★★★★ "You can try that as well, but today you're staying with me," Damon said, a cold edge in his voice as he turned up the heat in the room. "Ah! How could you even think like that? Oh God! You are beyond my imagination," Jasmine spat, her eyes blazing with hatred. Damon's face remained impassive. "Because of the continuous rain, plenty of places are flooded. Not just this town, but many others nearby are under curfew until morning. No matter how desperate you are, there's nothing you can do about it." He reached for the remote and turned on the television, the screen flickering to life with images of the chaos outside. "See for yourself," he said, his tone mocking. "You're not going anywhere." Jasmine watched the news and realized Damon wasn't lying. Even if she managed to leave, she might not make it home. "What am I going to do now?" Jasmine muttered under her breath, anxiety creeping into her voice. "Call your home and let them know you're safe. They might be worried about
★★★★★"I may be immoral and a jerk, but why do I feel like you're a liar, hiding something deep beneath your skin?" Damon's tone was accusatory, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke."Why don't you try your skills at the CID Agencies if you're so good at uncovering lies hidden behind masks? Every family has its own past, and I believe yours would be much more complex and intriguing than mine," Jasmine retorted sharply, pulling the lids off the bowl to reveal warm rice, vegetables, and eggs with mushroom gravy.She needed to distract herself with food before Damon could probe any further.Jasmine served herself a generous portion of rice and mushroom gravy, trying to focus on her meal despite the tension in the air."How did you manage to get the food if you can't leave your office?" Jasmine inquired, curiosity evident in her voice."We have a kitchen in my office since I often work late nights here. You can guess how I managed to have food," Damon replied a hint of amusement in his
★★★ "I have nothing to ask. All I want is for you to move away from me," Jasmine weakly whispered. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest; she could hear it, even though she wished she could deny such a reaction. "The first time I tasted your lips in the casino, I couldn't let go of the feelings it stirred in me. Believe it or not, that was my first kiss. You've gotten under my skin. Then, this morning, when I saw you licking that ice cream with your tongue stuck out, it sparked a desire in me I couldn't ignore. I've been thinking every second about how it would feel to kiss you again," Damon whispered, his hand on her waist, sending jolts through her body. Jasmine looked into his eyes and felt herself going chaotic; her body was reacting strongly to his words. The next second, her breath hitched when she felt his hands rubbing her thigh. She was still in his shirt, with nothing underneath. "I can feel you're not actually repulsed by my touch. Rather, you're trying to ventu
★★★★★The moment Damon emerged from the bathroom, he found her fast asleep on the bed. Upon seeing her peaceful form, he went to the cupboard and retrieved a warm sheet. Quietly approaching her, he draped the sheet over her sleeping figure. As he observed her serene face, a tranquil breeze swept across his chest. There was nothing extraordinary about her, yet the woman captured his attention in a profound way.He soaked in her soft beauty for a moment before going over to the table where he had earlier placed his cigarettes. Settling into a chair, he lit a cigarette and stared at Jasmine's face. His usually cold eyes softened, becoming warm and contemplative."Are you really someone I can trust? Women are always greedy and manipulative. But still, I can't find anything suspicious about you. Or maybe you're a good player, unlike anyone I've encountered before," Damon whispered to himself, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke. He wanted to accept that having her made him feel good, yet h
★★★★"You brat, she is going to be your wife. How can she not be an important person in your life?" Grandfather Colley fumed, his voice vibrating with frustration as he spoke to his grandson over the phone. "I am the one who truly understands her, even though all she desires is your understanding.""So you are suggesting that I should abandon my business and spend every waking hour with her just to entertain her because you think she needs company?" Damon retorted, his face etched with annoyance."Damon, do not forget that I entrusted you with this vast empire on the condition that you agreed to marry her. That means I expect to see her happy and cheerful," Grandfather Colley threatened his tone hardening."Hah! This business thrived because of my father's efforts, and I took the reins when I was just eleven years old. This empire is not merely the Colley family legacy, but something I have built and sustained on my own," Damon replied coldly. "If you still wish to reclaim this busine
★★★★★ On the contrary, as soon as Damon left with his car from the premises of his office, another sports car entered the parking lot. Cindy emerged from the vehicle with a depressed expression, her dark circles revealing she hadn't had a good sleep last night. She headed toward his chamber without speaking to the receptionist, as everyone knew who she was and how important she was to their boss. However, whispering began as she approached the elevator. "I heard the boss stayed in his office with a woman all night," one woman whispered to the woman, who was working at the front desk as a receptionist. "We shouldn't make noise about it. It is forbidden," the receptionist replied in a plain tone, aware that talking about their boss could not be taken lightly if it reached him. "Oh, come on, we all saw a woman leaving in a hurry a couple of minutes ago," the woman added, eager for some morning gossip. "Shut up, Lily. I love my job here, which gives me a good, satisfactory life, and
★★★★Jasmine was fuming as she drove toward her house, her eyes constantly flicking to the file on the passenger seat."What kind of world is he living in? A contract for staying with him. This is complete bullshit!" She stopped the car in front of her house, grabbed the file, and mentally vowed to burn it in front of his eyes the next time she saw him.Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up carelessly and said, "Hello!""It's your gorgeous sister, Layla. Dad wants to see you at dinner, so if you really care about his request, you'll come; otherwise, you can skip it," Layla said curtly and hung up before Jasmine could ask any questions.Jasmine sighed and stepped into the house. Immediately, Payne jumped on her, exclaiming, "Mommy, Mommy! Oh, I missed you!""I missed you too," Jasmine said, holding Payne to her chest and kissing her face. "Staying away from you is impossible. Did you sleep well last night?""Yes, Aunt Nadia stayed with me, but Aunt Nadia snored," Payne whispered
★★★★ "Mom, why do you have to buy another house when we have Grandfather's house? We could stay there," Payne asked sweetly, her innocent eyes fixed on her mother. Jasmine sighed, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "It's a complicated story, sweetheart. One thing I want you to understand is that the house is no longer mine. We’re invited for dinner, and we'll leave peacefully after that." Payne turned to look at her mother, concern etched on her young face. "Are they mean to you?" Jasmine's heart ached. She couldn't lie to her daughter. "Yes, sweetheart, they have been mean to me. And they might be mean to you too." "Then why are we going?" Payne demanded, her voice tinged with anger. "If Grandfather bullies you, we shouldn’t go!" Jasmine smiled sadly. "It's not that simple, Payne. Grandfather is old and not as harsh as he used to be. He’s very ill and asked to see us. It's our responsibility to fulfill his request." Payne furrowed her brow, clearly struggling with th