YES MASTER

The Woman At The Door

JAYLA’S POV:

I woke up to the sound of something crashing so loudly it jolted me upright in bed.

My heart slammed against my ribs as I looked around, disoriented, the silk sheets tangled around my legs.

For a second I thought it had been a dream, until another crash echoed through the house, sharper this time, followed by a string of furious cursing.

Justin was gone.

That realization hit me harder than the noise itself.

I pushed the covers aside and climbed out of bed, my legs shaky as I padded toward the bedroom door. It was slightly ajar, and through the narrow opening came raised voices, sharp and heated, slicing through the quiet morning air.

“What do you mean it’s over?” a woman’s voice screeched, so shrill it made me wince.

“You can’t just end this.”

“I mean exactly what I said,” Justin snapped back, his voice cold and unyielding.

“We are done. Finished. I don’t want you, and I don’t owe you anything."

My stomach tightened.

“Are you serious right now?” the woman continued.

“Do you have any idea what this does to me? Everything has already been arranged. The wedding, the families, the announcements.”

“That was something you decided on your own,” Justin shot back. “I told you from the beginning we would never get married.

I rejected your father’s offer months ago, and you know that. I haven’t even seen you in five months. What made you think forcing this would suddenly change my mind?”

There was a stunned silence, then a sharp laugh filled with disbelief

“So you’re just throwing everything away?”

“Yes,” Justin replied without hesitation. “And if you had listened the first time, you wouldn’t be standing in my house embarrassing yourself.”

My chest felt tight as I stood there, trying to piece together what I was hearing. Wedding. Offer. Father.

None of it made sense. I pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway, drawn forward before I could stop myself.

That was when I saw her.

She was tall, striking, with dark hair pulled back so tightly it looked painful.

Her eyes locked onto me instantly, widening in shock as she took me in. I followed her gaze downward and felt my face burn when I realized I was completely naked, standing in the open hallway like an i***t.

I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest, heat rushing through me, equal parts embarrassment and defiance.

Justin turned at the same moment, his expression shifting when he saw me.

A slow smirk curved his lips, and his eyes swept over me with unmistakable appreciation before he stepped closer.

“You’re awake,” he murmured, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to my lips, as if we weren’t standing in the middle of a confrontation.

I pulled back just enough to whisper, “Who is she?”

He exhaled slowly, like someone already tired of the conversation.

“Her name is Rena. Her father offered me her hand in marriage six months ago. I refused.”

My eyes flicked back to the woman, who was now staring at me with barely contained fury.

“It seems she decided not to take no for an answer,” Justin added calmly.

Something inside me snapped into place.

I straightened, lifting my chin despite my exposed state, and looked her dead in the eye. “And you are?”

Her expression twisted, disgust flashing across her face as her gaze traveled between Justin and me. I could practically see the realization settling in.

Justin stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my waist and positioning himself so his body shielded mine from her view. The simple gesture grounded me, steadied my nerves.

Before she could speak, I did.

“You should probably take whatever fantasy you walked in here with and leave,” I said coolly. “This is our home.”

Her lips parted in shock. “Your home?” she scoffed. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

I laughed softly, surprising myself with how fearless I suddenly felt. “Actually, I think I do.”

She rounded on Justin, fury blazing in her eyes. “You replaced me with her? With this?”

Justin’s expression hardened instantly.

“That’s enough,” he said sharply. “You came here uninvited, caused a scene, and disrespected someone under my roof. Get out.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “You’ll regret this.”

Justin moved so fast I barely had time to react. He stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and twisted her hand away when she tried to gesture wildly, his grip firm but controlled.

“Do not ever speak to her like that again,” he warned, his voice dangerously low.

She cried out in outrage, but Justin was already dragging her toward the stairs. I followed a few steps behind, heart racing as the tension thickened with every movement.

One of the guards opened the front door as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Justin turned her roughly to face him, his eyes dark with promise.

“Do not come back here,” he said coldly. “If you do, you will not like the consequences.”

He released her without ceremony, and she stumbled forward, fury and humiliation written all over her face before disappearing out the door.

The silence that followed felt heavy, almost unreal.

Justin turned back to me, his expression softening the moment his eyes met mine.

He walked toward me slowly, concern replacing the earlier anger.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

I nodded, though my heart was still pounding. “Was all of that… real?”

He nodded once. “Unfortunately.”

I swallowed. “You never told me."

“There was nothing to tell,” he replied. “She was never part of my life.”

I studied his face, searching for doubt, for hesitation, for anything that suggested regret. I found none.

Instead, I found certainty.

He reached out and brushed his thumb along my jaw gently. “I won’t let anyone disrespect you. Ever.”

Something warm unfurled in my chest at his words, something terrifying and comforting all at once.

As he pulled me into his arms, I realized that whatever I thought I understood about Justin Cross, I had only scratched the surface.

And whatever had just begun between us was bound to attract enemies.