Bought For A Baby, Kept For A Lifetime-Chapter 32: How Dare She?

It took a long time before Jasmine’s tears stopped.

The latter went into the bathroom for a few minutes, and by the time she emerged, the only trace of crying on her face was her swollen eyes. She had conjured her well-convincing smile once more.

Anne gave her a knowing look after seeing her familiar mask once more.

Jasmine chuckled nervously, "I had a lot of stuff on my mind, that’s why I..."

"And you’re not going to tell me why you just cried your eyes out, am I right?" Anne said, folding her arms on her chest.

Getting Jasmine to speak of her deepest pains had always been a near-impossible task. Hence, Anne knew this time might not be too different from the other times.

She was the kind of person who would have to be hanging at the very edge of the cliff before she would ask for help. Anne wasn’t too different in that aspect; hence, the two of them connected well back then.

"I..." Jasmine began, her light blue eyes darting thoughtfully, "I’ll tell you everything," she decided firmly.

That firm decision took Anne aback for a bit; she hadn’t expected it.

Before they knew it, they were seated on the only furniture provided in the spacious space of the apartment.

Anne waited patiently for Jasmine to speak whenever she was ready.

Time flew by slowly, and during the span of time Anne listened to Jasmine’s story, her expression changed from warm sympathy, as she’d hold Jasmine’s hand, to a frightened revulsion, to having tears pouring down her face.

She thought she was in the lowest place in her life, but what happened to Jasmine...

Her heart hurt badly in her chest for the bright, warm girl who was broken by the people in her life.

==========

Friday morning, Anne hurried into the company building. Since she woke up this morning, her mind had been dazed when she realized the day of the week.

You are to show up here every Friday until you’re confirmed pregnant. Otherwise, I don’t want to see you anywhere near my property. Is that understood?

She remembered the thick, harsh voice of the man, and a shiver coursed through her.

She was to go to the manor every Friday for mating.

Heat suddenly trailed up her neck at the thought, but she refused to allow memories of the previous time to plague her.

Her first time—that tended to appear in her dreams and even sprang up for no reason in her subconscious while she was busy working or doing other daily necessities—continued to return to her like an old movie in her head.

Anne shook her head as if that would help her push everything out while walking hastily. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

By a stroke of coincidence, Andrew—who had spent all night in his office working since his insomnia was back with full force—was walking from the same direction Anne was walking toward.

For just one night, he’d gained a well-needed sleep, but that stroke of luck had vanished the very next night as if whatever elixir that had lulled him to sleep was suddenly missing.

Shawn was plaguing his days and nights with questions about what changes he’d made to be able to sleep that night. Andrew knew what change it was. He knew it so well in the form of a vivid memory, a lingering fragrance, and a constant image in his mind. But of course, he wouldn’t tell Shawn about it. The damn bastard would never let him hear the end of his silly sermons that would most likely go exactly like this:

"Women are the light of this world, my dear friend. I don’t understand why you have so much hatred in your heart for them. Someday, when someone makes her way into your heart..."

Andrew had no idea how that sentence would be ended, because he would always cut Shawn off at that particular part with a cold reply of,

"That will never happen."

His heart was stone-cold, sealed in a tight cage. He had every control over his own feelings. Unlike Shawn, who allowed a woman to take his precious time and mind, he—Andrew—knew how to utilize the power of his mind in his best interest. Of course, that was why he was the man he was today. He was proud of his achievements, and unabashedly he would tell silly men like Shawn—who carried the thing called love like a religion—that if they could build their discipline half as much as he had, maybe they also would...

His thoughts came to a screeching halt when the air brought over a very familiar fragrance that instantly made his pulse beat faster.

His eyes immediately raised to scan his surroundings, and there she was—coming right toward him.

He gritted his teeth at the familiar stirring feeling in his body.

Why did she always look like the moon, shining radiantly in a clear, dark sky? There were clearly a number of people around, but they all seemed to fade, and only she stood out. He couldn’t help himself but notice every single thing about her.

Her hair—long, beautiful, and brown. Her eyes... they were undoubtedly like the blasted sunset. Her lips... he’d already noticed them before he could keep his rigid control over his mind. They looked really soft, and he damn well knew what they tasted like.

They tasted like the sweetest, purest addiction. And in this moment, his mind spiraled.

Had anyone else kissed her before?

Had that person also felt this uncontrollable sense of addiction and desire to kiss her again and again?

His riveting emotions churned into anger. A kind of rage that caused him to feel a strong urge to smash his fist into someone’s face—specifically anyone who had ever had the chance of kissing those very lips he’d kissed seven days ago.

The urge was powerful enough to make him want to grab an innocent nerd that walked past him and send the ceaseless rage he felt onto his damn face. The said nerd took one look into Andrew’s stormy eyes and shivered as a strange cold feeling ran up his spine. He lowered his head and muttered an incoherent greeting to the man before scrambling away.

Anne hadn’t noticed the person ahead of her. She was lost in her own thoughts when she felt the familiar coldness that always descended upon her whenever she was in the presence of a certain man who despised her for no apparent reason.

Her legs came to an instant halt, and even before she raised her head to look, she felt this person’s powerful presence. She slowly lifted her head and sure enough, he was there.

Eyes like the craziest storm that could swallow one whole and drown them in infinite darkness.

Her nerves instantly rose, cold fear running down her spine.

This man—just a look from him could make one so frightened.

Don’t let me ever see you again.

Anne remembered his words from the last time.

It wasn’t her fault that they happened to see each other, but she was sure when he would unleash his anger on her, he surely wouldn’t listen to her explain that seeing him was just a coincidence.

So instead of hearing another rage-filled word from him, Anne turned on her heels instantly. Without even wasting a single second, she began to walk hurriedly in the other direction until she completely disappeared from that particular hallway.

Andrew witnessed how the girl ran away from him as if she’d encountered a plague she must escape from.

Instead of feeling relief that she was out of his sight, annoyance built up within him.

How dare she turn her back to him when he was standing right in front of her?

Who gave her the right to walk away from him without his permission?

Andrew began to walk forward, but even after reaching the end of that hallway, he didn’t find her.

The image of her eyes—wide and scared as she sighted him and instantly turned around—kept replaying in his mind, further mounting the anger he was feeling.