, but I failed to understand why he thought he could carry on that way. Being pushed out of a deal that he's been working on must have been hard on him, however, that didn't give him the right to try and force our hand like this by making such a bold claim to the world.

My heart pounded as I watched the disbelief and fury wash over Rafael's face. He was pacing the room, fists clenched, looking like a storm about to break. I tried to keep my feelings at bay so I could focus on him. There was something I had to tell him, something that would instantly make all of this seem like an annoying tap on the shoulder.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Rafael fumed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I should have backed out of the deal when I had the chance. Ethan always had a slimy way about him. I should've known he'd pull something like this."

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