Jasmine sat on a wooden bench in the backyard, engrossed in the book on her lap. Occasionally, her eyes glanced at the slowly falling leaves, creating a beautiful orange carpet around her. The cold air started to creep in, making Jasmine tighten her scarf around her neck. A gentle breeze blew, carrying the soothing yet slightly melancholic scent of autumn.It had been over a month since she moved to this new place with Seth. Jasmine still found it hard to call this place home. To Jasmine, home should evoke warmth and familiarity, something she didn't feel here. It was too unfamiliar, too quiet, despite being spacious and grand.For the past two months, Jasmine had hardly gone out. She shut herself away from the crowds, leaving behind the noisy outside world. Her phone lay untouched somewhere. Without internet, she chose books as her escape, painting to calm her mind, listening to music from the old vinyl records, which were vintage but charming, and occasionally watching pre-downloade
Jasmine walked down the grand staircase made of mahogany wood, her hand touching the smooth railing, reminding her of the life she left behind. As usual, there were five guards stationed downstairs in ready positions. This sight had started to become familiar to Jasmine, although she wasn't entirely comfortable with their presence yet.She headed towards the spacious dining table with its beautifully carved wooden surface and comfortable chairs. The servants looked surprised to see Jasmine coming down earlier than usual. They were accustomed to the quiet morning routine before Jasmine appeared."I'm sorry, Miss. We'll prepare your breakfast right away," one of the servants quickly said, bowing respectfully to Jasmine."No need to rush, I just want to have some juice first," Jasmine said gently, giving a small smile to reassure the servant. "You can continue your work."The servant nodded and quickly went back to work, leaving Jasmine to sit on one of the comfortable dining chairs. Her
Jasmine waited anxiously in the dimly lit basement. Her heart was racing, as if it wanted to leap out of her chest. It had been almost an hour since she parted ways with Seth and instructed him to wait here, and every passing second only heightened her anxiety. Her mind was filled with dreadful thoughts, yet she tried to convince herself that Seth must have a good reason for being late.The basement was cold and damp, with rough stone walls and a dusty floor. There was only a single hanging lamp from the ceiling, casting a dim yellow light. Jasmine stood restlessly, occasionally glancing towards the old wooden door at the end of the room, hoping it would open soon and reveal the familiar figure of Seth.Finally, the creak of the opening door broke the silence. Jasmine let out a sigh of relief, but as the door swung wide open, instead of Seth, another figure she knew well appeared – Danzell. He entered calmly with a sharp gaze that sent shivers down Jasmine's spine."Danzell?" Jasmine
The dark and damp room felt increasingly claustrophobic as Jasmine struggled, trying to free herself from Danzell's grasp. Her breath was ragged, her chest heaving rapidly, while her legs continued to kick desperately in an attempt to reach freedom. However, Danzell, with his patience wearing thin, decided to take drastic action."Listen, Jasmine! Listen!" Danzell shouted as he grabbed ropes and cloth. In an instant, he bound Jasmine's hands and feet, then gagged her with the cloth to ensure she stayed quiet.Jasmine's eyes widened, filled with deep hatred. She tried to break free, but the bonds were too tight. Her body trembled between anger and fear. Danzell sighed deeply, then sat in front of her."You forced me to do this, Jasmine," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I didn't want to, but you have to listen to my explanation."Jasmine could only glare at him sharply, her mouth tightly sealed by the cloth. Slowly, Danzell began to speak, his eyes staring into the distance as if rec
Seth winced in pain as his trusted doctor removed the bullet lodged in his abdomen and arm. His face tensed, lips tightly sealed to endure the piercing pain. Several curses escaped his lips, not only from the physical pain but also from the lingering loss of Jasmine."Damn it," Seth muttered, his breaths coming in ragged.The doctor worked meticulously, focused on his task despite Seth's discomfort. After what felt like forever, the bullet was finally removed.When the doctor finished, Seth asked hoarsely, "Will... will the wounds be okay?"The doctor nodded, "We've done our best. Now you need rest."Seth breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind still lingered on Jasmine. He was sure that by now, Danzell had revealed everything to her. And now, he needed to quickly devise a plan to bring Jasmine back to him."Doc, I need to get out of here," Seth said firmly.The doctor shook his head. "I strongly advise you to rest, Mr. Seth. Your gunshot wounds are not fully healed yet."Seth ignored
Seth stared at the large mirror in front of him. Two gunshot wounds, still not fully healed, were now clearly visible with the bandages still perfectly attached to his body. Every small movement made him grimace, but the physical pain wasn't what tortured him the most. His mind was constantly haunted by Jasmine's face, missing somewhere, in the hands of Danzell who ruined all his plans.Seth clenched his jaw tightly, anger boiling inside his chest. How could Danzell just vanish with Jasmine like that? Seth had mobilized all his men to search, but to no avail. Long nights were spent filled with tension and disappointment. And when they failed, his anger often exploded."Damn it!" Seth yelled, slamming the medicine bottle on the table. Once again, his men came back empty-handed. "Are you guys working or just pretending?""S-sorry, Boss," one of his men replied, his face pale. "We've tried every place we know."Seth sighed heavily, rubbing his face roughly. "Get out. I need some time alo
Jasmine gazed at the tree that now stood tall without a single leaf clinging to its branches. Autumn was almost over, and the air was growing colder, biting into her skin. Her breath appeared almost frozen in the cold weather around her, creating a thin mist in the air. She tightened her jacket, trying to fend off the creeping cold.Suddenly, a warm scarf wrapped around her neck. Startled, Jasmine turned around to find Danzell standing behind her with a warm smile."Do you want to go for a walk outside?" he asked in a strangely calming, friendly tone.Jasmine looked at Danzell with confusion. "You're letting me walk outside, beyond this house?" she asked, her voice full of disbelief."Yes, if you want to, why not? Though you might feel a bit uncomfortable because I'll have my men follow you. You know, it's not safe right now," Danzell replied, looking at her with understanding. "And there might be some people who recognize you as Jasmine Harold. There’s been some bad news about you, a
Today, Jasmine decided to make a second attempt to escape. She knew that continually asking to go for walks every day would be very suspicious. This time, Jasmine would try to escape directly from the house on her own.First, Jasmine searched for tools like a knife or other sharp objects that could aid her escape. Second, she had to know the times when the guards changed shifts in the middle of the night. And third, she had to plan meticulously by identifying places that the guards rarely patrolled, so she could slip out undetected.She scribbled a map in her notebook, plotting a route she had studied over the past few days during her outings. She knew where the bus stop was and the route to the subway. However, while she was engrossed in her map, someone suddenly took the book from her hands. Jasmine was startled to find Danzell had entered her room without her noticing.“What are you drawing?” Danzell asked, examining the scribbles in Jasmine’s notebook.Jasmine quickly thought of a