Chapter 6. Right on Time

“Shit!” Jasmine cursed repeatedly as she struggled to put on her shoes in the locker room, moving in a hurried frenzy. She grabbed her bag carelessly, shoved in her belongings, pulled a brown coat from the closet, and half-ran out of her bedroom.

She glanced at her watch and her eyes widened. “I’m late!” she exclaimed, breaking into a full sprint. On the stairs, she slowed down, remembering last night when she almost tripped. Once she reached the ground floor, she headed into the dining room to say goodbye to her parents, who were already having breakfast.

“Mom! Dad! I’m leaving!” Jasmine called out. She didn’t bother with breakfast.

Mila called after her, but Jasmine didn’t stop—she was already on the front porch. There, her steps froze. A bead of sweat slid down her temple.

“Jasmine?” Jelena was standing right in front of her, with Xavier at her side, both of them gazing at her.

Clearing her throat, Jasmine tried to stay composed. “Jelena, where are you off to this early?”

Jelena flashed a wide smile. She glanced briefly at Xavier before stepping joyfully toward her sister. “I’m going for a dress fitting for the engagement. If you’ve got about two hours to spare, come with me, will you?”

Jasmine drew in a sharp breath before nodding. Though her chest felt heavy, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse her sister.

Jelena’s happiness only grew. Her face lit up, radiant and fresh. Jasmine noticed a change since yesterday—her sister looked genuinely happy, happier than she’d ever seen her.

Jasmine should have shared that happiness. She should have felt joy for her sister. But instead, piercing pain gripped her heart. Because the man who made Jelena glow had once been hers. And, foolishly, Jasmine’s heart still hadn’t fully let him go.

Still, she forced a smile and said, “I’ll make sure to come. Hopefully, this morning’s meeting won’t take too long.”

“Thank you, Jas!” Jelena replied warmly, which only deepened Jasmine’s guilt and the fear that one day, her sister would discover the truth she was hiding.

A car pulled up in front of the porch, with Jasmine’s own parked behind it. Wasting no time, she moved toward her car, but then Xavier’s voice reached her.

“Why don’t you ride with us, Jasmine?”

“Oh, no. I’m in a hurry,” Jasmine declined immediately. Luckily, Jelena was already inside the car, so it was likely only Xavier heard her words—and the icy tone that came with them.

There was no way she would let herself be trapped in the same car with those two. She loved her sister, but she loved her own sanity more. She couldn’t stomach watching them wrapped in affection while she sat there as the awkward third wheel.

Sliding into her car, Jasmine sped off. Xavier’s gaze followed her car until it disappeared through the gates.

A while later, Jasmine hurried toward the elevator, greeting a few people before coming across Ivy. “Ivy!” Jasmine called.

“Oh my God, Jasmine! You scared me!” Ivy pressed a hand to her chest as they stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it to open.

“Sorry. I’m just in such a rush this morning. I overslept, and I thought I’d be late,” Jasmine explained. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside, joined by another staff member who greeted politely.

“Good thing you’re not late,” Ivy said, shaking her head.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Ten minutes early counts as late for me, Ivy.”

Ivy chuckled. “No wonder you became a director at such a young age. Truly a model employee.”

Jasmine groaned at her friend’s teasing.

Just before the doors could fully close, someone stuck a hand in, and the elevator opened again.

Jasmine was smoothing stray strands of hair from her face when her gaze locked with the dark eyes she knew too well—Xavier’s. Her eyes widened in shock. Xavier’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles.

“What the—” Jasmine’s words trailed off as Xavier stepped inside, closing the doors. The elevator began to move upward.

“What’s wrong?” Ivy asked, noticing her sudden tension.

“Nothing,” Jasmine said quickly, shaking her head.

The elevator climbed. Jasmine stared hard at her phone, pretending to scroll, when she felt the brush of a shoulder and caught a whiff of the familiar scent that always lingered on Xavier. She turned abruptly—only to find him standing so close that their shoulders touched.

That alone sent a sharp current through her body. She immediately shifted away.

“Good morning, Miss Welsh,” Xavier whispered suddenly.

Jasmine flinched. His breath ran warm against her ear, making her skin prickle. She chose to ignore him.

Didn’t he understand what she’d told him last night? Anger welled in her chest. She had hoped Xavier would respect her decision, but this man was stubborn—insufferable, even.

The elevator stopped as more people stepped out, including Ivy, who promised to treat her to lunch later at the café. Now, only Jasmine and Xavier remained.

Jasmine cursed her unlucky fate to be stuck in this situation.

“Do you have business here, Mr. Coldwell?” she asked, not sparing him a glance.

Xavier chuckled, his deep voice resonating in her ears. The sound dragged her back to memories of intimate closeness, his laughter against her skin, his sweet words whispering affection that always made her blush.

Shaking her head, Jasmine pushed away the memory and looked at him. He was already staring—his gaze intense, unwavering.

“Call me the way you used to. It’s strange hearing you sound that formal,” he said.

Jasmine almost laughed. With biting sarcasm, she replied, “Well, it feels strange to me that you still feel that way. We’re strangers now. Strangers are supposed to be polite.”

“We’re not strangers!” Xavier shot back firmly.

“Whatever you say,” Jasmine muttered, exhaling with surrender.

“We’ll see, Jasmine. We’ll see just how much of strangers we really are,” Xavier said calmly, though the sarcasm dripped heavy in his words.

Jasmine ignored him again.

The elevator stopped at their floor. Jasmine expected Xavier to continue on higher, maybe to meet his superiors. But instead, he stepped out right alongside her.

She kept her patience, pretending not to care, but inside she knew something was off. Entering the meeting room, she froze. It was empty. And she wasn’t the only one who walked inside.

“We’re right on time,” Xavier said with a satisfied smile.