★★★★★ "Who’s there?" Jasmine called out, her voice trembling slightly. The lights turned on abruptly, flooding the room with harsh brightness. Jasmine blinked against the sudden glare and saw Paul sitting at the judge's panel with another man. A surge of anger shot through her as she immediately assumed Layla might be involved in this. It seemed like a prank designed to humiliate her. "Are you kidding me?" Jasmine's voice rose, her frustration palpable. "I thought there would be an audition here. I rushed all the way to this place for nothing! What is going on?" Paul leaned back in his chair, a calm smile playing on his lips. "Well, you are on the stage, and I am sitting at the judge's panel. What do you think we are doing here?" Jasmine glared at him, struggling to keep her anger in check. "I can't believe you would pull something like this. Is this some kind of joke to you?" The other man, who had been quietly observing, stood up and addressed her. "He is the producer, and you
★★★★"I have enough money to offer you, is that what you wanted?" Paul's angered voice did not lower down, resonating through the dimly lit room."I said move back from me! You're making me repulsed more and more!" Jasmine spoke distastefully, her eyes narrowing with disdain."Why can others touch you, but not me? You used to be mine, and I have never gotten what I wanted!" Paul shouted, his grip tightening as he adamantly held her against the wall. His breath simmered with anger, hot and heavy against her skin.Jasmine couldn't take it anymore. With all her strength, she punched Paul in the face, making him stagger back. "Get away from me!" she shouted. "I love someone else. And I'm glad I chose someone else over you because you are disgusting!"Paul clutched his face, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and rage. "You'll regret this, Jasmine," he spat out. "I promise you, you'll regret this."Jasmine gave him a long, piercing glare before heading toward the exit. She wouldn't forget
★★★★ As the car sped along the wet road, two drenched figures sat inside, their expressions stoic. "I live near the East Park," Jasmine said, her gaze fixed firmly ahead. "Second lane of Christian Road." Damon glanced at Jasmine, noting her soaked clothes clinging to her frame. "My office is close by," he replied after a moment. "I need to change before I can drive you home." Jasmine's eyes flickered with irritation as she turned to face him. "You're not a child. A little wetness won't make you sick." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the damp fabric pressing against her skin. Placing a hand over her chest, she became increasingly aware of her predicament. "Besides," she added, her voice tinged with annoyance, "it's not like staying in wet clothes for a bit will kill you." Damon breathed deeply, his eyes lingering on Jasmine. "You know," he said, breaking the silence, "your appearance is distracting. Even though you’re not trying, there's something about you that keeps drawin
★★★★"What is this? Ah! You act like some sort of candy I was about to snatch from you," Harley exclaimed, disbelief etched across his face. Jasmine, equally surprised, glanced at Damon's wide back. She had merely intended to shake hands with the man who had been kind enough to save her from falling, but Damon had swiftly moved her behind him, shielding her like a gust of wind."Because she should not touch you," Damon blurted out. He knew his response was weak and lacked a solid reason. The possessiveness that surged through him was hard to justify, even to himself.Harley's smirk widened, sensing Damon’s discomfort. "I believe she isn’t germophobic like you, nor is she your new plaything?" His words were laced with mocking amusement.Jasmine’s face flushed with anger and humiliation. Harley’s insinuation hit her hard, confirming the fears she had been battling. She stepped out from behind Damon abruptly, her eyes blazing. "Excuse me?" she snapped, her voice sharp and clear. "I am ne
★★★★★ "Your woman? Do you really think I'm just another one of those girls you hook up with anytime, anywhere?" Jasmine's voice was laced with disappointment and simmering anger as she confronted Damon. With a surge of frustration, she shoved him with all her might, her muscles tense with pent-up emotion. Spinning on her heel, she attempted to storm out of the room, only to find the door stubbornly refusing to yield. "Open the damn door!" she seethed, her voice echoing off the walls. Damon took a deep breath, his jaw clenched in irritation as he met her fiery gaze. "So, how do you plan on compensating me because your twenty-four hours are up now," His words dripped with sarcasm as he strode over to the wardrobe, his movements sharp and purposeful. With a swift motion, he slid open the wardrobe door and retrieved another shirt, his frustration evident in the way he yanked it off the hanger. "I don't have time for this nonsense," he muttered under his breath, his tone tinged with
