Vote!
★★★★Paul didn’t miss a beat, his smile softening as he crafted a quick explanation. "Oh, that," he said, his tone filled with feigned sincerity. "He runs an organization that helps those who can’t afford to give their loved ones a proper farewell. You know, people who don’t have the means for the last rites. As for the truth he mentioned, I simply asked him not to tell the family that I was involved. I didn’t want them to feel burdened, especially since it’s a co-worker’s family—his father just passed away."Jasmine’s suspicion seemed to waver, replaced by a hint of admiration. "That’s really good work, Paul," she said, her voice softening as she looked at him with newfound respect.Paul seized the moment, wrapping an arm around her in a gesture of affection. "Just trying to help where I can," he said smoothly, then turned his attention back to the man standing across the room. "You can go now," Paul instructed, his tone slipping into one of subtle authority. "And if there’s anything
★★★★★ "Martha!" Paul greeted with a forced smile, clearly displeased by her sudden appearance. "How are you?" "I'm fine, Paul," Martha replied, her eyes darting towards Jasmine, who, despite her mask, had an unmistakable curiosity in her gaze. "I got married six months ago. I invited you and Layla. Neither of you showed up." "Time isn't always on our side," Paul said tersely. "I've been swamped with work." "Where's Layla? And what exactly are you doing here?" Martha pressed, her suspicions growing. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the situation made it hard not to think the worst. Paul drew in a deep breath, resisting the urge to lose his temper. "You have Layla's number. She can tell you where she is," he said, irritation creeping into his voice. "How about we discuss this later?" "Are you cheating on Layla with her?" Martha cut to the chase, her voice sharp. "Do you think I didn’t notice? I know how much Layla loves you!" Paul slammed his hand on the table and stood
★★★★★"Actually... I’m in..." Martha started to say, but her words were cut off by the screech of tires as a car suddenly pulled up beside hers."Martha, where are you?" Layla’s voice was filled with concern on the other end of the line.The window of the car beside Martha rolled down with eerie slowness. In a split second, a gun emerged, the cold steel glinting in the late evening moon."Martha, are you there? What’s going on?"The sharp crack of gunfire shattered the air. The bullet tore through the window of Martha’s car, the glass splintering in a thousand directions before the round slammed into her skull. The phone slipped from her hand as she slumped over the passenger seat, her life extinguished in an instant."Martha? Martha!" Layla’s voice rang with panic, but there was no answer. Only silence, punctuated by the distant sound of city life and the faint hum of the line.The two men in the car moved with chilling efficiency. They jumped out, yanked open the door of Martha’s ca
★★★★★ Layla’s sobs grew quieter, but the anguish in her eyes was unmistakable. “I just can’t take it anymore, Mom,” she said, her voice cracking under the weight of everything she’d endured. “It’s like every time we turn around, there’s another lie, another betrayal. How are we supposed to keep going when everyone we trusted is turning against us?” Kesha’s eyes flashed with a fierce resolve, her jaw setting with determination. “We keep going because we have no choice,” she replied, her voice low but powerful. “If Paul is willing to stoop this low, then we’ll go lower. We’ll fight back with everything we’ve got. I never thought he would betray us like this, but if this is the game he wants to play, then so be it. We’ll make sure he regrets ever crossing us.” "What are we going to do?" Layla asked. “First, we need to find him,” Kesha said, her voice tight with determination. “And then we’ll find out who this woman is that he’s married. It’s strange, isn’t it? How come his family hasn
★★★★★Later in the afternoon, Jasmine got out of her room, a little careful. It was the time when the caretaker left for home. She went to the kitchen and packed all the food into plastic as she was going to throw it. Jasmine hurried to her room, her mind racing. She needed to get to that party—something about the woman’s words in the café had lodged itself deep in her gut, a feeling she couldn’t shake. There was more going on than Paul was letting on, and she wasn’t about to sit around waiting for answers.But as she flung open her closet, frustration hit her like a wave. No cocktail dresses, nothing remotely fancy—just her usual casual clothes. She bit her lip, scanning her options. Then it hit her: she didn’t need to stand out. In fact, it was better if she didn’t.Grabbing a pair of jeans and a plain top, she reached for the mask she’d tucked away, the one that would keep her identity hidden. Fancy dress or not, she’d blend into the shadows and see what Paul was up to. Her finger
★★★★★ The woman dressed Jasmine with an expert's touch, the gown slipping onto her like it had been tailored just for her. As she gathered Jasmine's hair into an elegant bun and secured it with sparkling clips, she smiled warmly. “You look stunning. All that’s missing is a smile.” Jasmine hesitated, looking at herself in the mirror. “What if I... tear the dress by accident or something happens? Do I have to pay for it?” The woman chuckled softly, her amusement clear. “No, dear. You don’t need to pay a thing. In fact, you can keep the dress if you want. It suits you perfectly.” Standing up, Jasmine gave a small, appreciative smile. “Thank you.” Before Jasmine could grab her mask, the woman handed her another one—a sleek, elegant piece that complemented the dress perfectly. “Here. This one will match better.” Jasmine took it, slipping the mask over her face. It covered everything from her eyes to her nose, leaving her lips bare. Exhaling deeply, she made her way toward the main p
★★★★★"You are not Madeline, and Paul is not your husband. You did not get married to anyone," Damon said, leaving Jasmine stunned. Her mind clouded instantly, and she replied, "You’re lying. You’re an unknown person. Tell me what your motive is!" Jasmine became alarmed toward Damon."Here, take this phone. You can call 911!" Damon said. "I know you’ve lost your memory, which is why you’re unable to recall anything or understand why I know so much about you. Sit in the car, and I’ll tell you everything," Damon assured Jasmine, opening the door for her.Jasmine grabbed Damon’s phone from his hand and held it close before getting into the car, eager to learn about herself."Don't think I’m a weak woman?" Jasmine warned Damon as soon as he started the car."I don’t dare!" Damon replied with a relaxed smile."Now speak. Who are you, and how do you know me?" Jasmine asked suspiciously."Wait, there’s a call about to come. Pick it up!" Damon said, and instantly a call came through on the ph
★★★★"I’m not going anywhere," Jasmine whispered, a deep heartache gripping her as she held the kids close. At that moment, she felt at home, with no reason to believe this was all a lie.She gently rubbed the backs of both children before standing up and looking down at their faces. It dawned on her that, indeed, both of them resembled Damon more than herself."Jasmine!" Nadia called out as she rushed toward her, embracing her tightly, tears slipping from her eyes. She had spent days praying, and it wasn't until this morning that Damon told her he would be bringing Jasmine home tonight.Jasmine returned the hug, though she couldn't quite place Nadia in her memory."Don’t worry, you’ll remember us soon! I always told you Paul wasn’t a good guy, and this time he’s gone beyond imagination," Nadia said angrily."You know him too?" Jasmine asked."Yes, we were all in college together. Then one day, you kicked him out of your life. You hated him," Nadia answered."We’re so happy... so happ