Jasmine's POV.Dinner could not come quickly enough, and I was shocked when Mr Blackwood came close to me and whispered in my ears. "I am going to be making the announcement tonight. I hope you're ready for this ride." He smiled and I nodded. This was so surreal and I hope that for the life of me I was just thinking about it and this was totally untrue, how the hell was I supposed to comprehend being the new CEO of the company that wasn't remotely linked to me except by marriage. A fake one at that. "What is really your plan Mr Blackwood?" I inquired from him and watched his eyes twinkle with mischief. I guess that was where Jake got his mischief from. I didn't want to believe that he was going to stop his own son and....I shook my head and adjusted my dress. He had taken time to order a dress for me without my knowledge and I was grateful for it because the things I had packed didn't fit the so-called dinner. On my way downstairs, I heard chatters coming from the stairs and I loo
Jasmine's POVThe room was plunged into silence but everyone understood what was happening at the same time yet they dared not get involved in the conversation. I watched Lucas fidget on his seat and I enjoyed the scenario. He was not expecting such a question because it was taking him time to find an answer. It was a rhetorical question so we all knew the answer. "I would suggest that a person took whatever decision they wanted to as long as they have had it in mind for a long time." He answered smartly. Sometimes some people still shocked us even if we didn't want to believe that they could do something of that nature. "I think that we have a winner. In that case, I wanted to announce that there might be a little step down in your activities, it is just to facilitate competition and industry and see what other people have to offer. A lot of people have told me that you might not be open to the idea, but I thought of it. Why else would my son want to go against me? He knows that i
Jasmine's POV. I heard my mother gasp in shock and pairs of eyes were fixated on me. I played the role of being shocked at the fact that he could consider me as good enough to rule his empire. "Tell me it's a lie," I exclaimed while laughing inward. My parents could snap my neck if they had the opportunity. According to them, I was taking over what their child could have had."What the hell is going on? Why would you make Jasmine CEO? It's not as though they are not more capable hands that can do this work. I wouldn't even be pissed off if it wasn't her. This is just to spite me, isn't it?" Jake flared up angrily.I relished the contemptuous look on my lovely sister's face. She was probably going to break a leg with this information. I wasn't interested anyway so they could go to hell with whatever they decided to do. "And that is where you get it wrong. I asked the question right in the beginning, are you going to sabotage the company on the line of familiarity or do the right thi
Author's POV. Jake's feet scrunched against the floor aggressively as he walked out. Gwen kept calling on him to stop, but he was pissed beyond the border. His father was deliberately trying to make a mess out of his work and that was one of the reasons he was working with Donovan. "Don't call me." He snapped as he continued walking far. The rain had stopped, so it would be easier to get a cab that would take him out of this place. He had thought that he would be the one to deliver the shocking news to them but his father was faster. How that man managed to get that information was still beyond him. His father had probably known that something was up and decided to end his association with the company. Now that he was no longer CEO, he would have to tender everything that was happening on his end to Jasmine. This was his nightmare. His phone began to ring and he heaved a sigh, hoping that it wasn't Donovan. That man had been on his neck for a very long time and the rest of us to c
Blackwood's POV. As much as he wanted to throw his son away, he knew that there was every possibility for him to get newer information that he would never have gotten if he had not been patient with Jake."So tell me, what was the information that you couldn't wait to deliver yet stopped halfway? I didn't peg you as a coward but sometimes I know that circumstances could make one do what they think they are incapable of." I began as I took a swig of my beer.Jasmine was triggered and I didn't believe her at all. She had every right to fall into PTSD whenever she saw them. I wasn't going to try and act all holy, telling her to forgive the people who caused her pain. Jake took a long pause before looking at me. "I have never seen you in this manner. You are deliberately trying to ruin the image of this company. I want to believe that it is not anyone's doing but of your volition. This leads me to wonder why. I know that you have been a principled person from the beginning and this is o
Jasmine's POV.The next day, we were on our way to the meeting ground. I didn't know anywhere around the area but I think that Mr. Blackwood was familiar with the area because he was driving so fast that one would almost think that the hounds of hell were after him. It made me laugh now that I think about it, but I refused to engage him in the conversation. Since he was unable to send his son away, it was my duty to maintain decorum and act nonchalantly towards him. He had to find a way to send Jake away. When I meant sending Jake away, I meant forever. I had a bit of fear that one of these days he might gang up with his son and try to work against her. I had been toying with the thought for a while now. Yes, I hoped that it didn't come to pass. I was only trying to make sure that I got proper revenge. I wouldn't want to experience one of those forms of betrayal especially the second time. I wouldn't be able to survive it. He sneaked a glance at me but I refused to look in his dire
