Page 22 of Her Innocent CEO

Maybe play the one card I have left to deal to Jasmine, the ace of hearts.

“You sure you want to stop here?” the driver asks as he pulls up, winding his own window up as I slip him a fifty.

But Jasmine’s already out of the car, making her way to the apartment block entrance.

It’s dimly lit, and even though it’s dark now, I can see and smell how much of a different kind of world it is compared to the one I know. The one I take for granted.

Waving off the cabbie, I bolt after Jasmine, not wanting her out of my sight, even though she seems more relaxed in some ways in her own surroundings compared to the five star, designer shopping mall we were just at earlier.

“Hey,” I call out softly, cupping her elbow with my hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it,” I remind her, wincing at her creased frown, the line of silver under each eye as they threaten to brim over with tears.

“Well,” she sighs bitterly, pushing the door open and letting us in a second doorway with her key. “This is the real me,” she groans.

“Take it or leave it,” she says, still not able to look at me, which makes me feel like I’ve done something more than offend her by making assumptions about where she lives.

“Jasmine?” I ask her firmly, pulling her to face me, making her gasp before I kiss her hard on the mouth.

“I love you, remember?” I tell her, my own voice cracking with emotion.

“Not where you live, not what you’re wearing. I love you, Jasmine,” I tell her again, and I don’t let her go until she understands that.

Until she tells me she knows that.

“Just don’t expect too much from my apartment,” she says, relaxing some and smiling again as I kiss her neck, then wipe her cheeks with my thumbs as I hold her face in my hands.

“Any place where you are is perfect with me,” I tell her, then remembering something. “You do have a decent internet connection though?” I ask. I don’t want to split hairs, but if I’m gonna get my evidence to my legal team…

“That I do have,” she assures me with a little laugh, and taking my hand in hers, she leads me up the stairs.

“Elevators broken,” she sighs. “But I’m on three so it’s not so bad.”

This is her last night in this building. I swear.

It’s not a bad building. Not as bad as the neighborhood, but it’s no place I want my queen. Not one second longer than she has to be.

The third floor seems brighter, not just because it has lights that work, but I can just tell which apartment is hers, making the whole place seem brighter, better.

“This is me,” she says, wincing as she opens the door, flicking on the lights inside and leading me inside.

I take in a deep breath, breathing her in. The whole place has her feel, her sweet smell and most of all, it has her and me alone in it now.

She starts to pick up some scattered clothes, arranging dishes in the kitchen sink and making a general fuss until I clasp my hands over her forearms from behind, only feeling relaxed myself once she leans back into me.

“I feel embarrassed, Maddox… this is… this place, and it’s so…”

“It’s your home, Jasmine,” I remind her. “For now,” I add cryptically. “Now, stop trying to make excuses for being alive and point me towards your internet.

I left my laptop at the hotel, but that can’t be helped. Everything I need is in a cloud and on Jasmine’s phone.

“I just need to upload everything I have to my legal team, to their investigators,” I tell her. “Maybe use your phone to make a few calls first?” I add, glad when she agrees without thinking. Without realizing how much danger I’ve most likely put us both in, but the sooner I get the facts to my defense team, the sooner this will be over.

Chapter Eighteen

Jasmine

It does feel good to be home, in a way. Feels strange to have Maddox here though, it’s like he’s my new life and my apartment, my job… everything about this place is my old life somehow.

“We could’ve saved a pretty penny if we’d just come here in the first place,” I grizzle, still wanting to keep my new outfit on for Maddox, but equally drawn to the idea of my slippers and track pants.

He frowns, reminding me to stop worrying about money and to direct him to my computer and can he please have my phone again?

I have a computer at work, a laptop there too. My own PC is a desktop clunker from a bygone era.

I blow the dust off the top after unloading all the magazines and other junk from on top of it, but Maddox doesn’t seem to mind.

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