Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The evening was cool as Jasmine stood by the window of her apartment, staring out at the city below. Her thoughts were scattered, drifting between the unexpected message from Antonio and the conversation with Caleb. She couldn't shake the feeling that everything in her life was about to shift in ways she wasn't prepared for.

She glanced at the clock.

8:00 PM.

She had half-expected him to cancel, to not show up at all. Antonio Romano wasn't the type to give a second thought to people who weren't important to him, but somehow, with Jasmine, things seemed different.

And now, here she was, waiting for him.

She wasn't sure what she was hoping for—answers, an explanation, or maybe just a sense of clarity that had eluded her for so long. But one thing was certain: the moment she stepped into his world, there would be no turning back.

Another glance at the clock.

The soft sound of a car pulling up outside caught her attention, and her heart skipped a beat.

Jasmine's hand instinctively reached for the door handle, her breath shallow as she opened the door just as Antonio's sleek black Rolls-Royce came to a stop in front of her building.

He was there.

Antonio stepped out of the car with his usual effortless grace, his dark suit sharp against the streetlights. His eyes, cold and calculating as always, found hers immediately, locking onto her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

Jasmine stood still for a moment, unsure of what to say or how to feel. The man she'd been trying to avoid had finally come for her—whether she was ready or not.

Antonio walked toward her with purpose, his gaze never leaving her face. He stopped in front of her, his towering presence just inches away.

"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low and unshakable.

Jasmine met his gaze, trying to steady her breathing. "Thank you."

He nodded, his eyes softening for just a moment. "We need to talk, Jasmine. I know things have been... complicated."

Jasmine's heart raced. She had known this conversation was coming, but now that it was here, she wasn't sure she was ready to hear what he had to say.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this conversation," she admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

Antonio's expression softened, just a fraction. "You don't have to be ready. But we can't keep pretending like this... like we don't need to address what's happening between us."

She swallowed hard, stepping back slightly. "I don't know what's happening between us, Antonio. I don't even know what I want."

His jaw tightened for a brief moment, but then his eyes softened again, an almost imperceptible shift. "That's what I'm here to figure out, too. But you can't keep running from this, Jasmine. From me."

Jasmine felt a chill run down her spine, though she refused to let him see the effect his words had on her. She crossed her arms in front of her, trying to create some distance—both physically and emotionally.

"I'm not running," she replied firmly. "I'm just... trying to understand my own life right now. You're a part of that, Antonio, but not the only part."

Antonio watched her closely, his lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of the unspoken words hung heavy between them, and Jasmine could feel the pull—the magnetic tension that always seemed to draw them together.

Finally, he broke the silence. "I didn't want this to be messy, Jasmine. I didn't want to involve you in my world. But things happen, and now here we are."

Jasmine nodded, her thoughts a whirlwind. "You don't get to control what happens, Antonio. You can't just expect people to fall into line with your plans."

He met her eyes with an unyielding gaze. "I never said I expected that. I'm just saying that I don't want to lose you."

The admission startled her. Antonio was many things, but vulnerable wasn't one of them. He didn't open up to people, didn't let them in. Yet, here he was, saying he didn't want to lose her.

Jasmine's throat tightened as she fought to keep her composure. "I don't know what you want from me," she whispered, almost to herself.

He stepped closer, closing the small distance between them. "I want you to trust me."

Jasmine looked up at him, meeting his gaze with an intensity of her own. "Trust is earned, Antonio. And you haven't earned it yet."

He nodded slowly, as if acknowledging the truth of her words. "I know. But I'm willing to try."

Before she could respond, he turned slightly, nodding toward the car. "Come with me. I don't expect you to have all the answers tonight, but I'd like to spend some time with you. To talk. No more games."

She hesitated for a moment, the weight of his words pressing against her chest.

There was a part of her that wanted to run, that wanted to pull away from the chaos he represented. But there was also a part of her—a part that had been quietly growing ever since they met—that wanted to see where this could go.

With a quiet breath, she nodded. "Okay. Let's talk."

Without another word, Antonio opened the door for her, and she stepped inside, unsure of what awaited her but certain that this was only the beginning.

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