SWNOVELS Chapter 245
Yasmine was about to turn back to the house when she heard the unmistakable sound of a car driving up the long gravel driveway of the estate.
Only a handful of people had the privilege to enter without notice, and she knew the car belonged to one of them.
She turned around just as the car came to a smooth halt. The driver, stepping out with a respectful nod towards Yasmine, called out "Ma'am," and then hurried to open the rear passenger door. Zachary, still in his hospital scrubs with a black overcoat thrown over his shoulders, stepped out, bending slightly due to the discomfort from his recent injury.
Yasmine's frown deepened at the sight of him; it was clear she wasn't thrilled to see Zachary.
Her disdainful gaze didn't go unnoticed by Zachary, who, with a frown of his own and slippers on his feet, approached her.
"It's freezing out here," Zachary said, reaching to touch her arm. "And you're barely dressed."
Yasmine pulled away from his touch, sizing him up with a glance. "What are you doing here?"
"If you won't visit me, I guess I have to come see you," he said, opening his coat and pulling her close. Together, they huddled under the shelter of his coat.
Yasmine was fed up with his lack of boundaries and too-close-for-comfort intimacy. If it weren't for his recent injuries, she wouldn't be sparing him the courtesy of letting him hold her as they moved inside.
Once they were in the living room, coats discarded, Zachary plopped down on the sofa, tugging at Yasmine's hand. "I'm a bit hungry."
"Didn't your little sweetheart feed you enough?" Yasmine shot him an impatient look.
"Yasmine, everything tastes bland without you," Zachary replied, as if he hadn't heard her comment.
Yasmine scoffed and called a servant over.
The servant appeared almost immediately. "Ma'am, how may I assist you?"
"Get Delphine," Yasmine commanded with authority. "Mr. Turner finds his palate unsatisfied, let her work her magic on his taste buds."
The servant, looking perplexed, turned to Zachary for help.
Zachary, with a helpless look in his eyes, waved the servant away.
"Don't add to my troubles," he said, trying to coax her to sit. Yasmine refused.
"Why don't you call your sweetheart over for a kiss? I'm sure that would sweeten your mouth," Yasmine taunted.
Suddenly, Zachary moved forward, his arms wrapping around Yasmine's waist, intent on pulling her into an embrace by force if necessary.
Yasmine wasn't having any of it, pushing him away with all her might.
"Ah..."
Zachary gasped, a sharp intake of breath as he closed his eyes in pain, but his arms remained stubbornly around her waist.
"Are you sick or something?" Yasmine, initially startled by his reaction and briefly concerned, was quickly overtaken by anger. "Zachary, you're nearly forty. Can't you drop these childish games? I'm not one of those naive girls who fall for your outdated tricks, just so you know."
Zachary could only withdraw his arms and sit in silence, a picture of dejection.
To others, he might look pitiable, prompting them to say Yasmine was heartless and cold.
But she knew Zachary was nothing but a schemer with an agenda.
It seemed as though she was the cruel one, and more than once she'd overheard the staff pitying him.
Yasmine was thoroughly annoyed.
What divorced couple has the ex-husband visiting the ex-wife's house, flirting and touching as if they were still married?
It was shameless and sickening.
With so many women lined up for him, he insisted on bothering her.
"Don't put on an act all day," Yasmine said with no warmth in her voice. "We're done, remember? If any of your girlfriends found out you're here, they'd call me shameless."
Zachary, despite recovering from a serious injury and still weak, had been waiting for Yasmine to visit. When she didn't, he couldn't bear it any longer.
Ever since the divorce, he knew she was tougher than anyone else. Sometimes, even though they ended up in bed together, he was well aware he was just a diversion for her loneliness.
Plainly put, if not for his status in the community, she might have sought out any man to alleviate her solitude.
Regardless, she was once the big shot Zachary Turner's woman. Even divorced, that status alone kept other men at bay.
Yasmine was beautiful, and now in her thirties, even more alluring. Her charisma was unmatched, and it was natural for others to be drawn to her. But thinking and daring were two different things. His woman, even an ex-wife, was off-limits as long as he was around.
"Delphine is just a young girl; there's nothing between us," Zachary said, attempting to clarify.
He always explained whenever a new woman appeared in his life, but Yasmine never believed him.
Yasmine dismissed his explanation. "You don't need to justify yourself to me. Even if you remarried this very minute, I'd send you a hefty wedding gift."
Zachary was at a loss for words.
Ever since the split, she'd treated him with the same disdain, and he'd grown accustomed to her sarcastic attitude.
"I'm tired," Zachary finally said, giving up on further conversation. He lifted his legs and lay down on the sofa, pulling his overcoat around him tightly.
Seeing this, Yasmine warned him, "Don't sleep here!"
Zachary looked at her sleepily. "Where else? On our old bed?"
Yasmine frowned. "Don't you have your own home?"
Hearing this, Zachary lost interest, closed his eyes, and muttered, "I just want to nap. Don't disturb me."
Yasmine realized he was stubbornly refusing to leave. She couldn't very well drag out the full-grown man and throw him out. He was clearly determined to stick around. After giving him a glare, she decided to leave him be.
A servant approached quietly. "Ma'am, shall I prepare a menu for your approval tonight?"
Those who remained at the estate were trusted servants, all aware of Zachary's injury.
Regarding his meals, they were still taking special care.
Yasmine glanced at Zachary, who appeared to be asleep, and replied, "No need to fuss, just whip up something simple."
"Very well."
After the servant left, Yasmine sat with her phone, texting Jocelyn that Melvin had managed to rescue the hostages and was likely heading back to Yanova City. Jocelyn responded that Melvin had called to reassure her, but Castiel and Hermia had been injured and would need a few days to recover before returning. Yasmine hadn't mentioned the entrusted matter to Jocelyn, figuring that chick named Briseis wouldn't set foot in Yanova City anyway.
Paying back a life-saving favor was no walk in the park.
The last thing Melvin wanted was to be saddled with a responsibility.
Jocelyn texted to check on Zachary.
With a glance at the guy sprawled on the couch like he was auditioning for a role in The Living Dead, Yasmine slyly snapped a pic and sent it to Jocelyn. She didn't catch his whole face in the shot, but from what Jocelyn could make out, he seemed like a charmer.
[Why's he on the couch?] Jocelyn texted back.
Yasmine quickly typed: [He's couch-worthy, period.]
Jocelyn replied with a facepalm emoji, then added: [You guys are like, in the honeymoon phase, cute.]
Yasmine stared at the message, her brow furrowing. She was not buying that narrative.
[You're wrong. It's more like mutual disgust.]
Jocelyn shot back an emoji that screamed 'no way'.
Yasmine was at a loss for words.
How could she even begin to explain? The dude was sleeping over at her place, for crying out loud. What was there to explain?