★★★★"What? I am holding myself back because I believed you were married," Jasmine repeated, disbelief evident in her eyes. "You are completely delusional. Trust me, without money, you are nothing to those women who get attracted to you. But I do not fall into that category! Now open the door, I want to leave!" Jasmine demanded, her voice trembling with anger and fear."It is my first time knowing I am unattractive, that’s fine," Damon replied, his voice chillingly calm. "At the same time, I believe money will force you to accept my offer. Tomorrow morning will be very hard for you," he continued, the coldness in his tone sending a shiver down Jasmine's spine.Jasmine stood with her back against the door, her mind racing. What if he really meant what he said? She felt a creeping sense of dread.Damon approached her slowly, brushing her cheeks with the back of his hand. The warmth of his touch contrasted sharply with the coldness in her cheeks. "You are different," Damon whispered, le
★★★★ "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
★★★★ "Ellie!" Gary tried to approach Harley's mother, but he stopped him, saying, "Don't come close to mom. I didn't lay my hands on you just because of her even though I was on the verge of ripping your neck off your body. So, Again count yourself lucky!" Harley growled at his father. Just then, one of Harley’s men interrupted. "Boss, this woman is fainting!" Harley’s gaze shifted briefly to Amanda before he gave his orders in a cold, merciless tone. "Take her to the hospital. Make sure she doesn’t die, and ensure she gets proper treatment at our camp." Amanda tried to protest, but her words failed her as she collapsed. Without hesitation, Harley’s men carried her away, leaving the scene in tense silence. By that time, Harley's mom mustered up some strength and looked at her husband with pain and tears. Earlier, when Amanda said those things about Gary, she denied them without a second thought, even though somewhere in her heart, a bad feeling was swirling. But, in the end, she wa
★★★★"Are you hurt?" Harley asked, concern lacing his voice."Yeah, my foot," Nadia winced, her grip tightening around his neck. "I think something’s stuck in it."Without hesitation, Harley scooped her up in his arms, cradling her gently as he made his way inside, his jaw set with determination."It's Amanda, and she has more people inside," Nadia cautioned him so that he could have his gun ready."Humph!" Harley hummed only, then took her to a place where there was little light and a small place to sit. He carefully laid her down, turned on the phone's flashlight, and said, "Hold it up on your feet and let me see what it is?"Nadia's face was tired and sweaty, but her eyes were calm seeing Harley in front of her eyes. She got the phone and held it up, only then did they both notice a nail embedded in her left foot.As soon as Harley touched the nail, Nadia cried out, clutching his hair in her palm as her agonizing voice erupted, "Oh, it’s hurt!"Harley looked up at Nadia’s painful f
★★★★★ "I don't know how...." Harley's mother's hands were shaking as she held the gun in her hand. "There's no time for a lesson! Just put the muzzle on my handcuffs and shoot!" Nadia shouted, her impatience growing as Amanda's people could show up at any second. "Alright," Harley's mother muttered, exhaling sharply. She pressed the muzzle against the lock and fired without hesitation. The handcuffs snapped open instantly. Nadia forthwith ran to Amanda and pulled her back by her hair before Amanda could able to run out of the room. "Let me go, bitch!" Amanda protested, trying to scream. But Nadia held her back with her arm around her neck. Suddenly Amanda's men arrived with guns drawn. Seeing them, Amanda screamed, "Don't just stand there and help me!" She gritted her teeth and spat at the people who should have been running to her aid. "Don't come close to her if you want her alive and well?" Nadia yelled, holding Amanda tightly as she tried to strike a deal for them to escape.
