Chapter 3

Jazmine grabbed her work file and bag from her bed. She checked her appearance for a few seconds in the mirror before heading out of her bedroom. She walked down the stairs of the two-floor penthouse that she lived with Anita. The two of them had been living together since boarding school time.

Jazmine walked down the staircase just to come upon Anita and her longtime boyfriend, River Clooney, who took a job in a law firm and was pretty successful. Anita worked as a model since the second year of college and pursued it professionally despite having graduated as a business student. She had covered several major magazines and was doing good at it.

“You’re early today,” Jazmine said as she went to the coffee machine to brew a cup of coffee.

“I’m leaving today for a business trip,” River told her as he sat down.

River had been with Anita since high school. But, they didn’t look like the type of couple that would settle down soon.

As far as Jazmine remembered, Anita and River broke up more than the parties they attended together. And that wasn’t a small amount. Every time, they got back together and then broke up the next day. Jazmine never understood or knew what their problem was. They didn’t fight or argue about anything. They just broke up for no reason. Jazmine thought River and Anita were more like friends with benefits. Even so, Jazmine was hoping that her best friend would get the guy she deserved. That girl was a golden heart to everyone despite her wild lifestyle. Jazmine couldn’t recall how many times Anita sacrificed everything for her. If it wasn’t because of her, Jazmine didn’t even think she could make it until today.

“Well, have a safe trip,” Jazmine said as she poured her coffee into a cup.

She headed out of the penthouse to the elevator while sipping her first warm coffee of the day. The only reason she lived in a penthouse with Anita was that Anita’s brother, Liam, bought it as Anita’s graduation present.

Thinking about Liam made Jazmine wonder what he was up to these days. The last time he came to visit was five years ago, and that was their first and last meeting. Then, he never came again. Jazmine wondered why he didn’t come to visit like before.

Jazmine still remembered every bit of the hottest guy at Anita’s party. Jazmine was a girl who preferred much older guys. That was proven when she always dated men older than her. But, even with those guys around her, Jazmine still couldn’t forget about Liam. Granted, she was shy and quiet when they first met, but she changed a year after entering college. Even the quietest girl could make the loudest sound ever. When Jazmine saw him for the first time at Anita’s party, Jazmine knew he was trouble.

Since then, she couldn’t forget him no matter how hard she tried. She knew the attraction was one-sided, but somehow she was still hoping that her attraction would be reciprocated one day. But hope was hoping until it was lost in the wind.

Comparing herself to him, she knew she was out of his league. He was hot and sexy. And, she was a normal girl who had a weird choice in men. She didn’t know any fashion style. She didn’t even know how to use the correct lipstick. How could she expect herself to be with someone as sexy as Liam?

A girl could always hope for her Prince Charming, but Liam wasn’t that person for her. Who would know what happened to him nowadays? He could have been married and lived happily with his wife and kids. Five years wasn’t a short duration of time. Anything could have happened in those five years.

Jazmine didn’t want to ask anything from Anita about Liam. The Blake sister never spoke of his personal life, but she spoke about what he did to annoy her. Jazmine didn’t want her best friend to think that she was obsessed with her brother. Any girl would turn obsessed when a hot and sexy man like Liam walked past by.

Jazmine grunted in annoyance before the elevator reached the basement parking. She went to the secondhand sedan that she bought since she entered college. Jazmine never bothered to look for another car as long as the one she had was still working.

After graduating from college, Jazmine worked in a medium-sized interior designing company, Bernard Designing Company, owned by Jay Bernard, the current CEO. They had been involved in countless designing projects and began to earn a name in the designing industry.

Just right after Jazmine parked her car, her phone rang, and Anita’s name flashed on the screen. Jazmine answered the phone call while getting out of her car.

“Jaz, I forgot to tell you. We’re going on a summer vacation. Maybe a week long. You think you can make it?” Anita said.

Jazmine used her shoulder to press the cellphone against her ear while her hands quickly went through her bag and took out her diary. She had to check for the date that she could make for the vacation.

“I’ll be available in the second week of summer,” Jazmine replied, throwing her diary back into her bag. “Who else is coming?”

“I’m thinking of it. Maybe River and his friends. Do you have anyone in mind that you want to invite?”

Liam.

The one name that popped inside Jazmine’s mind, but she quickly shrugged her thought. “No, no one.”

“Alright, I’ll handle the reservation and everything.”

Jazmine went to the front of the Bernard Designing Company building and used her access card to enter.

