✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿ I lifted the ladle to taste the sinigang I had cooked for dinner. Tonight, it was my turn to cook since Mom and Dad hadn't returned yet. They left around three this afternoon to go grocery shopping, ensuring I'd have enough supplies for the day they'd be away. The taste was just right. I set down the ladle, covered the pot, turned off the stove, and unplugged the rice cooker before grabbing my phone from the table. As I was about to leave the kitchen, my phone rang. It was Mom. "Hi, Mom," I greeted first. There was a brief silence on the line, filled with the distant sounds of laughter. "Hi, sweetie. Have you cooked dinner?" "Yeah. I'm done," I replied, already on the stairs heading up to my room. "Sweetie, Daddy and I won't be home right away. We got caught up with some old classmates and made dinner plans. Go ahead and din in without us. Oh, and don't forget to bring some food to Adam's apartment." I rolled my eyes at the mention of Adam and paused midway up th
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧A flurry of punches struck the mannequin's face, each impact sending a sharp burst of pain shooting up my arm. My muscles burned, sweat dripping into my eyes, blurring my vision. Despite the discomfort, I pressed on; these movements were second nature to me.The air was thick with the scent of sweat and aggression. This was my solitary refuge, where I could release the pent-up anger carefully contained in every other aspect of my life. A decade ago, I had begun Krav Maga training for self-defense, and now it served as my sanctuary.Once I had finished pummeling the mannequin, my body throbbed with exertion, sweat cascading down my face and arms. I snatched my towel to dab away the moisture and reached for a third bottle of mineral water. Work had been relentless, and this was my necessary reset."Hope Red helped you vent," Dante, the owner of the training center and my personal instructor, remarked dryly. He had nicknamed the mannequin Red; all the training dummies were
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿". . . I was so frustrated that I didn't bring him dinner last night, despite mommy's advice to share whenever I cook," I concluded dramatically, taking a sip of my coffee.It's our break time, so we're at the coffee shop right next to the university, accompanied by my friends. Camille interviewed me about yesterday's events, when Adam followed one of our classmates, Janina, home to bond with us before we all go our separate ways for internships. Since we'll be interning at different places, we decided to bond as a group, representing our entire block.But even now, my skin heated with anger at the memory of Adam's overbearing attitude. Truth be told, I haven't spoken to him all day, not since last night when he brought me home.He was supposed to give me a ride to school this morning, drop me off at the university before heading to his company. But instead, I reached out to Camille early and asked if she could arrange for her driver to take me to school. I wanted to a
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧There's a bead of sweat forming on the forehead of the man sitting in front of me, despite the chilly temperature in my office. I should put him out of his misery, but instead, I continue to stare him down. "I . . . the fund . . . we we're so grateful for your continued investment," he stammers. He should be. I've got billions invested throughout the world, a far from insignificant portion of it in his firm. I looked up at him, my face serious. "I never said I'd continue investing in you," I said, my voice is firm, devoid of any kindness.One of his feet started tapping on the floor, and I could hear the sound of his shoe hitting the ground. I watched as a bead of sweat ran down his face, his breathing accelerating by the second. "A-Aren't you satisfied with the company's performance? Our share price increased by twenty percent this year."I was about to respond when my phone vibrated on the table—a text message from Jazzlene, saying, "Adam, can you pick me up? I'm no
✧ADAM MEADOWS✧JAZZLENE must not see the state of my apartment, especially with blood splattered all over the floor from the two gunshot wounds in Bueno's son's leg. He’s unconscious now, having lost a significant amount of blood.“Adam!”I heard her voice again from outside, along with her frantic banging on the door. Instead of opening it, I went to the bedroom and grabbed a clean handkerchief from the cabinet. I also retrieved a small spray bottle from the corner. I sprayed the handkerchief twice.Quietly, I stepped out of the bedroom and approached the main door. I hid behind it and reached for the handle, unlocking it so she could come in. I waited for her to open the door. As soon as she stepped inside, I moved swiftly before she could turn around. From behind, I pressed the handkerchief over her nose and mouth. She struggled at first, but within seconds, her small frame went limp, and she collapsed.I carried her to my room once she was unconscious. I didn’t want to do this to
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿I couldn't resist inhaling the alluring scent—a blend of spice, warmth, and bath soap. Slowly, I opened my eyes to pinpoint its source, but furrowed my brow in confusion.Weird.Where did my room's paintings go? And when did I switch to black curtains? I've always favored yellow for its cheerful vibe. I never opt for black—wait? What's this hard thing my hand is resting on? I shifted my gaze downward to the object under my right hand as I lay flat. There was someone beside me, dressed in gray pajamas, and I was gripping his prominent member.I blinked, a wry smile crossing my lips. In my twenty-one years of existence, this was my first experience of such a dream. Was this what they called a wet dream? But it didn't seem like it because I couldn't recall anything happening in the dream—'Sh*t! Why is it hard? Why is it warm?'I tried to squeeze the thing I was holding, followed by a small groan from a man that snapped me back to reality. My eyes squinted as I glanced at
