Jasmine’s POVI sat on the edge of the bed, my hands pressed against my stomach as I thought about what happened yesterday. That man… Blake. His eyes, his voice, the way he looked at me—it haunted me. I tried to push the thought away, but it stayed. It clung to me like it had a place inside me.Daniel was in the kitchen, making breakfast. I could hear the sound of plates and spoons. He was humming softly. I should have told him about meeting Blake, but something stopped me. I didn’t know why. Maybe because it felt too strange, too personal."Why did I feel like I knew that man? Why did his words shake me?"I whispered to myself, "It’s not possible. I don’t know him. I only met him yesterday."Still, in my chest, something heavy pulled at me. It was like my heart wanted to remember something that my mind refused to accept. It was like there was a well that just got filled up after seeing the man that I never knew existed.When Daniel walked in with two plates, he smiled. "You look lost
Blake’s POVMy eyes continued to be fixed on her as I stood by the table. I knew that face. I knew those eyes. My chest beat so loud that I thought the whole place could hear it. It was her. It was Jasmine. My Jasmine.I shifted a little bit closer to the table. “Jasmine,” I called again. The waiter who was still standing close to her took a step towards us as if to come in between us. “Sir, stop right there,” he said.I frowned at his behavior. “I know her,” I said, my voice cracking because I was desperate. “That’s my wife. That’s Jasmine.”The other waitress, a woman, moved closer to her. She held Jasmine’s hand like she was protecting her. “You’re scaring her,” the woman said. “Please, step back. If you don’t, we will call security.”I felt my heart break. Scaring her? I could never scare her. I shook my head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not scaring her. I love her. I know her better than anyone. She’s my wife.”The waiter stepped closer and blocked my way. “Sir, you need to s
Blake’s POVMy eyes continued to be fixed on her as I stood by the table. I knew that face. I knew those eyes. My chest beat so loud that I thought the whole place could hear it. It was her. It was Jasmine. My Jasmine.I shifted a little bit closer to the table. “Jasmine,” I called again. The waiter who was still standing close to her took a step towards us as if to come in between us. “Sir, stop right there,” he said.I frowned at his behavior. “I know her,” I said, my voice cracking because I was desperate. “That’s my wife. That’s Jasmine.”The other waitress, a woman, moved closer to her. She held Jasmine’s hand like she was protecting her. “You’re scaring her,” the woman said. “Please, step back. If you don’t, we will call security.”I felt my heart break. Scaring her? I could never scare her. I shook my head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not scaring her. I love her. I know her better than anyone. She’s my wife.”The waiter stepped closer and blocked my way. “Sir, you need to s
Blake’s POVMy mouth dropped open. I rubbed my eyes with my hand, hard, again and again. For a moment I thought maybe I had lost my mind, maybe hunger was playing games with me. But no… when my eyes cleared, she was still there. Jasmine. Sitting just a few tables away and a book open in her hand, and in her arms… a child.I froze.My heart hammered inside my chest like it wanted to break free. My lips trembled. I wanted to stand, I wanted to call her name, but my voice caught in my throat.Her eyes lifted from the book and landed on me. For a second, time stopped. Her gaze held mine. My chest burned, my skin prickled, and I felt like the ground under me had vanished. She quickly broke the contact, dropped her eyes back to the book, and shifted the child in her arms as if I was no one, as if she had never seen me before.I couldn’t breathe.“Sir,” a sharp voice dragged me back. The waitress stood at my table, notepad in her hand. “Are you ready to order or not?”I blinked at her, still
Blake’s POVIt had been more than a year, but it still felt like yesterday. I carried the weight of her absence everywhere I went. Jasmine. Even saying her name in my head hurt. People around me thought time would heal, but time never healed me. It only made me colder, quieter, sharper.I worked harder, took on more projects, signed more deals. I told myself money and work would drown the emptiness. But every night, when I closed my eyes, I found her again. In my dreams, she was alive. She laughed, called my name, and touched my hand. Then I woke, and the silence of my room reminded me of the truth.That morning I sat at the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. The sun slipped in through the curtains, but it brought me no joy. I rubbed my face and whispered, “Another day without you.”Later, I drove with my team to a small town where I was supposed to meet a man about a business deal. The town was quiet, old, with narrow roads and people who stared at us like strangers. We checked in
JasmineDaniel finally allowed me to step out of the house whenever I wanted, but only to the restaurant near our street. At first, I thought he was trying to trick me, but then I realized he meant it. He didn’t want me to go anywhere far, but he didn’t stop me from going there. That small place became my only door to freedom.I began to see the restaurant not just as a place to eat, but as a window to the outside world. It was where I could breathe, where I could see other faces, where I could feel like I was not locked inside Daniel’s cage.Every time I walked in, the waiters and waitresses smiled at me like I was already part of their family. They were young and cheerful, always eager to talk, always curious about my little boy.My baby was like a shining star in that place. Everyone wanted to hold him, kiss his cheeks, and play with his small fingers. I sometimes sat there and watched as they took turns carrying him. The sight gave me peace, because for a while, I could pretend I