“Morning, Jaz!” Rowan, the front desk guy, greeted her happily.

He sprayed water on the flowers he planted in a small vase and kept them on the front desk as a decoration. Rowan was the thrilled guy in the company while everyone else looked like they had committed a murder every night.

“Hey, Rowan. How was your trip?” Jazmine replied as she checked on several parcels and letters on the front desk.

“You know, family drama,” he shrugged as he reached for something under his desk. “By the way, the boss man left this for you.”

A bouquet of red roses, a box of heart-shaped chocolates, and a letter. Jay Bernard, the company owner, had been trying to win her since she started working here. Jazmine, being a professional, rejected his approach many times, and still, he didn’t give up. Granted, he was a handsome man with dark chocolate hair and beautiful blue eyes that would drown any girl, but Jazmine didn’t plan to screw her career.

“Keep it.” Jazmine pushed it across the desk. “I had enough problems to deal with.”

Jazmine picked several letters that were addressed to her before walking towards her office. Rowan followed her from behind while carrying the gifts that Jay Bernard bought for her. Clearly, someone didn’t get the message. Jazmine had enough of those girls in the company gossiping about her and Jay Bernard.

“Girl, you know how to break a man’s heart,” Rowan said.

Jazmine glanced at the gifts that Rowan was carrying and scoffed in annoyance. She had no intention of having an intimate relationship with her boss. Her daily life in the office was miserable enough. She didn’t need another misery added to the list.

“There’s no heart to break if he doesn’t have the heart, to begin with,” Jazmine replied.

From what she heard, Jay had slept with all the single ladies in the company. It almost felt like he established the company to have his prey closed to him. Jazmine didn’t know what those girls found attractive about a man who slept with any girl he saw.

“When was the last time he actually liked a girl instead of wanting to bed her?”

Jazmine was getting annoyed by Jay’s effort. She opened the door to her office and entered. Rowan entered shortly after her and placed the gifts on the coffee table in the middle of the room. Looking at the gifts was enough to give Jazmine nausea.

Rowan calculated with his fingers and stuck when he didn’t have more fingers to keep counting.

“I don’t know.” Rowan shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe never?”

“Exactly.” Jazmine booted up her computer. “Anyway, any call from my client?”

“Yes, Mrs. Ferdinand is coming to see you after lunch to discuss her nursery design. Then, at four o’clock, you have another client, Mrs. Kim. You can use the meeting room for the day. Bossman will be out to meet another client.”

“Got it, thanks.”

“Always got your back, girl,” Rowan grinned as he got up from the chair.

“Take the chocolate,” Jazmine said, nodding to Jay’s gifts on the coffee table. “It would be a waste if I throw it out too.”

“Are you sure you don’t want the chocolate?”

“I don’t like sweet things.”

She lied. She was a monster when she had sweet things. But for now, it was better to lie.

“Fine,” Rowan said before grabbing the box of chocolate and leaving her office.

Jazmine looked at her computer and began to work on her designs. After three hours, she got up from her desk and looked at the gifts again. No matter how hard she tried to ignore the small pink card slit in the flower bouquet, she couldn’t. She grabbed the pink card and read it silently.

Dinner tonight? - Jay

Jazmine grimaced. She dumped the stuff into the trash can. He could never take a no as an answer. She went to her desk again and sat down before opening a web browser on her computer. She opened several social media sites, typing the same name repeatedly, hoping there would be one matching result. But, there was none.

“Seriously, not even a single social media? Where are you living? Stone age?” Jazmine ranted.

She sighed as she leaned against her chair. “It would be nice to invite him as well. No, no, no. Jazmine, get your mind together. You’re not obsessed with your best friend’s brother. He could have a wife or kids, you know. It’s been five years!”

Ding.

A notification appeared on the screen of her phone. Anita had reposted someone’s post on her social media. Jazmine quickly typed the username in the search tool in the web browser, and she was taken into the owner’s profile. She looked at the username and the pictures posted in the owner’s profile. No wonder she couldn’t find the owner’s page.

“What is this?” she asked herself.

Her eyes widened when she scrolled through a series of posts that were posted a week ago. There were some photos of handsome and muscular men doing some intense workouts. Jazmine didn’t recognize anyone except for one.

Liam Blake was in every photo.

Liam posted several photos of him working out and working inside an office. There were numerous photos of him fixing cars and motorbikes without wearing a shirt. In the most recent post, Liam was standing, smiling, next to a redheaded pregnant woman while it seemed they were at a party.

“He’s married….”