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿"Add more contour to her chest," Leigh ordered Violet.They're here at my house now. They're the only ones available because Camille has taping again. They volunteered to help me get ready for my plan to seduce Adam."Is this okay?" Violet asked as she stepped back twice and scrutinized my chest while still holding the brush and my contour palette. She's in charge of my makeup, which she says should be a 'no makeup' look so it won't be obvious that I got dolled up. But she went all out on the contouring of my chest to make my breasts look bigger.Leigh nodded as she also examined my chest, standing beside Violet. "Yes. That looks good," she commented.I'm wearing a red nightdress now. Leigh chose the color because she said it's seductive. It's short, only reaching halfway down my thighs. And of course, to make the plan more effective, I decided to wax my legs earlier to make them look flawless.They used a curler on my hair, giving it soft waves that bounce slightly whe
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿"Okay, Mom. Bye. Love you."I hung up the phone after talking to Mom. However, I remained seated on the couch, still holding my cat. My feet were propped up, my back leaned against the couch, and I stared off into space, lost in thought.Another week had passed. Throughout that week, Adam and I hadn't spoken much. Ever since I heard that woman moaning in his apartment, I felt embarrassed around him. Plus, I had been having wet dreams for almost a week now. In those dreams, something happened between us. There were mornings when I woke up sweating, even though the air conditioner was on in my room.Those dreams were the reason I couldn't look at him directly anymore, like I used to. There were times when he would ride to school with me—like the first time I had that dream—and I couldn't bring myself to glance at him. I sat beside him in the front seat while Leigh and Violet were in the back. During those rides, it felt like there were angels in the car because of the ove
Special Chapter Six – Last PartA month later . . .✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿It has been a week since Adam and I got married. Our wedding wasn’t grand; it was a private ceremony, just as we both wanted for the tranquility of our lives. Only family and close friends were witnesses to our union, including his Uncle Win. Although Adam was initially hesitant to invite him, I insisted because, no matter what, he is still Adam’s biological father. After the wedding, Uncle Win returned to Canada.As for my friends, only Leigh couldn’t attend because her vacation leave wasn’t approved. But I understand, as she is new in her job in Australia. She promised to make it up to me once she returns.So far, everything has been going well. Even though the news of our marriage has made it to the media and the internet, the public still doesn’t know that I am Adam’s wife. He personally ensured that no media outlet could publish our pictures, especially mine. Additionally, all hotel employees who knew about us had
Special Chapter Five✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿"ARE you sure? Why? Is there a problem with the hotel?" Brianna asked with a note of concern when I mentioned my plan to resign. It was just a plan, not a certainty yet.I gave a faint smile. “No, no problem. Just, uh, personal issues,” I replied, hoping she wouldn’t press further. It seemed she noticed my reluctance to elaborate and didn’t pry any deeper.At lunch break, I received a message from Adam asking me to come to his office to join him for a meal since he was at the hotel. As usual, I made my way there discreetly. I pretended I had a task from Sir Mikko, since people here still didn’t know about our relationship.When I arrived at his office, I found him already settled on the sofa in the center of the room. He had also set up the food on the glass table where we always ate when I was here.“How’s my princess doing today?” he greeted me with a broad smile as he turned in my direction. Before I could get closer, he stood up from his seat an
Special Chapter Four ✧ADAM MEADOWS✧“Baby, what are you doing?” I asked Jazz as I lay on the kitchen counter, my hands tied with her bra, completely naked.Jazzlene was rummaging through the fridge, her bare feet making soft padding sounds against the cool kitchen tiles. She was focused, her eyes scanning the shelves with determination. She wore nothing below the waist, just the shirt that matched her pajamas, its hem barely covering her hips, with no panties since I had taken them off earlier in the bedroom.Jazzlene’s movements were swift but purposeful, clearly on a mission. I had no idea what she was looking for in the fridge. We had just started foreplay when she brought me here and declared she was in charge. I wasn’t sure what her plan was, but I was nervous with my hands tied.She shifted aside a carton of milk, then some leftover takeout containers, all the while muttering softly to herself. Finally, her eyes lit up as she spotted what she was looking for—a can of whipping c
