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 turned
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,
“I can’t wait to see the reaction on Jacob’s face,” Jasmine mused, a soft smile gracing her lips as she stepped out of the elevator leading to her fiancé, Jacob’s office.She carefully held onto the rectangular paper box that housed his favorite cake which she had stayed up all night baking. Today was his birthday and she wanted to surprise him.Her heart was cheery as she neared the door to his office, but her forehead creased into a frown when she heard muffled voices coming from within.Was Jacob with someone?She shrugged off the thought. Perhaps, it was one of his clients or colleagues. But as she reached the mahogany door, her steps faltered and her body stiffened as she heard a very familiar voice coming from the office.“Jakey, when will you dump that plain Jane, so we can be together?”Jasmine’s breath hitched and her palms became sweaty as she clutched the box tighter. Could it really be…?Before she could stop herself, she pushed the door open without knocking. The box of
When Jasmine got home that afternoon, she met her adoptive parents, Timothy and Gloria Yates, sitting on the couch, engaged in what seemed like a deep conversation. She wiped the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat, so it wouldn’t seem like she had been crying. “Good evening, Father. Mother,” she greeted, drawing their attention to her. Timothy gave her a curt nod in response while Gloria’s lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line as she eyed Jasmine from head to toe. Ever since they had discovered Jasmine wasn’t their daughter, and reunited with their real daughter, Charlotte, they had developed a sort of coldness for her and basically discarded her. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?” Gloria demanded in a scolding tone. “Do you think you can just do whatever you want?” Jasmine's brows furrowed, and she quickly pulled out her phone to check if she had a missed call. Sure enough, a notification of 5 missed calls stared back at her and her eyes widened in surprise
Jasmine hurried out of the hotel room before the sleeping man could wake up. She got home a few minutes later, only to be greeted with a sharp slap across her face. Her head jerked to the side from the impact, and she clutched her throbbing cheek. “You ungrateful brat!” Gloria’s sharp voice resounded. “How dare you play a fast one on us? Why didn’t you go to Samuel Wilson’s hotel room as planned?” Jasmine’s eyes glistened with tears as she tried to explain. “M-mom, I t-thought—” “Don’t call me mom!” Gloria spat. “I can’t be a mother to a cheap whore like you.” Charlotte, who was lounging on the couch, rose up and approached her mother. “Don’t waste your breath on her, mom,” Charlotte placed a calming hand on Gloria’s shoulder and gave Jasmine a dirty glare. “It’s not even been 24 hours since your engagement was called off, and you’re already sleeping around,” Charlotte smacked her teeth distastefully. “I’ve always known your good girl act was just a farce.” “I wasn’t sle
Jacob’s jaw nearly dropped as his gaze landed on his estranged uncle, Asher, who hadn’t been in the country for years. His eyes flickered to how possessively Asher held Jasmine and a twinge of jealousy ignited in his chest, but he masked it with a strained smile. “U-uncle, it’s been so long,” the tone of his voice was a complete contrast to how he truly felt. “When did you come back?” Jacob’s blurt had alerted his other family members and they turned their attention towards Asher. Jacob’s mother and father, Richard and Laura Wayne, shared displeased glances with each other as they saw Asher, but they hid it with forced smiles. “Asher, little brother, you finally decided to return after being far away for so long,” Richard piped in a fake cheery voice from where he stood. “What’s it been…seven years?” “It’s good to see you, Asher,” Laura added, her voice mirroring her husband’s. “Welcome back.” Asher finally tore his gaze from a still astonished Jasmine, but kept his han
Everyone in the room was left speechless as Asher’s declaration hung in the air. Jasmine herself was extremely confused as to why Asher would say such a thing, and she leaned in closer to his ear.“What are you doing?” She whispered, her eyes flickering with disbelief.She tried to retrieve her hand from Asher’s, but he held onto it more firmly, refusing to let go as he glanced at her. “Just trust me,” he assured curtly before returning his attention to everyone else.Jacob managed to pick up his jaw that had dropped to the floor after a few stunned seconds. “Uncle, y-you can’t be serious,” he blurted incredulously. “Jasmine was my fiancé up until yesterday. How can you be in love with her already?”“Surely this is some sort of prank right, uncle Asher?” Charlotte added, her voice tinged with barely restrained contempt towards Jasmine. “You can’t possibly want to marry a leftover like her.”Asher’s lips twitched at their reactions, and he didn’t look bothered in the slightest bit.
