The grand waiting lounge was filled with good energy as more guests arrived, their voices mingled with the sound of wood burning in the big fireplace. Jasmine still stood beside Chad, she was relaxed but her mind was racing, calculating every move from Ava. She noticed that Ava didn’t go out to greet any other guests the same way that she had done with Chad. Jasmine noticed that more and more people were staring at her even the staff, she felt like she was an alien with the way people were stealing glances at her and whispering, she hoped she hadn’t done anything already. Despite the fact that she had her own plan, she still had to keep to her side of the contract with Chad, for her mom’s sake. While speaking to Peter and Mary Wicker, she had been introduced as Chad’s fiancée. It seemed the smiling Mary had sent the information around the room as she and her husband also chatted away. As she thought to herself, a pair of beautiful men approached her and Chad.“Hey Chad. Missed us?”
Jasmine and Chad followed the staff member down the long beautiful corridor. Jasmine took in the art and decor that covered the extent of the space admiring the way everything was put together. A part of her wondered if this was Ava’s doing or it was already the Resort’s decor. Her thoughts went back to the fact that they were going to their room. That felt very weird and she couldn’t help but wonder if the room was going to be spacious enough. It seemed as though sharing a bed with Chad was an inevitability given the circumstances of their contract and this arrangement. The thought of sharing a bedroom with Chad made her feel very weird, and not just because she was uncomfortable. As the staff member stopped in front of a door, he politely smiled. “This is your room, Mr. Blackstone, Ms. Jasmine. I hope it is to your satisfaction.” Chad nodded at him, as the staff member handed them both a keycard and opened the door for them. When the door opened and Jasmine stepped inside, she fr
The dining hall was filled with chatter but Jasmine’s mind was somewhere else. The aromas of the different special dishes filled the air in the hall, but Jasmine’s appetite was gone. She kept stealing glances at Alex. He seemed very comfortable in this kind of crowd, the way he held the wine glass like he was born into aristocracy…He was seated beside his wife, elegant and poised. Her laugh was practiced but soft, the kind that blended into such rooms. Chad leaned closer to Jasmine, he whispered, “Don’t worry about it. Just maintain your composure.”“Yeah. I’m good,” she whispered back, although as she held her fork, Chad could sense her tension. Another course was served and Alex finally looked at Jasmine. His smile was deliberate, he looked at her deviously. He watched her look at him through the corner of her eyes, seated beside Chad Blackstone. Ava decided it was time to start her own little scheming, she knew exactly how to play this game. She walked and sat at the head of t
Jasmine came out of the bathroom in a burst, and saw Cynthia standing in the toilet. “Hi, I’m Cynthia Coleman. I know we’ve not been formally introduced.” Cynthia said. “Nice to meet you, Cynthia, but I don’t think the ladies room is the right place for any formal introduction.” Jasmine replied, she wasn’t expecting Cynthia to be the one in the toilet but she could already tell that it was not going to be a friendly conversation.“If you don’t already know. I’m Alex’s wife. I know you and him used to be an item. He kept stealing glances at you while we were having dinner.” “Did you come here just to tell me about what Alex did or didn’t do? If that’s why you’re here then I must tell you that I really don’t care. I couldn’t be more uninterested in what Alex is doing.” Jasmine said as she made her way to the wash bowl. “Jasmine, right?” Cynthia asked, she leaned against the wash bowl with her arms crossed. Jasmine raised an eyebrow as she grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands. “Ye
“What did you think about Chad’s new arm candy? Isn’t she sort of an upgrade from Ava?” Valentina asked her sister as they both were ushered to their rooms by one of the staff before dinner. They walked up the staircase behind the man, “Yes, she’s rather eccentric. I think she might be fun to watch, although I see Henri and Lucien have also taken a liking to her.” Natalia replied. “Those two will take a liking to anyone but I see the problem. We came here with the idea that we would enjoy the luscious company of those boys and I don't think that little newbie would want to get in our bad books.” Valentina smiled dangerously“Oh no! She definitely couldn’t. Did you notice thatgirl with the glasses again. The one father said is heading a pharmaceutical company?” “Yes. I’m surprised Ava invited her. She’s never been one to miss the simplest details. None of us speak to the girl so why invite her and that other one, the old one.” Valentina clicked her fingers as though she was trying
The sun cast a golden light across the gardens that framed the Montclair estate. Lucien and Henri grew up in a world of flowers, wealth and laughter. Their life was as rich and intoxicating as the wine their family produced. From a young age, the Montclair brothers were inseparable. Henri the elder, was the charismatic leader and Lucien followed close behind. Henri’s smile and charisma could turn enemies to friends and Lucien’s playful personality made it hard to dislike him. Their parents were strict with their education and understanding the family traditions but they also encouraged the boys to embrace the beauty of life; the food, wine, music, arts and in turn the women. During a summer vacation at the Montclair fields, the boys who were just teenagers had sat on the balcony overlooking the vineyard, sipping glasses of wine that they had stolen from the cellar. “Lucien,” Henri said, leaning back in his chair, “did you see that girl at the market today? The one in the green dre
