Chapter 4

Seth continued to stare at the watch on his wrist, ignoring the conversation that sounded faint in his ears. It had been over two hours since the last message he sent to Jasmine, and so far, he hadn't received a response.

"Well, it seems we don't need to prolong the conversation any further, the compatibility between them seems quite evident, doesn't it?" Evelyn's last sentence caught Seth's attention as he had been trying to ignore them. Seth glanced at Monica with a sheepish expression, while both his parents and Monica's father seemed delighted, responding to Evelyn's statement with laughter.

"Is that so, does it look like that? What do you think, Seth?" Monica's question seemed to seek Seth's direct approval or disapproval. Seth began to change his expression, with a calmer demeanor and a friendly smile.

"Yes, if that's the view of our parents, I believe it's honesty. I trust them," Seth's response made Monica smile broadly. It was clear that the dinner they intentionally arranged wasn't just an ordinary dinner.

"Well, that's good then. Rarely do I see my darling daughter blush in front of someone, and this rosy hue on her cheeks has always been there since your first meeting when you were thirteen, hasn't it? Nothing has changed until now," Billy said, feeling relieved that he had finally found the best match for his daughter.

"Dad, stop it. You're making me sound silly," Monica whispered, inviting laughter from everyone except Seth, who only smiled as thinly as possible.

"Well, no wonder Billy always wants to hurry home when fishing with me, it turns out he's hiding his very charming daughter," Lucas joked.

"Come on, uncle, the word 'charming' at my age sounds very strange," Monica retorted with her sweet smile.

"Well, in a father's eyes, no matter how old their child is, they will always look small and charming, right, honey?" Lucas said to Evelyn, who nodded in agreement.

"Oh, yes, I remember your daughter, where's Jasmine?" Billy asked, immediately dimming Evelyn's bright smile.

"She's still busy joining us," Evelyn replied shortly, causing Seth to immediately look at Evelyn, who then redirected their conversation away from Jasmine.

Meanwhile, elsewhere

Where the music still throbbed loudly, filling every corner of the club, the cheers of the invited guests added to the hustle and bustle of Taylor's party. Everyone was enjoying the party atmosphere, including Jasmine, who continued to sip her drink as if it never ended for her.

"That's enough, Jess. I think you're starting to get drunk," Ramon, who had been accompanying Jasmine since her first glass, said.

"What are you saying? It's too early to say I'm drunk with just a few glasses, Baby," Jasmine replied with her inflated smile, making Ramon smile along with her. It was clear that the model beside him was already very drunk because if she wasn't, her broad smile wouldn't easily appear like that, especially for him.

"Should I record it and show it to you tomorrow when you're sober? I'm sure you'll agree with me then," Ramon said again, causing Jasmine's movements to stop. Jasmine then put down her glass and looked at Ramon with eyes that seemed melancholic due to the alcohol that had taken over her.

"Ramon, do you know why I really want to get drunk?" Jasmine suddenly asked, making Ramon pause for a moment.

"That's enough, Jess. If you're upset, you can tell me. Just so you know, I'm not only the best photographer, but I'm also a better listener than the alcohol you're drinking," Ramon said, winking at Jasmine, making Jasmine burst into laughter.

"Is that so? But if I tell you, will my frustration decrease?" Jasmine asked.

"I can do anything for you, Jess. If all you want is for me to listen, I'll stay quiet and listen to you well. And if you need someone to help you forget your frustration, I can do that too," Ramon said with a serious expression, making Jasmine fall silent. For a moment, Jasmine felt her consciousness returning as she saw Ramon's sincerity, but the next moment, Jasmine burst into laughter.

"Why are you so serious? Aren't you just listening to the ramblings of a drunken woman right now?" Jasmine said. It seemed Jasmine was starting to regain control of herself and stop her mouth from saying foolish things to her loved ones. She was about to end her conversation with Ramon, but the next moment, Ramon grabbed Jasmine's wrist.

"I'm serious about what I said, Jess," Ramon said, making Jasmine once again see the sincerity of the man beside her.

"You were even boasting about your lunch invitation earlier," Jasmine said.

"And I'll redeem it tonight," Ramon said. Briefly, Seth's happy smile was clearly visible in Jasmine's mind, but that smile wasn't for her, it was for Monica and their family, who might have already set a good date for them. Just imagining that made Jasmine feel resentment and pain in her heart again. Jasmine looked back at Ramon.

"Don't I have the right to have fun too?" Jasmine muttered, then immediately reached out and pulled Ramon's neck to press their lips together.

Ramon, who looked surprised for a moment, could only accept the kiss Jasmine gave him before returning it.

"Jess, there are a lot of people around us," Ramon said, realizing their situation, who he was facing right now, a top model who would definitely be the subject of gossip if not careful.

"Just ignore them. They're too busy with their own passions. You just need to focus on me, Ramon. Didn't you promise to entertain me and redeem your lunch invitation?" Jasmine said, pulling Ramon again. As Jasmine said, Ramon just needed to focus on Jasmine. They completely ignored their surroundings, which also seemed indifferent. Many couples were also enjoying the party tonight, not just Jasmine and Ramon.

"We need somewhere else, don't we?" Jasmine said, stopping their kiss.

Seth immediately slammed the door of his car, then loosened the tie that felt suffocating. It was already very late for Jasmine to be in her room as usual, and Seth still hadn't found out where she was. Seth couldn't wait any longer to get ignored by Jasmine, so he finally tried to call Patricia. Seth's first call went unanswered, and he kept trying until finally on the third call, Patricia answered.

"Where's Jasmine?" Seth asked without preamble.

"Sorry, sir. We're also looking for Jess. We're—" Patricia replied, prompting Seth to immediately end the call and drive his car towards Taylor's party.