79"I'm sorry, sir. I was in the garden taking fresh air." She panted. Kyle assessed her. His scowl softened when he saw the same fright in her eyes. He was desperate to find out about Jasmine but he wasn't going to scare his staff with his dark demeanor. "Where is Jessica? I can't find her." He said in a lighter tone, so as not to scare her further. "Miss Jessica? Sir..." Mari's eyebrows creased as a dreadful look crossed her face. "Yes, Mari, where is she? She's not in my room nor is she in any of the guest rooms." Kyle looked down as he added further in a relatively small voice. "I heard doctor Jayson came home to see her. Is she okay?" "Sir... Miss Jessica... She left!" Kyle's eyes shot up as his mouth hung open in daze. He stared at Mari as if she cracked a derogatory joke, his face blank and intimidating. "She left?" "Yes, sir. She was..." Mari squeezed her fingers as she gulped her saliva, trying not to sound scared. She kept her gaze on his shoes as she wasn't feeling
78Even if she liked him, she could have tried to tell him. He wasn't a monster that would eat her. Kyle's teeth gritted as he recalled Lila's words from the dining table during breakfast moments before all hell broke loose. His eyes reddened. He wanted to go back out and face Jasmine again. "It's not the right time. You already went out of control and boundaries yesterday, Kyle. Keep calm." He told himself and tamped down his anger. Just then there was a knock on the open door before Mari walked in. She dragged a trolley before her with a hesitant look. It wasn't lost on Kyle how nervous Mari appeared since yesterday. The look on her face said it all… Jasmine had already told her everything and she was probably scared of him. She shot him a quick and anxious look as she pulled her hands back from the trolley. Her lips parted, then quivered, and then she smacked them shut again. She bowed her head in respect and turned to leave. Kyle hated her behaviour. She made him feel like a
77It was late. Very late when Kyle pulled his car over outside the gate of his mansion. The dark sky overhead was starless and the air was surprisingly warm, making him sweat. While closing the door, he took a fleeting gaze at his house and licked his lips.He walked through the gate with a confusing feeling. His walk was lazy and slow. He was not feeling like going inside. He didn't want to face Jasmine yet.Although he was happy that Lila was fine now, his heart was still bitter towards Jasmine. He hadn't expected such a thing from her. He had... Started liking her. She was the only woman he was starting to respect and... Love— not in a romantic way! But in a way where he respected the strong motherly warmth she carried. Hers was the kind of warmth that he longed for as a child; and the way she mourned for her unborn baby, he would have killed to get that kind of care from his mother. Kyle came inside to find darkness welcoming him. There was pindrop silence. Every corner was eer
76"What? Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Lila said between a laugh as she pulled Kyle's cheek.They were sitting in the ward, with Lila on the bed and a cannula inserted into the back of her hand. Her face was ashen and her lips utterly dry. In just a few hours, her color had diminished a great deal, making her look sicker than she was. "Don't provoke me, Lila." Kyle grumbled. "Why did you keep eating the soup after tasting cinnamon in it? If it’s ninety percent Jessica’s fault then you’re responsible for what’s left.” "I truly had no idea." She pouted. "Jessica said it was some special energy-boosting recipe… something like that! So I thought it was meant to taste weird. I didn’t think she’d actually do something to hurt me.” Kyle looked away. He despised the way he treated Jessica. She had been his guest.... And injured. But he handled her like some enemy who was faking her illness. Not to mention the look on her face. The sad look. It said a thousand things. He felt
75Jasmine's POVI ate Kyle's food. I used his room. I wore clothes brought by him from his money for me. He went out of the way to make me feel home, which is something not even blood-related people will do for you these days.But Kyle did it. For me.So how can I leave without one last talk with him?"Mari, can I get a pen and paper?"Much to my dismay, Mari pulled out a medium-sized diary and a pen from under the pocket on her apron and waved it at me with a sad smile."I thought you'd never ask for this." She said as I took it from her."I thought I'll leave quietly. But that would be unfair to Kyle. He deserves to know that I'm not going because of him... And that... I'll miss him too." I sat down in a chair near a table that I used as a desk to write my fin
74Jasmine's POV I would sleep under a bridge, or behind trash cans, or in dark and creepy alleys— But I won't stay here. I was about to lie to Mari about a friend I just made in my mind when she interjected, "Sky can help you!" "Sky?" "Yes, Sky. She's a childhood friend of mine. Super intelligent and extremely beautiful. She comes from my hometown but her hard work paid off, and now she's a successful Air Hostess." Mari shared about her friend. It was a good proposal and I could use Mari's help. But taking her help meant staying in connection with her— which is something I don't want with anyone from this house. It's not because I'm being ungrateful, but because I'm too ashamed and heartbroken to see anyone from my past. "Mari, I don't—" "Hear me out before you say no." Mari cut my words. "Sky had a somewhat similar experience like you, Miss Jessica. Her husband left her for another woman and she had a two year old son back then. She was going to divorce him and leave with her