~Jasmine~
Noticing the distress on my face, Mav sighed. “I know what you must be thinking, Jasmine, but rest assured, I’m not going to harm Samantha. I only said that to scare her and confirm my suspicions of their whole agenda…which, well, worked.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the air.
I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “I’m glad that’s all. Now that she’s out of my hair, I hope she makes better life choices and turns over a new leaf.” Even though I knew the chances were slim—she was already too entrenched in her grudge, although a part of me still held onto a sliver of hope. Perhaps, with time and distance, she could find a path to redemption.
“You know, Jasmine, people hate what they can’t have. Samantha knows she can’t achieve half of what you have. She couldn’t stand your success and set herself up for self-destruction,” he said. I considered
~Jasmine~Noticing the distress on my face, Mav sighed. “I know what you must be thinking, Jasmine, but rest assured, I’m not going to harm Samantha. I only said that to scare her and confirm my suspicions of their whole agenda…which, well, worked.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the air.I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “I’m glad that’s all. Now that she’s out of my hair, I hope she makes better life choices and turns over a new leaf.” Even though I knew the chances were slim—she was already too entrenched in her grudge, although a part of me still held onto a sliver of hope. Perhaps, with time and distance, she could find a path to redemption.“You know, Jasmine, people hate what they can’t have. Samantha knows she can’t achieve half of what you have. She couldn’t stand your success and set herself up for self-destruction,” he said. I considered
~Jasmine~“Please…” Samantha sniffed again, drawing my attention to her bloodshot eyes. I shook my head, still reeling from her confession. It was a tangled web of deceit, spun with threads of betrayal and desperation.“I didn’t think things would go this far, I promise.” Samantha’s voice cracked, the words hanging heavy in the air. “The pregnancy… it was just a ploy by Logan and me. We wanted to get back the car, house and Logan’s job… to get back the life Jasmine stole from us.”The words hit me like a physical blow. What??? I couldn’t process what she was saying. She and Logan had orchestrated this entire charade, this cruel deception, making me believe I was pregnant just to… what? To hurt me? To manipulate me? The sheer audacity of it made my stomach churn. I felt a wave of nausea rise in my throat, and I had to fight the urge to empty the contents of my stomach right th
~Jasmine~My brow furrowed as I heard a faint scuffling sound. What could it be? I forced my eyes open and saw Mav dressing, which only deepened my confusion. What time was it? Had I slept that long?“Going to work already?” I asked, my voice still thick with sleep, blinking against the room's light.“Good morning, sunshine,” Mav replied, a gentle smile playing on his lips. I inwardly rolled my eyes. *Sunshine*? Seriously? It felt like a line from a cheesy old movie. Before I could tease him about it, however, he immediately asked, his tone laced with concern, “How are you feeling?”How was I feeling? I honestly couldn't say. Strangely, I woke with a sense of lightness, as if a great weight had been lifted. I still felt a lingering emptiness, but the heavy grief I had anticipated hadn't materialized.“As good as ever,” I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Almost as soon as the words left my mouth, I asked, “Can I come with you to the office?”Mav’s expression softene
~Maverick~“Samantha?” I repeated, genuinely unsurprised. It was the only thing that made sense. I shook my head in disgust. “How could you throw a person’s life in jeopardy?”Dr. James’s wife whispered, her voice cracking, her eyes filled with shame. She couldn’t meet my gaze. Taking a sharp breath, she said, “You would understand if you were in my shoes, Alpha. What I did was uncalled for… but I did it for my family. I couldn’t turn her down.”I gritted my teeth, listening as she continued, “I feel indebted to her, Alpha. She was there for me during my darkest times… I had to return the favor, be there for her when she needed me most… even if it cost me everything.” She whispered the last part. “But believe me, Alpha, I purchased the rare seaweed, but that was it. I didn’t know anything about the poisoning.” With that, she broke down, sobbing into her hands. I didn’t know how to react. I could never understand her reasoning, and I didn’t intend to.My eyes snapped to Dr. James, who
