Page 32 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

"And I'll continue to do so," he shrugged. "Don't change the subject, why didn't you tell us about Ethan? Were you ashamed of him?"

I paused yet again, feeling at a loss for words. "At the time I wasn't ashamed but now I am."

He nodded. "If you weren't ashamed of him, why didn't you tell us about him?"

I sighed, running a hand through the loose curls in my hair. Whenever I thought about my father finding out about Ethan, I always thought he'd be angry with me. I thought he would rage and demand that I move back home. I also imagined him hiring people to beat the shit out of him but that seemed a bit farfetched even for him. What I didn't expect was genuine curiosity as he forced me to talk about what went down with Ethan. This was much different from what I thought would happen, I almost wished he would yell instead of asking all these questions.

"Well?"

"I-I didn't trust him," I mumbled under my breath, so softly that not even Rafael could hear me, and he was right beside me.

"What did you say?"

I sighed once again, feeling as if he knew exactly what I said but he wanted me to say it louder. "I didn't trust him, okay? Things with him were good but I never felt like sharing my real identity and anytime I came close to it I always chickened out in the end. I was afraid he wouldn't be able to distinguish between who I was as a person and me as an heiress."

I peeked at Rafael through the corner of my eye, wanting to see his reaction to what I said. I felt like a hypocrite as I looked down at the ring on my finger. Eventually, I would have had to tell Ethan about my family, since I was married to him, but I hated even the thought of doing so. But telling Rafael was a lot easier than I anticipated and what made it better was I wanted to. I didn't feel forced to tell him the truth.

"And Rafael," he began, "what's happening between you two?"

I couldn't help but smile, a genuine, uncontrollable smile that lit up my entire face. I glanced at Rafael again, and his eyes were shining, reflecting the warmth and depth of his feelings for me.

"I like Rafael a lot," I said, my voice filled with conviction. "More than I thought I could, especially after everything that happened with Ethan. He's been there for me; in ways I didn't even know I needed."

Rafael's gaze was unwavering, his emotions laid bare. I envied him. I wished I could easily express my feelings, at one point I could but after being betrayed I've begun to keep my emotions in check. My father watched us both, understanding dawning in his eyes. He nodded slowly, accepting what he saw.

"I see," he said finally. "I expect you to tell the family about your engagement soon."

I nodded, the weight of his words settling on me. I was thankful he was letting me reveal everything to the family. After getting hitched with none of them present, I expected him to take charge and try to control me, but he didn't.

"Thank you, Dad," I said. "I'll do that."

With a final nod, he left the room, leaving Rafael and me alone. I turned to Rafael, who was watching me with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his hand still holding mine

"Yeah," I replied, my voice filled with a newfound confidence. "I am now."

-24-

Rafael

The ride back to the penthouse was quiet, the kind of silence that was almost comforting after such an emotionally heavy morning. Yasmin leaned back in her seat, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery, lost in her thoughts. I stole a few glances at her, feeling the weight of her emotions as if they were mine. After her dad left, all she wanted was to return to the comfort of my home, and I was more than willing to oblige.

As we stepped into the penthouse, Yasmin immediately kicked off her shoes and flopped down onto the couch with a heavy sigh. I followed her, sitting beside her, allowing the silence to envelop us again.

Moments later, she reached for my hand, holding it tightly to her chest. Her grip was firm almost desperate, as if she needed the physical connection to ground herself.

"Thank you for being there for me," she whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with gratitude.

I squeezed her hand in return, offering her a small smile of reassurance. "Always, Yasmin. You can always count on me."

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips before it disappeared, replaced by a look of contemplation. "There's something I need to tell you.She began, her voice trembling slightly. "I should explain why he kept our identities a secret."

"You don't have to explain," I told her honestly, while it would be nice to know, it wasn't something I needed to know. I was content knowing that her father's decision didn't hurt her.

"I want to."

"Okay," I leaned in, giving her my full attention.

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