★★★★★Meanwhile, Harley returned home and learned from the servant that his father had been awake for a while but had ordered no visitors until he permitted it. Ignoring the warning, Harley marched straight to his father’s room. Rather than knock, he pounded on the door.His father’s irritated voice boomed from within. "I warned you—I don’t want any interference! If you all want to keep your jobs, stay out of my business!"At that moment, Harley responded by firing on the door lock and then kicking it open. Gary ran to the corner in fear, his back hitting the wall. When Gary saw that it was Harley who had shot at the door, he blurted out, "What's going on in your head? You could have called me!" "Where are they?" Harley yelled with murderous eyes."Who are you talking about?" Gary replied, trying to sound calm, but miserably failed under his son's intense gaze. Harley clenched his teeth and rushed to his father, who tried to escape, but Harley grabbed him by his throat and howled, "
★★★★★ Jasmine was exhausted, thirsty and going through the ripping pain in her shoulder, but she made sure she reached out for her husband, who was looking for her crazily. "Hello... it's me!" Jasmine said in a tired voice and crawled away from the dead man. Since it was almost dark, she took refuge behind a tree and decided to stay there until Damon came. "Where are you?" Damon's harsh voice broke out, full of impatience and tension. "Come and get me. I am tired and I...I killed a man who wanted to kill me," Jasmine said, "Also a group of people took Nadia with them. She is in danger too. Bring men," Jasmine said, closing her eyes. "Hang in there!" Damon said. There was a sense of reassurance in his voice that calmed Jasmine and she replied, "Okay!" And she touched her shoulder where she felt pain. Meanwhile, Harley reached the mansion where Amanda's father was busy in the swimming pool with some young lady. As soon as they entered, they all started screaming in fear becau
★★★★★"I don’t know anything!" Harley’s mother stammered, her voice trembling as she scrambled towards Nadia, who sat handcuffed in the corner. "In my sleep, I felt someone’s hand on my face, and I jolted awake. I tried to fight, and Harley’s father did the same, but they injured him before dragging me out of the villa. It was dark outside.""I think it’s the same people who brought you here. They pretended to be the police and tricked me," Nadia said calmly as she looked at Harley's worried mother."How is his father?"Nadia felt bad hearing Harley's mother's worried voice."When I left the villa, a doctor monitored him and the doctor said he is fine and has no injuries," Nadia said."You are not lying to me, are you?" Harley's mother asked again just to believe Nadia was not saying the positive just to keep her calm."Why would I lie to you to keep you satisfied when both of our lives are at stake? I was thinking about your son. I'm afraid he won't deal with this situation patiently
★★★★Nadia didn't go to her house. Instead, she went to Jasmine's house. All the way she kept wondering if Amanda was really that stupid. Knowing Harley's nature, how could she dare to attack his mother, and why did she think that kidnapping Harley's mother would make it easier for her to get back into his life?When she was about to enter Jasmine's house, a police car blocked her way, which shocked Nadia, and she quickly got out of the car in confusion and asked, "What happened, Sir?!" At the same time, Jasmine saw Nadia and the police from the balcony, where she was walking with a coffee mug in her hand. So, she decided to go and see what the matter was."Are you Nadia Hazelwood?" a policeman asked.Nadia replied, a little nervously, "Yes, sir, I am Nadia Hazelwood. Is something wrong?""We found illegal substances in your house. You have to come with us to the police station," the cop said, showing off the handcuff to Nadia who could no longer stop herself from panicking as she mut
★★★★ As the morning dawned Nadia found herself pinned down by a strong arm around her waist and unable to breathe. But what scared her the most was the thought that Harley was naked. She moved quickly and looked under the sheets, but he wasn't naked; he was wearing his boxers, and she sighed with relief. Then she tried to push his hand out of her to get up, but he grumbled, "Let me hold you a little longer." "I have a lot of work to do; hugging won't buy me time," Nadia grumbled. "You work in my office, and as your boss, I am ordering you to remain on the bed with me; if you're so free, you can show me your care by kissing me," Harley said. "Stop your nonsense, Harley. Your mother will come anytime and I will feel ashamed," Nadia put her hand on his face and tried to push him away, but she couldn't. Though his sleeping face looked innocent and peaceful, which urged her to stare at him for a long time, she refused to do that since she was embarrassed to show her affection. Suddenl
★★★★★"Uh..huh! What did you hear him talking about?" Harley replied calmly."He was talking to someone in the garden who I couldn't see so I was standing near the wall and listening to their conversation, then I heard your father say that if that person can't achieve what he has been given to do then he should kill himself or your father will kill him," Nadia said with shock and fear in her eyes as she thought that Harley’s father was going to harm someone."Hmmmm... Dad is consumed by the greed to get the power. That is why he abruptly came here with Mom," Harley said, making his way to the bed, his hand unbuttoning his shirt, while he added, "Let him do what he wants. I'm glad you found something entertaining in this house!""How come you are so relaxed even after knowing all this? What if he is plotting something dangerous against you because I felt he has no sympathy for you or no care that you are his son," Nadia said impatiently putting both her hands on her waist as she did no