~Jasmine~
I held my throbbing cheek in pain, too stunned to even move. The woman glared at me, her eyes filled with so much disgust. But as I looked closer at her, something clicked in my mind. I gasped, recognizing her. The woman standing in front of me was Logan’s mother, Isabella.
The uncanny resemblance was undeniable. Starting with the sharpness of her eyes, to the curve of her lips, and the fact that I had seen her photos in an album Logan kept in his room. But she looked slightly older from the photographs, the years of bitterness and hate written in the lines of her face.
Isabella’s voice dripped with ridicule. “This is a generous offer, Jasmine. Enough to set you up anywhere you want, far away from here. Take it and leave our lives for good.”
My eyes landed on the buyout check, and my jaw tightened. “You think you can buy me off? My worth isn’t measured in your money, Isabella. 

~Jasmine~
“What a pleasant surprise, brother,” Isabella remarked, her tone dripping with malice. “You're here to defend a woman who is clearly undeserving. What has she done to you? She has used her charms to bewitch you. Manipulating you into removing Logan as the CEO of Prime. What did Logan do to revoke the authority you gave him over that little fraction of Grand Prime?”
Maverick’s expression turned stern. “Enough of the hateful words, Bella. You should know better than to trifle with the will of the moon goddess. As for Logan, I can't compromise. He cannot be trusted for trying to lure me into being a party to his bad ways.”
“Know better? Can you even hear yourself, Maverick?” Isabella scoffed in disbelief. “You are the one blind to her schemes. Now she has come between you and us. She will destroy us; don't let her.”
“Isabella—” Alpha Maverick warned, but she cut him off.
“No, Mave

