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★★★★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
★★★★★ "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