บททั้งหมดของ The Payback Of A Woman Scorned : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

Jasmine's Pov The deafening bass of the blaring music slowly faded into a slow, soft song that hummed beneath my ribs, but it did nothing to calm the storm brewing in my heart. Because the dead rose was still in my palm, its petals dried and wilted like something that had already given up. And that tag… that damn message on the tag that read: “I've been watching you rebuild. It would be a shame… to break you again. Just like the rose in your hand, they die when crushed, and you, Jasmine, would be like that rose.Soon.”It shouldn't have, but a cold shiver crawled up my spine, just as a voice brushed the back of my neck. I took a deep breath to steady myself and couldn't help but wonder why today had to be weird. The voice was low, unhurried, and all too familiar. “Seems someone finally received the package I sent… after so many rejections.”For a heartbeat, every muscle in my back locked and recognition punched through me so fast I forgot how to breathe.Lowering himself, he to

Jasmine's povThe car rolled into a stop and I looked out the window. The Aurelius, San Francisco most coveted five star restaurant, is ranked among the city's elite. It's expensive beyond reason, so exclusive that even a well off household would need months of planning to secure a single reservation, but how is it teeming with people?! Matthew, my driver, turned off the engine and stepped out with Rhea in a perfect sync. He walked around to open the door, and I stepped onto the pavement. The soles of my shoes gleamed briefly in the sun, catching the light. Mathew closed the door and drove towards the garage while Rhea fell into step beside me, guiding me inside with a quiet protection. I could feel it, she wasn't at ease without security at my disposal.I smiled. It's not like anyone could attempt any silly act in broad daylight, right? Even if they could, I bet they wouldn't dare. We walked further into the restaurant and I understood why it was full. It wasn't the ‘crowded’ ki

Jasmine's pov A few seconds later, I found it! Another gown. This one was deeper, even richer. A midnight shade that shifted between navy and black depending on the light, with fine detailing along the waist that caught like scattered stars. Elegant and commanding, it was the kind of dress that didn't ask for attention but claimed it. “Wrap this,” I said to Celeste, already picking it up. Melody, who had been held back by security until they were able to pay up, scoffed behind me, but I didn't turn. From my periphery, I could see Enoch trying to put a call across, maybe to someone who could help him out. So much for his upstart company. Minutes later, I stepped forward to the counter and placed my card down. A diamond-sapphire finish, the surface reflecting in prismatic edges that shimmered with quiet authority. It was the kind of card most people only heard about, but never fortunate enough to see. A collective shift rippled through the crowd. “Oh my God. Is that—?“No fucki

Jasmine's pov The sound but me before reality did. The definitive click of a door handle depressing, the soft exhale of a door moving on its hinges. The phone slipped from my fingers onto the mattress. I cautiously took some steps backward until my back hit the bed, eyes straining against the darkness so hard they ached. Someone was in my room, but who? The receptionist? Rhea? My blood turned to ice when my eyes caught sight of a silhouette. It didn't have the soft features of a woman. This one was tall and broad-shouldered. Standing completely still against the marginally lighter darkness of the corridor. Enoch… The thought arrived cold and fast and certain. Only a coward like him would sneak into a hotel to fulfill his threat when the power was in maintenance. He must have found out the dead roses hadn't worked. He's decided to stop being subtle. So, he had sent someone, or came himself, knowing I was in a hotel room. I pressed myself harder against the bed. My eyes darte

Jasmine's pov Every word he said hit harder, and the look in his eyes made sure of it. It was intense with the certainty that it didn't need volume. My heart did a flip and I shyly looked away.“I'll… I'll see you later,” I stuttered, to the curtains instead of him. I heard the door open and then…“Get some rest before the announcement,” he said. “You've already won. You just need to show up.”And then, the door closed, leaving a reflective silence in its wake. “I already won,” his words echoed in my head, eyes staring intently at the closed door, “I just need to show up.” A victorious smirk slowly graced my lips. “And up, I'll show.” An hour later I was standing beside the mirror, looking back at the reflection that stared back at me. I swear, my makeup artist deserves an award of recognition, because if I wasn't me, I wouldn't be able to recognize myself.Makeup framed a face with quiet intention, flawless where it needed to be, bold where it mattered. A deep, smoky shadow st