Renee’s school smelled like old wood, it was the same school her parents had attended as children and she could tell that it was the same wood since back then. She could hear the murmurs of her classmates mixed with bursts of laughter. Her stomach tightened as she adjusted her glasses and put her head down, she gripped the strap of her bag for dear life knowing what she was about to encounter. Her sneakers made a squeaky sound as she hurried past the lockers, hoping to enter the classroom unnoticed. “Renee!” She froze mid-step, she turned slowly. Her heart was already sinking, Tanya, her number one nightmare, walked towards her with her crew in tow. The other girl giggled behind her, their little impractical purses swinging on their arms like trophies. Barbie must have gotten a headache with all the shades of pink they had on. “Morning Umbridge,” Tanya drawled, her lips curled into a smile. “What’s in the bag today? Another experiment to set the school on fire?” Renee’s throat we
Chad finally stepped out of the bathroom, he rubbed the towel over his wet hair. The lights in the room had been dimmed and so he looked at Jasmine on her bed. She had curled up on the bed, her breathing steady, an indication that she had fallen asleep. Who falls asleep so easily?, he thought. He stared at her and she looked so relaxed in a way he had never seen before. She looked peaceful. As Chad looked at her, his eyes lingered longer than they should have. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, watching her. Suddenly he reached for the blankets at the foot of our bed and carefully put it over. The action was against his better judgment but it felt right. “Sleep tight,” he murmured as he retreated to his own bed on the opposite end. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, replaying the night’s event in his mind. He still remembered Ava’s words, “I was young, I was foolish. I made mistakes Chad and I lost something precious to me. I lost you and I shouldn’
Morgana paced the room, her heels clicking against the cold marble floor. Her face was pale, her mind racing as she thought about the failure of their plan to frame Ella. If Valen were to discover what they’d done, the consequences would be disastrous.She clenched her fists, her frustration boiling over. “Sandra! I knew that working with a werewolf was definitely a wrong idea”She takes out her phone dialing a number as she walks out.***The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the quiet woods where Morgana waited impatiently. Her sharp eyes darted toward the road, her red lips pressed into a thin line. She loathed dealing with Sandra, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Ella’s escape from the frame-up had turned the tide against them, and now Valen was investigating. If she didn’t act fast, everything would unravel.Morgana paced restlessly, her long cloak billowing in the cold breeze. She had arranged the meeting in secret, away from prying ey
The waiting lounge was filled with a quiet but busy energy, Peter and Mary were now seated near the fireplace. Both of them were quiet, there was a tension there that Jasmine hadn’t noticed before, when people weren’t around them they were quiet, weirdly quiet. Lucien and Henri on the other end chatted amiably with the Volkovsky twins, Natalia and Valentina laughing at their private jokes ever so subtly. Jordan was leaning against one of the windows, looking outside and Renee sat in a corner, fiddling with the zipper on her jacket. Jasmine scanned the hallway impatiently, the sooner the rest got here, the sooner they’d start the hike. Ava left them waiting in the lounge for a short while, Peter chimed in. “How long does anyone reckon this hike would be?” “Depends on the distance we’re covering, how fast we’re moving and of course our weight.” Renee mumbled her answer before catching herself. “Well, we barely weigh a hundred kg each and our speed is at optimum level. Can you calcul
Jasmine angrily continued down the hallway heading to Renee’s room. How dare that fool say those stupid things, he’s so full of himself, Jasmine thought. The rage was not yet out of her system but she forced herself to not let it get to her since she was on her way to Renee’s room. She didn’t want her to get the wrong idea or to think that it was Chad that had gotten her angry. By the time she knocked on Renee’s door, she had composed her face into a calm and neutral expression. Renee opened the door, she was surprised to see Jasmine but she also didn’t mind seeing her. “Oh hey. I’m surprised but glad that you’re here.” She stepped aside to let Jasmine in. “Oh okay. That’s good to know, I actually just wanted to make sure you have something warm enough for the hike, like thermals or something like that.” Jasmine said lightly as she stepped inside. Jasmine’s eyes bulged at the mess she saw in Renee’s room, she knew she had just been here a couple of hours ago so she was surprised to
