CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY – BALANCING ACT

As Jasmine hurried to get dressed, Marco stirred beside her. "What's going on?" he mumbled, still half-asleep. "Legal trouble at the studio. I have to go," she replied, already heading for the door. Marco sat up, suddenly alert. "Wait, what? Jasmine, we were supposed to have breakfast with my parents today. It's my father's remembrance, remember?" Jasmine froze, her hand on the doorknob. She'd completely forgotten. "I'm sorry, Marco. This is an emergency. I'll make it up to you, I promise." She saw the disappointment and frustration flash across Marco's face before he masked it. "Fine. Go." The weight of his unspoken words hung heavy in the air as Jasmine left, adding to the burden of worry she already carried. At David's office, Jasmine pored over the lawsuit documents, her frustration growing with each page. "This is absurd," she fumed. "Our urban art exhibition was a celebration of diverse local artists. How can they claim we're copying their 'style'?" David leaned back in h