Chapter 3:My Savior
1104 Words
Jasmine stood still, freezing in place. The thudding of her heart was so loud, she looked around her apartment as though hoping to see someone.
The knocks echoed through the apartment, with each knock louder than the previous.
They were steadily measured.
She walked gently towards the door, barefoot, tip-toeing, heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.
She had to see who was behind the door. She quietly peeped through the peephole.
A man in a well-tailored blue suit and black cashmere topcoat stood there, completely unbothered by the pouring rain and his slightly drenched coat.
His wet wavy black hair sat beautifully on his head, and his sharp features were etched with quiet confidence.
Behind him, a sleek black SUV idled, the engine humming with a driver looking out.
He paused, looked straight into the peephole like he knew she was there.
Her phone buzzed again.
Message from: Unknown contact
Open the door. I'm not here to hurt you. "I'm here to make you disappear.....the right way." That didn't sound right to Jasmine.
Confused, Jasmine opened the door just a c***k, the chain still fastened.
"Jasmine Mendoza?" he asked, his resonant voice rich, smooth, authoritative.
"Who's asking?"
"Marcus Thorne."
The name hit her like lightning.
Everyone in the business world knew Marcus Thorne. Billionaire CEO. Tech mogul.
She had read about Marcus Thorne in business magazines and financial articles. Ruthless in boardrooms, respected in silence.
The kind of man who owned islands and entire shares of Wall Street.
The kind of man who didn't just show up at anyone's front door.
Definitely not the kind of man to just appear at her doorsteps in the rain.
"Why are you at my doorsteps?" she asked.
"To help you..." when she remained silent he continued.
"I am the only one who can keep you from going to jail for a crime you know nothing of."
Her breath caught. "I don't understand."
"Leo, Peter, and Nina were part of a digital laundering scheme. They used your name and your company as the legal front. "They're burning evidence as we speak..." he sighed impatiently.
Jasmine's parents had left the company to her before their passing, and she had made sure to protect the image and reputation of her company for years.
But now, all of that is gone. She had been involved in a money laundering scheme.
Still unsure of whom to trust, what to believe, and having no one to turn to.
Her legs trembled beneath her. "How... how do you know all this?"
Marcus took a breath. "My team had been tracking Peter for months. He tried to access one of my offshore accounts last year. We traced the breach and found the laundering trail-through your business. I was going to ignore it... until I saw your name."
Jasmine opened the door all the way now,
Stepping aside for him to come in.
"And what.....you just decided to come save me?"
She stared at him disoriented.
Marcus stepped inside, carefully avoiding the broken glass and spilled wine on the floor.
"I don't do charity," he said, matching her eyes.
"But I do offer contracts."
She crossed her arms, wary. "What kind of contracts?"
"A marriage one."
Her brows shot up. "Excuse me?"
It was the last thing she would have thought would come out of his sexy lips.
Marcus pulled a document from his coat pocket and placed it gently on the counter.
"A legal marriage. You'll take my name, and in return, I'll make this case disappear, restore your financial records, and give you a fresh start."
Jasmine stared at the bold header on the contract:
MARRIAGE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MARCUS THORNE AND JASMINE MENDOZA.
"You want me to marry you?" she asked, half laughing, half terrified.
"Why?"
"I need a wife for a high-profile board vote happening in six weeks. My image is everything, and a Stable personal life strengthens my bid for the executive chair of Thorne Global. I need someone discreet, intelligent, and desperate enough to say yes."
Her cheeks burned. "So I’m desperate now?"
"You're also the only one who knows how to fight back against the people who ruined you. You just don't have the resources. I do."
She took a step back, reeling. "This is insane."
"Is it? Or is it the only option you have left that doesn't end with a federal indictment and your name in every newspaper."
Silence fell between them, thick with tension.
Jasmine looked around the apartment, the bare walls, the half-unpacked suitcase, the life she no longer had.
Then her eyes landed on the contract again.
Her hands trembled as she reached for it.
"I'll need a lawyer to read this."
I
"Already waiting outside." Marcus gave a small smirk.
"Told you I plan ahead."
She hesitated.
And then, slowly, she picked up the pen beside the contract.
"Six months," she said. "That's all I'm agreeing to."
"Six months," Marcus repeated, offering his hand.
She took it.
Their handshake sealed the deal.
But deep down, Jasmine knew, this wasn't just about protection.
This was the beginning of something she didn't understand.
Yet.
Jasmine took one more look at her apartment, her account balance, and just knew that she had no other choice but to sign the contract.
Marcus's phone buzzed.
He picked it up and looked at it for a few seconds.
As Marcus turned his phone over, a subtle shift came over him, his normally composed expression stiffened, eyes narrowing just enough for Jasmine to notice.
He tucked his phone into his pocket without a word.
"Is anything the problem?" Jasmine asked, brows knitting.
"Nothing you should concern yourself with." he said too smoothly, already moving to pack the contract away.
"We should go. The jet's waiting."
"The jet?" Jasmine echoed, stunned.
"A clean break requires a clean exit. It's not safe here anymore."
Moments later, she was in the back seat of a sleek black SUV, her world moving at a pace she couldn't control.
Marcus had only let her pack her valuable things, as the vehicle pulled away, putting her apartment in far distance.
Marcus's phone buzzed again.
The sound of a buzzing phone brought shivers down her spine.
She looked towards Marcus but he couldn't be bothered.
"What aren't you telling me?" she could feel something was wrong.
Marcus didn't answer right away.
Then, slowly, he looked at her.
"I promised to protect you, and that's what I'm doing."
The subtle assurance in his voice made her heart flutter, she quickly looked out the rain-soaked window, holding her breath so he wouldn't feel her nervousness.
- Writer
