Mag-log inJasonMy hand was wet. I had touched the edge of the sheet where the blood was fresh. I pulled a white handkerchief from my pocket, wiped my fingers, and dropped the cloth on the floor.“Mr. Sterling, please sit down,” a nurse said from the doorway. “You’re in shock.”“I have to leave,” I said.I turned around and walked out. My secretary tried to stop me in the hall, asking me to go home or let someone drive me, but I didn’t say anything to her. I went back to my car and drove downtown.The board dinner was on the rooftop terrace of a restaurant.I took the elevator straight to the top floor. When the doors opened, soft music was playing. I walked out onto the terrace.The board members were sitting around a long dining table. My mother sat at the head in a black silk dress, holding a glass of wine in her hand, a big smile on her face. Victoria sat right next to her, in a similar black dress, listening to Eleanor speak with a small smile on her lips.“...so I told the driver in Flore
JasonI adjusted the knot of my tie in the mirror, turning my head from side to side to make sure it was straight. I smoothed down the front of my jacket and caught my own reflection, my lips curling into a smile.My phone buzzed against the table, vibrating loudly. I picked it up, and the moment I saw her name on the screen, my lips curled into a wide grin.“Hello, baby,” I said, leaning back against the counter.“Hey, you,” Sasha’s soft voice came through the speaker. “Are you almost ready for your big dinner?”“Just finished,” I told her, patting the top of my hair, my face beaming with a smile. “Where are you? Are you on your way?”“The driver just picked me up a few minutes ago,” she answered. “And just so you know, I put on that emerald green dress. The one you said you liked so much.”“Did you?” I laughed softly, feeling a strong urge to just skip the board members’ dinner entirely and take her somewhere else with me. “You’re trying to distract me. You know we still have to pla
LauraThe front door to my apartment had barely clicked shut before I kicked off my heels. They hit the floor with a thud. I let out a groan that came straight from my soul.“If I had to stand in these heels at Sebastian’s place for one more minute, my feet were going to fall off,” I said, dropping my handbag on the table and walking barefoot toward the couch. “I’m demanding a full-time creative director salary next time.”Marcus locked the door and pulled off his jacket, tossing it over the back of an armchair. Wearing just his fitted black T-shirt and black trousers, he looked up at me with a small smirk on his face, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. “You know you didn’t have to play creative director today. There was one who came already highly recommended by you.”“Oh, please.” I sank into the cushions, looking up at him with a grin. “Did you see those shots? It was beyond perfection. Jasmine looked amazing, Sebastian actually managed to smile the whole time, and I s
VictoriaWe had barely made it through the front doors of the mansion before my mother, Eleanor, marched straight ahead, slamming the door so hard it rattled loudly.I let out a huge sigh, bracing myself for the earful that was to come.She began pacing back and forth across the room, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. There were few times I had seen my mother look slightly disheveled, and today was one of those days. She had a bit of hair sticking out, her pearl necklace was wonky, and she had a stern look on her face.I would have let her continue pacing, but knowing my mother, it wouldn’t end anytime soon. So I broke the silence. “Just let it out, Mother.”“Have you lost your mind entirely, Victoria?” Eleanor snapped, turning around to glare at me. “Do you have any idea what you looked like at that hospital today?” She looked at me with utter disgust. “I thought I raised you better. How can you beg a man? And of all men, Jason Sterling? He treated you like you were trash,
JasmineA soft R&B song was playing in the living room of Sebastian's mansion. Laura was fussing around me, adjusting the neckline of my oversized white wool sweater for what felt like the hundredth time. She stepped back, tilting her head as she looked at me, squinting her eyes. Her hands were positioned like she was peering at me through the lens of a camera.“Perfection," she murmured, smiling. "Jasmine, you look stunning, but simple and effortless. Exactly what I wanted for this photoshoot!”I looked at my reflection in the mirror set up on the side table. My hair fell in soft waves, and my makeup was so light it barely felt like I had any on. We had gone simple with the jewelry, too. Laura had insisted this was the right vibe to go with for an official announcement of our relationship. Though I highly doubted an announcement was needed, since everyone had already gotten on the wild ride of this relationship from the beginning.The doors opened, and Sebastian walked into the livin
JasonThe air in the private waiting suite on the third floor of the hospital smelled like bleach and that nauseating scent of sick people. Downstairs in the main lobby, the media crew were setting up their cameras, doing last-minute adjustments to the lights and all.Eleanor Sterling was standing near the tall glass windows, staring at her reflection and adjusting the pearls around her neck. Her white hair was pulled back in an updo that made her look regal. She had that calm, graceful look she always put on when she knew people were watching.A little boy in a hospital gown walked past the open door, dragging an IV pole behind him.Eleanor clicked her tongue and looked away. "You’d think with how much money we gave this hospital, they could keep the sick kids in their rooms until the cameras start rolling. It’s depressing.”I kept my hands in my pockets, leaning against the wall by the door. In the past, I wouldn't have said anything. Today, hearing her talk like that made my stomac
Jason“Smile, Jason,” Victoria hissed under her breath, her fingers digging into the sleeve of my tuxedo. “The cameras on the left are watching us.”I loosened my jaw, plastering a stiff, practiced smile across my face as we walked down the red carpet of the Grand Imperial Gala. Flashbulbs went off
Jason“Are you that dumb, Jason?” Eleanor screamed. This was the first time I had seen her in a state of disarray. She was always perfect, not a hair out of place. Now, her clothes were damp, and her hair was sticking to her forehead as she paced the marble floor of the foyer. The storm outside was
JasmineThe car was still on the inside, but outside, it was the complete opposite. The rain lashed against the bulletproof windows, blurring my view of the city.And then I finally broke.The cold mask I had worn in the penthouse and on the driveway crumbled. I pulled my knees to my chest, buried
JasmineThe background jazz music was soothing as it wafted through the large dining hall. I found myself humming along until…“Another glass of the Dom Pérignon, Madame Sterling?” the waiter asked in a thick French accent, tilting the bottle. “Mr. Sterling is delayed, but there is no reason the ni







