Penelope’s jaw dropped, and her face turned Ashen. She gaped like a fish for a few seconds, before she was finally able to speak.“M-Mr. Wayne, you can’t do that to me!” She protested, her voice tinged with panic and disbelief as her eyes desperately locked onto Asher’s.Asher’s expression remained icy, and he was about to dish out a command, but Jasmine’s voice stopped him.“Mr. Wayne,” she began, her voice soft, and almost hesitant, yet reasoning. “Please don’t fire her on my account. She was probably just trying to protect the image of the company.”Jasmine wasn’t entirely convinced of her own words, but the feeling of guilt that erupted in her chest forced her to speak. She couldn’t bear to be the reason why Penelope got fired. It wouldn’t make a good impression for her, especially since it was her first day. And she didn’t want her colleagues to become weary of her.Asher turned to her, and arched his brow in mild surprise. He didn’t say anything, but she could see the questio
The flirtatiousness on the shop attendant’s face wiped away, and was replaced by a scowl as she moved her gaze to Jasmine, and sized her up. A pang of jealousy hit her as she wondered why a handsome, wealthy man like Asher would settle for a plain Jane like Jasmine. But she didn’t dare voice out her distaste. Instead, she plastered on a sickly sweet smile as she turned back to Asher. “Of course, Mr. Wayne. Please, follow me.” Asher’s hand shifted to the small of Jasmine’s back, and his touch made her breathing unsteady as they followed after the shop attendant. The shop attendant led them to a large center aisle filled with clothing racks of various luxurious female wear brands. “Here we are,” she announced with her hand gesturing around the aisle. “Please,” she turned to Jasmine, the sickly sweet smile still on her face, though the envious glint in her eyes rivaled it. “Shop to your heart’s content, ma’am.” Jasmine gave her a fleeting smile just as she excused them. Then Asher
Jasmine’s face paled, and her mouth shot open at Asher’s order. “What? You can’t do that!” She protested when she finally regained her voice.Asher gave her no response, instead his gaze bore into the shop attendant, and she jerked into action.Turning to Charlotte, she gestured towards the exit of the boutique. “Ma’am, you’re hereby banned from our store. Kindly leave now.”Charlotte’s eyes sparked with fury, and she raised her hand in a bid to slap the shop attendant. The shop attendant instinctively brought her hand up to shield her face, but Asher caught Charlotte’s hand mid-air before she could make contact.He flung it back to her side, and his gaze hardened even further as he instructed the shop attendant. “Call your security. Now!”The shop attendant nodded instantly and rushed to bring the security guard. Charlotte was trembling with anger, and her face resembled that of a ripe tomato. “You’re really treating me like this because of her?!” She spat in frustration as she po
Jasmine’s feet felt like lead as she stood frozen whilst watching the signboard plunging towards her in horror.She wanted to move…no, needed to move, but her body wasn’t willing.Her eyes tightly squeezed shut as she braced for the impact. But instead of feeling pain, she felt a hand yank her away just as the sign crashed to the ground.She gasped as she landed against a hard chest, and she had to place her palms on it to steady herself.“Fuck Jasmine. Why didn’t you move out of the way?!” Asher’s worried voice rang in her ears.Her eyes fluttered open, and she slowly looked up at him, the shock from what happened still evident on her pale face.“I-It felt like my feet were frozen to the ground,” she whispered, her voice trembling ever so slightly. “I couldn’t move.”Asher’s expression softened when he saw the petrified look on her face, and he pulled her in for a hug, his arms wrapping protectively around her.Jasmine’s eyes widened at the sudden gesture, but then her body relaxed,
Charlotte pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant just a few minutes after Asher and waited in her car, watching as he and Jasmine stepped inside.Only after they disappeared into the restaurant, did she come out of her car. She adjusted her coat and smoothed down her hair before making her way inside.Just as she entered, she spotted a waiter leading Asher and Jasmine through a door and her brows furrowed.Where are they going?“Excuse me,” she beckoned to a waitress nearby as she couldn’t hold back her curiousity. The lady approached her with a polite smile. “Yes, ma’am? How may I help you?”Charlotte gestured towards the door Asher and Jasmine had just walked through. “Where does that lead to?”The waitress followed her line of sight before turning back to her. “That’s the VIP section, ma’am. Only exclusive customers with a reservation are allowed in.”Charlotte’s lips curled up in a scowl and her eyes narrowed with envy.VIP section? She had never been there due to how excl
Jasmine leaned back in her chair, her eyes wide as she tried to process what Tristan had just said.The moment it sank in, her mouth parted slightly.“Oh my goodness!” She gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she glanced at Asher, then back at Tristan.“M-Mr. Yates, I don’t know what to say…”Asher’s eyes also widened as he too was taken aback by Tristan’s offer.Jasmine leading the design process of the Maple City project would definitely be a huge stepping stone in her career.On one hand he feared it might be too much for her to handle, and on the other hand, he knew she was more than capable of managing herself.Besides, he would always be there to offer his guidance and expertise.“So,” Tristan broke the silence, his gaze alternating between Jasmine and Asher. “Do we have a deal?”Jasmine fiddled with her hands on her lap as uncertainty filled her.It was an incredible opportunity, yes. But was she truly ready for such a responsibility?Asher noticed her hesitation and his han