~Maverick~“Sleep tight, I’ve got some work to do,” I said, kissing Jasmine’s forehead and pulling the duvet over her. After we left the hospital, we dropped Rosè at her house and drove straight back home. Jass needed some rest.The truth was, I couldn't shake the unease that settled over me after discovering the rare seaweed had been intentionally tampered with. Pulling out my phone, I paced the room, my gaze lingering on a sleeping Jasmine. It was late. "How dare anyone try to hurt her?" I gritted my teeth. "When I find the culprit, they won't escape my wrath."My thoughts drifted back to my conversation with Rose’s doctor. The moment he mentioned the overdose of rare seaweed in Jasmine’s system, I suspected it had been mixed with her medication. It wasn't difficult to deduce.What baffled me was his explanation that while the seaweed was dangerous in high doses, certain licensed doctors could access small amounts. In minute concentrations, like 0.01%, it could be used in extreme pa
~Jasmine~A very painful chill permeated the freezing white room, raising goosebumps on my arms. “What is this place?” I whispered, my breath misting in the icy air. My heart pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribs, the sound echoing in my ears, intensifying by the pin-drop silence.A flash of light flashed past, and I called out, my voice trembling, “Hello?” The echo amplified my fear, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.A faint whimpering sound reached me. I moved cautiously towards it, but there was no one there. Then, a weak voice whispered my name, “J…Jasmine.” Confusion deepened my fear. The aura, however, felt strangely familiar. “Who are you? What do you want?” I demanded, my voice rising in panic as the whimpering heightened. Recognition of the voice struck me hard like a physical blow. It was my wolf.I gasped. What the hell? I was in my subconscious. But why?“You’re trapped between life and death, Jasmine,” she whispered, her voice laced with pain. “I can
~Maverick~Rosè’s sobs filled the room. With trembling hands, I picked up the phone. “Where are you now?”“We’re at the hospital. The City’s General Hospital. My personal doctor is attending to her,” she replied, her words punctuated by choked sobs and hiccups.I didn’t waste another second. I bolted for my car keys, adrenaline surging through me. Jumping into the car, I gripped the steering wheel tightly. No! This cannot be happening! Nothing can happen to my Jasmine. I won’t forgive the universe if anything happens to her.I slammed my foot on the accelerator, driving like a man possessed, the city streets blurring into a meaningless rush of lights. My vision was blurred by a rising panic, my legs felt numb, and the world around me seemed unreal, almost as if I were trapped in a distorted dream.Arriving at the hospital, I found Rosè pacing frantically in the lobby, her eyes closed, her hands shaking as she mumbled what sounded like a desperate prayer.“Rosè!” I called out. Her bloo
~Alpha Maverick~Going straight to the office, I couldn't shake Jasmine from my thoughts. With each passing day, I found myself falling deeper for her and it was impossible to think of a life without her in it.“Greetings, Alpha. Here is the analysis report. We have dissolved Blue Regent on the sample, and it turned purple, meaning it is not as potent as we thought and cannot combat any parasites.” Violeta’s voice broke through my reverie as she placed the report on my desk, her eyes downcast, as if she were uncomfortable in my presence.“Thank you, Violeta. Does that mean there’s no progress so far?” I stated more than asked, my eyes scanning the report. The results were disheartening. “Never mind. We’ll see what we can do,” I said, already feeling a headache brewing.“Alpha…” she hesitated, making me look up. I tried my best to mask any irritation; I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for trivial matters.“Yes, Violeta?” I replied, keeping my voice even.“About the other day… I since
~Jasmine~“Why? How? When?… Jass, answer me!” Rosè shook me gently, her face draining of color as if she’d just witnessed something terrifying.I gasped for air, struggling to find the words. “Yes, you heard me. We are in a contractual marriage, and I live with him,” I finally managed, the confession feeling like a dam breaking. She dramatically clutched her chest, her eyes wide.“My goodness, Jass, this is… I’m literally speechless.” She covered her mouth with her left hand, her expression showing sheer disbelief. While the revelation felt like a burden lifted from my shoulders, a nervous energy still thrummed through my veins.“You know what?” Rosè finally said, breaking the silence. “Let’s get settled in first… my bladder is about to burst,” she added with a dramatic flair, which thankfully broke the tension and made us both burst into laughter.As soon as she unlocked the door and we got out of the car, I rushed to the kitchen and chugged down a glass of water to calm my nerves, a