Lahat ng Kabanata ng Dangerous Arrangement: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Just as she crossed the threshold, Jasmine found herself face-to-face with her father. Thomas looked at his daughter with shock, clearly pained by the sight before him. Their gaze shifted to Mr. Merrick, who was approaching with a staggering gait. Jasmine quickly sought refuge behind her father.“What’s going on here, Mr. Merrick? Why is Jasmine like this? What have you done to her?” Thomas demanded angrily.Mr. Merrick stopped in front of them, his face still showing signs of pain. “Why haven’t you left yet?”“When I looked in the car mirror, I felt something was wrong between you. At first, I thought it was just a feeling, but my heart was uneasy, so I decided to come back,” Thomas explained.Mr. Merrick seemed about to say something, but the pain from the kick restrained him from uttering any words. He walked away, mumbling, “Useless.”Thomas looked at Jasmine, who was looking down with her hands tightly clutching her damaged clothes. He guided his daughter into the house and tried

Jasmine’s sweaty palms made their grip slippery, but Mr. Hawthorne held on firmly. They walked down the hotel corridor until they reached door number 1408. Mr. Hawthorne swiped the key card on the reader, and when the indicator light turned green, the door slowly opened.Once inside the room, Mr. Hawthorne released Jasmine’s hand. He stood with his hands on his hips, observing Jasmine, who remained cold and unfriendly.“Your disappearance might be linked to me. Therefore, the penthouse isn’t a wise hiding place. The streets are too risky with many eyes watching. Right now, a hotel is the safest choice. However, sooner or later, they’ll find you. You can’t keep avoiding them.”Jasmine didn’t respond, only turning her face away. Her fists were clenched, a mix of frustration with her situation and confusion about where to go next.A gentle touch on her chin forced Jasmine to look directly into Mr. Hawthorne’s eyes, which were now right in front of her.“The last time you smiled at me wit

The kindergarten was quiet and peaceful in the early morning. Mr. Hawthorne slowly woke up, realizing he had fallen asleep in a sitting position. In his arms, Jasmine looked peaceful. He studied every detail of her face, having no intention of waking her, wanting to enjoy their time together a little longer.In the silence, his mind drifted back to their conversation from the night before, especially about Dominic Merrick’s revenge plan. As he reached for his jacket pocket to get his phone, Jasmine started to open her eyes. His hand movement stopped and instead turned to gently caress Jasmine’s head, eliciting a smile on her innocent face.“It’s still early, go back to sleep,” Mr. Hawthorne whispered.“Are we going to the penthouse today?” Jasmine asked, trying to sit up.The blanket covering Jasmine slid down slowly. Mr. Hawthorne quickly adjusted it before picking up his phone to call Theodore.“I’ll ask Ted to pick us up.”Jasmine nodded, then got up from the floor and walked quiet

The sunlight slowly filtered through the window, adding warmth to their uninterrupted gaze. Mr. Hawthorne and Jasmine were still lying in bed, facing each other, with golden hues highlighting their radiant faces.“Didn’t you greet me at Midtown Center because you were afraid of my father?” Jasmine asked bluntly.Mr. Hawthorne gave a faint smile and then sighed. “Don’t make me laugh. I didn’t greet you because I felt insecure.”“Insecure?” Jasmine furrowed her brow. “What makes you feel that way, even though you have everything?”“Even though it may seem otherwise from the outside, inside I feel doubtful and unworthy. Maybe you’d be happier without me.”Jasmine touched Mr. Hawthorne’s hand. “You’re wong, you are a part of my happiness. I feel complete when I’m with you.”Mr. Hawthorne took Jasmine’s hand in his, pulling it closer and then gently kissing her forehead. “I’m grateful you’re in my life.”Jasmine hugged Mr. Hawthorne tightly, sinking into silence for a moment before finally

Jasmine stood in the cold, brightly lit hospital corridor, her emotions in turmoil. From a distance, she could only watch as Dr. Lawson argued with a nurse stationed at the emergency room door.“I need to be in there! I can’t just stand here.”“I’m sorry, Dr. Lawson, but you’re not in the right emotional state to be part of this operation.”The nurse arguing with Dr. Lawson suddenly reached into her uniform pocket and pulled something out. From her vantage point, Jasmine couldn’t see clearly what the nurse handed over.Dr. Lawson immediately turned around, his steps full of emotion as he approached Theodore, who was standing not far away. Dr. Lawson shoved the item roughly into Theodore’s chest. Jasmine only realized what was given when the object slipped from Dr. Lawson’s grasp—a pistol encased in clear plastic.“What’s the meaning of this, Theodore?! Kinsley brought his weapon, but why is he so badly injured? He’s never been hurt this badly before. What if he can’t be saved? You shou