Page 91 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

"Thank you." She took a grateful sip even though it was too sweet. "I needed that."

Edgar regarded her with a smile. "You're even more gorgeous without makeup." He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek.

Jasmine leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she savored his reassuring presence for a moment.

"We need to hustle." She took his hand and broke into a light jog toward the elevators.

By the time they got to Kian's deck, Jasmine's palms were damp with sweat, and the churning in her stomach was making her nauseous.

Edgar rang the doorbell, and a moment later, the door swung open, revealing a stocky butler in a three-piece suit and a mannequin smile on his face.

Wow, talk about stereotypes. He was perfectly cast for the role of a British butler in an aristocratic house.

"Good morning, Master Edgar, Mistress Jasmine. Please, come in."

Jasmine was impressed that Kian had told his butler to greet her by name. Did it mean that she was a valued guest?

She certainly hoped so.

Kian was sitting in an armchair while Syssi and Amanda were on the couch. Both women smiled warmly, making her feel more at ease, and Syssi got to her feet, but Kian remained seated and looked even more imposing and unapproachable than the last time she'd seen him, which was at the wedding.

Jasmine swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry as sandpaper. But she forced herself to meet Kian's gaze and smile. "Good morning."

Syssi walked over to her and gave her a quick hug. "Can I offer you some coffee?"

"Yes, please. I would love some."

She had discarded the cup Edgar had made her in a trashcan by the elevators because it had been so sweet that it was undrinkable, and she desperately needed something to wet her throat.

"How about you, Edgar?" Syssi asked. "Would you like some coffee as well?"

"Thank you," he said. "If it's not too much trouble."

"It's not. Okidu will gladly make it. The simple pod machine we have here does not require any finesse."

That was kind of insulting to the poor butler. It was as if Syssi was implying that he was a simpleton and couldn't handle a more sophisticated coffeemaker.

Not that the guy seemed to care. With a wide grin and a bow to his mistress, he hurried into the tiny kitchen and got busy making coffee.

And what was the deal with him addressing everyone as master and mistress? What was this, the eighteenth century?

"Please, sit down next to me." Amanda waved Jasmine over.

Jaz cast a quick look at Edgar, who gave her a reassuring smile and headed toward the armchair next to Kian's.

When Jasmine sat down next to Amanda, Syssi sat on her other side. "I can't start my day without a good strong cup of coffee either, so I know how you feel." She smiled. "I'm sorry for the early wake-up call."

Jasmine didn't blush often, but she felt her cheeks heat up. "That's okay. Edgar and I just overslept. We stayed up very late last night at the wedding."

Amanda chuckled. "And I bet you didn't go to sleep right away."

"We didn't," Jasmine admitted with ease. She had nothing to hide or be embarrassed about.

When the butler returned with coffees for her and Edgar, the familiar aroma of the fresh brew and the ritual of stirring in the cream and sugar helped to ease some of the tension that was coiling in Jasmine's gut.

But the reprieve was short-lived.

"Amanda." Kian turned to his sister. "Do you want to do the honors? Out of the four of us, you are the best suited for the task."

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