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,
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
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 turned
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
Jasmine and Asher reached the conference room in no time, and the large room sported a long, rounded table surrounded by systematically placed chairs.Inside, Asher’s employees were seated and engaged in light chatter. But the moment he entered, the atmosphere in the room shifted and everywhere became silent. The employees all rose to their feet, and bowed in gestures of respect. “Good morning, Mr. Wayne,” they echoed in unison.“Please sit,” Asher instructed them with a wave of his hand, and they quickly complied.Jasmine, who was standing a feet behind Asher, entwined her fingers in front of her and nervously fiddled with them as she looked down at her feet, suddenly finding her black ballet flats fascinating. Even though she avoided eye contact with the employees, she could still feel their curious gazes on her. Her skin prickled, and it took all her strength not to squirm as a result.“Well everyone,” Asher began, his voice sharp and filling the room. “I'd like to introduce the
The elevator slid open again a few minutes later, and Asher ushered Jasmine out of it.Jasmine slowed down her steps as she took a moment to admire the entire floor. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but the entire place was empty and quiet.Asher’s voice broke through her thoughts. “This floor is strictly mine,” he casually explained before leading her to the transparent glass double doors of his office.Jasmine took in the sight of the doors, and her eyes widened. Not only were they made of glass, but the walls were too. As a matter of fact, Asher’s entire office was visible from outside.Her lips parted open, but no words came out as she admired the marveling beauty of the place.Asher chuckled when he noticed her fascinated expression. “You’d have to get used to seeing things like this. This is an architectural firm, so we always have to be at the top of our game, don't we?”Jasmine nodded absentmindedly, her gaze never swaying from the glass walls as though trying to ing
Asher walked out of the elevator and was scrolling through his phone when a voice caught his attention. He paused midway, and looking up from the phone, he was greeted with a sight that made his blood sizzle his veins.In the middle of the reception area, a security guard was forcefully gripping Jasmine’s arm, while she struggled to pull away.“Jasmine?” he called out, his voice a mixture of surprise and confusion. Jasmine stopped struggling with the security guard and her head whipped around to Asher’s direction.She wiped her teary eyes, and took in his suit-clad frame. “Asher?” She blurted, confusion and curiosity scattering across her features as she wondered why he was there.Asher’s eyes zeroed in on the security guard’s hand on Jasmine’s arm, and they darkened.“What’s going on here?” He demanded in a voice that made the temperature in the room drop a few degrees.The receptionist quickly straightened up on seeing Asher, and rising from her seat, she rushed towards him.“Mr.
Jasmine didn’t stop walking until she had reached a quiet alleyway that was considerably far away from the coffee shop. Her vision blurred with fresh tears as her emotions came crashing down like a torrent.Her opportunity to secure a job with Ashscape designs was now completely ruined.All because of someone who she had once regarded as a sister.The world around her suddenly faded away, and her chest began to constrict painfully.Clutching her chest, Jasmine propped one hand on the wall of the alley to support herself. Then slowly, she took in calculated deep breaths to avoid slipping into a panic attack.After a few seconds of rhythmic inhales, her breathing slowly returned to normal, and she leaned her head against the wall with closed eyes.“Are you really going to give up so easily?” A voice nudged at the back of her head. “You’ve put so much hard work into getting this interview. Don’t back down now. If you do, you’ll be letting Charlotte win.”The voice served as a propelle
Jasmine trembled with anger, and her fingers twitched with the urge to claw the smirk off Charlotte’s face, but she held herself back.The little scene had already attracted the attention of some passersby, and reacting harshly would only make things worse. She clenched her fists by her sides, and took one deep exhale to extinguish her anger. Then, not wanting to waste anymore time with Charlotte, she bent down to pick up her phone which had fallen.Just as she reached for it, the phone dinged.But before she could grab it, Charlotte kicked the phone aside with her heels, then crouched down to pick it up instead.“I will not be ignored,” Charlotte spat as she rose to her feet, and waved the phone tauntingly in front of Jasmine’s face. “You need to replace my cup of coffee first and apologize for bumping into me. Otherwise, you’re not getting this back.”Jasmine tightened her jaw as she felt her anger rising to the surface again.“I don’t have time for this, Charlotte. Give me back