CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE – STRIKE A BALANCE

After everyone had left, Jasmine sank into a chair, exhausted. She glanced at her phone, seeing Konan's text again. With a sigh, she typed out a response: "Sorry, can't tonight. Raincheck?" She hit send before she could second-guess herself. She had enough on her plate without adding complicated romantic entanglements to the mix. The next morning, the atmosphere in the studio was tense as the Lima Five gathered for their meeting. Jasmine had arrived early, setting up chairs in a circle and preparing coffee for everyone. As her friends trickled in, she could see the strain on their faces, the weight of unspoken words and bottled-up emotions. Once everyone was seated, Jasmine took a deep breath. "Okay, let's start by laying all our cards on the table. We're here because we share a dream, but that dream is starting to feel more like a nightmare. We need to address our issues honestly if we want to move forward." Marty was the first to speak up. "I'll be blunt. We're in trouble financia