Dear God! Max looks dangerous! Will Jasmine be able to run away from him? Stay tuned!
9She blinked her eyes, tearing out of her trance. Max was sizing her up with a look of excitement while her skin smoldered with goosebumps. His lecherous gaze roamed over her, lingering on the hospital gown and her fragile state. The smirk tugging at his lips made it clear he couldn’t care less about her injuries or what she’d been through. He was simply pleased she was alone and within his reach.Max was a wolf dressed in the skin of a sheep. His eyes always seemed to devour women's bodies, and Jasmine couldn't help but wonder if he could see through their clothes. He had the unmistakable air of a pervert, and his presence made her feel vulnerable and unsafe.Jasmine gulped her anxiety below her throat and tried to look unfazed by their encounter. Max was shameless and depraved. She couldn't appear weak in front of him, else he would feed on it. "Excuse me," She firmly stated and tried to brush past him, trying to escape quickly. She was not prepared to face this pervert while she
10She moved lightly to avoid alerting them. They were bulky and given her condition if she got caught then she could forget seeing the next morning. The men seemed unafraid as though this wasn't the first time they had a girl alone in an alley. So Jasmine moved in a crouched position.The alley was dark and the noise of water leaking from drainage pipes helped her move without the fear of getting caught. The girl's whimpers pumped her courage, compelling her to use the end part of the rod. Jasmine shoved it into one of the men's left knees."Aargh!" He winced and fell sideways, holding his affected knee.While he was rolling on the floor, Jasmine used the opportunity to her advantage and hit him hard on the head. The other man probably thought too highly of his strength as he remained occupied by the bare breásts of the girl, suckling on them even after his accomplice was wincing in pain on the ground.When he parted from the girl, Jasmine impulsively jabbed the rod's end between his
11"Are you okay?" The girl was at Jasmine's side at once. She crouched down and helped her sit straight and placed some worn out and smelly cushions under her back."You were profusely bleeding and your.... Dress was completely dirty. So I removed it and wiped your body with a sponge." She said as she sat with her tattooed legs tucked under her and went on, "And then I dressed your wounds. You also had a raging fever so I called a doctor to take a look at you.""A doctor?" Jasmine's eyes widened.She was a patient who escaped from a hospital. Having a doctor come over to see her meant danger."Yeah, but don't worry. I've changed your clothes before that and destroyed your hospital dress. Besides, the doctor was from a local clinic. So you need not worry."Jasmine heaved in relief. She looked around the room and the girl noticed."I know it's not that good but this is all I could afford on my own." The warmth of her smile echoed in her voice.Speechless, as that's not what Jasmine was
12She took a nap and when she woke up, it was evening. Birdie was moving around in the kitchen. Jasmine realized she was able to get up without feeling excruciating pain. The meds were working. "Hey," She greeted Jasmine in the kitchen which was a corner in the apartment. "Good evening. How are you feeling now?" "Amazing, all thanks to you." "Happy to hear that. Why don't you go and wash your face and hands, Jas. I made some soup for you.""Thank you." Jasmine obeyed and joined Birdie for their snack cum dinner. The girl skipped three days of work because of her. Whatever they had in stock was supposed to be their meal unless she resumed working again. The following night was pretty silent as Birdie was tired. She fell asleep earlier. However, Jasmine was left staring at the ceiling. Because Birdie couldn't sleep in the light, they switched all the lights off to meet her requirements. Although Jasmine preferred to keep a night bulb on as complete darkness left her feeling unset
13"Oh my god! What a surprise, baby!" Birdie squealed and squeezed the man on the door in her arms while Jasmine stared at the two enveloping each other, smiling and swirling around."I missed you so much, Birdie. I had a dream that you were in danger. So... You see, I had to ask for a quick leave and come here.""Not that I was far away! My boss was kind enough to give me some days with you." The man said happily, lifting Birdie and kissing her hair.His stubbled face was weighed down with weariness. In his eyes, Jasmine saw exhaustion. They were red as if he had not had sleep for a week. But that's how he always looked. Jasmine knew that because he was HENRY, the person who delivered vegetables and fresh fruits at her marital house she shared with Vince.He was in his mid twenties, a man who did his job seriously. Not to forget to mention that he had always been kind to Jasmine. After all, Jasmine was the one who always showed him the way to the kitchen to bring the vegetable and fr
14He came inside, patted Birdie on the back and she stepped into the kitchen to make some coffee. Meanwhile Henry came towards Jasmine and sat down on the floor."But you see, we are a broke couple. Our house is hardly any bigger than the size of your shower room.... And my girlfriend is naive. She's an emotional fool and easily gets fooled by people. My worry is justified, isn't it?""Please, forget what I said earlier and feel like you're home. I assure you that you are safe here. Be comfortable and don't mind my presence. Assume that I never came."Jasmine warily moved back onto the couch, suddenly feeling sweaty. Henry's changed demeanor caused her body to throb. Her ears began to blare with a beep sound while her heart began to jump up and down. His complete change in attitude seemed like those peaceful minutes before the arrival of chaos."No thanks, Henry. I don't want to cause any more trouble than there already is. I will leave in the evening—""Oh, no, you are not. Mrs. Gar
