“What are you doing?” Chad hissed, his tone low and sharp “Playing the part,” Jasmine whispered back, patting his chest as if calming a restless dog. “Relax, Mr. Blackstone. You hired me for this, remember?” Jasmine turned her attention to Ava, her smile turning just a shade sharper. “Hi, I’m Jasmine. Chad’s fiancée.” *** Chad Blackstone is a self-made billionaire with a cold demeanor, his heart frozen after a devastating betrayal by the one woman he trusted—Ava Reeds. When Ava unexpectedly reappears, determined to rekindle their relationship, Chad devises a bold plan to show her he’s moved on and that's where she comes in—Jasmine Withers. A fiery, no-nonsense woman who’s nothing like the superficial socialites Chad is used to. What begins as a calculated business arrangement quickly spirals into a whirlwind of scandal, rivalry, and unexpected passion. In a game of love, revenge, and redemption, who will come out on top—and who will end up heartbroken?
View MoreThe week came in a blur, and Jasmine had to return to work. Though she dreaded the idea, it was either that or she would be eating the scraps off the street for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Her mind wandered back to the New year's event, she hadn't heard anything from her Dad since then and for some reason she'd stopped herself from actively trying to connect to him, though her curiosity was at its peak. Where had he been all these years? Why did she feel something different, strange being around him?However her thoughts were interrupted by a crashing noise. She looked over to see she'd bumped into another of her work colleagues. Both her food tray and the others scattered all over the place. Shit! Shit!!Had she spaced out? She had been completely unaware of her surroundings and worst of all, this was the third time this week. She quickly bent down to help with the cleaning but before she could touch anything, Mr Whitman's voice echoed from the back of the room.“Jasmine. To the
“Mina.” His voice cracked.Jasmine took two steps backwards shaking her head. “This can't be real. You're dead.”Her father, John, took a step into the light, a side smile on his face. “I am not, and I can explain everything. I just want you to believe me.”“How? Mom? Since when? Where have you been all this while?” Questions kept spilling out of her mouth uncontrollably.“I can explain, Mina. I just want this to be between us.”Her mind scrambled to make sense of his words. “What do you mean between us? We have to tell mom. Do you have any idea how hard this has been for her?”She shook her head as if trying to wake up from a terrible dream. “I must be hallucinating. You died! I went to your funeral.”John took two steps forward until he was just a few steps away from her. “I will explain everything, I just need you to promise me you won't tell your mom.” She didn't say a word and stared at him disoriented. He reached out, holding her palm in his. “You're all grown up now.”His han
The Withers family were all gathered at her Aunt Chelsea’s house. It had become their tradition to spend the New Years and Christmas there ever since her father died.Chelsea was much younger than Jasmine's mother, Nimani. If anything, she was half her age. Chelsea was her step-aunt from her Dad’s—or at least, that was how she understood it from her mother's description. All she truly knew was that they were related, and her mother had a really close relationship with Chelsea even before her marriage to her father. Chelsea brought the last tray of her MasterChef recipe, placing it gently on the table, her face beaming with pride. “Voila..” She took the tray lid off dramatically. “This year's Christmas special! Or at least what we would have had if Jasmine had showed up and did not just magically disappear. “Jasmine rolled her eyes at her. She could tell from the false anger Chelsea played that she just wanted to dig into where Jasmine had actually gone.“Can we just have dinner f
Jasmine stared at Peter, dumbfounded. She couldn't formulate any words to fill the internal confusion she felt.Peter didn't wait for Jasmine to register an answer and instead gave a firm nod.“I'll be waiting.” With that, he turned away and left.Images of the previous night rushed back into her head. After all that, he'd just vanished the next morning. Was it something she did?Finally, dragging the life back into her dead, shocked body, she turned back into the room. But just a few steps away, a sinister chuckle stopped her cold.She didn't need to turn to know it was Ava—who else would be that jobless to pause their own life just to enjoy someone else's misery?“What's wrong, darling?” Ava mocked.When Jasmine didn't turn, she continued, “Do my ears hurt, or did I just hear that Chad abandoned you?”Jasmine's throat tightened.“Oh, please… don't act like you didn't see this coming. He's Chad Blackstone of course, do you really think he cares about you?” Jasmine stiffened as Ava c
Earlier….Kol strolled into the rooftop party, hands tucked into his pocket lazily as he walked through the crowd, he noticed the people dancing like college freshmen teens in their first-ever frat party.The first person he spotted was Ava, who was slumped over some guy practically swallowing his lip in hers. When she noticed his presence, she dismissed the guy with a simple wave. The guy hesitated, clearly wanting more but one stern look from her, and he scrammed.“What brings you here?” She asked as soon as Kol halted in front of her.A snowflake dropped on his suit and he withdrew his hands from his pocket brushing it away.He looked at the sky, the snow was starting all over again. Then finally looked at Ava. “The hotel is a bit suffocating and I'm not used to staying cooped up in one place.” He said with the most nonchalant facial expression he could pull on. He didn't really fancy Ava or the retreat but he was tired of staying in the hotel especially since neither Chad nor Jas
