WALKING back into the living room, the party seemed to be alive with music and laughter, a dazzling array of guests enjoying the festive evening, but Jasmine, moving gracefully through the living room, her tray balanced with practiced ease, her mind was anything but calm. The brief yet intense encounter with Jared in the kitchen replayed over and over in her head. She couldn’t shake the look in his eyes, it was the mixture of surprise, recognition, and something deeper.
Jared, meanwhile, emerged from the kitchen, smoothing down his Louis Vuitton T-shirt and straightening his posture. He wasn’t one to dwell on emotions, but Jasmine’s cool demeanor had struck a chord. She wasn’t like the other women he encountered, those who threw themselves at him or fawned over his wealth.
As he walk
