BOUND TO THE TEXAS TYCOON

Chapter Eighteen

Jasmine’s POV

A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door. I folded the paper in my hands and stood up from the bed.

“Come in.”

Dominga stepped inside carrying a cup of coffee. “Good morning, ma’am. I brought you coffee.”

I took the cup from her, set it on the vanity table, and held her hand. My fingers were shaking.

“What is it, ma’am?” she asked, studying my face.

“Dominga, you are the only person in my life right now that I can trust. The only one I am sure cares about me.”

“Yes, ma’am. I care about you so much.” Her voice was firm.

“I need you to do me a very big favor. No one can know about this, especially my husband. It has to stay between the two of us.”

“What do you need, ma’am?”

I held out the folded letter. “Take this letter to the foreman, Mr. Antonio. Like I said, no one can know. If anyone finds out about this except the three of us, I am dead.”

Dominga gasped when she saw the letter. She took it from me with shaky hands.

“I know you have questions,” I said, “but please do not ask them. Just deliver this letter safely to Antonio without Adonis finding out.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She nodded and walked out of the room.

I let out a shaky breath and pressed a trembling hand against my chest. The door opened again almost immediately.

“Dominga, why did you come back?” I turned around, expecting her. Instead, Dave stood there with an irritating smirk on his face.

“What?” he asked, shrugging. “You have been avoiding me since I got here last night. Are you not happy to see your baby brother?”

“Are you crazy? What if I was naked? You do not even have the decency to knock,” I said, anger rising in my voice.

“Calm down, Jas. I saw your chief maid leaving the room, so I knew you would not be naked.”

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“Here? In your room or at the ranch?” He smirked again.

“Dave, why the hell did you suddenly decide to visit us?” I asked again, more firmly this time.

“You are being mean. If a stranger walked in, they would think we were just casual acquaintances and not blood siblings.” He tried to sound hurt, but I knew better.

“I want you and Jayden to leave the ranch today.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” He smiled wider. “I noticed your attitude last night, but I am not leaving, Jasmine. And you better not try anything against me, because you will be the one who loses.” His voice rose at the end.

“What do you mean, Dave?”

“Sebastian.” He let the name hang in the air. “Jasmine, how could you be so cheap that you brought your boyfriend here to sleep with you in your matrimonial home? Looks like I hit the jackpot after all. Do not try anything with me, or you will regret it.”

His words cut deep, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Are you threatening me? You are shameless, Dave.”

“Shameless? Me? You are the one who brought your boyfriend into your husband’s house, and poor Adonis does not even know that his foreman Antonio is actually Sebastian, the man who owns his wife’s heart. Do not play dumb with me. I saw him walk out of your husband’s study this morning.” He grinned.

I covered my mouth with my hand. “Dave, I swear it is not what you think. We can talk about this, but please do not tell Adonis any of it.”

Dave chuckled, the sound low and mean.

“You know what’s funny?” he said, still smiling. “Your husband trusts that foreman with his life. And that same foreman is secretly in love with his wife.”

He took a slow step closer, clearly enjoying the fear he saw on my face.

“Now,” he said quietly, “let’s talk about what it’s going to cost to keep my mouth shut.”

“Do not worry, my gorgeous big sister.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “I will not tell him as long as you give me a few things.”

“What things, Dave?”

“Money.” He licked his lips.

“Money? Dave, I do not have any money. Adonis locked all my accounts so I cannot run off. You know that. I do not even have a phone. Why are you doing this to your only sister?” I wiped the tears that had started falling.

“Oh, stop with the silly tears. You do not have money, but your husband has billions. Adonis is a multi-billionaire. I am not asking for too much. Just one billion to keep my mouth shut and Jayden’s too.”

“You cannot be serious. Adonis will never give me that huge amount of money,” I said through gritted teeth.

“And how is that my problem? I am tired of asking Mom for money, and I have no interest in working. You get me that money by any means necessary. Judging by Adonis’s temper, if he finds out, a lot of people are going to end up dead. You do not want that, do you?” He wiped the tears from my face with his thumb.

“I cannot get that money, Dave. Please, I am begging you. Try to understand.” I pressed my hands together in front of me.

“That is your problem, not mine. I will not hesitate to go straight to Adonis and tell him all your dirty secrets. Take your time, sis. No rush. I do not mind staying here for a couple of weeks.” He smiled, pecked my forehead, and walked out of the room.

The door clicked shut behind him. I clutched my chest and started pacing, wiping my face with the back of my hand. My heart pounded so violently it hurt.

Sebastian needed to leave. There was no way I was going to give in to Dave’s impossible demand. One billion dollars was not something I could ever get, and even if I could, I would never put that kind of power in my brother’s hands. Dave had always been selfish, but this was beyond anything I expected from him.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. My hands were still shaking. I thought about Mr. Albert’s words from the day before. He had told me to choose carefully, to stop running like a fugitive. But how was I supposed to choose when every option felt like a trap? Staying meant living under Adonis’s control and dealing with Maya’s constant presence. Leaving meant risking everything for a man who was currently hiding under a false name in my husband’s own ranch.

I stood up again and walked to the window. Outside, the ranch looked peaceful under the morning sun. Horses moved in the distance. Staff walked between the buildings. Everything looked normal, but nothing about my life felt normal anymore.

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. Dominga would deliver the letter. I had to trust her. After that, I needed to find a way to get Sebastian off the property without drawing attention. And somehow, I needed to handle Dave before he made good on his threat.

My stomach twisted. I was tired of feeling cornered. Tired of secrets and threats and the constant fear of being found out. For the first time in a long while, I felt truly alone. Even with Dominga on my side, I had no one who could save me from this mess.

I took a slow breath and straightened up. Whatever happened next, I had to stay in control of my own decisions. No more running without a plan. No more letting other people dictate every move I made. I would deal with Dave. I would deal with Sebastian. And somehow, I would find a way to survive this mess without losing what little freedom I still had left.