By the time help finally arrived, Jasmine had long fallen asleep and Chad's mind was a whirlwind of emotions.Fortunately, Peter had arrived at the retreat the morning before Christmas and had come prepared for any kind of unexpected turn of events including an extra car.Peter moved to the passenger's seat ready to move Jasmine into the other car however Chad had other plans and would rather do it himself. Once both Jasmine and Chad were carefully settled in the vehicle, Peter started the engine and headed south to the hotel.Chad leaned back against the seat, the quiet hum of the car engine filling the space. His eyes drifted to Jasmine, still asleep against the window. Her face looked peaceful, her lips slightly parted, her breath fogging the glass faintly.He wasn’t sure how long he watched her, but then she stirred. Her brows knitted together, and she shifted, then a soft whimper escaped her lip. She was having a bad dream. Suddenly, her body tensed, her head turning slightly
Chad strolled back into the hall, he headed straight for the hall where he'd last seen Jasmine.For some reason after the conversation with Ava, he was even more eager to see her now. Why did he behave so defensive when Ava had called her all those names? It didn't make sense. He barely knew Jasmine—at least, not in the way that should have made him care. And yet, something about the way Ava had spoken about her had unsettled him.He wondered how she'd even know about her mother's illness? and worse about their relationship being a fake? But that was the least on his mind. Right now, all he wanted to do was to see her.Just as Chad rounded another corner, he spotted Jasmine walking straight from the opposite direction. She hadn't noticed him yet but when their gaze finally crashed she looked a little taken aback. She blinked in surprise. "Didn’t you just—" she paused abruptly, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something more. Chad raised a brow waiting for her to continue
Earlier…Chad's face had shifted from its usual stone cold expression. It seemed to change anytime he was around her, he'd started to wonder whether if she had some certain control over him or if he was just overthinking it.He looked down at the paper in his hand, Jasmine's name was scribbled on it.A slight smile crept to the corner of his lips. It seemed he and Kol had similar ideas. Kol had asked him to put on an act, making Jasmine think she had him as her Secret Santa.He walked down the hall, his mind immersed in thoughts of what he would get her. He wasn’t a gift person, heck, the last time he got a gift for a woman was when he was with Ava, and even then, she was the one who basically handpicked the gift.The memory of their kiss kept replaying in his head. Why had he made such a move on her? It wasn’t part of the contract. She was just his fake fiancée, that was it.He shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. It had to be because he finally saw his brother after so long. T
Everyone in the retreat had gathered to witness the Christmas gift giving, there were a lot of shouts and giggles from the crowd as they handed one another the most expensive gifts. Jasmine on the other hand, had gotten a watch, it was the cheapest at the store yet it managed to run her account almost dry. She'd wrapped it carefully in a silver gift box, making it look more expensive than it actually was. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t fancy. It was the thought that counted. Right?She looked across the hall searching for Kol and Chad. Or at least one of them, if she managed to even tell them apart. She wondered if people weren't curious about how Kol had just shown up out of the blue.As she debated whether to keep searching or give up, a soft tap on her shoulder startled her.“Miss Jasmine?”She turned to find one of the retreat staff dressed in a black blazer, with her hair tied in a bun.“Yes?”“If you’d follow me, please.” The lady responded. She didn't wait for Jasmine to reply
The First Meeting Chad Blackstone sat in his office, gripping the edge of his desk as Peter, his trusted assistant, stood nearby. The news had hit him like a punch to the gut.“Ava Reeds is back in town,” Peter said cautiously, watching his boss for a reaction.Chad’s jaw tightened. “Why now?” he muttered, his voice low and tense. “After three years... Why the hell would she come back?”Peter shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure, but word is she’s attending some high-profile events. The media’s already buzzing about her return.”Ava. His Ava. The woman he’d once thought he’d spend his life with. The woman who’d left him broken and humiliated.Why? His chest tightened, anger and something far more bitter swirling within him. Three years. It had been three years since she’d vanished from his life without an explanation, taking his trust and his heart with her.His mind drifted to the past, no matter how much he fought against it. Ava. His childhood sweetheart. The girl he’d once though...
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