CHAPTER 3: HOPELESSLY IN NEED

CHAPTER 3: GETTING MARRIED

"What?"

Jasmine couldn't believe her ears. Christopher Elton had asked her to marry him. Christopher Elton was the world's most eligible bachelor and the youngest billionaire ever known. He was sitting in front of her and asking her to marry him.

"I want us to get married." Christopher leaned closer and repeated his statement.

"I'm not getting married to a stranger. " Jasmine was about to stand up when she realized she had nothing on her as she was under the bed.

She saw Christopher's smirk as she tried to cover herself.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before. You are beautiful." Her cheeks burned at his words, and she could feel anger boiling within her.

"How can you even suggest such a thing to someone you just met? What happened last night was a mistake, a horrible mistake!" Jasmine shot back, her voice filled with a hint of frustration and desperation.

Christopher wasn't used to not getting what he wanted, she was the quickest way for him to get his fortune but she wasn't compiling. Was it because he was taking it easy on her?

Jasmine immediately wrapped the blanket around her body, and gathered her scattered before walking to the mirror on the other side of the room but Christopher didn't plan on letting her go so easily.

She felt a pull, and was immediately spun around, hitting the full expanse of Christopher's chest.

He held her jaw up tightly, and stared into her eyes.

"Listen to me, little Vixen. I despise defiance. You will take the responsibility for the stunt you pulled last night, and marry me, or did you think I enjoyed the act?" Christopher's words were filled with venom but Jasmine wasn't backing down.

She removed her head from his grip, and grabbed her phone in a split-second decision but Christopher was too quick, and he caught her free hand, twisting it painfully causing Jasmine to wince.

"Don't do anything foolish. I don't want to hurt you." Christopher said in a calm but commanding tone.

Despite the lingering fear in her chest, Jasmine took the risk, and swung the phone at him, hitting his head.

Christopher stumbled back, momentarily dazed.

The opportunity appeared, and Jasmine seized it.

She grabbed her clothes, and bolted for the door.

Determination fueled her, her legs rushed out of the hostel, and she quickly spotted a closet.

"That little… " Christopher rubbed his head in pain, he could swear that a swelling had already appeared.

He picked up his phone immediately, and called his guard to find Jasmine.

"X, Find that girl. She's wearing a white bedsheet. Do not let her out of your sight, and get me an ice pack on your way back."

Christopher didn't wait for a reply before ending the call, now he would just let X bring the girl back.

"I wonder how I got into this mess." He rubbed his swollen head before taking a seat.

Jasmine, on the other hand, looked around, and was ready to slip out when a strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. It was X, Christopher's bodyguard

"I'm sorry Miss, but I can't let you go." X's voice was firm but calm.

He knew the type of man his boss was, and he somehow how had an understanding of what the woman had gone through.

Jasmine fought back the urge to cry, she was trapped, and it seemed like there was no way out of the mess she had gotten herself into.

She gave up fighting but she wasn't going to go back, and marry that man. She was better than that.

Jasmine turned to X, with a trembling voice. She had to find a way to get rid of this man first, she knew she wasn't stronger than him, so she had to get to his emotions.

"Please, just let me go. I don't want any part of this." Jasmine's eyes teared up as she glanced up at X.

The big bodyguard hesitated, torn between Christopher's order, and his empathy towards Jasmine.

Without saying anything, he let go off her, and handed her a card with a phone number on it,

"In case you change your mind, please give me a call."

Jasmine nodded, and turned around, running out of the hotel.

X walked back into Christopher's room with his head down, " I didn't find her boss."

Christopher gave him a hard glance, but the body-guard didn't say anything more causing the billionaire to wave it off.

_______

Jasmine had walked to the bar where she left her car, she didn't know where else to go, and she definitely wouldn't go back to her father's house.

"I'd go check up on him instead." It was noon when Jasmine finally arrived at the hospital.

She rushed into a room, where a boy was connected to different wires, and he was fast asleep.

Jasmine smiled, and went to take hold of his hand trying to seek a bit of comfort from the problems. she was facing.

"How are you Jamie? Miss me?" Jasmine said but she received no reply.

She wasn't bothered as she was used to it. Although, she hoped that she would be able to hear his sweet voice again. His heart condition had gotten worse, and he needed to be kept on oxygen everyday.

She hated seeing him in such pain but there was nothing she could do.

A nurse walked into the room, but Jasmine paid no attention to her until suddenly the nurse started to disconnect all the wires from the boy.

"What? Stop it! What are you doing?" Jasmine jumped out of her seat in anger.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but I have been told to cut off the oxygen supply. The bill hasn't been paid, and we can't continue providing services without payment." The nurse's voice was cold and detached.

Jasmine's heart plummeted, "Please, I paid for the outstanding bills, can you give me a little more time?"

The nurse was unmoved, " I'm sorry but we have protocols. The hospital can't continue caring without payments or financial agreement."

Jasmine was downcast, her eyes teared up, if she didn't do something fast, her brother would die.

"Is there anything you can do? I'd pay please, can you just extend the time?"

The nurse looked at her, and let out a little sigh.

"It's okay. I can give you a little time, but it wouldn't be a long-term solution. I'd advise that you immediately look for a way to pay up the piled up debt."

"Thank you. Thank you very much, I'll pay the bills very soon." Jasmine clung tightly to the little hope she had. After waiting for the nurse to set everything back to order, she rushed out of the hospital to the nearest bank.

