Chapter 7

"Caleb?" one of the guys called out. "You guys have fun. Put it on my tab." Without another word, Caleb lifted Yasmin into his arms and strode out of the lounge. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up, revealing toned muscles that pressed firmly against Yasmin's softer frame. The contrast was striking. "Am I imagining things, or is Caleb way too indulgent with Yasmin?" "He wouldn't lose his composure just because she flirted a little, right?" "Obviously not. We have a bathroom in the lounge. If he really couldn't hold back, why leave?" … The door of the McLaren swung open, and Yasmin was practically tossed inside. The next second, Caleb climbed in after her and reclined the seat as the door closed. Before she could react, he was raining down kisses on her—on her lips, her neck, her collarbone… His body burned with the heat of alcohol, and Yasmin shivered under his touch. Then, his warm hands ripped her new dress apart. "Caleb!" He lifted his gaze, meeting her misty eyes. Her lashes trembled. It was as if with one more blink, tears would spill over. She looked utterly pitiful like this. One of his hands braced against the seat behind her. "You're unwilling?" His other hand cupped her face, stroking her cheek. "Minnie, weren't you the one who seduced me just now?" The word "seduce" made Yasmin's face burn. Thinking back to what she had done in the lounge, she felt even more embarrassed. "It's not that I'm unwilling…" she murmured, swallowing down her frustration. She shifted the focus instead. "You ruined my dress." Then, she emphasized, "It was new." Caleb scoffed in amusement. "Haven't I bought you enough dresses?" Two entire walk-in closets in the Longview Bay villa were dedicated to her. Yasmin huffed and turned away. But even after a while, Caleb remained unmoving. The only sound in the car was their breathing. Suspicious, Yasmin turned back to look at him. He was still hovering over her, but something had changed. The desire in his gaze had faded. He traced her cheek with his fingers, his tone unreadable. "Yasmin, did you think I'd help you save Jeremy as long as I slept with you tonight?" Her expression stiffened instantly. That was exactly what she had planned. Caleb could be cruel, but he wasn't a petty person. If they had sex tonight, the deal would be sealed. She opened her mouth but found she had no way to argue. "Young lady, you need to be able to commit to your schemes," he murmured, re-buckling his belt. "You can't have your cake and eat it too." He all but called her a hypocrite. Seeing him about to leave, Yasmin grabbed his wrist, panic creeping into her voice. "Caleb, Jeremy is Veronica's brother too. If it were her asking you, would you have agreed without a second thought?" Caleb sighed. He had a feeling that she still didn't get it. "Yasmin, if you had been content with the role of Mrs. Grant, Jeremy would've gone home long ago." … With no way to sway Caleb, Yasmin had no choice but to approach the Barnes family again. To her surprise, Michael looked genuinely confused. "Mrs. Grant, our family already dropped the charges. Didn't Mr. Grant tell you?" "What?" Yasmin was stunned. "When?" "Yesterday afternoon." So, Caleb had already made his decision yesterday. Then why didn't he tell her at the bar last night? And… why had he let her slap him for no reason? … Jeremy was led out of the detention center by an officer. The 18-year-old was tall, and his features were sharp, balancing on the edge of youth and adulthood. Unfortunately, his scruffy blond hair and unshaven face, paired with his slouched, arrogant stance, made him look like an absolute delinquent. As soon as he spotted Yasmin's G-Wagon in the distance, his face lit up and he reached out a hand. "Keys! I wanna drive!" "What you need is a good smacking!" Yasmin smacked his outstretched hand. "Unlicensed driving gets you up to 15 days of detention. Did you somehow develop a liking for the food here now?" Jeremy lowered his gaze sheepishly, not daring to talk back. Everyone in the Whitmore family spoiled him—except for Yasmin. She would even beat him up like those viral videos of sisters hitting their younger brothers. "Jeremy, you're 18 now. The law applies to you the same as anyone else. Maybe next time, think before you act. Oh, and that girl you fought Fabian over? She's engaged now." Jeremy scrunched up his nose, muttering in annoyance, "I didn't beat him up over her." "Oh? Then who was it?" They coincidentally came to a traffic stop, so she turned to look at him. Jeremy hesitated, then turned away. "It's none of your business!" Yasmin clenched her teeth, thinking, "Excuse me? I'm the one who got you out, and you have the nerve to say it's none of my business? This damn brat!" … The Whitmore family didn't know that the Barnes family had dropped the charges the day before. When Yasmin and Jeremy walked into the house, the atmosphere in the living room was tense. Patricia Philips was on the couch, wailing about how her precious grandson had suffered. Veronica and Wanda Morrison sat beside her, offering comfort. Wanda, nearing 50 but still looking barely 40 thanks to meticulous self-care, looked particularly exhausted from the recent stress. "Grandma?" Jeremy's voice cut through the chatter. Patricia blinked in surprise, rubbing her eyes as if she had imagined him. After confirming that she wasn't dreaming, she shoved Veronica and Wanda aside and rushed toward him. "My dear grandson!" she threw her arms around Jeremy despite him towering over her. "My poor baby Jer! Look how much weight you lost! The Barnes family are monsters!" In reality, the structured meals at the detention center had made him gain two pounds. Wanda and Veronica fussed over Jeremy as well. Veronica turned to Yasmin with a perfectly measured smile. "Didn't you say before that there was nothing you could do? Looks like you managed it, after all." The implication was clear—if Yasmin had been able to get it done now, she could've done it earlier. Jeremy had been locked up for over two weeks, and according to Veronica, that was Yasmin's fault. Predictably, Patricia's gaze toward Yasmin turned cold. "Grandma, you know how my relationship with Caleb is. He's much closer to Veronica. This wasn't solved because of my relationship with Caleb—it was because I went to see Mrs. Grant Senior," Yasmin quickly explained, shifting the blame by making up an excuse on the spot. Caleb's grandmother, Gracie Benson, had always liked Yasmin. Everyone in their circle knew that. Patricia hesitated, then turned her glare toward Veronica. "Those who did nothing shouldn't run their mouths!" Patricia held the greatest authority in the family. Veronica could not afford to talk back to her and could only endure in silence. When she looked away, she coincidentally met Yasmin's gaze. Yasmin's smile was poised and elegant, but if one looked closely, a hint of mockery lurked deep in her eyes. She took Patricia's hand, her tone perfectly measured as she began the real performance. "Grandma, Mrs. Grant Senior has helped Jeremy out big time. Her birthday is next month, and I was thinking of preparing a gift. She loves emeralds, and my mother had an emerald bead necklace when she was alive. I'd like to give it to Mrs. Grant Senior as a token of the Whitmore family's gratitude." "Yes, that's wonderful," Patricia agreed delightfully and then called for the maid to fetch the necklace Yasmin had mentioned. Using a dead daughter-in-law's belongings to curry favor without spending a dime? Of course, she loved the idea! However, Wanda's and Veronica's expressions immediately darkened. And sure enough, moments later, a maid rushed into the room while panicking. "Madam, the necklace… is missing from the treasury!"