Chapter 1 Blind Date

• As night fell, Auburn Café in Greenlake City was gently illuminated with warm lighting.
• Yasmin leaned back against the chair and squinted at the scenery outside the window with a bored look on her face.
• Her thick makeup, dark eye shadow, blood-red lips, and ridiculously large earrings amplified the hostile vibe that she had wanted to give off on this blind date that was forced upon her by her mother.
• “Are you listening, Ms. Jones?” A hoarse voice snapped her out of her trance.
• Yasmin turned her gaze forward as she caught sight of the man who was frowning at her in annoyance.
• Her date, who was in his mid-thirties, looked like an average Joe. He would have seemed less of a pervert if he weighed thirty pounds lighter, with his hairline about two inches lower.
• “Yeah,” Yasmin raised a brow as she mumbled a response.
• This was her seventh blind date in a month. Despite her being only twenty-six years old, her mother had been desperately trying to get her a boyfriend.
• The man was clearly displeased with her attitude, but he forced himself to suppress his anger. “Well, Ms. Jones... I am quite satisfied with your appearance. Shall we proceed with the engagement then?”
• Yasmin had only just taken a sip of her water when she spat it out upon hearing his words. “Mr. Lewis, if my memory serves me right, this is our first time meeting each other, right?”
• “That’s right, and I’ve been told that you’re in a hurry to get married, so I figured that I should accommodate your request.” Fennick smiled confidently, revealing a set of nicotine-stained teeth. “However, I will have you know that I’ve just started my business and we’re short on funds at the moment. When we get married, I expect a house of no less than 2300 square feet in the city as dowry. I own a car that was purchased with a loan, so my salary will be used to settle the loan while yours will be used to support our family.”
• Yasmin narrowed her eyes as she uttered sarcastically, “Right... Shall I throw in an extra two million on top of the house then?”
• “Two million...” Fennick’s eyes lit up when he heard her words. Although he tried his best to control himself, his voice still trembled with excitement. “W-Well... That’s not much, but it’s better than nothing... I-I think we can have our wedding next month!”
• He reached out to hold Yasmin’s hand, but she pulled it back quickly with a look of disgust on her face. “In your dreams!” She grabbed her handbag and stood up, readying herself to leave.Where the hell does he even get his confidence from?
• Fennick got up as well as he hurriedly stood in her path. “Is there something wrong, Ms. Jones?” he asked in confusion.
• Now that they were both on their feet, Yasmin was able to get a better look at his physique.Holy sh*t... Not only is he obese,but he’s also shorter than me, a 5’4 girl! And I’m not even wearing heels right now... I can’t believe my mother said that he was handsome and in good shape...
• “I don’t think it’s going to work out, Mr. Lewis!” Yasmin noticed the attention that they were gathering and quickly tried to step past him.
• “No, we’re perfect for each other!” The man reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. “I think there has been a misunderstanding between us, Ms. Jones. Let’s sit down and talk things out!”
• “Let go of me!” Yasmin felt goosebumps rise all over her body when he put his greasy palm on her hand. Seeing as such, she tried to free herself from his grip. However, the man released her hand all of a sudden, causing her to lose balance and fall backward.
• To make matters worse, she heard the sound of her shirt tearing amidst the struggle as well.
• The café was at its peak hour at that moment, and the commotion had caught the attention of all the surrounding customers.This ispossibly the biggest embarrassment of my life! I swear that I’ll give that b*stard hell for this! Yasmin began to cuss silently as she braced herself for the impact, only to be caught by a firm grip around her waist. Soon, she was pulled back to her feet.
• A masculine scent filled her nose, getting her heart racing as she lay in the person’s arms.This scent... It smells rather familiar...
• Yasmin looked up excitedly but was disappointed when she saw a complete stranger staring back at her. He looked exceptionally handsome with his bristly eyebrows, piercing gaze, and dark pupils which had seemed to suck her in like a black hole.
• He exuded an air of affluence with his tailored suit, and the possessive look in his eyes gave off a domineering aura. Yasmin also noticed how tall he was as her head rested on his broad shoulders.
• “Are you alright, miss?” The man kept his gaze fixated on Yasmin’s face. His tone was polite yet distant at the same time.
• Yasmin took quite a while to regain her composure and realized that she was still grabbing onto his shirt even after he had let go of her.
• “I’m sorry! I-I mean, thank you!” She found herself burning a bright red as she released her grip on him.
• The man simply nodded at her in response. After straightening his tie, he turned around and walked away. There was another man who was equally handsome behind him, and he was also dressed in a suit. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, bowing respectfully as he handed a wet paper towel to the man who helped her. Yasmin frowned as she watched the man wipe his hands with the paper towel and then throw it into the trash can next to him.What’s with that? Is he implying that I’m filthy or something?
• It was common for good-looking people to attract the attention of those around them, and these men were no exception. Yasmin noticed the surrounding customers, especially the women, staring and taking pictures of them.What a bunch of idiots!
• Yasmin shook her head as she bent over to pick up her handbag.
• As she did that, she saw a woman in a bright dress and high heels running in her direction.
• Thinking that it was just another customer who was leaving in a hurry, Yasmin paid no heed to her as she simply stepped aside for the woman to pass.
• However, Yasmin was slow to realize the events that were about to play out. The woman was actually coming after her with a hot cup of coffee.