Chapter 527
Damien had been a hitman for years. He'd faced every kind of temptation, but he'd never lost his cool like this. He was quick and agile, though, standing just inside the door, keeping his presence hidden as much as possible. The oblivious Jasmine didn’t notice him, and Claire, with her back to him, didn’t either. He didn’t stay long; he set down the glass of water and slipped away without a sound.
Time passed in a flash. Tomorrow was the party.
Jasmine was much better now. Other than that one time, Damien hadn’t come back.
Jasmine thought, “He said sorry, but there was no real sincerity in it. I told him I didn’t accept his apology, after all. And then he did nothing else. It just fizzled out like that.”
No denying it–even though Jasmine said she didn’t want to see Damien, she’d been hoping he’d visit. But each day that went by, her hope died a little more.
“So you really like Damien, huh?” Early that morning, Shermaine took her out for a walk and asked.
Jasmine mumbled that she didn’t.
Shermaine smiled softly, “Good.”
Jasmine wasn’t sure of what Shermaine meant by that. It felt like Shermaine had something planned.
In the gym, by the big pool, Teddy walked in and saw a strong figure swimming.
It was Damien.
Teddy waited at the other end, holding a towel.
A few minutes later, Damien swam over and came up out of the water. He was only wearing black swim trunks. He had the body of a mature man–sharp and powerful with long, lean limbs. The scars on his body just made him look more dangerous. Water glistened, reflecting the murals on the ceiling. When Damien climbed out, his breathing was a little uneven.
Teddy handed him the towel. “Got something bothering you?”
“Nope,” Damien said.
“Really?” Teddy clearly didn’t buy it. He’d known Damien for years, and this was definitely out of the ordinary. Teddy couldn’t help finding it funny. This was the first time he’d seen Damien in such a bad mood, as if he was all pent up.
Damien took the towel and wiped the water off his body. “You want something?”
Teddy nodded. “Mrs. York wants us to handle security for the party tomorrow.”
Damien grunted.
Just then, Damien’s Orthish beeped. Someone was trying to contact him. Teddy saw it was an unknown account reaching out. The profile picture was a woman with crimson hair. It suddenly reminded him of the questions Jasmine had asked him the other day. Right after that, he noticed Damien ignoring the call.
Teddy asked, curious, “It’s a call from a pretty girl. Why aren’t you answering?”
“None of your business,” Damien replied.
“Come on, telling me won’t kill you,” Teddy teased. “Besides, Jasmine and I are both wondering. How does a cold, quiet guy like you suddenly get a woman reaching out?”
Damien ignored him.
Teddy joked, “No wonder Jasmine doesn’t hang out with you anymore.”
Damien’s expression turned even darker, like a dark cloud hanging over him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, you know exactly what I mean,” Teddy said, looking more amused. “I heard you snapped at her that night, so she backed off. Pretty girls are meant to be spoiled, but you’re always giving her the cold shoulder. See? You scared Jasmine away.”
Teddy didn’t point out that Jasmine liked Damien. If he did, that would take all the fun out of it. Besides, he wasn’t sure if Damien liked Jasmine. If Damien didn’t, it would be awkward for Jasmine. After all, things were already tense between them.
Meanwhile, on a busy street, a woman with crimson hair bit her lip, frustrated that she still couldn’t get through. Damien wasn’t answering.
She thought, “Well, he’s already repaid whatever favor he owed me. There’s no reason for him to see me now.”
She’d once been engaged to Damien, but when his family fell on hard times, she’d left him for another man. Time had passed, and now it was her turn to suffer and fall on hard times. By chance, she’d heard Damien was in Baykeep, so she’d worked up the nerve to track him down. She didn’t want to live this wandering, unstable life anymore. Damien was her only chance. If she could be with him, she could live comfortably again. Besides, Damien had grown into a very charming man. But Damien had always been cold. Even when they were engaged, he’d never seemed interested in her. And he certainly was not now.
On the other side of the street, a luxury car was parked. Shermaine watched the woman with interest. The woman’s name was Ava Reid.
“Does she have some close connection with Damien?” Shermaine wondered. “After all, she’d once been engaged to him. If Damien had let bygones be bygones and was willing to help Ava, that must mean their past was pretty serious. Why else would he help her?”
Damien, a hitman who’d seen his family destroyed and been abandoned by his fiancée, had become a cold, unfeeling man after all this. He was definitely not the type to suddenly get soft-hearted.
The thought annoyed Shermaine.
She thought, “It doesn’t matter if they have history. But I’ll never let Jasmine end up with someone tangled up with another woman.”
So, Shermaine had written Damien off. No matter how much Jasmine liked him, she couldn’t be with Damien. Of course, if there was another reason for his actions, Shermaine might give him a chance.
Shermaine took out an invitation and handed it to Joshua. “Joshua, could you do me a favor?”
Joshua took the invitation and raised an eyebrow. “You really want me to deliver this?”
“Yeah.”
“What if she takes a fancy to me?”
At that, Shermaine narrowed her eyes. “If she even thinks about hitting on you, I’ll throw her in the ocean to feed the sharks.”
Joshua smiled, “Give me two minutes.” He leaned down, kissed her, and then got out of the car. Shermaine was so wrapped up in sorting out Jasmine’s love life, he might as well help a little.
When Ava was stopped, she looked up at Joshua, surprised by how handsome he was but intimidated by his elegant, noble air.
Joshua held out the invitation to her. He introduced himself. “I’m Damien’s boss. You’re welcome to the party tomorrow night.”
Ava paused. “Why?”
Joshua smiled faintly, his tone hinting at something more. “I hear you were once Damien’s fiancée. He’s not young anymore. Even hitmen should have someone by their side.”