CHAPTER three
954 Words
Jayden stood framed in the doorway, his tailored suit sharp against the golden light from the hall. His face was expressionless, but his eyes—those piercing, ice-blue eyes—were a storm barely contained.
It was silent.
He went in deeper to the room. And tried opening the wardrobe.
The c***k of the door made him to stop as jasmine came out of the bathroom on her robe, her hair dripping wet.
You are back dear husband, she said using the small towel to dry her hair.
He tilted his head, just wanted to check up on you.
That's so sweet of you, "coming closer" was just taking night shower.
Goodnight night then. Can see you are ok! Backing her and strode out of the room.
Jasmine exhaled a heavy breath.
That was close;
We try again tomorrow then, she said lying down on her bed
"Morning"
Jasmine barely had time to finish her morning espresso when Jayden strode into the east wing suite, tossing a garment bag onto the bed.
“We’re going out,” he said.
She looked up from the window where she had been observing the changing guard rotations. “How romantic. Let me guess, wine tasting? Or a quiet little arms deal?”
He didn’t smile. “Charity gala. Ten minutes to get ready.”
She arched a brow. “Is this a test or a trap?”
Jayden adjusted his cufflinks. “Both. You are the wife of Jayden Halle now. Time to act like it in front of cameras, not just walls.”
The click of the door closing echoed like a challenge.
Twelve minutes later
She descended the staircase in a crimson silk gown that clung like a secret, every step a performance. Her diamond earrings caught the light subtle but lethal. The bracelet on her wrist still hummed quietly, still recording.
Jayden was waiting in the foyer in a midnight black tux, tailored to perfection. He took one look at her and gave a tight nod. No compliment. Just approval.
She preferred that. Compliments were lies. Approval was leverage.
The car ride was silent. Not cold but calculating.
The gala was held at the Magnate Club, a fortress disguised as a ballroom for the elite. Crystal chandeliers. Security thicker than the guest list. Billionaires, ministers, tech moguls. All smiles, all masks.
And then the cameras.
Jasmine stepped out of the car onto the carpet, the flashbulbs exploding like gunfire.
“Mr. Halle! Over here!”
“Is that your wife?”
“Who is she?”
“Jasmine! Jasmine, smile for Vogue!”
She slid her arm through Jayden’s and smiled like she’d been born to it.
Every eye was on her.
She winked at one of the photographers and leaned into Jayden just enough to start rumors. “Remind me are we charming tonight, or mysterious?”
“Quiet,” he murmured through a smile. “And don’t wander off.”
“Worried I will say too much?”
“Worried someone will ask you the wrong question.”
Inside, the gala buzzed with clinking glasses and whispered deals. Jasmine moved through it like water, adapting, flirting, collecting intel in plain sight. Every person she touched gave something away a nervous tic, a name drop, a too-eager smile.
She was in her element.
Until she wasn’t.
Across the room, a woman in a silver dress watched her with too much interest. Elegant. Older. Ice-blonde. Her gaze sharp as a scalpel.
Jayden's Aunt.
Evelyn Halle.
Jasmine recognized her from the dossier.
Corporate queen. No nonsense. No mercy.
She approached. “So... this is the new wife.”
Jasmine extended her hand, all charm. “Jasmine Halle. It’s lovely to finally meet you.”
Evelyn didn’t take the hand. “Is it? Because I wasn’t invited to the wedding.”
Behind her smile, Jasmine’s mind raced. “We wanted to keep it small. Intimate.”
Evelyn leaned in, whispering with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Just know this whatever you are playing at, dear... I invented the game.”
She walked away before Jasmine could reply.
Later that night:
The gala ended in a storm of flashes and murmurs. In the car, Jayden didn’t speak. Not until they were halfway back to the estate.
“You handled my Aunt better than I expected.”
“I do well with venomous creatures,” Jasmine replied coolly.
Jayden looked at her then, eyes harder than usual. “She is not your enemy.”
“Isn’t she?” Jasmine asked. “Because she just threatened me with a smile that cost more than this car.”
Jayden turned his gaze back to the road. “She’s loyal to a fault. She just doesn’t like surprises.”
Jasmine exhaled softly, the facade slipping for a moment. “Neither do I.”
They sat in silence the rest of the way.
Not comfort.
Not tension.
Something... in between.
Back at the penthouse— 11:47 PM
Jasmine returned to her suite and tapped her bracelet.
Red: “We saw everything. You are on three gossip sites already. The press loves you.”
“Then they are idiots,” Jasmine muttered. “I need more on Evelyn Halle. She’s watching me like she’s already read my file.”
Red: “She’s clean, but brutal. No known ties to black-market networks. Yet. Focus on Jayden.”
“I am focused. But every time I get close to the truth, I find another mirror.”
Red: “Then break one.”
She ended the call and looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her makeup was perfect. Her smile flawless.
But her eyes?
They were starting to see too much
- Writer
