Chapter 16

"How would I know who tipped off the Grant family back then?" Veronica snapped, her voice rising. "Oh, so you're not denying that you want to marry Caleb this time?" Yasmin smiled, her tone teasing. "Yasmin—" "Since you have no useful information for me, then I guess you'll have to ask Caleb about the divorce yourself," Yasmin interrupted smoothly. Veronica was practically fuming. Meanwhile, Yasmin silently replayed their conversation in her head. For the longest time, she had suspected Veronica. After all, no one had more reason to ruin her reputation. Before that incident, no one had expected the Grant family to agree to let Caleb marry a woman with a bad reputation like Yasmin. But if it wasn't Veronica who informed them, then who was it? Caleb was a busy man. Before long, he and the legal director, Warren, arrived to have some documents signed. To Yasmin's disgust, Warren didn't seem surprised to see Veronica here. He even greeted her warmly as she made her way out, his tone bordering on flattery. This treatment was far beyond what was appropriate for a friend of the boss. Remembering Veronica's earlier insinuation, Yasmin felt her stomach churn. Thankfully, her ability to keep her emotions in check was excellent. She could seamlessly shift into another persona and calmly answer the questions posed by her future ex-husband. Warren stayed to listen in. After all, it was part of his job. But for some reason, Caleb's gaze toward him seemed cold. "Mr. Grant, the last two pending issues require confirmation from our project manager before we can respond," Yasmin said, closing her notebook. "Furthermore, I believe it's inappropriate for me, given my position, to liaise with you directly. Next time, it would be great for one of my senior colleagues to handle the discussions. What do you think, Mr. Hoffman?" She had no intention of running into Veronica in Caleb's office again. Warren was caught off guard by the sudden mention of his name. He instinctively blurted out, "I think that's a great idea—" Halfway through his sentence, he felt an icy glare pierce through him. Quickly correcting himself, he stammered, "W-Well, that can be discussed!" Yasmin was rendered speechless. Caleb leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he continued to stare at Warren. "I believe that Yasmin is perfectly capable of being a liaison. Her communication skills and professional knowledge are on par with her senior colleagues!" Warren suddenly declared, now fully committed to his backpedaling. Yasmin sighed. "To be honest, I don't even have my law license yet." Warren gasped. "Really? I never would've guessed! Dunville University is truly the best university in the country!" Yasmin was speechless. That was pure flattery. "Yasmin, I hope that you'll still be the one handling my cases in the future," Caleb stated firmly. "I'll relay this request to your partners." Yasmin couldn't keep the smile on her face. She placed her notebook on the table, barely suppressing her irritation. "Mr. Grant, may I ask for a reasonable explanation behind your decision?" "Because the others…" Caleb paused for dramatic effect. "...are ugly." Yasmin stared at him before saying, "You're unbelievable." Caleb accepted her insult calmly and rebuked, "And you're just realizing this?" Warren watched the CEO of the company, Caleb, and Yasmin, an intern, alarmingly. "Since when were there ugly people in the company? The entire legal team is objectively good-looking!" the legal director thought. "No, wait. She just dissed the CEO and he let it slide? The CEO and her… Could it be?" Warren had a sudden, shocking realization. But that was impossible. Everyone knew that Caleb and Veronica were a couple. The man sitting in the executive chair was calm and confident, portraying the usual posture of someone at the top. The longer Yasmin stared at him, the angrier she got. She turned to Warren and asked, "Mr. Hoffman, I need to speak with Mr. Grant privately. Would that be possible?" Warren was puzzled. Wasn't Veronica just here? Why did both of them need to talk alone now? How did their relationship progress so fast? Warren looked at Caleb with trepidation. When he saw Caleb nodding, he slipped away. Before he left, he gave Yasmin a look that seemed to say, "Crap! When did you guys hook up?" "Caleb, what exactly do you mean by this?" Yasmin demanded, taking deep breaths to steady herself. "You're not pretending not to know me anymore?" he mused. She let out a cold laugh. "Mr. Hoffman probably thinks I'm your new mistress now." Caleb frowned slightly. What mistress? "That's not the point now." Yasmin dismissed the issue, pressing her palms against the desk and leaning forward. She took advantage of their positioning—she was standing while he was sitting—to look down at him. "Mr. Grant, when is your private lawyer available to discuss our divorce? There's no better time than the present, don't you think?" "He's in Eunish. He's not available now." Caleb's voice was eerily calm as if he were pacifying a child's tantrum. "Minnie, what exactly are you upset about?" "What am I upset about?" Yasmin laughed bitterly. "My husband is entangled with another woman, yet he refuses to divorce me. Shouldn't I be upset? Mr. Grant, I'm seriously in a rush to finalize this divorce!" At her last sentence, Caleb's expression darkened. Gone was the poised businessman. What remained was a cold and ruthless man. He stood up. Now, he was the one looking down at her. "What's wrong? Is your little boy toy getting impatient?" "What boy toy?" Yasmin didn't react in time. Caleb let out a short laugh."So, you've already moved on to someone else? That's fast." Yasmin suddenly remembered her fake boyfriend—the imaginary senior she had casually made up. Well, if Caleb wanted to call him a boy toy, then so be it. "He's not in a rush. I am," Yasmin said coolly. She was already defending him, rushing to give him a proper label. Caleb's eyes narrowed, and his face sank. "Yasmin, you like one person today and another tomorrow. Have you ever truly loved anyone?" Yasmin had been wooed by boys since middle school. She had been friendly, kind, and effortlessly charming. So much so that Veronica, who had grown up under the same roof as her, couldn't keep track of who she was dating at any given time. "You're right. I'm not like you, who's so devoted to Veronica that you even gave her a top-tier endorsement like Sparkle." She clapped her hands mockingly. "Mr. Grant, you're always so generous and unwavering in your support for her." After injuring her hand and losing her chance at being a pianist, Veronica swiftly pivoted to hosting. While she was in university, she hosted gigs on two TV shows. Both were sponsored by Grant Group. Upon graduation, she was immediately granted her very own talk show. Again, she was fully backed by Grant Group. And now, despite being just a second-tier host, she had landed an ultra-luxury endorsement. Caleb had practically crafted a path for her to climb to the top. Sensing something deeper beneath her words, Caleb asked, "So, this is what you're angry about? If you want an endorsement, I can—" "Stop," Yasmin cut him off, her expression utterly indifferent. She didn't even bother to fake a smile. She didn't give a damn about endorsements. Did she look like someone who needed brand sponsorships? She was a law student, so why would she need them? Caleb was just trying to buy her silence. Her gaze on him darkened, but suddenly, she changed her mind. She stepped forward, brushed her fingertips against her jaw, and leaned in. Caleb sat indifferently, allowing Yasmin to straddle him.