★★★★ "Do I have to wait more minutes to get the answer from you about my sudden arrival that you asked for?" Cesar said, his lazy eyes half-lidded as he looked at Damon, who seemed lost in thought while having him in his cabin. "Why are you so impatient?" Damon snapped back, his tone edged with irritation. "You were lounging in your chamber, and there was a time when I waited at your place for you to unload your troubles!" Damon rolled his eyes dramatically, reaching for the glass of water on the table. As he lifted it to his lips, a flash of memory hit him—Jasmine rubbing her lips with water in disgust. The recollection fueled his anger, and with a frustrated grunt, he slammed the glass back down on the table. Cesar raised an eyebrow, watching Damon’s outburst with mild amusement. "Is something troubling you, Damon? You seem more on edge than usual." Damon glared at him, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and frustration. "It's nothing," he muttered, but the tightness in his voi
★★★★Later that night, Jasmine found herself unable to fall asleep, her mind restless with thoughts of the encounter with Damon. Despite her daughter's excitement to share about her day at the party, Jasmine's distraction prevented her from engaging fully in the conversation.As she lay in bed, the image of Damon's face and his unsettling words continued to haunt her thoughts. Just as she was lost in her own turmoil, her phone suddenly vibrated on the nightstand, illuminating the dark room with Dante's name on the screen. Glancing back at her peacefully sleeping daughter, Jasmine quietly slipped out of bed and left the room to take the call."Hello, sweetheart. Can't sleep?" Jasmine answered with a gentle tone."I was debating whether to call you or not. I thought you might be asleep," Dante said, his voice filled with genuine happiness at hearing her voice. He hadn't expected her to pick up at this hour."I was just wrapping up some work," Jasmine replied. Dante's presence on the oth
★★★★★ As soon as the morning arrived, Jasmine prepared breakfast for Payne. It was the usual—eggs, juice, and bread. "Mom, why do you look so rushed? Do you have a shoot this morning?" Payne asked, noticing her mother's hurried movements and the familiar look of concentration that appeared whenever she was juggling too much at once. "Not in the morning, sweetheart, but I do have one in the evening. Right now, I'm trying to be quick because I'm going to visit a school. If it impresses me, we'll get you enrolled there. I don't want to waste another year of your education," Jasmine said, spreading avocado on her toast. Jasmine chose not to reveal the real reason for her rush, knowing her daughter’s inquisitive nature. Mentioning Dante would spark a slew of questions and a likely demand to accompany her. "Aw! You make it sound like I'm committing a crime," Payne said, flashing a mischievous grin. "Tell me, Mom, are you planning to kick me out before I turn 18 or after?" Payne asked, f
★★★★★Dante, on the other hand, was continuously scanning the crowd of parents, looking for Jasmine. He hadn’t told his father about the event, so if anyone from his family were to be here, it would be Jasmine.From a distance, Damon watched his son with a puzzled expression, unable to understand why Dante hadn’t gone up on stage after hearing his name called."Dante, you need to go to the stage. Everyone is eagerly waiting to see your performance," a teacher approached, her voice gentle but firm.Dante remained adamant, his eyes darting around the room. Although his family's seats were not far away, Dante was too small to spot Jasmine over the crowd."Dante, listen to me," the teacher repeated, but Dante dismissed her words, his face still hopeful.Seeing his son's distress, Damon took a few steps forward, intending to intervene. Just then, Jasmine stood up and rushed towards Dante, causing Damon to halt."Dante," Jasmine called out, hesitating slightly as she didn't want to draw unn
★★★★ "Dante has already finished performing? Oh, shoot! I thought I was on time," Cindy exclaimed, frustration clear in her voice. She frowned as she watched the woman laughing with Dante and taking photos together. "Who is that woman with him? Is she a teacher?" "No, she’s someone Dante invited," Damon replied calmly. "Dante invited her? Who is she exactly? How did Dante know her? He didn’t even once ask me to come, but he asked her to be here. It’s strange," Cindy said, feeling a tightness in her chest. She was disappointed and hurt that Dante had called this unknown woman to be a part of such an important event but hadn’t informed her. She had only found out about it from her grandfather, who had encouraged her to go to the school and be with him, thinking it would help her make a good impression on Dante. "It shouldn’t matter who he invited or didn’t invite. What matters is that he’s happy, and I’ve never seen him this joyous," Damon said firmly, not moving an inch. He believed
★★★★"Dante, come here," Cindy said with a displeased voice. She did not like how that unknown woman was holding him as if she were his mother. It stung Cindy because Dante had never allowed Cindy to hold him that way, despite her spending the majority of her time with him.Dante looked at Cindy coldly before turning to his father. "This is why I didn't tell you about this," he said, his tone icy.Damon, noticing the tension, let go of Cindy's hand and approached Dante. He picked him up in his arms, saying firmly, "I didn't ask her!"Jasmine stood nearby, feeling increasingly confused. "Why does it feel like there's a theatrical drama unfolding here?" she thought, examining the dynamics. "There's no genuine emotion in their eyes. Dante seems disgruntled to see his mother. What's going on?""I don’t like how they talk to Pretty Lady!" Dante exclaimed to his father, his small voice filled with indignation.Damon looked directly at the woman, his expression hardening. "Did you hear that?
★★★★★ "Actually..." Jasmine parted her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Dante. "Dad, try it, it’s yummy!" he said excitedly, holding out his ice cream. Damon glanced at Jasmine before turning to his son. "I don’t like ice cream," he replied flatly. Jasmine shifted her attention to Dante, hoping to ease the tension between him and his mother. "What about your mother?" she asked, simultaneously, making it clear to the shopkeeper that she wasn’t Dante’s mother. "She is not—" Dante began to clarify, but Cindy’s voice cut him off. "Since I maintain a strict diet, I usually avoid sugar," Cindy interjected, her words laced with a strong taunt. "You wouldn't understand." Jasmine turned around and faced Cindy with a smile. "Yes, I won't understand," she said, her smile unwavering. She crossed over to a seat with her ice cream, Dante following close behind. Before settling in, he looked back at Cindy. "She’s an actress and quite popular!" he announced proudly, then joined Jasmine
★★★★★"Dad, don’t you want to meet Payne?" Dante asked sweetly as he leaned on the seat. They were heading toward their house, the sun casting long shadows on the road ahead."Why would I?" Damon questioned nonchalantly, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Jasmine leaving. There was a certain sensation left within him, an emptiness he couldn't quite shake off. Her departure lingered in his mind, casting a shadow over his usually composed demeanor."Not so important," Dante replied, his tone casual but with a hint of mischief. "But since the pretty lady knows me well, you should meet Payne."Damon's curiosity was piqued, despite his attempt to appear uninterested. "What are you planning at?" he questioned, moving his head slightly to look at his son, trying to gauge his intentions. "You’ve been talking about Payne quite a bit. Is there something I should know?""No, nothing special. Since the pretty lady did so many things for me, I think you should do something for Payne as well," D