~Jasmine~
I stared at him wide-eyed as his name died on my lips. He approached me slowly, like a predator closing in on his prey. Instead of backing away like any sane person would, I held my head high, crossing my arms. “What do you want, Logan?”
“You? And my uncle? That is impossible, Jasmine. Why don’t you reject him, huh?” He came closer until I felt his hot breath fanning my face. His scent, which I once found comforting, now felt overwhelming. My wolf rejected his smell. Maybe it was because I had gotten a taste of my mate’s scent.
Grabbing my elbow softly, he spoke again, his voice soft this time. “What do you want, Jass? I have treated you so well and worshiped the ground you walked on. I gave you every damn thing you wanted. I provided for you without you having to lift a finger. I gave you the best, so why…” His voice cracked as he continued, “Why couldn’t you give me a second chance after one mistake?”
I scoffed, unable to believe what he was saying. Instead of apologizing and taking responsibility for his actions, he is making excuses to justify them.
“Please, Jass. I am willing to discard Samantha, and if going on my knees means being with you again, I would.”
Shaking my head in disgust, I pulled my arm from his grip. “If you remember, at the marking of our ceremony, betrayal was the dealbreaker. We gave each other our word, Logan, but what did you do? Instead, you chewed it up and spat it out. I don’t think anything can ever fix the trust you’ve broken between us.”
He opened his mouth to speak again, but I raised my hand to stop it by continuing, “I guess it all happened for the best since your mother always loathed me, calling me ‘bad luck’ and an ‘orphan without roots.’ Now, with me out of the picture, you can mend your bond with her while I carry my cursed fate alone, far from her precious son.”
A few months ago, I was willing to lay down my life for Logan. I would do anything to support him, but there is one thing I cannot forgive: cheating. I realize that things would only get worse from here on out. A cheater will never change, so I believed; if anything, they will become cleverer about hiding their infidelity from you.
He gulped hard, averting my gaze. Even though I had never regretted giving him my love and care, he had ruined our chances, way beyond repair.
“Look, Logan. I was happy, lived comfortably, and you never gave me a reason not to—not until you ruined it by stabbing me in the back. Now, I get to choose a different life for myself. One that doesn’t revolve around just marriage.”
His soft gaze immediately turned malicious, the warmth replaced by something sinister. “So, you want to go ahead with my uncle, right? Alpha Maverick is not an innocent man the way you think. If anything, you’re throwing yourself into the lion’s den. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Then his tone dropped even lower. “One day, I promise, you will come crawling back to me, and that day is not far off. And I will be looking forward to that.” With that, he stormed off.
I watched his broad, retreating figure as he left, but I called out, ignoring his words. “This house will be sold as soon as I can. You had better not have any valuables left here.”
He paused momentarily before walking away until he disappeared from sight.
“Yeah, I can't retain this house,” I murmured.
I let out a sigh I didn’t realize I’d been holding, his last words weighing heavily on my chest. Logan certainly knew about Alpha Maverick and what he was capable of. What if I was running from smoke into a full-blown fire?
A few moments later, I turned back to my wardrobe, packing my stuff, when my ears perked up. I heard footsteps—another presence in the house.
Turning around, my wolf snarled at Samantha, who walked in as if she owned the place, smirking with a wicked glint in her eyes. “Well, look who we have here. The mistress—oops, former mistress—of this house,” she sneered. “What are you here for, huh? Looking for your sugar daddy?”
Her presence grated on me, but I tried to keep my anger on a leash. If I didn’t, my wolf would take over and dismantle her.
“Why did you betray me, Samantha? I trusted you and placed you above everyone else. So why? And you did it without even considering how I would feel.” She scoffed as I slowly walked toward her, closing the distance between us, anger blazing in my eyes.
“Guess what, Jasmine? I enjoyed every bit of it.” She threw her head back in laughter before adding, “Do you have any idea how exhausting it was pretending to be friends with the most disgusting, vile person?”
I smacked my lips, unable to believe her venomous words. Then she screamed at the top of her lungs. “We were both damn orphans! So why you? Why did you get the better brain, the great husband, and the great life? Not anymore, Jasmine. I’ll win, and you’ll have to look up to me from now on.”
So this was it? Her reason for cheating with my husband all stemmed from her insecurity and jealousy. She couldn’t bear to see me succeed. I had taken Samantha as my sister, believing that if I won, it would be a victory for both of us.
I tried my best to hold us both together. While she was sleeping, I was up all night studying and working tirelessly while she seethed behind my back with envy. We both knew the struggles of growing up as orphans, and I couldn’t believe she let jealousy destroy us.
“Get the hell out, Samantha, before I do something I’ll regret!” I yelled, feeling my restraint snap. My eyes flickered between human and my wolf’s, and soon, my fangs began to emerge.
No, not now! I couldn’t let my wolf take over. No matter the circumstances, I couldn’t hurt Samantha, even if she had done it to me without a second thought.
“I said out! Now!” My voice dripped with menace, my wolf’s growls blending into it.
Samantha’s eyes widened in fear as she backed away, then turned and ran. I followed briskly, not stopping until she left the entrance door. I watched, seething as she scrambled into Logan’s car, and they left after she gave me one last look.
For a brief moment, I saw the glimpse of the orphaned, sweet girl I once knew.
After they sped away, I clutched my pounding head, straight to my room, and collapsed onto the bed. The energy it took to suppress my wolf had drained me.
“I tried to calm my racing heart as the room spun around me. Soon, I felt myself slipping into slumber.
*****
Morning came too quickly. I went downstairs to brew coffee, scrolling through my phone as I sat on the bar stool. Hissing in irritation, I deleted every post with Samantha or Logan.
I unfriended them on every platform. Once I’d finished my coffee and tossed the cup into the dishwasher, the mansion door swung open.
A stern, middle-aged woman I had never seen before stormed inside. I stared at her in stunned silence.
“Who are you—”
Before I could finish my sentence, she slapped me hard across my face and threw a check at me.
“Stay away from Maverick. I’m warning you.”
What the hell?

~Jasmine~
I held my throbbing cheek in pain, too stunned to even move. The woman glared at me, her eyes filled with so much disgust. But as I looked closer at her, something clicked in my mind. I gasped, recognizing her. The woman standing in front of me was Logan’s mother, Isabella.
The uncanny resemblance was undeniable. Starting with the sharpness of her eyes, to the curve of her lips, and the fact that I had seen her photos in an album Logan kept in his room. But she looked slightly older from the photographs, the years of bitterness and hate written in the lines of her face.
Isabella’s voice dripped with ridicule. “This is a generous offer, Jasmine. Enough to set you up anywhere you want, far away from here. Take it and leave our lives for good.”
My eyes landed on the buyout check, and my jaw tightened. “You think you can buy me off? My worth isn’t measured in your money, Isabella. Keep it; your son needs it more than I do.
“You ingrate,” she boomed, her voice vibrating with rage.

Chapter 8