Chapter 36 Someone will pay
JASMINE
Caressing the intricate designs on the wooden box, my fingers traced every carved vine and curve like muscle memory. I pulled the latch open slowly, my breath hitching as a small, broken smile curved my lips and tears pricked my eyes without permission.
Inside sat my world.
The little photograph of my mother—creased at the edges, faded slightly with time—stared back at me. The only picture I had of her. I lifted it gently, my thumb brushing over her smiling face, committing every detail to memory again as if one day it might disappear completely.
My gaze shifted to the gold jewelry resting beside it.
I pulled it out by its pendant, the smooth gold heart warm against the pad of my thumb despite the cold room. The sensation was achingly familiar, grounding and painful all at once.
It was the only piece of jewelry she ever owned.
And somehow, it felt like the last piece of her that still belonged to me.
The necklace was simple—a gold chain with a matching heart-shaped pendant, delicate vine designs wrapping around it as if protecting something fragile. It was just like her. Quiet.
Beautiful. Graceful in a way that never begged for attention.
I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as my vision blurred.
Securing the necklace into my pocket, I rose to my feet, my movements careful, almost reverent. I grabbed a few extra things Gerald had forgotten to pack—nothing important, just remnants of a life I no longer lived.
I paused at the doorway, looking around one last time.
Not my house.
My home.
She wasn’t here anymore. And wherever she was, I hoped—desperately—that she was proud of me.
Even if her daughter felt dead inside.
I stepped out onto the street, the cold night biting into my skin instantly. Streetlights flickered weakly, dimly illuminating the path ahead as I walked. I kept my head low, my hood pulled tight around my face, shielding me from curious eyes.
I didn’t need attention.
I didn’t need trouble.
Just as I turned the corner, a strong hand clamped around my wrist.
I gasped, my breath stolen as I was yanked backward violently before I could react. My back slammed into a solid body, my arm twisted painfully behind me in an awkward angle that sent sharp pain shooting up my shoulder.
My hood was ripped down.
I froze.
“Jace.”
He stared at me with wild, unhinged eyes and an evil smile stretching across his face.
He chuckled darkly. “Pathetic attempt at concealing your face, my love.”
He leaned closer, his mouth brushing my ear as the overpowering scent of alcohol invaded my nostrils.
“You’re drunk!” I gagged, struggling uselessly as his grip tightened instead of loosening.
I winced as he twisted my arm further, pain blooming like fire beneath my skin.
“Don’t you dare raise your voice, you slut,” he hissed, venom dripping from every word. “Because of your little affair with that dickhead Damien, he sued my company and ruined me! All for a worthless personal assistant.”
His jaw clenched as his hold tightened.
Tears stung my eyes. “Please,” I begged, my voice breaking. “J-just let me go.”
My heart pounded violently against my chest, dread crawling up my spine as flashes from my nightmares assaulted me—dark rooms, screaming, helplessness.
“What’s so special about you…” he muttered, moving his face toward the crook of my neck, sniffing me like a predator.
I jerked back. “Don’t you dare!”
He yanked me closer, twisting my arm again, and I felt something dangerously close to snapping.
“You dared to shout, bitch,” he screamed, shoving me hard. “Because of you my company is in ruins and you think you can yell at me!?”
I fell awkwardly, my foot landing wrong.
Pain exploded up my leg as a scream tore from my throat, shattering the silence of the night.
I tried to stand, desperate, but my ankle gave out beneath me, sending me crashing back down.
The pain was unbearable.
I clenched my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut, refusing to scream again.
He crouched in front of me, his face too close. “You’re going to pay for everything,” he whispered darkly. “I’ll make your life a living nightmare.”
Then he stood abruptly, looking around like a cornered animal before sprinting off into the darkness.
I stared after him, shaking violently as I struggled to calm my breathing.
I tried to stand again.
Managed to get onto one foot.
Then slipped.
I braced for impact.
It never came.
Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me up against a hard surface. I squeezed my eyes shut—but then I inhaled.
That scent.
Familiar. Intoxicating.
My eyes snapped open.
Damien.
He looked terrifying.
His nostrils flared, a vein pulsing visibly at his temple. His green eyes were dark, stormy—emotionless at first glance, but when I looked closer, I saw it.
Rage. Fear. Guilt.
Something else I couldn’t name.
The intensity forced me to look away, heat rushing to my cheeks as I realized how close we were, my body pressed intimately against his.
I tried to pull away.
He was faster.
He crouched suddenly, wrapping an arm around my thighs.
My cheeks burned as he lifted me effortlessly and threw me over his shoulder.
I dangled there, stunned, staring at the concrete sidewalk and—embarrassingly—his very fine ass through his sweatpants.
“Put me down!” I protested, wiggling.
“Don’t even think about it, tesoro,” he growled.
“This is the last time I put you under Ray’s care. The idiot can’t even keep an eye on you.”
“You can’t blame him!” I snapped. “I snuck out—and I’m not a baby!”
“Oh, I’m not blaming him,” he said darkly. “And you’re definitely not a baby. But you are mine.”
My heart dropped.
“You will never leave my sight again,” he continued calmly. “Have I made myself clear?”
His tone was lethal.
“Y-you don’t tell me what to do,” I stuttered, heat flooding my face.
“Oh,” he said quietly, “challenge me again, tesoro, and you’ll see exactly how well I dish out punishment.”
I wiggled harder, panic rising as his grip tightened, his hand brushing dangerously high against my thighs.
“Put me down,” I groaned.
He ignored me.
I punched his back and kicked lightly.
For a split second, his grip loosened.
Victory flared—
Then pain exploded across my ass, a loud smack reaching my ears
My mouth fell open.
“D-did you just—?”
“Yes,” he said flatly. “And I will do it again if you don’t quiet down.”
I froze.
He lowered me into his arms again briefly before tossing me into—
A car.
I scrambled to sit properly, my breath uneven as he hovered close, his eyes locked onto mine, his face mere inches away. That same storm brewed there, something unreadable beneath the anger.
Then he pulled away.
Cold replaced his warmth instantly.
I turned my head—
“Richelle?” I whispered.
She smiled sheepishly. “Hey, Jess. It’s been a while.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m the head of the company’s legal team,” she replied casually. “Of course I’m here.”
Attorney?
Richelle?
My mind reeled.
“Someone’s going to pay,” she added grimly.
She went quiet the moment Damien entered the driver’s seat.
The car started.