Jasmine's POV. One of the other ways to realize that there might have been a problem somewhere was also to try and read between the lines. Many people were ready to bamboozle you into thinking that you were the weird one but I was already waiting for them either way. "Why was there a slight difference in the way things are run over here?" He replied instead and I was a bit tired of having to defend a lot of things. "I have no words. I simply asked a question, why is that taking too hard to answer? I feel like there is more to what you're telling me. Let's see what happened all the way though. I was hoping that everything would get normalized as soon as we get the chance to." I spoke. He was trying to make me sound crazy but that wasn't going to happen because I knew what I was doing. I knew how hard I was trying to make this work so if was for him to acknowledge the fact that I had probably done something that warranted explanation, then he has to say it Mr. Blackwood ran his han
Blackwood's POV. I watched her nod then realized that she had a very good heart and also a valid point. Since she had been betrayed, she needed every form of reassurance that I wasn't going to do the same thing. It was just the way it was supposed to be. I felt like she understood me already but now I got to know that she might also still have fears which are very much valid. We arrived right in front of the building. It was a very weird kind of meeting because we were not going to use a conventional building where everyone already knows what is happening. It was going to work if we were able to make sure that we got our facts right. "I will handle the presentations, you just need to sit and look pretty but you will give the final verdict." I informed her, I realized that she didn't do well under undue pressure, so I wanted her to be as convenient as possible."I understand what you mean and I am really down for it. Do you have any problems with everything that has been happening?"
Jasmine's POV.Life had been good, especially after my step-sister, who had gone to change her face through plastic surgery and pretended to be another person so that she could just get closer to Mr blackwood and get rid of him, was thrown behind bars. Cross and Donovan, who were also working together, had infinite jail sentences. My stepmom was also caught while she was trying to cross the country and flung behind bars too. It made me happy that everything was finally falling into place. I wouldn't have been able to achieve all of this if Mr blackwood and I hadn't devised a means of catching this person in their traps. He walked in with my son on his shoulders. "You must be so happy to see your mother." He said and my son mewled despite not understanding a word his father said. "Hey baby, what are you doing up here alone? Your baby has pooped."I raised a brow, "so he is suddenly my baby and not yours?" I inquired, waiting for his response so that I knew how to answer him appropr
Jasmine's POV. "Exactly what you predicted is already coming to pass." Mr blackwood spoke into my ear causing me to be startled. Wasn't expecting him to show up anytime soon. "What is that?" I inquired from him after he kissed me. "How was work today?"He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "What?" I inquired again when he kept on grinning. "You are amazing. How would I have coped without you in my life?" He said sweetly. Now, whenever he started to praise me, I knew that there was a caveat attached. "Are you serious?" "Of course I am. You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long while. I don't think anyone has come close though." He replied and I smiled at him softly. He had a mission and I also wanted to find out. "I'm happy to announce to you that our suspicions were right." He said and I smiled at him. "I know what you are about to ask. You are about to ask what we are waiting for." "That's right! I thought we were supposed to prosecute immediately if we had substanti
Jasmine's POV. "We should go over to that aisle." Mr blackwood suggested which I decided to take. The usual brand of chocolate I loved to eat wasn't here. I didn't want to start searching for it in various stores. "Jasmine? Is that you, Jasmine?" A voice called and I turned. Squinting to see the face of the person who called my name. I recognized Cross. "Cross?" I asked the first time and he smiled. I could never forget that smile. "In flesh and blood." He said while stretching his arm and turning 360. "I thought you would never remember my face again. It's been what? Almost a decade. Wow, you look so beautiful. I can't almost imagine that you are standing before me. It's not supposed to be a bad thing but you understand what I mean. I am very... I guess what I'm saying is that you are beautiful. It's nice to run into you after a long while too." He said with a polite smile.I glanced at his ears. They were always long; I guess some things never changed, no matter if we filled th
