Page 29 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

I stared at her in awe as she explained that we weren't trying to swindle ourselves into a room. I knew she was Ivan's daughter; I mean, she was the one who told me but knowing it and hearing her say it to someone other than me made it so much more real for me. Somehow, I was in a fake relationship with Ivan Rashid's daughter while also having real feelings for her. My life didn't feel real.

"You expect me to believe you're Ivan Rashid's daughter?" the stuck-up receptionist looked her up and down before rolling her eyes. "That's rich."

"No, it's ironic," Yasmin snapped. "How dare you look down at me when you're wearing a knock-off pandora set?"

"I- w-what?"

"You heard me. How about you do your job and ring the conference room, instead of trying to convince me you're something you're not?"

"Well, I- I"

I snatched the phone from Yasmin's hand before she could say anything else and turned to face the receptionist. I didn't miss her huff of annoyance as I spoke. "What my lovely fiancée is trying to say is her dad just asked us to meet him in the conference room, if you would just make the call, you'll see for yourself that we're not lying."

"That's literally what I said," Yasmin mumbled at the same time the other woman forced a smile as she reached for the phone. It wasn't long after that she reached for a key, handing it to me without a second glance in Yasmin's direction.

Just as she handed over the key, a familiar voice interrupted us. "Well, well, look who we have here."

We spun around to find Roman standing there smiling with his assistant.

-21-

Yasmin

Roman's presence here was unexpected, to say the least. His bright eyes flickered between Rafael and me, searching for answers. We both remained silent, the weight of the moment settling heavily around us. It wasn't until Rafael spoke, his voice cutting through the silence, that the tension began to ease.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to meet with Mr. Rashid," Roman explained, his tone cautious.

Rafael and I exchanged another look, a silent conversation passing between us. For the first time today, I wondered what kind of game my father was playing. He invited Ethan and Roman while knowing that I would bring Rafael with me. He was definitely up to something but for the life of me, I wasn't sure what it was. I turned to the receptionist, who watched our interaction with mild curiosity. "They're with us," I informed her, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and we stepped inside. Roman chose that moment to ask the question that had been hanging in the air since he arrived.

"So, why are you here?" he asked, his gaze shifting from Rafael to me.

Rafael's look told me he was leaving this decision up to me. I could appreciate the gesture, especially after he revealed our fake engagement to my dad without me knowing. I knew Roman would find out soon enough, so I decided to be straightforward. "We're here to see my father," I said, my voice clear and firm.

He paused. "Your father works in the hotel?"

I would have laughed if I didn't know he was serious. "I don't think that's what she meant," his assistant interjected, glancing in my direction. "We're heading to the same place."

"I can see that, Leah," he hastily replied. "But what else could she..." His eyes flew to mine. "Your father works with Ivan Rashid? Why didn't you say anything before?"

Leah shakes her head while Rafael turns away to hide his smile. I had to ground my teeth together to keep from laughing. "Because my father doesn't work for Ivan Rashid," I paused for dramatic effect. "My father is Ivan Rashid."

The elevator halted, and the doors opened smoothly onto the executive floor. Roman's reaction was immediate. He gasped, a sharp intake of breath that echoed in the confined space as I stepped out, Rafael close behind me.

As we walked down the corridor, my father's voice drifted towards us. "My daughter will be the head of this project," he declared, the words seemed to echo in my mind. Just then I heard another voice– Ethan's.

"I promise to treat her kindly throughout this endeavor," Ethan said, his voice oozing false charm. I could already imagine what he was thinking, all he had to do was keep the daughter happy and have the father wrapped around his fingers. Or better yet if they dated and later got married, he would benefit from the fame that came with the Rashid name. It was unfortunate for him that we had already met, and I knew just how hollow his words truly were.

I turned to Roman's assistant, Leah, who was hovering nearby. I gestured for her to enter the room before me. There was a small part of me that relished the idea of Ethan mistaking her for me, just to see how quickly his pride would crumble.

As Leah walked in, Ethan immediately sprang to his feet. "Ms. Rashid, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, rushing to take her hand in his. "I'm very eager to work with you on this project. I've heard so much about your capabilities."

Leah blinked, clearly taken aback by the enthusiastic reception. My father's amused expression barely masked his irritation as he cleared his throat.

"That's not my daughter," he announced, his voice cutting through Ethan's flurry of compliments.

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