Special Chapter Three✧ADAM MEADOWS✧I thought I’d finally have Jazz all to myself for an entire week once her parents headed off to Hawaii. But just as I was planning to take her back to my penthouse, her obnoxious older brother decided to show up, claiming his flight was delayed by a day. So now, here I am, stuck in their house.I’m sitting in the dining room, watching as Jazz prepares dinner. Zane and I are seated across from each other at the counter, locked in a silent standoff. His arms are crossed, and every so often, he shakes his head and lets out a low chuckle, like he’s trying to get under my skin.“Something amusing?” I shot him a glare, the tension between us palpable. We were never like this before Jazz and I started dating, but I get it—he still can’t fully accept me.I couldn’t help but recall the serious conversation we had last month after we shoved each other into their backyard pool.[FLASHBACK]Zane was leaning against the porch railing, his eyes narrowing as he lo
Special Chapter Two✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿THE CITY lights shimmered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Adam's penthouse bedroom, casting a gentle glow over the plush surroundings. The air was warm and heavy with the scent of passion as we lay intertwined on his bed, our bodies still humming with the echoes of our intimacy. Nestled in his arms, under the soft blanket, I felt an overwhelming sense of closeness and contentment."I'm embarrassed to go home tomorrow. Mom and Dad will definitely suspect something," I murmured. Earlier, I texted my mom saying I'd be late coming home because there was an event at the hotel and I had to work overtime. But after my first round with Adam tonight, he told me he couldn't let me go home just yet—he wanted to spend more time with me. So, I was forced to message my mom again, telling her I'd be staying overnight at the hotel. "You know how parents are—they have the weirdest sixth sense.""Then don't bother going home. Stay in my penthouse instead. I'll
Special Chapter One✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿"Crystal flower number two hundred thirty-one," I whispered softly, a smile forming as I admired the delicate crystal rose Adam handed me after I got into his car. He was waiting for me in the parking lot of M-Power Hotel, arriving slightly ahead of me to avoid being seen leaving together by the staff.“Do you want me to stop giving you flowers?” he asked, leaning in for a quick kiss, a playful smile on his lips.“No, not yet. Stop when we reach a thousand.” I giggled. Ever since he returned from Singapore, he's resumed his habit of giving me crystal flowers. The last count was two hundred ten before he left, and the collection has grown quite a bit since then.“So, where to now? Your place or mine?” he grinned at me.“Your place. Meadows Tower. I miss lounging in your penthouse,” I smiled back.“All right. Let’s go.”It's been a month since Adam officially started courting me after getting permission from Mom, Dad, and even Zane. Despite still holdi
Epilogue Five months later. ✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿“HAPPY anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Hart.”That’s all I hear here at the banquet. Today is Mom and Dad’s 30th wedding anniversary, and the celebration is being held at M-Power Hotel. My brother, Zane, organized this surprise party for them and covered all the expenses himself. He didn’t ask me for a contribution since he earns more than me. However, he still doesn’t know I have the five million dollars Adam gave me.Speaking of Adam, it’s been twelve months since he started pursuing me. Exactly a year today, and it’s been five months since he left for Singapore.Yes, it’s been five months with no contact between us. Whenever I ask my brother about Adam, he can’t give me any answers because Adam’s friends haven’t replied to the group chat. Plus, all of Adam’s social media accounts are deactivated, so he can’t be reached through private messages either.The event continued until it was time for us to give our messages to our parents. I went first
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿“Why haven't you forgiven him yet if things are already fine between him and your parents?” Camille remarked.We were seated at a table, with Violet and I attending the university’s annual alumni charity gala—an event I had accompanied Mom and Dad to last year. This time, it was held at the M-Power Hotel. As official alumni now, we were also invited. The only one missing was Leigh, who’s currently in Australia for work. Despite the distance, we still manage to catch up through video calls whenever we all have time."How many months has he been trying to win you back?" Violet asked, taking a sip of her wine. I couldn't help but notice the men stealing glances at our table. In the past, it was me who drew their attention, but now it's Violet, especially since many here know she’s the daughter of the renowned businessman Jake Crystal. Several men had already approached our table, asking Violet to dance, but I turned them down on her behalf, remembering what Adam once said
✿♡ JAZZLENE ♡✿"From Adam again?" my brother asked with a furrowed brow as he saw me in the living room, carefully arranging crystal flowers in a transparent glass vase."Yeah. That’s the thirtieth one the guard handed me this morning, one for each day. I think he won’t stop until we patch things up.""Are you two meeting in secret at the hotel? You’re both in for it if I find out."I sighed. "We’re not meeting, you paranoid. Adam rarely drops by the hotel. From what I’ve heard from Sir Mikko, he only visits twice a week. He’s more often at Meadows Group.""Good. Because if I find out you're entertaining that jerk, I’ll tie the two of you together."It’s been a month since I started working as a receptionist at M-Power Hotel. I knew Adam was serious when he said he'd give me the position I wanted, but I’m not the type to take advantage. So, I spoke to Sir Mikko and told him I’d apply for the receptionist role. Instead of backing out, I seized the opportunity so I wouldn’t have to stru