★★★★ "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
★★★★"No, you don't need to be quiet. You can speak your heart since I guess we are all enjoying ourselves," Layla said with a stiff countenance, anticipating what Payne might say next."Thank you. You look intelligent. You are...! Forgive me, I’m trying to know everyone," Payne replied with a bright smile."I am your mother's sister, your aunt. But I don't want you to call me 'Aunt.' Layla will be fine," Layla said, clearly believing she was too young for the title."You don’t look like an aunt. Besides, I’m not ready to give that title to anyone other than Aunt Nadia," Payne said, her tone confident and eyes unwavering. She seemed entirely different from Jasmine, possessing a self-assuredness that left no room for hesitation.Jasmine quickly intervened. "Thank you for inviting us for dinner, Father!"Kesha seized the moment to shift the conversation. "My daughter and Paul are soon going to be engaged, and we need your help with something. I hope you won’t say no.""So, this isn’t ac
★★★★ Payne could see that her mother was so angry it was as if she was breathing fire. She knew that if she didn’t speak up, her mother might take her back to the house, which would ruin her plan. She had already texted Dante from her mother’s phone, and everything needed to go according to plan. "Mom, are you angry?" Payne asked tentatively. "No," Jasmine replied curtly, staring straight ahead and avoiding her daughter’s gaze. "Are you really going to take me somewhere to eat?" Payne asked, her tone hopeful and trying to break through the tension. "Anywhere you want to go!" Jasmine said, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. "Red Lobster. I know it's expensive, but we can share a plate," Payne suggested, crossing her fingers. Red Lobster was a costly place, but it was what Dante had chosen for their meeting. "It's okay. We can have Red Lobster," Jasmine said, driving toward the restaurant without realizing that her daughter knew about this particular place, despite them not having be
★★★★★"Why not? She is sorting her priorities!" Damon challenged Jasmine, locking eyes with her.Jasmine didn’t hold back her anger. "No, her priorities should be to be a good person and kind.""Hah!" Damon chuckled sarcastically. "That sounds nice, but it shouldn’t be you saying this."Jasmine felt a bubble of anger surge to her throat. She was about to retort when Payne cut in, "Seems like you two know each other well. How come you never come to our house, or invited us to yours?""Yes, Dad," Dante chimed in. "You should have invited them over. We have a big playground and a huge trampoline. Our villa is so big you could get lost in it."Dante's input caught both parents off guard. They looked at each other, their tension momentarily broken by their children's innocent attempts to bridge the gap."There is a small playroom in this restaurant," Jasmine suggested, hoping to divert the conversation. "Why don’t you two go there?""Okay, Mom, we’ll come back when the food arrives," Payne
★★★★ "What is in your head?" Damon asked Payne as soon as Dante and Jasmine left the room. He leaned in slightly, his curiosity piqued by the thoughtful expression on Payne's face. Just then, the waiter arrived with the lobster, interrupting the moment. "Here's your order, sir!" he announced cheerfully as he placed the dish on the table. "Thank you," Payne replied with a polite nod. She waited until the waiter was out of earshot before quickly moving to Dante's seat next to Damon. Lowering her voice, she looked up at Damon with a mixture of seriousness and curiosity in her eyes. "I feel my mum doesn't like you! Is there any particular reason behind it?" Damon was taken aback by her directness but couldn't help but be impressed. "You are quite an observer," he said with an appreciative smile. "I like it. Most five-year-olds wouldn't pick up on such things, but you seem to notice everything around you." Payne tilted her head, her big eyes fixed on Damon. "My mum, she’s always kind a
★★★★As Jasmine was about to reach her car after dinner, Damon grabbed the back of her hand, startling her. She turned around, eyes wide with surprise."Where did you give birth?" Damon asked, his tone sharp and demanding. A strong surge of panic rose within Jasmine, a creeping sensation crawling up her chest.Stumbling a little, she replied, "I was in the USA when I got pregnant and gave birth to my daughter. What's going on in your mind?" Though trepidation filled her heart, she maintained a casual expression.Damon's eyes bore into hers as he spoke coldly, "Nothing. Just go back to your house and reconsider the agreement. Because tomorrow morning, you might see the cops dragging your friend to prison. And stop taking gifts from anyone. If you like flowers, I'll send them to your house.""You are crazy! It’s not about what I like. It's about a person lovingly sending me a present," Jasmine retorted, her voice trembling with restrained anger. "But your head is clouded with ego and mo
★★★★ The voice on the other end chuckled darkly. "Someone who knows more about your past than you realize. Leave, Jasmine, or you'll regret it." Jasmine's heart pounded as she tried to steady her breath. "What do you mean, 'the other twins'? What are you talking about?" "You know exactly what I mean," the woman replied cryptically. "You gave birth to twins, then ran away with your daughter. You are unable to keep that secret safe. Consider this your only warning." Jasmine felt a wave of nausea. "If you think you can threaten me and my daughter, you're wrong. I'll find out who you are and put an end to this." The voice turned icy. "Brave words, Jasmine. But bravery won't protect you from what's coming. Leave the country, or face the consequences." With that, the call ended, leaving Jasmine staring at her phone in shock. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of the cryptic threat. She quickly glanced at Payne, who was playing innocently in the next room, oblivious to the danger
★★★★★"Please, I know she is late in paying the money, but trust me, we are about to pay the owner of that casino this afternoon. Can you please give us a little more time?" Jasmine pleaded, her voice desperate as she lied to buy time."No, if you are willing to pay the money, then ask him to withdraw the case against her and we will grant her bail right away," the lady cop replied firmly, as she snapped the handcuffs onto Ceece’s wrists. Tears streamed down Ceece's face as she cried out, "Jas, help me. I don't want to go to prison!"Jasmine stood frozen for a moment before springing into action. She rushed to her room, grabbed her phone, and hurried back, blocking the cops' path. "Just one minute, please!" she begged.Frantically, Jasmine dialed Damon's number, knowing he was the only one who could stop the cops from taking Ceece away. Each time the call went through, Damon cut it off. "Damn it, jerk, pick up the call!" she muttered in frustration."You are delaying us, ma'am. I woul