Jasmine found herself in an unfamiliar situation—she actually felt lighter.
After her conversation with Asher, she had gone home, showered, and slept better than she had in weeks.
Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was just the ease of his company.
Or maybe it was the fact that someone—for the first time in a long time—offered her help without making her feel like she was asking for too much.
She wasn't ready to admit that part yet.
But she wasn't ignoring it either.
---
A Familiar Name
Work had been relatively quiet that morning, which should have given Jasmine peace of mind.
But then her boss, Mr. Holloway, dropped a file onto her desk with an unreadable expression.
"Thought you might find this one interesting," he said.
Jasmine frowned, flipping it open—only for her stomach to drop.
Hayes Corporation.
Adrian Hayes.
Her sister's husband.
Jasmine's fingers tightened on the paper as she quickly skimmed through.
It was nothing major, just a minor dispute about a partnership contract.
But seeing his name was enough to make her pulse spike.
Her first instinct was to call Rita.
Her second was to pretend she hadn't seen it.
"Are you taking the case?" she asked carefully.
Holloway shrugged. "Not sure yet. The firm hasn't decided. But if we do, you're one of our best contract specialists, so I thought I'd give you a heads-up."
Jasmine nodded, schooling her expression. "Thanks."
She didn't know what she hated more—the fact that Adrian's name was suddenly in her professional life, or the fact that her sister was still pretending everything was fine.
Either way, she had a bad feeling about this.
---
An Unexpected Call
Jasmine had barely stepped out for lunch when her phone rang.
She expected it to be Rita.
It wasn't.
It was Luke.
She stopped mid-step, staring at the screen in disbelief.
For a moment, she debated declining.
Then curiosity—and maybe a little bit of annoyance—won.
She answered.
"What?"
There was a pause, then a sigh. "Jasmine."
"Luke."
He hesitated. "I need to talk to you."
She scoffed. "You mean like how you and Belle showed up at my door uninvited?"
"Please," he said. "I just… I need five minutes."
She was about to say no.
Then she heard it.
Something in his tone—something different.
Against her better judgment, she sighed. "Fine. Five minutes."
---
The Meeting
Jasmine met Luke at a coffee shop downtown, picking the busiest spot she could find.
She wasn't giving him the satisfaction of privacy.
When she walked in, he was already seated, looking tired.
Good.
She slid into the seat across from him. "Start talking."
Luke exhaled. "You look good."
Jasmine folded her arms. "Three minutes left."
A ghost of a smirk crossed his lips, but it quickly faded.
"I made a mistake," he said finally.
Jasmine arched a brow. "Which one?"
His jaw clenched. "I should've fought for us. I should've—"
"You should've what?" Jasmine interrupted, leaning forward. "Not brought home a pregnant woman? Not let her take over my life while you watched?"
Luke winced. "I know I messed up."
Jasmine shook her head, laughing bitterly. "Luke, you didn't just mess up. You chose her. You made it very clear who you wanted."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, finally, he said it.
"The baby wasn't mine."
Jasmine stared.
For a moment, the words didn't process.
Then, slowly, her fingers curled into fists.
"Excuse me?"
Luke exhaled. "Belle lied. The baby wasn't mine."
Jasmine's breath caught.
She had suspected it—hell, she had hoped for it.
But hearing it from him?
Hearing the truth after all this time?
It did something to her.
"Then why are you here?" she asked coldly.
Luke met her eyes.
"Because I want you back."
---