Chapter 9
1216 Words
Reece
Reece sat in a sleek conference room, surrounded by his executives, the sound of their voices droning on about quarterly reports and new acquisitions. But his mind wasn’t on the numbers or the deals. It was far from the gleaming walls of his corporate empire. It was on Jasmine.
He could picture her, the soft curve of her lips, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, and the scent of her perfume lingering in his mind from their brunch. The thought of her was intoxicating, stirring something deep inside him that he hadn’t felt in years. Desire. Control. The overwhelming need to be close to her, to claim her, to feel her body pressed against his.
He wanted her. He wanted her in every way a man could want a woman. But he also knew that he couldn’t rush it. Jasmine was shy, unassuming, and he didn’t want to scare her off by moving too fast. The last thing he wanted was for her to pull away. No, he needed to play this carefully, delicately.
His fingers brushed over his phone in his pocket, tempted to send her a message and ask her out for dinner. The idea of seeing her again so soon made his pulse quicken, but he resisted. He couldn’t be too eager, too pushy. That would ruin everything. Instead, he would let her wait, keep her guessing, wondering about him. The tension would build, and when the moment was right, he would close the distance between them.
The meeting dragged on, though Reece barely registered the details. His focus was entirely on the plan forming in his mind. Soon, Jasmine would be his completely. She just didn’t know it yet.
❛ ━━━━━━･❪ 🎕 ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜
After the meeting, Reece made his way to his private office on the top floor of the skyscraper, where the view of the city stretched out below like a kingdom at his feet. As he entered, Vincent, his trusted assistant, was waiting for him with a report in hand.
“Mr. Scott,” Vincent greeted him, handing over a neatly bound folder. “Here’s the latest report. Also, I’ve taken care of the bouquet you requested. It was delivered to Miss Vaughn’s apartment earlier today.”
Reece nodded, flipping through the report with barely a glance. “Good.”
Vincent hesitated for a moment.
“Forgive me for asking, sir,” Vincent began cautiously, “but what is it about her? Why are you so… fascinated by Miss Vaughn?”
Reece looked up from the report, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. He leaned back in his chair, considering the question for a moment before answering. Vincent was one of the few people he trusted, and there was no need to hide his true thoughts from him.
“Jasmine is different,” Reece said slowly, his voice low and deliberate. “She doesn’t see me the way everyone else does. She’s pure, untouched by the superficial world I live in. She’s innocent in a way that I’ve never encountered before, and that makes her… intriguing. She doesn’t chase power, money, or status. And that’s exactly why I want her.”
Vincent nodded, though a flicker of unease crossed his face. “But there are many women like her, sir. Why this one?”
Reece’s expression darkened, his thoughts drifting to the past. He leaned forward, his voice dropping even lower. “She reminds me of someone. Someone I lost a long time ago.”
Vincent remained silent, knowing better than to pry further. Reece rarely spoke of his past, but when he did, there was always a shadow that crossed his face—one that spoke of something far darker than anyone knew.
“I won’t lose her the way I lost everything else,” Reece continued, his jaw tightening. “Jasmine will be mine, fully, in every way. And this time, I won’t let anything slip through my fingers.”
Vincent nodded, sensing that the conversation had reached its end. He gathered his things and made his way to the door, but before leaving, he turned back to Reece one last time.
“Is everything proceeding according to plan?” Vincent asked, his voice measured.
Reece’s lips curled into a small, confident smile. “Yes. Everything is going exactly as planned.”
❛ ━━━━━━･❪ 🎕 ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜
Later that evening, Reece stood in the shadows across the street from Jasmine’s apartment, his silhouette blending into the darkness. The street was quiet, and the soft glow of the lamps overhead cast long shadows along the sidewalk. He had been there for a while, watching, waiting.
From this vantage point, he could see her apartment window, the warm light spilling out from behind the curtains. Knowing she was inside, so close, made his pulse quicken. He could imagine her going about her evening routine—maybe reading one of her romance novels, dreaming of love without knowing that love was watching her from just a few feet away.
His phone buzzed in his hand, and for a moment, he thought it was one of his staff checking in. But when he glanced down at the screen, he saw Jasmine’s name and felt an unexpected warmth spread through his chest.
Jasmine: Hey, just wanted to check in. How are you doing?
Reece’s lips curved into a smile, finding her message both cute and endearing. She was thinking about him. That was good. He liked that she was reaching out first, and her innocent text felt like an open door—one he would walk through when the time was right.
He typed a response, keeping his tone casual but warm: I’m doing well, thank you for asking. It was great seeing you yesterday. How are you?
Before he could hit send, movement across the street caught his eye. His gaze shifted, and he saw her—Jasmine, walking up the steps to her apartment. She was carrying a few grocery bags, her stride light, her face lit with a small smile.
She didn’t know he was there, but he watched as she reached her door, her smile widening when she noticed the bouquet of roses waiting for her on the steps. She paused, picking up the flowers, her fingers brushing over the soft petals as she read the card. Her smile grew even more as she brought the roses inside, disappearing behind her door.
Reece exhaled slowly, the sight of her happiness sending a surge of satisfaction through him. She liked the flowers. She was smiling. His plan was working.
As Jasmine vanished into the safety of her apartment, Reece hit send on his message and slipped his phone back into his pocket. The game was progressing exactly as he wanted, and soon, Jasmine wouldn’t just be curious about him—she would be his.
His thoughts darkened as he turned away from her building, the shadows swallowing him once more. He had taken care of the man who had dared touch her, and now his focus was solely on making Jasmine a part of his world.
Whatever it took, no matter how long it took, Jasmine would be his. Completely. And no one would stand in his way.
- Writer
