Just as Yonas finished all his tasks and was driving home, Irene''s call came in. His hand paused over the answer button, but he didn''t press it right away.


    "Yonas, Irene likes you. You should see that. She came back to the country just for you," said William with a hypocritical smile.


    "Yonas, what''s the deal between you and Ms. Sanchez?" The face was calm and gentle, yet in the eyesy a cruel and intense coldness.


    Behind him, Nathan gave his reminder, "You''re responsible for the White family''s matters, and if William approaches me, I won''t refuse. But how to decide is up to you."


    He seemed to hear Yoselin say, "Yonas, you can''t give up on Yasmine! Didn''t you say you''d marry her and we''ll be a family?"


    "Stop talking!" Yonas silenced all the voices in his head with a solemn countenance, leaving only the sound of the ringing phone in the empty car.


    "Yonas, make sure to eat well," his gentle mother had met her tragic end in her favorite elegant garden.


    Yonas''s fingers trembled slightly as he answered Irene''s call. He suppressed the unavoidable coldness in his voice, "What''s up?" His fingers tapped impatiently on the steering wheel. Irene spoke with a sob in her voice, "Yonas,e save me quickly, I''m drunk at the Inkwell Bar."


    Before he could respond, Irene hung up. In the rearview mirror, Yonas''s face was chiseled, his eyes filled with hate. He stepped on the gas, heading towards the Inkwell Bar.


    The bartender ced a Ster Swirl in front of Yasmine, joining several other drinks on the table that he had mixed earlier. Yet, thedy merely sipped each one and put them down.


    "Another one," Yasmine set the ss down. The Ster Swirl shimmered under the lights, glowing a bright blue. But it felt like something was missing. Was it the aroma of Cabe Sauvignon, or was it something else?


    The bartender didn''t refuse; after all, the money wasn''t going anywhere.


    While waiting for the bartender to mix the next drink, Yasmine scanned the people in the bar and unexpectedly spotted a familiar face in the corner. What was she doing here? Irene actually showed up at the bar, and surprisingly, there were several empty sses in front of her. She downed them one after another, not drinking but rather repeating some meaningless mechanical action.


    What''s she trying to do? There are about seven or eight sses. Even though these cocktails aren''t as strong as regr wine, drinking so many in such a short time could make someone pass out.


    The bar was filled with all sorts of people. Irene, with her exquisite beauty and noble allure, looked particrly captivating, especially with the slight flush of intoxication on her cheeks. Yasmine noticed several men eyeing Irene with less than pure intentions, seemingly ready to make a move.


    Yasmine was just about to go over when she noticed someone else had already reached Irene''s side, and his expression wasn''t pleased at all.


    Under the neon lights, Yasmine saw Yonas like this for the first time. His face was full of anger as he snatched the ss out of Irene''s hand. Hidden among the crowd, she faintly heard Yonas''s frustrated voice, "Why are you drinking?"


    Even though Yonas''s tone was impatient, he still helped Irene stand up. His intense gaze warned off the men who had been trying to get closer, protecting Irene with an authoritative stance. The men quickly dispersed, acting as if nothing had happened, each returning to their seats to drink or dance.


    "Yonas, did youe to pick me up?" Irene asked.


    Yonas nced at the sses on the table, frowned, and asked, "Why did you drink so much?"


    "I''m feeling wronged. They all say you like Yasmine, not me. They also im that I disrupted your happiness with her bying back to the country. Yonas, is that really true?" Irene asked, a bit sadly, as she put her hand on his arm. "Come on! Let''s drink, everyone!"


    "Don''t just drink, let''s go! Guys, let''s hit the dance floor..."


    The noisy sounds were a constant assault on Yasmine''s ears. She leaned against the restroom door, a spot where she was perfectly concealed yet could clearly hear Yonas and Irene amidst the mor.


    Yonas hesitated for quite a while, as Irene clung to him persistently. "Tell me, Yonas! Quickly, let me know if it''s true or not!" Her tone hinted at tears, while Yasmine clenched her fists nearby. Yonas, please just say it. Is it true? "It''s not," Yonas replied.


    Thump! Thump! Yasmine''s heart pounded in her chest. The moment Yonas spoke, it was as if the entire bar had been muted. The once rowdy noise vanished like the wind from her ears, leaving only those two words ringing clearly. She was stunned..


    "Yonas, they all say you prefer Yasmine over me and that my return disrupted your happiness. Is that true?" Irene asked.


    "It''s not!" Yonas said.


    He said no! Yasmine''s body shook violently. The nning document before thend auction, that shocking crash on the


    overpass,


    these incidents were etched in Yasmine''s heart. Could it all be fake? By denying it, is he saying that Irene was the one he truly loved all along? Or was Yasmine just a stand-in for Irene?


    At that moment, she really wanted to ask Yonas directly. If everything in the past was fake, then why did he throw himself in front of the car that was meant to kill her without hesitation? If he truly loved Irene, then why did he secretly give her the biggest secret at thend auction?


    Everything was gradually bing clearer, except for that blurry figure at West Sanctuary Gardens, who told her that everything had to wait until the time was right.


    ""Miss? Are you


    drunk? Do you


    you need me to help


    inside to rest a bit?" someone asked.


    Does Yonas really like Irene? Yasmine wondered.


    "Hey beautiful, pay me some attention!" Someone gave Yasmine''s shoulder a heavy pat, followed by a hand gripping hers. "Ah! What are you doing?" she eximed, quickly shaking off the hand with disgust.


    The man in front of her was dressed sloppily, reeking of alcohol with hair that seemed unwashed for days. She could almost feel the germs left on her hand from his grip. The man gazed at her with ill intentions, "What do you think? You came to the feel good." bar to find a man, right? Here I am. I''ll make you


    Yasmine instinctively turned to Yonas for help, but when she looked up, she saw Yonas supporting Irene, disappearing through the bar''s main door.


    That determined back left her even more panicked. "Let go of me! Let go of me! Get lost!" She fiercely shook off the man''s hand that tried to entangle her again.