mango_latte

When Jasmine’s car collides with Antonio’s, she expects nothing more than an accident report and a headache. But from the moment he lays eyes on her, Antonio is captivated—her beauty, her presence, the quiet fire in her eyes. She’s been hurt before, and love is not something she’s searching for. All she wants is peace, warmth, and a place where she feels safe.

But Antonio is not a man who walks away from what he wants. And from the moment he sees her, he knows—he wants her.

HIS ENDEAVORS

Days passed since the encounter with Antonio, and things returned to a strange sort of normal for Jasmine. She tried to focus on her work, ignoring the constant tension that simmered beneath the surface. The unknown threat still loomed over her, but she refused to let it control her life.

She didn't hear from Antonio again. No texts, no calls. He had vanished just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving her with more questions than answers.

Meanwhile, he was busy. Konrad had kept watch outside her apartment for the past few nights, but Jasmine didn't feel safe—she felt more like a prisoner in her own home. It wasn't just the threat of whoever was after her. It was Antonio's world, his people, and the strange, unsettling feeling that lingered in the air.

Jasmine went about her days, feeling the weight of the silence pressing in on her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was still being watched, even though she had done everything in her power to stay off their radar.

But Antonio was working behind the scenes, unraveling the mystery, and for the first time since they'd met, Jasmine wasn't entirely sure of his intentions. The man she had once found intriguing now felt like an enigma wrapped in danger. The more she tried to pull away, the more she was drawn back in.

Antonio, however, was far from idle. Behind closed doors, he had spent the past few days investigating the message that had threatened Jasmine. He'd put his people to work, using every resource at his disposal to track down the source.

It didn't take long for him to find the truth.

The Johnsons were a dangerous family with long-standing connections in both the underworld and legitimate business dealings. They had always been a thorn in Antonio's side, but this? This was personal.

They had figured out something about Antonio—something that could break him if they played it right. And they believed they could use Jasmine as leverage.

Antonio's teeth ground together in frustration.

"They think she's my weakness," he muttered to himself as he stared at the stack of files before him, each one connected to the Johnson family. "They have no idea what they're dealing with."

He didn't care about their petty games or the alliances they thought they could form. He had a plan, and he was going to execute it. Jasmine didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of his fight, but he wasn't going to let them drag her into his world. He had to protect her—even if she didn't want it.

The more Antonio dug, the more he realized just how much danger she was truly in. The Johnsons were a powerful force, and they wouldn't stop until they had what they wanted. And what they wanted was to hurt him—hurt the one thing that mattered to him.

Chapter twenty-nine