Page 30 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

Ethan dropped her hand so quickly it was almost comical, and I felt a brief flicker of offense on Leah's behalf. He turned, confusion and embarrassment flushing his face then his eyes landed on me. I cleared my throat, drawing his full attention.

At first, he was just surprised that I was there then he was confused. That confusion quickly turned into horror as he realized what was happening.

When he accused me of cheating, hit me, and then kicked me out of his house, I bet he thought he would never see me again. For a brief moment, I thought the same thing, I also thought of burning down his house but that's beside the point. Before now he had the upper hand because I was in love with him but now, I would rather chew a jeans jacket than become a victim of his 'love' ever again.

My eyes narrowed on him as I smiled widely in his direction. "I'm Yasmin Rashid," I said, delighting in the way he flinched at the mention of my correct name.

"M-Ms. Rashid," Ethan stammered. "I, um, apologize for the confusion."

I nodded curtly, stepping forward to take my place beside my father. "No need," I said coolly. "Shall we get started?"

-22-

Rafael

Seeing Ethan fumble at the sight of Yasmin was one of the happiest moments of my life. I sat beside her, leveling Ethan with what I knew was a withering look. His confidence wavered, and I could almost see the gears grinding in his head as he tried to regroup. As I turned my gaze away, I caught Ivan watching us curiously from across the room. He gave me a pointed look, and for a second, I wondered if maybe he knew a lot more than he was letting on where Ethan was concerned.

"Ethan I'd like you to meet Rafael," Ivan spoke quietly. "He's the CEO of Amato Industries but you knew that already, didn't you?"

"Yes," Ethan answered, not moving an inch. "We've seen each other around."

"That's interesting," Ivan continued. "Did you know he's engaged to my daughter?"

Ethan's eyes flew to Yasmin's ring finger even though he saw the ring last night. He glared daggers at the ring as if hoping he could snatch it off her finger. "I'm aware," he finally mumbled through gritted teeth.

Roman came in just then, his emotions etched on his face. It was clear from the widening of his eyes he wasn't expecting Ethan to be here, which led me to believe that Ivan was definitely up to something. Why would he invite all of us in the same space? It could have been a coincidence but the way he was eyeing me and then provoking Ethan, it felt like he was toying with us.

Roman nodded in greeting to Ivan before taking his seat beside Leah, who was right next to Ethan. A moment of silence passed before Ivan cleared his throat. "I'm sure you all are wondering why I asked you here and why I chose not to tell you others would be present. Well, you both want my investment, so it seems only fair that you compete for it," he announced, his tone authoritative. He then glanced at Yasmin, offering her a small smile. "The final choice will be hers."

"That's bullshit!" Ethan blurted before anyone could even think of something to say. "I thought we had an agreement."

Ivan nodded. "We did have an agreement, that was until I was made aware of some rather unfortunate news that I've chosen to keep to myself. You're welcome to leave, know that if you do the opportunity will automatically go to Rafael and Roman."

He scoffed. "This is unbelievable."

Ivan rolled his eyes in a way that reminded me so much of Yasmin. "I'm giving you something to fight for, so fight or leave."

When Ethan didn't make a move to leave, Ivan gestured for him to pitch his proposal first. As Ethan gathered himself, I exchanged a quick, confident look with Roman. He cheekily held up the proposal we had worked on just days prior, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Ethan started his pitch, but it was clear from the get-go that he was out of his depth. He stumbled through the introduction, and when Yasmin began asking pointed questions about construction timelines, public reception, and her father's investment, his lack of preparation was glaring. It was painfully obvious that he was not involved in the planning process and if he was, he had gotten too complacent to be trusted with such a project. It was embarrassing to watch but in moments like these, I lived for the embarrassment.

Yasmin's questions were sharp, her tone professional. You wouldn't be able to tell they had a history with how she kept her cool. "What are your plans for managing the initial reception from the public, Ethan?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.

Ethan stammered. "Well, we—uh—we plan to—uh, engage with the community through—"

Yasmin cut him off, her patience thinning. "Can you specify how? And what about the construction phase? Do you have a timeline and budget in place?"

Ethan's face flushed. "I—um, I don't have the specifics right now, but we're working on it."

"You're working on it?" her laugh was forced as she stared him down. "Are you trying to tell me you came to this meeting without a detailed proposal prepared? I asked questions that even a child could answer. Were you so sure you'd get this investment that you couldn't be bothered to try?"

I watched in awe, my admiration for Yasmin growing with each passing second. The way she used business jargon, the confidence in her voice—it was intoxicating, to say the least. I wasn't ashamed to admit that her professionalism made me desire her even more.

Ivan finally stepped in to save Ethan from further embarrassment. "Thank you, Ethan," he said curtly. "Roman and Rafael, you're up."

Roman and I stood up, moving to the front of the room. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. This was our chance, the moment we'd waited for, and we were ready.

"Our proposal focuses on a comprehensive approach to establishing the hotel. We've planned every detail meticulously, from construction to community engagement to the manpower necessary for such a project."

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