15Both Birdie and Jasmine froze in terror as they saw a man in a dark suit, hands casually in his pockets, leaning against the corridor wall behind Henry."Vince," Moisture gathered in the corner of Jasmine's eyes as her lips trembled. All the energy in her evaporated. Jasmine just stood there, speechless. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. The sound of his approaching footsteps echoed like a clap of thunder, resonating through the air like a sonic boom. "Hi, wifey!" Vince waved a hand at her with a smirk. He used to be an extremely handsome man when Jasmine fell in love with him. His curly blonde hair added to his charm. His gray eyes were captivating and seemed to sparkle with warmth. His features appeared strong and well-defined, giving him a hot yet refined look. And when he used to smile earlier, his whole face used to light up, making him even more attractive. But now... The same blonde curly hair seemed overly styled. His gray eyes looked dull and lifeless. His feat
16"We're sorry, sir. We looked everywhere we could to find your patient. But the woman has seemed to vanish to nowhere. There are no clips of her other than the one captured in the hospital's CCTV footage." Kyle swallowed the angry remarks building in his throat as his piercing dark eyes roved over Titus' face. His secretary looked terrified. He pulled on the collar of his shirt to allow cool air to graze his hot neck. Sweat beads trickled under his throat as he tried not to look fazed in front of his boss. "But do not worry, sir, the investigation squad is looking for her ceaselessly. I'll let you know if I find any clue." Kyle's dropping gaze indicated that Titus was permitted to leave. But as he stepped out, Kyle eased out of his cold demeanor. The mask of stoicism he wore cracked, letting confusion and frustration shine through. He leaned back in his chair and rocked sideways as a sigh escaped from deep in his chest. "Christ!" He ran his hands on his face before his eyes cam
70All I was trying to do was help, yet what did I get in return? My compassion almost killed my best friend.I was a fool to think Jessica is a victim, that she's a pure hearted person. Damn it, she's no less than my mother. She's far worse and cruel.My brain was spinning with crazy, angry thoughts. Somehow I drove home without crashing my car. I stormed in like a raging hurricane and looked around for HER glimpse. She was not in here and my head snapped up to the first floor. My eyes climbed up each step as I took deep, uncontainable breath. Before I knew, I was on the staircase, going three at a time. My heart was throbbing in my throat. A part of me asked me to stay calm and not let my anger take control of me. But the part that survived and was alive today because of Lila's attempts and persistence took control of my body. I barged into my bedroom, my eyes scanning every corner for Jessica. The noise of running water coming from the washroom caught my attention. Knowing that s
69Kyle's POVThe last time I was this scared was when I was in school— when a group of big boys locked me in the janitor's closet after bullying me severely.It was after school hours. I had a detention because I was not going through a very good time, and my homework was never completed. I've gotten several second chances but that day was unlucky for me.I recall that day clearly— my day had started off with me falling off my bicycle that I took from my hostel room to school. I had a scraped knee, looking red like a ruby. Then I was pushed by some bullies in the school premises who have taken a liking towards me— I was their new toy.The fact that I never fought back made me an easy target. It was hard to get a reaction out of me. Thus, they grew excited and targeted me. All of them... All of them had a go at me. But I wouldn't respond to it. I had far worse trauma to deal with— I was abandoned by the two most important people in my life... My parents.While one left me, the other on
68"Oh, since I made the soup for the ones who were on the table yesterday, I thought it's best to have them join us." Jasmine said. "Jojo has told me that this soup doesn't taste that good when it's cold." Jasmine turned to Kyle, her eyes blinking at him hesitantly, "I hope you don't mind it." Kyle didn't answer. He just nodded his head, avoiding to meet Jasmine's gaze. Unfortunately, he was a man with very little trust left. Kyle had lost faith in people and trusting everyone was difficult for him. Hence, he was easily swayed by Lila's words. He glared at Jasmine with blood in his eyes. 'I've grown to like you, Jessica. Didn't know you'd go around asking about my money. You must have believed you could replace your husband with me— another wealthy man— since I feel guilty over your child's death. You assumed my remorse towards your loss would make me yours.'He felt a bitter taste in his mouth for even liking her. What's more, all Kyle wanted to do was slap her food off the table