"Hello, please I'd like to withdraw all the money from this card." Jasmine had rushed out of her car, the moment she arrived at the bank, and headed straight for the nearest officer.

Her fingers kept tapping the table as she waited for the man.

The account she was withdrawing from was the first account she had created as a child, and she had used it as a savings account for the little money she gathered from her day job.

She knew that what was in there would be enough to keep Jamie connected for a few weeks before she could gather up the money for his heart transplant.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but there's nothing in this card."

"What? That's not true. Please, check it again." Jasmine couldn't understand what was going on.

Was the man blind? What she had in that account was up to five million dollars, and it was the money she had started saving for her brother's operation.

"I'm serious Ma'am. Please take a look. The account is empty." The man felt wronged because he was telling the truth.

"No. How? There was meant to be money inside." Jasmine felt something tighten her chest, and she found it difficult to breathe.

'Okay, through the mouth. Breathe through your mouth.' Jasmine said to herself, she had to calm down.

Panicking would not help anyone right now, even her.

"Okay then. Please, can you tell me what happened to the money?"

Jasmine's voice shook, as her heart thumped loudly.

"Uhm. It was taken by a Richard Gates, someone with equal rights to your account." The man uttered slowly.

"My father?" Jasmine was shocked, then she suddenly remembered that it was her father who had help to create the account in the first place.

She had already forgotten to lock him.

"Can I see the receipt for each transaction?" Jasmine murmured.

"Sure."

Jasmine gritted her teeth, as she saw the transaction.

Her father has indeed taking five million dollars from her account, but she didn't know what he used it for.

Jasmine thanked the bank officer, and went into her car, she was going to give that man a piece of her mind.

The screeching sound of a car was heard as Jasmine drove into her father's compound.

She pushed open the huge doors, the energy describing the bad state she was in.

"Father!" Jasmine yelled out.

She realized that Tyler was also present, and she wondered why but she didn't care about that cheater.

Her life was much better with him out of it.

"Father, what did you do with my money?" Jasmine struggled to hide the pain she was feeling having knowing that even her father would steal from her.

"Relax Jasmine," Richard said in a calm voice. He didn't understand why the girl was being unreasonable because of some little change.

"I only used the money to sponsor your wedding, and I was planning to pay it back." The man continued.

Jasmine was dumbfounded. Her dad had wasted her own money for a wedding that didn't even take place.

She raised up her head, and caught a glimpse of a smile on her step-mother's face.

She knew it, the woman had something to do with it.

But why did humans have to be so wicked?

"Dad. I need the money for Jamie's hospital bills. They wouldn't give him oxygen if we don't pay."

Jasmine walked closer but her father turned his eyes away from her.

"Dad? Jamie is your son!" She half-yelled.

"I think it's better we just let him die peacefully, than suffering this way." Richard's voice was low.

It was as if he had come to such a vile decision a long time ago, and it made Jasmine bitter.

"How can you say that about your own son?" Jasmine cried in pure anger.

She knew her step-mother had brainwashed her father but this was the extent of it.

Tyler immediately walked up to her, there was the evidence of a smirk on his face.

"Jasmine, I understand you are feeling overwhelmed. I'm willing to forgive you, if you come back to me, and I'll pay up your brother's bills."

He had gotten her just where he wanted her.

She was concerned, and the only way out was by following his request.

However, He was wrong.

Jasmine slapped Tyler for his disgusting audacity, and turned to face her father with a shaky voice.

"I hate you."

With that, she walked out of the mansion, and into her car.

Jasmine could finally feel the dam she had built breaking into pieces, and the tears started to flow down her eyes.

She entered the car, and drove away.

Her mind was blank, and there was no way for her.

Her phone suddenly rang, jolting her to reality, it was an unknown number.

Jasmine knew who it was, and immediately parked her car before stepping out.

"Hello." She said into the phone.

"Shadow," Her handler called her by her renowned code name.

"There's a huge job for you, and it is one only you can handle." The distorted voice continued on the other end of the phone.

Jasmine let out a sad chuckle, she should have known.

"Hello Handler, can I ask the organization to help me arrange some money?"

Jasmine still had to try, even if it would be futile.

The voice went silent for a while before speaking, "It's not possible, Shadow. You know the organization never interferes with the private life of its assassins."

Jasmine went silent, she already expected it but she had a little hope, that just maybe it would be different.

The distorted voice came back, "I'd forward the details to you while I give you time to sort your problems."

The line immediately went off.

Jasmine stared at the dark sky, tears ruining hee expression.

She sat on the pavement, crying her eyes out.

There was no one else to run to for help, and her brother would die.

She placed the phone into her pocket, and immediately felt something there–A card

"What?"

Jasmine immediately brought out the card, and read it.

Maybe she had hope, but would this billionaire still help her after what she had done to him?

She dialled the number on the card, her heart beating wildly.

The line connected with a deep voice resonating from the other side.

"Hello."

Jasmine closed her eyes because she knew it was Christopher's voice, and she spoke,

"Hi. I'd like to discuss that contract."

This was it. Selling herself for her brother, she didn't care, as long as he would live.

A long silence ensued before the voice spoke back, and this time, she recognized the voice as Christopher's.

"Send in your location. I'll come pick you up."