The hall was quiet except for the two of them, one would wonder why Alex was out of his room in the first place. Jasmine crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, her expression icy as Alex stood in front of her. “Well? Your clock is ticking.” Alex tried smiling hoping it would soften her but the eyes she had on him told him that his charm would get him next to nothing. “Fair enough,” he said. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing.” Jasmine tilted her head, she looked at him like he had just snuck out of a home for mentally disturbed people. “You have thirty seconds left.” He sighed, ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “Okay. I get it, Jasmine. I really do. But I was hoping we could actually talk. I mean I’m sure you didn’t tell your new fiancé about us… about the years we spent together.” Her eyes narrowed. This little shit, she thought. Of course he thinks he has some upper hand here. “Let me stop you right there…” she said sharply. “Chad knows everything includi
Renee grabbed her sweater and with that, they made their way towards the dining hall. As they entered, there was the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee and pastries in the air. The group was already gathering, their murmured conversations sounding through the hall. Jasmine was approached by the French brothers, Lucien and Henri who greeted her with the same flirtatious charm that they were known for. Mary Wicker walked up to her and also greeted her warmly. “Morning Jasmine. I hope you’re enjoying your stay?” Mary asked with a polite smile. “Yes, I am. I’m making friends” She said looking at Renee who looked shyly at the ground. “Oh Renee’s pretty chill. I’m sure you’ll have fun with her.” Mary said before moving to where her husband was. Jasmine felt like the group project but she looked at Renee and saw the utmost shock on her face. “So you get noticed after all?” Jasmine whispered. “She has never said a word to me but I know she’s not stuck up. She’s a sweet churchy soul.”
Chad finally stepped out of the bathroom, he rubbed the towel over his wet hair. The lights in the room had been dimmed and so he looked at Jasmine on her bed. She had curled up on the bed, her breathing steady, an indication that she had fallen asleep. Who falls asleep so easily?, he thought. He stared at her and she looked so relaxed in a way he had never seen before. She looked peaceful. As Chad looked at her, his eyes lingered longer than they should have. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, watching her. Suddenly he reached for the blankets at the foot of our bed and carefully put it over. The action was against his better judgment but it felt right. “Sleep tight,” he murmured as he retreated to his own bed on the opposite end. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, replaying the night’s event in his mind. He still remembered Ava’s words, “I was young, I was foolish. I made mistakes Chad and I lost something precious to me. I lost you and I shouldn’
Renee’s school smelled like old wood, it was the same school her parents had attended as children and she could tell that it was the same wood since back then. She could hear the murmurs of her classmates mixed with bursts of laughter. Her stomach tightened as she adjusted her glasses and put her head down, she gripped the strap of her bag for dear life knowing what she was about to encounter. Her sneakers made a squeaky sound as she hurried past the lockers, hoping to enter the classroom unnoticed. “Renee!” She froze mid-step, she turned slowly. Her heart was already sinking, Tanya, her number one nightmare, walked towards her with her crew in tow. The other girl giggled behind her, their little impractical purses swinging on their arms like trophies. Barbie must have gotten a headache with all the shades of pink they had on. “Morning Umbridge,” Tanya drawled, her lips curled into a smile. “What’s in the bag today? Another experiment to set the school on fire?” Renee’s throat we
The sun cast a golden light across the gardens that framed the Montclair estate. Lucien and Henri grew up in a world of flowers, wealth and laughter. Their life was as rich and intoxicating as the wine their family produced. From a young age, the Montclair brothers were inseparable. Henri the elder, was the charismatic leader and Lucien followed close behind. Henri’s smile and charisma could turn enemies to friends and Lucien’s playful personality made it hard to dislike him. Their parents were strict with their education and understanding the family traditions but they also encouraged the boys to embrace the beauty of life; the food, wine, music, arts and in turn the women. During a summer vacation at the Montclair fields, the boys who were just teenagers had sat on the balcony overlooking the vineyard, sipping glasses of wine that they had stolen from the cellar. “Lucien,” Henri said, leaning back in his chair, “did you see that girl at the market today? The one in the green dre
“What did you think about Chad’s new arm candy? Isn’t she sort of an upgrade from Ava?” Valentina asked her sister as they both were ushered to their rooms by one of the staff before dinner. They walked up the staircase behind the man, “Yes, she’s rather eccentric. I think she might be fun to watch, although I see Henri and Lucien have also taken a liking to her.” Natalia replied. “Those two will take a liking to anyone but I see the problem. We came here with the idea that we would enjoy the luscious company of those boys and I don't think that little newbie would want to get in our bad books.” Valentina smiled dangerously“Oh no! She definitely couldn’t. Did you notice thatgirl with the glasses again. The one father said is heading a pharmaceutical company?” “Yes. I’m surprised Ava invited her. She’s never been one to miss the simplest details. None of us speak to the girl so why invite her and that other one, the old one.” Valentina clicked her fingers as though she was trying