Asher shot up from his seat like a mad man and scooped Jasmine up in his arms. In a swift, desperate motion, he carried her bridal-style out of the room.Tristan, too, got up from his seat, his movements quick and urgent as he followed behind them.He didn’t know why, but seeing Jasmine like that made an uneasy feeling pool in his gut. It reminded him of an accident that had happened to his younger sister in the past.She had an allergic reaction to sesame seeds, and had reacted the exact same way Jasmine did.He followed Asher out of the restaurant to his car, his eyes darting to Jasmine’s limp form in panic.“Take her to Julia Memorial Hospital. They have the best doctors,” he urged Asher, who quickly agreed as he gently placed her in the back seat of his car.The moment Asher stepped aside, her head lolled to the side again and she almost fell. But he caught her head in time and carefully steadied it on the headrest.As he did, Tristan’s eyes zeroed in on a peculiar, crescent sha
Charlotte’s gaze darted back to Tristan, and her palms became clammy as she looked everywhere but his face. “Yes…no…actually, I just arrived,” she sputtered the first lie that popped up in her mind. “But I got an emergency call, that’s why I was rushing out.”“Tristan’s frown didn’t falter in the slightest, instead his gaze narrowed even more as he dissected her words. “That means you should have seen your sister being carried out.”Charlotte’s breath caught in panic. “No, no I didn’t,” she denied, shaking her head as she scrambled to come up with another lie.“It must…it must have happened while I was busy on my phone. I wouldn’t be acting so surprised if I already knew.”The waiter, who had been standing awkwardly beside them, stared back and forth in confusion.He had no idea what they were talking about, he just needed to know if Charlotte still wanted the wine.“Ma’am,” he interjected, albeit hesitantly as his grip on the neck of the bottle tightened, “does this mean you won’t
“Good to see you again, Mr. Wayne.” Tristan greeted Asher as they met up in the hospital. “How’s my sis…I mean, Miss Lane doing?” Asher returned the greeting with a friendly nod, though his expression remained firm. “She regained consciousness this morning, and the doctor says she’s stable.”Tristan exhaled in relief and his face lit up. “That’s great news. I should go and see her now.”“Yeah,” Asher agreed. “But do it later. We need to run the DNA test before the samples get contaminated.”“Right,” Tristan nodded as he recalled the situation at hand. He reached into the inner pocket of his suit and retrieved a paper envelope from there.“This is my father’s sample,” he explained as he held it out to Asher. “I swabbed it from his teacup this morning.”“That’s good,” Asher replied, and raised a ziplock bag with Jasmine’s strand of hair inside. “And this is Miss Lane’s. Let’s get them checked right away.”On that note, the men headed toward the hospital’s laboratory, matching each oth
The next morning, Jasmine finally regained consciousness, but had to blink for a few seconds after opening her eyes to get them adjusted to the bright lighting of the ward. Her brows furrowed as she glanced around the room, and they rose in surprise when her gaze landed on Asher, who was asleep on the chair next to her bed with his head slightly tilted backward.The cuffs of his shirt were rolled up to his arms, which he folded across his broad chest, and his jaw was set in a firm line as though he had fallen asleep mid-anger.Jasmine gently sat up on the bed, and winced a little at the dull ache in her head.She tried to recall how she had ended up in the hospital, but her mind was still too hazy to piece anything together.Her gaze drifted toward Asher again, and almost as though he felt her eyes on him, his own snapped open. Jasmine's breath hitched from the sudden action, and she accidentally choked on her spit, which caused her to break into a coughing fit.Asher’s eyes widene
Jasmine had her legs wrapped around Jason’s waist with her head thrown back as she mewled like a cat in heat while he thrust into her.The both of them were so engrossed in their passionate rendezvous that they hadn’t noticed Asher’s presence.An infuriated Asher, who was seconds away from exploding into full blown rage, grabbed a vase from the bookshelf next to the entrance and smashed it on the floor.The sound of the vase shattering into pieces finally jerked the couple into reality, and they instantly pulled away from each other to look at the source of the sound.Immediately their eyes landed on Asher, their bodies sprang into action.Charlotte leapt off Jason’s desk, almost tripping over her own feet as she scrambled to cover her nakedness. While Jason’s face flushed red as he quickly put on his trousers, buttoned his shirt and shrugged on his suit.“Uncle,” he called out in surprise after clearing his throat. “What brings you to my office?”Asher’s jaw clenched and his lips we
