Chapter 20

"What's wrong, Caleb? Are you trying to make things difficult for Adrian?" Yasmin deliberately asked, worried that Caleb might be using his position for personal revenge. Sure enough, Caleb let out a disdainful snort. "He's not even worthy." … Adrian had just splashed his face with cold water and was trying to calm himself down when he heard footsteps approaching. When he opened his eyes, he saw a tall, distinguished man in a tailored suit standing just two steps away, staring at him with a cold indifference like he was looking at a bothersome insect. "M-Mr. Grant…" Adrian instinctively straightened his posture. Caleb glanced at him before lowering his gaze to wash his hands at the sink. He lathered soap up to his forearms, rubbing and rinsing repeatedly. He said nothing, but the silence was enough to unsettle Adrian. "Mr. Grant, Yasmin and you…" Caleb met Adrian's eyes through the mirror with a sharp gaze. "Just now, you confessed your feelings to my wife right in front of me. And you even said that you were going to pursue her." Adrian's face turned pale in an instant. "You… You…" He initially thought Yasmin and Caleb were only dating. He never expected them to be married. "You don't believe it? Do you need to see our marriage certificate?" Caleb slowly dried his hands. "N-No need!" The confined space of the restroom suddenly felt suffocating for Adrian. Caleb abruptly changed the topic. "So, how was the meal?" Adrian was confused by the sudden shift, but he answered honestly, "This private restaurant is one of the best I've ever been to." Caleb nodded, clearly satisfied. "I invested in this place so that Yasmin would have somewhere nice to eat whenever she visits my office." He straightened up his back, standing slightly taller than Adrian. His presence was even more imposing. "Adrian, you could never take care of a rose like Yasmin. The restaurant you consider top-tier is just a place I casually opened for my wife's convenience. You shouldn't even dream of getting her." At that moment, Adrian felt the full weight of the gap between him and Caleb—not just in career or status but in confidence and dominance as well. Most importantly, Caleb had absolute ownership over Yasmin. … At the dining table, Yasmin and Veronica looked into each other's eyes. The restaurant was elegantly decorated, with a violinist performing live, but Yasmin had no interest in enjoying the ambiance. "You're as charming as ever. It seems like you've already found someone new even though you haven't divorced yet," Veronica crossed her arms and said leisurely. Yasmin took a sip of water and replied, "I'm not as impressive as you. You've been eyeing someone else's husband for years." "Yasmin, the one who isn't loved is the real mistress." Yasmin sneered, "You and your mother are exactly the same type of person!" They were always shamelessly coveting someone else's husband! But Veronica wasn't angered by Yasmin's remark. Instead, she smiled and said, "My father and my mother were childhood sweethearts. They were forced apart back then, and your mother was the one who came between them. "And you…" She paused deliberately, before smirking. "Everyone in our circle knows you were a bitch who climbed into Caleb's bed to get ahead. You stole my man!" Yasmin felt nothing when she was called a "bitch", but the phrase "climbed into Caleb's bed" made her grip her knife and fork so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She had no way to refute it. Years ago, she got drunk and saw Caleb—the man she had secretly loved for years. He didn't resist, and between two consenting adults, things naturally happened. She had never asked Caleb to take responsibility. But the problem was—the Grant family found out. Yasmin suddenly laughed, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents. "Yours? Veronica, if he's yours, then have him divorce me right now! Caleb hasn't signed the divorce papers yet. Why don't you take a guess—what's really on his mind?" Veronica's expression instantly darkened. Her fork clattered against the porcelain plate with a sharp noise. "Yasmin, don't tell me you actually think Caleb has feelings for you?" Yasmin shrugged and teased, "Who knows? Have you ever heard of love growing over time?" In fact, she had no idea what Caleb was thinking. She just wanted to piss Veronica off. And it worked. Veronica despised Yasmin's innocent yet scheming demeanor. Though Yasmin looked naive, she was manipulative and had a cunning mind! Just then, she caught sight of Caleb approaching, and at the same moment, a waiter carrying a steaming bowl of chowder walked by. An idea flashed through her mind. "Your dear Adrian has already left." Veronica gestured toward the exit. Knowing Adrian had probably taken quite a hard hit today, Yasmin instinctively stood up to go after him. But just as she moved, Veronica also stood. Both of them moved at the same speed and bumped into each other. Yasmin saw out of the corner of her eye that Veronica had bumped into someone. She instinctively stepped back. "Watch out!" the waiter shouted. In the next moment, Yasmin heard hurried footsteps, and suddenly, Veronica was yanked to the side while Yasmin was knocked forward. The steaming hot chowder that she had narrowly avoided just seconds ago spilled all over her hand. It was summer, and Yasmin was wearing a short-sleeved blouse. The scalding liquid landed directly on her fair porcelain skin. Her skin instantly turned into a deep shade of red. At first, she felt nothing. But after two seconds, an intense, burning pain spread across her skin like fire. But it was as if Yasmin hadn't felt the sharp pain on her skin as she calmly looked ahead at the man standing a yard away. Caleb had shown up right on time. He rushed over and held Veronica protectively in his arms. Yasmin's heart was perfectly healthy, and it wasn't injured. But at that moment, she felt like she was being suffocated. She felt a dull pain in her heart, making it hard for her to breathe. "What are you all standing around for? Get some ice! Do I have to spell it out for you?!" Caleb barked at the waiter, his eyes burning red as he glared at Yasmin's arm. His entire body was tense as if he were the one who had been burned. Cooling a burn with ice—wasn't that just common sense? The next second, Caleb snapped back to reality. He abruptly released Veronica and reached for Yasmin. "Come with me. We need to rinse it with cold water—" "Get lost! Don't touch me!" Yasmin shouted. Yasmin reacted strongly to Caleb's words. She took a few steps backward as if he were the plague. Her icy gaze held nothing but undisguised rejection. When her delicate face hardened, it became remarkably intimidating. Caleb's hand froze in mid-air. A second later, he softened his tone and took a step closer. "Yasmin, stop being stubborn. Your burn needs immediate treatment." "What?" Yasmin scoffed in disbelief. "Am I being stubborn to you? Caleb, don't act like you care. If you hadn't suddenly shown up, I would've walked out of here completely fine!" "Yasmin!" "Don't call my name!" "Yasmin, are you saying I should've been the one to get burned instead?" Veronica looked utterly devastated, her eyes welling up with tears. She was full of grievances. "Even if you're mad at me for what I said earlier, you can't just shove the waiter and try to spill hot chowder on me! You know how fragile my hand is after my injury!" Veronica said hysterically. Her ability to twist the truth was truly inconceivable. "Yasmin!" Adrian's voice rang out. He had thought of calming himself in the restroom for a while. He didn't expect to walk straight into such chaos the moment he stepped out. He immediately rushed over to Yasmin. "What happened? How did you get burned?" Before Yasmin could respond, a waiter hurried over with ice. Adrian gently took Yasmin's wrist and pressed the ice pack against her hand. "I'll take her to the hospital!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Adrian suddenly hesitated as he realized something. Feeling a bit awkward, he glanced at Caleb. In his rush to help Yasmin, he had completely forgotten that Yasmin's rightful husband was standing right there. It was a little inappropriate of him to be so concerned. "Alright. I'll leave it to you then, Adrian." But to his surprise, Yasmin immediately agreed. "Yasmin!" Caleb's voice suddenly turned ice-cold.