Jasmine POV. Three months later, "Will you be done anytime soon I need to get out of this house before it's too late," I called from the doorway when Mr Blackwood was still washing up. He woke up late today. I had a meeting with GText Holdings and I needed to honor that invitation. I had chased this deal for a long time now, allowing it to slip off my fingers due to carelessness was the last thing I wanted in my life."You can go ahead I might not be joining you in the car today. I also want to speak to a few investors who have signified interests. When we are done we can converge at the store later today.” He also called from inside the bathroom. With everything that was being done, I was no longer feeling like something was missing. I knew that whatever I was looking for Mr blackwood was going to provide. It didn't necessarily mean money because both of us were well off. My heart kept flickering to Gwen and my stepmom. It seemed like they disappeared from the face of the Earth
Jasmine's POV. "With all the pieces of evidence before me, this is my judgment..." The judge said, and I held my breath. This was coming to be the determining factor of whether or not my father was going to get Justice. "I would have to permit Mrs Bailey on the grounds of bail. Although the evidence points to her as having some grudges against her husband, we cannot just convict somebody simply because of what another said." He replied, making me angry. There was no way he had not been bribed because the way he was something the case. "if you are not satisfied with my judgment you can seek redress." He said while looking directly into my eyes. I was going to seek one, "you permit a murderer to walk about simply because you have been paid?" I confronted him. He wasn't also above the law, so whenever things were not going the way they should, I had every right to confront him about it. "Do not think that I don't see everything that is going on here. You are only trying to wave atte
Jasmine's POV. Two weeks later, We were before the judge in the city Court and everyone kept on looking from her to me. "We begin this trial between Miss Jasmine and Miss Bailey because she, Miss Jasmine, feels that her stepmother might have a hand in her father's death." The court clerk said. I waited patiently for my turn. They all knew that I wasn't hasty when it came to situations like this as long as I knew what I was doing. My legal representative, barrister Lawson, stood beside me with a smile on his face, and that fueled my confidence in this case. "Barrister Lawson will be representing Miss Jasmine, while Barrister Damien will be representing Mrs. Bailey." The court clerk announced again. I wasn't worried about their announcements because I knew what I wanted to achieve. They could deceive everyone but not me. As long as I got my answers right, they would regret ever crossing me in their entire lives. That was exactly how I was going to play this game. "Do you swear th
Jasmine's POV. Drum rolls, now this was getting pretty interesting. "This is the joke of the century." Jake took the words out of my mouth but I knew that there was every tendency for this information to be true. Mr Blackwood stood with his hands akimbo, brooking no arguments. He wasn't going to repeat himself. "Exactly what you heard me say. I have tolerated your excesses and that's one of the reasons you have refused to learn your lessons. You would keep on going back and forth simply because you cannot take a rejection. Nothing is going to make me take you back into my company. I will send for DNA testing, and we will confirm the paternity if that's what you want." He said. Whoa, this was greater than I could ever imagine. Who would have thought that there was something fishy in this house and even Jake never knew this? Jake laughed warily. "you must be kidding. How can you tell me after all these years that you are not my father? Is this a way of you getting out of your respo
Jasmine's POV."You must be kidding me. Tell Jake to get off my property if he doesn't want me to descend on him. I built it with my sweat and blood, he doesn't have a part in it. The earlier he understands this the better for him." Mr Blackwood fired at the person on the other end of the phone. I was interested in knowing what was going on again. Was Jake still planning his shenanigans? I thought he had stopped all of this nonsense. Why, then, was he still making everyone edgy?""Is everything okay?" Mr. Blackwood looked up like he just remembered I was present. "Seriously, can you be on your own for a while, while I take care of something? I need to teach that bastard a lesson that he would never forget things his entire life. I do not want to stress you because I understand what is going on. I will drive you home if you want then go to the meeting." He explained yet I still didn't understand where he was coming from. I needed him to tell me more about Jake. "I'm coming with you
Jasmine's POV. Even the blind could tell that this was nothing but a lie, but I didn't want to talk about it. I was also careful with my words, but I didn't manage to land myself in trouble that I wouldn't be able to explain. If she said it was because she was looking for a way for my father's health, then I just needed to act like I believed which we both knew was a huge lie. I wasn't going to allow anyone to get to me when I could just stay away and pretend like I never heard from her.Mr Blackwood glanced in my direction to be sure that I wasn't going to go off. I smiled at him instead. These people were going to pay heavily for trying me. They wanted it to look like I was the problematic person when, in fact, they refused to do the right thing. It wasn't every time that one would engage such people. "My bad. I didn't know that you were so invested in my father's business; trust me, I would not have spoken to you in that manner." I pretended. My stepmother knew that I was only