The waitress paled as Tristan’s indirect threat lingered in the air. Her gaze darted between him and Asher’s imposing forms, and at that moment, it became glaringly obvious that there was no way out for her.She tightly wrapped her fingers around each other, and bit her lips as she debated which step to take.“Answer the fucking question, dammit!” Asher snapped after her silence had completely waned his patience.The waitress flinched at the sharp sound of his voice, and her eyes prickled with hot tears as she finally confessed. “I-I was p-paid by a lady to sneak sesame seeds into the food I served you,” her lips quivered as she lowered her head in shame. “I-I’m deeply sorry. I didn’t know my actions would cause such harm.”Asher tightened his fist so hard his knuckles looked almost translucent. He had to force out a deep breath to prevent himself from exploding into a fit of rage.Meanwhile, a more composed Tristan, kept his gaze trained on the waitress. “Did the lady who paid you
Asher’s eyes widened in surprise at the bombshell Tristan had just dropped. But the shock only lasted a few seconds before his brows furrowed.“What do you mean?”Tristan's tongue darted out to wet his lips. “I’m not a hundred percent sure yet,” he admitted. “But the coincidence is too much to ignore. Asher remained silent as he waited for Tristan to elaborate, and Tristan took a deep breath before he continued.“I had a sister with the same birthmark and allergies as Miss. Lane. Her name was Julia, and she went missing during a family trip twenty years ago. We searched tirelessly for her, but had to give up eventually when the police closed the case due to lack of leads.”Asher slowly nodded as he processed Tristan’s revelation. Could Jasmine really be the Yates long-lost daughter?It seemed like a possibility, but he momentarily pushed the thought aside.“We can’t jump to any conclusions yet,” Asher spoke finally. “The most important thing right now is Jasmine’s recovery. Until t
Charlotte’s gaze darted back to Tristan, and her palms became clammy as she looked everywhere but his face. “Yes…no…actually, I just arrived,” she sputtered the first lie that popped up in her mind. “But I got an emergency call, that’s why I was rushing out.”“Tristan’s frown didn’t falter in the slightest, instead his gaze narrowed even more as he dissected her words. “That means you should have seen your sister being carried out.”Charlotte’s breath caught in panic. “No, no I didn’t,” she denied, shaking her head as she scrambled to come up with another lie.“It must…it must have happened while I was busy on my phone. I wouldn’t be acting so surprised if I already knew.”The waiter, who had been standing awkwardly beside them, stared back and forth in confusion.He had no idea what they were talking about, he just needed to know if Charlotte still wanted the wine.“Ma’am,” he interjected, albeit hesitantly as his grip on the neck of the bottle tightened, “does this mean you won’t
Asher shot up from his seat like a mad man and scooped Jasmine up in his arms. In a swift, desperate motion, he carried her bridal-style out of the room.Tristan, too, got up from his seat, his movements quick and urgent as he followed behind them.He didn’t know why, but seeing Jasmine like that made an uneasy feeling pool in his gut. It reminded him of an accident that had happened to his younger sister in the past.She had an allergic reaction to sesame seeds, and had reacted the exact same way Jasmine did.He followed Asher out of the restaurant to his car, his eyes darting to Jasmine’s limp form in panic.“Take her to Julia Memorial Hospital. They have the best doctors,” he urged Asher, who quickly agreed as he gently placed her in the back seat of his car.The moment Asher stepped aside, her head lolled to the side again and she almost fell. But he caught her head in time and carefully steadied it on the headrest.As he did, Tristan’s eyes zeroed in on a peculiar, crescent sha
Jasmine leaned back in her chair, her eyes wide as she tried to process what Tristan had just said.The moment it sank in, her mouth parted slightly.“Oh my goodness!” She gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she glanced at Asher, then back at Tristan.“M-Mr. Yates, I don’t know what to say…”Asher’s eyes also widened as he too was taken aback by Tristan’s offer.Jasmine leading the design process of the Maple City project would definitely be a huge stepping stone in her career.On one hand he feared it might be too much for her to handle, and on the other hand, he knew she was more than capable of managing herself.Besides, he would always be there to offer his guidance and expertise.“So,” Tristan broke the silence, his gaze alternating between Jasmine and Asher. “Do we have a deal?”Jasmine fiddled with her hands on her lap as uncertainty filled her.It was an incredible opportunity, yes. But was she truly ready for such a responsibility?Asher noticed her hesitation and his han
Charlotte pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant just a few minutes after Asher and waited in her car, watching as he and Jasmine stepped inside.Only after they disappeared into the restaurant, did she come out of her car. She adjusted her coat and smoothed down her hair before making her way inside.Just as she entered, she spotted a waiter leading Asher and Jasmine through a door and her brows furrowed.Where are they going?“Excuse me,” she beckoned to a waitress nearby as she couldn’t hold back her curiousity. The lady approached her with a polite smile. “Yes, ma’am? How may I help you?”Charlotte gestured towards the door Asher and Jasmine had just walked through. “Where does that lead to?”The waitress followed her line of sight before turning back to her. “That’s the VIP section, ma’am. Only exclusive customers with a reservation are allowed in.”Charlotte’s lips curled up in a scowl and her eyes narrowed with envy.VIP section? She had never been there due to how excl