“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
A soft smile graced Jasmine’s lips as she stepped out of the elevator leading to her fiancé, Jason’s office. She carefully held onto the rectangular paper box that housed his favorite chocolate cake, the one she had stayed up all night baking. Today was his birthday and she planned to surprise him. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face,” her smile widened and her heart fluttered with excitement as she reached the mahogany door of his office. She raised her hand to knock, only to freeze when a familiar voice echoed in her ears. “Jacey, dump that plain Jane already. I’m tired of sneaking around.” The excitement in Jasmine’s heart was instantly replaced with unease, and her fingers clutched the box tighter as her palms grew sweaty. It couldn’t be, could it…? Driven by curiosity, she pushed the door open, barging in. The cake box slipped from her hands and the cake splattered onto the ground, but she barely noticed it. Her eyes were too busy taking in the scene before her
When Jasmine got home, she met her adoptive parents, Timothy and Gloria Lane, sitting on the couch in their living room, engaged in what seemed to be a serious conversation. She wiped the tears from her eyes, so they wouldn’t notice she’d been crying. “Good evening, Father. Mother,” she greeted in a small voice, drawing their attention to her. Timothy responded with a curt nod while Gloria’s lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line as she eyed her. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?” She demanded. “Have you suddenly grown wings to think you can now 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 five missed calls stared back at her and her eyes widened. She had been so caught up in the aftermath of Jason’s betrayal that she hadn’t noticed her phone was on silent mode. “I’m sorry mom,” she mumbled apologetically. “I didn’t mean to ignore your calls. My phone was—”
Jasmine hurried out of the hotel room before the man could wake up, and she got home some minutes later, only to be greeted with a resounding slap across her face. Her head jerked to the side from the impact, and she clutched her throbbing cheek, stunned as she saw Gloria and Charlotte standing in front of her. “You ungrateful brat!” Gloria’s spat with venom. “How dare you play a fast one on us? Why didn’t you go to Samuel Wilson’s hotel room like you were told?” Jasmine’s mouth quivered as she tried to explain. “M-mom, I-I thought—” “Don’t call me that!” She snapped in revulsion. “I can never be the mother to a cheap whore like you.” “Don’t waste your breath on her, mom,” Charlotte placed a calming hand on Gloria’s shoulder while giving Jasmine a dirty glare. “Aren’t you shameless?” She smacked her teeth distastefully. “It hasn’t even been 24 hours since you broke up with Jacob and you’re already sleeping around.” “I wasn’t sleeping around,” Jasmine defended, her chest
Jason’s jaw dropped as his gaze landed on his uncle, who hadn’t been in the country for years. He didn’t miss how possessively he held Jasmine and a twinge of jealousy ignited in his chest. “U-uncle Asher, it’s been so long,” he masked his jealousy with a strained smile. “When did you come back?” Asher completely ignored him as his gaze was still fixed on Jasmine. “It’s you,” he mumbled in recognition. Jasmine’s cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. Shit. Why did he have to remember her? And why did he also have to be Jason’s uncle? “Uh…” she stuttered as she tried to come up with a response. But before she could, Jason’s parents, Richard and Laura Wayne, approached the scene, having been alerted by his outburst. They shared displeased glances with each other as they saw Asher, but hid it with fake smiles. “Asher, little brother, you finally decided to return after being away for so long,” Richard acknowledged in a fake cheery voice. “What’s it been…seven years?” “It’
Everyone was left speechless as Asher’s announcement hung in the air. Jasmine herself was extremely confused as to why he would say such a thing, and she leaned in closer to him. “What are you doing?” She whispered incredulously and tried to pull her hand away, but he held onto it more firmly, refusing to let go as he glanced at her. “Just trust me,” he softly assured before returning his attention to everyone else. Jason managed to pick up his jaw that had fallen to the floor after a few seconds. “Uncle, y-you can’t be serious!” He blurted in bewilderment. “Jasmine was my fiancé up until yesterday. How can you be getting married to her?!” “Surely this is some sort of prank right?” Charlotte added, her voice dripping with contempt towards Jasmine. “You can’t possibly want someone as cheap as her.” Asher’s lips twitched as he enjoyed their reactions. He was so close to laughing, but he kept his expression controlled. “I’ve made my decision, and I owe no one any explanations.
Charlotte was stunned by Jason’s sudden outburst and a frown appeared on her features. “Jason, what has gotten into you?” She demanded as she tugged at his arm. “Why do you care so much about Jasmine being with your uncle?” Her words flew over Jason’s head as he yanked his arm free from her grip. And all he saw was red as he stormed towards Asher and Jasmine. “This relationship will not happen!” He spat and attempted to grab Jasmine. But Asher swiftly stepped forward, shielding her behind him. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Jason’s seething figure. “Stand down!” Jason’s fists tightened as he ignored Asher and sneered at Jasmine. “You’ll pay for humiliating me like this!” “Humiliating you?” Jasmine scoffed as she stepped away from behind Asher, finally mustering the confidence to speak up for herself. “If anyone was humiliated here it’s me. I can’t believe I ever fell for an egoistical and conceited person like you.” Jasmine’s words snapped off the last shred of restrain
Jasmine sighed and chewed on her lips as she wrestled with the decision before her. A part of her wanted to say no and follow through with her plan of leaving the city and starting afresh. But the other part, the one fueled by pain and anger, desperately craved to make Charlotte and Jason pay for what they had done to her. Still, what was the point of dwelling on their painful betrayal when it would be easier to move on? She pressed her lips into a firm line and met Asher’s patient, yet expectant gaze. “I appreciate your offer, Mr. Wayne, but I’ll pass,” her voice was polite, yet resolute. Asher’s brows arched in surprise, but she didn’t give him a chance to interrupt as she continued. “I don’t want revenge. I just want to leave this city. There’s nothing left for me here.” Saying the words aloud made them feel even more real…and more devastating. No family. No friends. No relationship. Nothing. Asher was quiet for a moment as he observed the slight downturn of her lip
“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