Rebirth 32
32
"Yoselin has always been a bit of a troublemaker. Did she cause any issues for you, Ms.
$? Yonas broke the awkward silence.
Before Yasmine could respond, Yonas put a red velvet gift box in front of her. The shiny gold-embossed Cartier logo surprised her. "Mr. Russell, what's this?"
With a relaxed motion, Yonas opened the box to reveal a stunning rose gold bracelet adorned with diamonds. It sparkled in the light, casting colorful reflections around the
room.
"Yoselin doesn't get close to many people. It's rare for her to open up like that, and now you're my friend too," Yonas said, lowering his gaze before looking back at Yasmine, his eyes reflecting her beautiful features. "If it's okay with you, can I call you Yasmine?" His words felt like a gentle breeze stirring up old memories in Yasmine's heart. It reminded her of someone who had called her that way, but she couldn't quite recall who it was.
"I like Yoselin and see her as a little sister, but..." Yasmine hesitated. Yonas was one of the few young wealthy elites in Soucrity. She knew she didn't really have the standing to be friends with him. It was clear he was just being polite, and she didn't want to overstep. 'I don't have many friends, and I hope you won't make me look bad," he said with a playful smile, his tone leaving her no room to say no. Yasmine paused, meeting his gaze. Being friends with someone like Yonas could only help her. So, she smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Russell."
Yonas leaned in to fasten the bracelet on her wrist. The fresh scent of cedar from his cologne wrapped around her, and she caught a glimpse of his handsome profile as they stood close-she could even see the subtle veins in his neck. For a moment, her heart raced uncontrollably.
After he secured the bracelet, Yonas looked at her with appreciation. "It's just a small gift, but it looks amazing on you."
Yasmine collected herself and admired the bracelet on her wrist. She had always loved Cartier for their understated elegance. However, they primarily focused on watches and rarely offered bracelets or other jewelry. Sensing her cheerful mood, Yonas smiled slightly while twirling his own Cartier ring casually. If someone looked closely, they'd notice it was from the same collection as her bracelet.
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"Mr. Russell, you're flattering me." Yasmine then changed the topic and said, "But I'm a bit confused about Yoselin's situation. She seems like such a lively kid. What happened in the past that led to her struggles?"
Yonas' eyes deepened, and he leaned back, replying c**ly, "I only know she went through some kind of trauma. I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure. You'll have to dig deeper to find out."
He didn't answer her question directly. Yasmine looked down, realizing that in wealthy. circles, secrets were everywhere. Given Y**s's status, she decided not to push the
matter.
Dinner was served soon after. Still lost in thoughts about Yoselin, Yasmine absentmindedly picked up a piece of s** beef and suddenly started to choke.
She coughed fiercely, and quickly, a glass of ice water was offered to her. Without thinking, she gulped it down to cool her burning throat. Once she felt better, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. She had to drink the water just to distract herself from it. Usually, she didn't like plain water because it was bland; she preferred it with a splash of lemon. Luckily, the glass she had now was accompanied by lemon slices.
"The acidity of the lemon can help with the heat. Feeling better now?" Yonas said, watching her closely.
Yasmine brushed lemon slices thing off, thinking it was just a coincidence. "Chuck really takes care of her friends, doesn't he? He added chili like it was nothing." Her throat still felt a bit fiery,
"My bad for not giving you a heads-up," Yonas said, placing some peeled shrimp on her plate as he added gently, "These aren't s**y, and they taste even better with a bit of garlic sauce." Yasmine stared at the shrimp, feeling something was off-her favorite way to enjoy shrimp was always with garlic sauce. But how did Yonas know that?
"We were strangers before, yet he seems to know me well. Is this just a coincidence?" Yasmine frowned, sensing she had forgotten something really important. Yasmine?" Yonas called out. His deep voice was like a glass of fine red wine, aged to perfection-one sip could leave people enchanted.
Yasmine snapped back to reality, her cheeks warming. She forced a smile and put down her fork. "Sorry, Mr. Russell. I ate too fast. I need to use the restroom."
12.39 Tue, Sep 10 GD.
As Yasmine pushed open the restroom door with swirling thoughts, she saw Yvette, who was finishing up applying lipstick in front of the mirror.
Yvette looked surprised to see Yasmine too. She capped her lipstick quickly and smiled. "Ms. Sanchez, what a coincidence."