✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿“Get in.”I hesitated, glancing back at Violet and Leigh, who were still deep in their argument about who they were with the night we went to Castillano Club and where they slept. The idea of spending time with Adam was appealing, especially since we hadn't seen each other in a week, but the suddenness of the invitation and my unfamiliarity with his uncle made me cautious."That’s very kind of you, but I’m not sure," I began. I glanced at my watch and pretended to check the time. "Dad is on his way to pick me up.""Is that so?" He pursed his lips, appearing thoughtful. "It's my wife's birthday today. Auntie Cassandra, Adam's aunt. We don't have any other guests besides Adam, so I wanted to invite you to meet my wife. She would be happy to meet you, especially since I mentioned you to her. I told her you're like a sister to Adam," he explained. "But okay. If you're heading home now, maybe next time?" He smiled gently at me.Aunt Cassandra, Adam's only relative? His dad's
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧AS I drove towards the M-Power Hotel, my mind raced with worry. Jazz hadn't answered any of my calls, and I couldn't track her using the app on her phone. It had been a week since we last spoke, when she and Uncle Win visited my penthouse. Since then, I hadn't found time to check on her or visit our apartment to see if she was okay, as I was consumed with work alongside Rogel.What kind of babysitter was I?Just as I neared the hotel, my phone buzzed with a message from Uncle Win. He invited me to dinner at his house later. I didn't need to ask why; I remembered what day it was. Aunt Cassandra's birthday.I sighed, torn between duty and affection. Aunt Cassandra, my late father's sister, was my only close family left, and I couldn't decline his invitation. But first, I had to find Jazz.I replied to Uncle Win, confirming I'd attend dinner but emphasizing finding Jazz was my priority. Lowering my phone, I resumed driving.As I approached the hotel, my heart skipped a bea
Five Years Ago . . . PROLOGUE ✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿"Jazzlene! Jazzlene, wait!"I sprinted through the familiar paths, tears blurring my vision. Somehow, I managed to avoid stumbling, guided by instinct down these well-trodden routes."Jazzlene!"Still, I refused to halt. My feet pounded the ground relentlessly. I couldn't bear to face him, to confront the pain that seared through me. Was this the reason I hadn't been invited to Jenna's birthday party?Jenna, my best friend—or rather, she used to be. Starting today, I couldn't even bring myself to look at her. We're both fifteen, friends for five years, along with Sheena and Abigail. They weren't just friends; they were family. Especially Jenna. She had been like an older sister to me. So today, on her sixteenth birthday, I wondered why she hadn't extended an invitation to me.Last week, my friends Abigail, Sheena, and I discussed Jenna's upcoming birthday. She had mentioned that she wouldn't be having a party since her parents were still i
Six years later . . . Present time. JAZZLENE'S POV I sat silently at the bus stop shelter, clutching my phone, debating whether I should call my brother, Zane, to come get me. Tears streamed down my face, and my body shivered from the cold because I was drenched. Not from rain—there wasn't any. It’s just that I was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, soaked, with only a T-shirt over it because my friends and I had a get-together. Camille, Violet, Leigh, and I had this tradition of bonding after exams to unwind from the stress. We checked into a lesser-known hotel and resort, preferring places less frequented by people because Camille, being a famous actress, couldn't be exposed to the public. [FLASHBACK] The four of us were dressed and already in the swimming pool when I noticed someone nearby. The pool was surrounded by tall plants, about waist-high, but through a gap, I saw Dominic. my boyfriend, and here's the worst part: he was flirting with someone I never imagined he’d go for. G
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧ADAM Meadows. My intuition was right. He was the one picking me up. Now I wasn’t sure if I should go with him or muster the courage to return to the hotel. Because he wasn't an 'I'll-do-my-buddy-a-favor-and-pick-his-sister-up type of guy. He was a look-at-me-wrong-or-say-anything-to-me-I-don't-like-and-I'll-kill-you-with-my-hands kinda guy, and he's doing it looking so calm and gorgeous you wouldn't notice your world crashing down.I looked down briefly at my dirty feet since I was barefoot when I came here. I swiped my tongue over my dry lips as the passenger seat window rolled down."Get in." His voice wasn't loud, nor was it angry. It was just loud enough for me to hear. "Or do you want me to open the door for you?" His tone was so cold that I felt my body freeze.Reluctantly, I stood up and walked toward him. I didn’t care if I dirtied his car. He was rich enough to have it cleaned anyway.Once inside, I glanced at him briefly before looking away because I couldn't h
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧"So? Is she your type?" Henry asked as I stared at his mobile screen.It was a picture of a woman. The third one, actually. I didn't like the first two. I didn't even look at them for more than two seconds. But this third picture held my gaze for a bit longer, not because I liked her, but because I recognized her. She was the sister of Jazzlene's former friend. Jenna's sister. The ones who had betrayed Jazzlene when she was just fifteen.The reason they were showing me pictures of women was that they wanted me to have a girlfriend. I don't do girlfriends. But that doesn't mean my sex life is dry. I still hook up when I need to release some steam. But I'm selective, and if a woman doesn't pass my taste, I won't touch her.Like these pictures Henry was showing me. None of them passed my standards. Especially this sister of Jazzlene's ex-friend. Despite her revealing dress, she looked like the type who expected sweet nothings and lovemaking in bed.I didn't do sweet nothin
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧WE were all gathered around the dining table. Zane's parents sat next to each other, with me beside Zane, followed by David and then Gerald. Henry had left a while ago, despite his desire to stay, because his wife had called him home."Your sister's internship is coming up, Zane," Attorney Hart mentioned. We hadn't started eating yet because Jazz wasn’t here. We were waiting for her; her mom had insisted she change clothes due to the cat fur all over her. Earlier, she had vented her frustrations while playing with her Persian cat."Internship? Where at?" Zane inquired."La Vienna Hotel."Zane frowned. "La Vienna? That's quite a distance from here."He was right. It’s a three-hour journey from Aloha City, but I understood why Jazz had chosen to do her internship there. Currently, it's one of the most prestigious hotels in the country. For now."Yeah. That’s why your dad and I are concerned about her. You know your sister. She's so trusting, it's easy for her to be taken a
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿I strolled alongside Camille, Leigh, and Violet towards the main gate after our final class had wrapped up.The days of Camille being swarmed by students seeking photos had settled into a more familiar routine. Now, university life for her was a bit more relaxed, though friendly waves and greetings still followed her as we walked. True to her nature, she responded warmly to everyone, even those she hadn't met before.Among us, Violet stood out as the most outspoken. Her very name hinted at her sharpness. Leigh, in contrast, kept to herself but was known for her numerous flings across different departments.And then there was me—the cursed one. Always left behind, always deceived. I can't fathom why. Finding an answer is a challenge.I sighed, prompting Violet to intervene. "You're scowling again, Jazz. Come on! Quit dwelling on Dominic! You should be celebrating how swiftly karma caught up with him! That jerk!"Her words struck a chord within me. Indeed, she was right.