BOUND TO THE TEXAS TYCOON

Chapter Seventeen

Adonis’s POV

I looked up as Maya walked into my study carrying a cup of coffee. “Maya, we need to talk.”

“Alright.” She sat down in the chair across from me.

“Thanks for the coffee.” I raised the cup toward her and finished it in one go. The warmth helped a little, but I still felt the weight of the day pressing on me.

“Maya, don’t get angry or upset with what I’m about to say, but Jasmine is right. She’s my wife, and it makes sense that she wants to run the house.”

“But Adonis, she doesn’t know anything about living on a ranch. She’ll make so many stupid mistakes.”

“It’s fine if she makes mistakes. That doesn’t matter to me. Jasmine is ready to learn, and I’m happy she finally wants to act like a real wife. Can you try to understand where she’s coming from?” I kept my voice calm and steady.

“Adonis, you do everything she tells you to do. Why are you being so soft with her?” Maya raised her voice.

“Can you f*****g calm down?” I said firmly. “Maya, just because we’re friends doesn’t give you the right to talk to me like that.” Don’t make me set boundaries between us.”

She sighed and stood up. She walked around the desk and took my hand. “I’m sorry, Adonis. I love you like nobody else, but it makes me so angry that you turn weak for her. You’re being too kind to someone who doesn’t even love you.”

“Enough, Maya.” I pulled my hand away and stood up, anger rising in my chest. “Stop interfering in my relationship with Jasmine. Things will be done the way I say. If you can’t respect that and help Jasmine, then think seriously about the offer I made you that night. You can move back to the city and take the position I offered you on a silver platter.”

I pointed toward the door. “Now get out. I have meetings with my directors.”

Tears slipped down her face. She wiped them away quickly, opened the door, and left without another word.

I ran a hand through my hair and licked my lips, trying to settle my temper before the next round of meetings. The last thing I needed was to carry this frustration into business.

Hours later, I finally wrapped up the long meetings with the board of directors. I glanced out the window and noticed the sky had grown dark. I could not believe I had been stuck in here all day. A headache started pounding behind my eyes again.

I opened my desk drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. It had been a long time since I smoked, but right now I needed something to take the edge off. I put one between my lips and started searching for my lighter. Before I could find it, the door burst open.

Jasmine walked in wearing black shorts and an oversized hoodie. Even though we lived under the same roof, it felt like I was truly seeing her for the first time that day.

“Adonis, Dominga told me you’ve had back-to-back meetings, so I didn’t want to bother you earlier.” She stepped closer to the desk. “I brought this ointment. It should help with your headache.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“Well, I’m not a monster. Even if Maya needed help today, I would do the same for her.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a small smile.

“You smoke?” she asked, noticing the cigarette.

“Why? You don’t like guys who smoke?”

“Smoking is bad for your health, and I’m not going to stand by and watch you make it worse.” She reached out and tried to pull the cigarette from my lips.

“Really? Is this you stepping up and taking your full responsibilities as my wife? I like this side of you, Jasmine.”

She shifted on her feet, looking a little uncomfortable. “So you smoke, and you have tattoos all over your chest, back, and arms. That seems unusual for a billionaire’s son. What’s the story behind them?”

I leaned back in my chair.

“After my mom died, I turned rebellious. Dad was always so buried in work, building his empire, and he was rarely around. During one long school holiday, Mom gave all the staff two weeks off. It was just the two of us in that big house. She got sick a few days later and refused to go to the hospital unless Dad came home to take her. But he cared more about business than his sick wife. He never showed up. He left on another trip instead. I was only nine. I didn’t know what to do. I watched her get worse, looking so frail and pale. She wouldn’t let me call anyone for help. In a panic, I went to the medicine cabinet, grabbed a bunch of different pills, and brought them to her. I hoped one of them would make her feel better. She smiled at me before swallowing the pills, as if she was proud I was trying to help. The next morning I found her body on the floor in her bedroom. I stayed in that room with her for days until one of the staff came back for something. I couldn’t even cry. I knew I had killed her. Years later, I got these tattoos to spite my father and to cover up all that pain.

Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears as I finished talking. “That’s really sad. I’m sorry you had to go through that, Adonis.”

“Won’t you say anything about me killing my own mother?” I asked, watching her face.

“No, Adonis. You didn’t kill her. You were just a little boy who wanted to help. That’s why she smiled when she took the medicine from you. You don’t have to carry that blame. I feel terrible for you because this is the kind of pain that never really goes away.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“You really don’t care, Jasmine.”

“No, Adonis. I’m glad you told me this part of your life. Maybe if I had known sooner, I would have seen you differently. Not just as this powerful man, but as someone more real and human. I might have understood you better.” She looked straight into my eyes as she spoke.

I swallowed hard. “Can you hug me, Jasmine?”

She hesitated for a moment, then walked around the desk and wrapped her arms around me tightly. She patted the back of my head gently. I closed my eyes and felt the headache slowly ease. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla. Just having her close felt soothing in a way I had not experienced in a long time.

We stayed like that in quiet comfort for a while. Then a knock sounded on the door, and it opened right away.

“Sorry to break up this romantic moment, sister and brother-in-law,” Dave said with a big smile, waving at us.

We pulled apart quickly. Jasmine rushed over to him. “What are you doing here without calling me first?”

“You forgot you don’t have a phone anymore. I came to spend a long holiday with you and my handsome brother-in-law Adonis.” He grinned. “Fun fact, I brought Jayden with me too.”

“Who is Jayden?” I asked.

“My best friend, Adonis. He couldn’t make it to your wedding,” Dave explained.

I let out a breath. “Welcome, Dave.” He stepped forward to hug me, but from the corner of my eye I saw Jasmine shaking slightly. Worry filled her expression.

What could be wrong with her all of a sudden? The question lingered in my mind as I hugged her brother. Something about Dave’s arrival seemed to unsettle her, and I made a mental note to figure out why later.