67"I have no other way to pay you back and I don't have access to my accounts either. Not that I was going to pay back in money. That would be an insult to your kindness. So—" "What's for breakfast?" Kyle asked, changing the topic. He smiled at her as if saying: You don't have to explain anything to me. I understood, and moved closer towards her. "For the record, I want you to know that I don't expect a pay back from you. I've told you why I'm doing it.""And I've told you why I'm doing this too." She raised an eyebrow.Once again, Kyle found himself staring at her, that strange feeling back again. He stared at her lips not out of desire but out of amusement. She did have a fierce mouth, and he liked very few women with a big mouth.They were lost in the moment, staring at each other in admiration. Lila had been, once again, hiding behind a pillar to overhear them. A fire of jealousy set in her heart. She seethed before coming out of the shadows to break their stare with her inter
66Kyle covered his face in self-loath and shame, recalling the conversation he had with Jasmine the other night. He felt remorseful for sharing so much about his life with her."How could I lose myself like that? She's a stranger. She's going to leave my house one day and we might never see each other again. I was a fool. I shouldn't have told her so much about me— about my past that not even my closest friends know completely." He sighed and rubbed his face."God, what if she uses it against me? What if she hasn't forgiven me for her loss? You can't trust a wounded woman. I'd be in great trouble if she released my past story to the news channels for revenge. The dark side of my life is mine alone. How could I slip out of my control emotionally because of her and pour out what I never told anyone? Damn, I've never been so foolish."He dragged himself to the washroom on heavy feet and took the most painful shower of his life. Kyle was feeling so bad inside that he didn't want to do an
65Jasmine couldn't react in time because he left her alone not before throwing a teasing salute at her. She was in shock and reeling at what he said. When she was able to make sense, she took a deep breath and smiled to herself. "He's being friendly with me. But the way we met and insulted each other.... It's surprising to see we could be so comfortable with each other. You're a nice man, Kyle. I'm glad God made us meet." She inhaled deeply. "I don't intend to keep any connection with you or anyone else... But in future, I'd like to pay you for what you've done for me." Then she washed her face and teeth and slipped under the blanket, calling it a night with an unwavering smile on her lips. On the other hand, Lila was fuming like a mad bull. She paced in the guest room back and forth as she couldn't erase the view she saw in Kyle's room a while back. "H-how could he? We are best friends and we never let anyone come between us. I've been so nice to him all these years since we wer
64Jasmine's eyes were moist. She looked at the layer of stiffness that had cracked and revealed his vulnerable side. She pitied the boy that he was in the past as at the same time she pitied his mother too. Jasmine believed that his mother might have her own reasons to leave him with his father— not knowing that she was actually hearing those words for the same woman who was also ‘her adopted mother’— Her adopted mother who gave Jasmine memories that she held on to survive! The pained looked on Kyle's face, the trembling in his lips from bad memories and the trauma of being abandoned as a child shone in his eyes bright. Since he looked so broken and miserable, Jasmine felt like hugging him. "You see this man here— he's just a handsome zombie. There's no heart here inside." He pointed at his chest, his lips pursed. "What hurts the most is the fact that my father also neglected me after my mom's departure. He married his mistress because of whom my mom left us... And the first thing
63Jasmine's voice shook with frustration. She didn't want to spill her heart out in front of a stranger she wasn't going to see again in future. But the emotions boiling and bubbling within her needed to be let out. She wanted to be heard and she couldn't help but rely on Kyle to be the listener. "I'm so sick of feeling like this! I'm sick of being the victim, poor, cheated-on wife. Mari is helpful but she's excessively careful towards me... Like she would hurt me with her words and actions if she's not careful. Even Jojo was keeping his distance from me when we were in the kitchen.""He acted as if I was fragile and his touch would break me. This is not how I was before I found out about my husband's betrayal. I've been an independent and strong woman. One who didn't need anyone's hand for support." Jasmine sobbed "You're still strong, Jessica. You went through so much and you're still smiling and living like a strong woman should. This is part of healing. You are doing what is rig
62"I'm so wounded that everything makes me want to jump at someone and scratch their face beyond repair. You have no idea what it feels to be capable but still have not enough strength to help yourself, Lila." Jasmine got up. Lila's eyes followed her movements, her mouth hanging open. Jasmine's rise was elegant and it did look like she came from wealth and power like herself where maintaining etiquettes was an important part of elite life. "It was nice meeting you, Lila, and thank you for your support. But I'm not looking for advice or sympathy right now.... I just need good memories that I will carry out of here." She gave a curt nod, making her point clear that she wasn't going to let anyone belittle her. As her eyes turned to Kyle, he straightened up, otherwise he had his chin in his hand and his eyes glued to her face, totally lost in her fierce but polite retort. "Hope you enjoy the food, Kyle. I don't care about others or what they think of the food I made— but the fact that