Is this destiny?

Jasmine looked at Aiden and Sarah who joined her out of the blue, and answered: "What do you mean why am I here? Isn't it obvious? I was in the area and wanted to rest with a beverage and a snack. Opulence has an amazing reputation, why would I go anywhere else? And I can ask you the same thing, why are you here?"

"I see…", Aiden nodded and smiled politely. "Well, it's the same for us. How about we order a snack from the restaurant? The appetizers are mind blowing!" Aiden waved a staff member to come and asked him for a menu from the restaurant on the third floor.

"How unusual for you to stop for anything more than required pleasantries.", Jasmine told Aiden after he placed an order.

Aiden shrugged. "When you meet a familiar face unexpectedly, makes you want to chat and get closer and find out what all in common you have other than being in the same place at the same time. And as Sarah and I are getting closer to getting married, she should get to know the family and people close to it, like you. As Marcus' assistant of many years, you are almost like family… Where is he?" Aiden glanced around.

Jasmine does not like Aiden much. She does not like anyone from Oscar's side, but she can't show that openly. Until Marcus makes his move, they are all his family and she needs to be polite. Who knows, maybe she finds out something useful.

"He is working.", Jasmine responded.

"How unusual. Did he change his style and started giving vacation days to his employees?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you are here, relaxing and not by his side while he is working, you are on a vacation, right? Or maybe he is not working…"

Jasmine got a hint that Aiden is implying something. "What else would he do?"

Aiden waved his hand gesturing that it's not a big deal. "Don't mind me. It's probably just my imagination."

"Tell me.", Jasmine insisted impatiently.

"Well… I saw you at the White Mansion together with my Uncle and I assumed that you two are…", he gave her a meaningful look. "… together. Knowing my Uncle's reputation with the ladies, I thought that you might be his wife number… I don't know which one. And now that you are apart like this, I suspected that I saw wrong, after all you are his personal assistant. But then this situation can mean that he is looking for his next partner. But don't mind me. As I said, it's just my imagination..."

Jasmine's face darkened. "What do you know about partners and your Uncle?"

"I admit I am much younger than you, and my fiancée as well. For the two of us, it's all about love and passion. That is why I said that you should not worry about it. I'm just imagining things." Aiden turned to Sarah. "Oh, you said that you want to see the spa, right? Let's go before lunch…"

Jasmine looked after Sarah and Aiden who were leaving after saying their goodbyes and she balled her hands into fists. She told herself not to be riled up by Aiden's words. After all, he is a kid and he does not know the depth of relationship between her and Marcus.

Marcus trusts her, that is why he sent her here, to observe management change and come to some conclusion who is behind it. Regular foot soldiers are not suitable for such tasks and that is why she is here. But… she could not deny that Marcus being inconsistent with partners is troubling her. What if he told her to stay away for few days so that he can court another woman? That is what happened last time! He sent her to Los Angeles and three days later when she returned, he had another wife!

Jasmine told herself not to go into those thoughts, but she could not stop herself. Marcus is a free man now, only one step away from being the next Master of the White family and she can't allow another woman to be by his side!

Jasmine got her phone and dialed Marcus' private number. It's the number she uses only when it's important, and Marcus always picks up. Her face fell when she heard that it rang all the way and it went to voicemail. She swiftly checked his schedule and saw that his whole day is cleared up, there are no meetings! Ah! He is seeing another woman!

With all that commotion inside her mind, Jasmine didn't realize that the table in front of her was filled with exquisite dishes.

"What is all this?", she asked a waiter who was making space for the last two plates.

"You ordered this from the restaurant.", the man explained.

"I didn't…", she swallowed the rest of her words when she remembered that Aiden asked for a menu and he ordered food. How is it possible that he ordered so much?

But Jasmine has more important things on her mind. Marcus is not picking up her call and he cleared out his schedule!

She got up to leave when security stopped her at the door: "Miss, food at your table are not paid for."

Jasmine glanced back toward the food and then she looked blankly at the security.

She wanted to protest, but the man said coolly: "You need to pay for it, regardless how much you eat."

Jasmine thought that she will faint from anger. First, Marcus sends her away so that he can fool around and now his nephew ordered half of the restaurant and she needs to pay for it?! She took a deep breath and reminded herself to pick her battles.

"I'm sorry. It's slipped my mind. Where can I pay?", she said bitterly.

"Right here…"

Jasmine was surprised that the waiter is right behind her with a wireless gadget, ready to swipe her card.

Sarah and Aiden watched Jasmine from the side hallway as she stomped out of the hotel angrily. At the entrance, she made a phone call and less than a minute later two men came down from the stairs and joined her. The three of them left together in a car which waited for them outside.

"Why did you do that?", Sarah asked Aiden.

Aiden shrugged. "You don't think it was fun? Depending on how far her anger goes, it might cause some disturbance to Marcus as well. But no matter what she does, the fact is that Marcus gave her a mission and she abandoned it because of jealousy."

"I thought that she is smarter. Are you sure Marcus relies on her?", Sarah asked Aiden. "We blocked one phone call from going through and removed Marcus' appointments for today and she lost it."

"Don't underestimate her.", Aiden warned Sarah. "She is very scheming, how else would she be by Marcus' side for so long?"

"Really?" Sarah's expression told him that she does not believe it.

Aiden confirmed. "She should not be underestimated but… she is also in love."

"She loves Marcus?"

"I don't know if she loves him, but Jasmine loves the idea of being the one by his side when he is on the top. She is patiently waiting for years and warming his bed whenever his other partners didn't suffice. But now he is in-between wives and his showdown with Jeff is getting nearer. She can almost taste her desired position: the Madam of the White family.", Aiden explained.

"You manipulated her by using her emotions…", Sarah concluded with a smile. Her fiancé is amazing like that. "How did you know that it will work?"

Aiden liked that Sarah's eyes were full of admiration.

He answered her question: "I made her suspect that what she wants is in danger. And I knew that it will work, because my whole life I was rash and impulsive, sometimes calculative, and I did what I wanted to do, but I was in control. Always. I was surprised by all the irrational things I did when the person my heart was set on was in danger, no matter how insignificant the danger was."

Aiden leaned closer and nudged her cheek with his nose, confirming her suspicion that 'the person his heart was set on' from his example is her: "Sarah, you are the only one who makes me lose control."

Sarah smiled. She locked her eyes with his and the world around them faded.

"We are on a mission…", she reminded him when his lips gently brushed against hers.

"Kids can take care of it…", he took her hand and led her into the elevator.

Sarah followed him obediently and watched him push the button for the top floor. Yes, the kids can take care of it… and the two of them can check out one of the top floor suites.

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