Chapter 2 Playing Hard to Get

Bruce walked in slowly, his expression dark and unreadable. His sharp gaze swept over the wide bed, lingering for a moment on the bloodstained sheets that bore the telltale marks of what had happened-crimson stains like scattered plum blossoms. His brows furrowed gradually as he took it all in.

For a long time, the room was silent.

Jasmine, her face covered in tears, finally lifted her head. Her delicate features were swollen beyond recognition, her puffy cheeks squeezing her once-beautiful eyes into narrow slits.

Bruce looked at her disfigured face, and the storm churning behind his eyes was almost audible-like thunder ready to explode. His fury was beyond words. He opened his mouth, but good upbringing kept him from speaking his mind.

In the end, he said nothing. He rubbed his forehead, pressed his lips into a tight line, and forced himself to calm down.

After a long silence, he finally spoke in a flat, emotionless voice. "...I'm sorry."

Jasmine's tears fell like a broken string of pearls-endless and unstoppable. Her entire body trembled like a leaf in the wind.

When she heard his apology, she gave him a look of unbearable humiliation and rage, then suddenly wrapped her arms around herself and bolted out of his home.

When it came to crying... Jasmine felt she could qualify as a veteran stage actress.

She ran down the stairs of Bruce's apartment building in tears, and only after she got into a taxi did she wipe her face clean, her expression going blank.

She quickly called Felix Wright and told him she needed to hide out at his place for a couple of days, asking him to clear a room for her.

When she arrived at his apartment, Felix was lounging in a massage chair by the window, playing on his phone.

He glanced sideways at her bruised, disheveled, half-dressed appearance and muttered, "Don't tell me you got into some kinky stuff. Did he pay extra for BDSM? How much did you make from that session?"

Jasmine shot him a look and said nothing. She just headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Wrapped in a towel, she came out looking utterly exhausted. She flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally speaking. "Felix, are you being kept by some rich cougar lately? Her husband-is he a media mogul or something?"

Felix replied lazily, "What kind of shady idea are you scheming now?"

Jasmine smirked faintly. "Scandal. Publicity stunt. I want the media to tear me apart-make it look like I'm the villain. Let the trolls flood me with hate, push me to the edge. The more tragic, the better."

Felix pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. "I don't know what exactly you're planning, but don't take it too far. Don't destroy yourself in the process."

He got up and stepped out onto the balcony to make a call, sliding the glass door shut behind him.

A short while later, he came back into the living room and said, "Alright, I've arranged it. I'll send you a number in a bit. Whatever you wanna do, just talk to that person. Make sure to cover your tracks. Go anonymous. Don't let this come back to you."

******

By noon the next day, gossip about Bruce spending the night with a mysterious woman had taken over every major news site in the country. The story dominated the top spot on Twitter's trending list.

After all, Bruce-the heir to Wood International Group, a wildly successful multinational corporation-was famously low-profile. He had never appeared in the public eye. Most of the rumors about him were just speculation. People said he was drop-dead handsome, on par with the nation's most popular male celebrities, but with a personality that was reserved and elusive. He always wore a cap when out in public, and no one had ever seen his full face.

Yet this time, someone had actually caught footage of him bringing an unknown woman home.

Although his face hadn't been clearly captured, his home address had been leaked-and worse, the woman's face had been fully exposed.

She had a sweet, innocent look. Petite and delicate, the two were seen walking into an upscale apartment in Blue Sea Bay, arms wrapped around each other.

This kind of explosive gossip completely flooded Twitter, cycling through nonstop and dominating the headlines.

Online, the public was ruthless toward the woman-insults poured in from every direction.

First, people dug up that she had debuted as a young model. Then came claims that she was a social media influencer who shamelessly clung to rich men. Next, someone exposed that she had worked as a high-end escort. And if that wasn't enough, another bombshell dropped: she was a senior at HD University, and her name was Jasmine White. Even her hometown and place of birth were leaked.

The whole the capital went up in flames. HD University exploded. The business world was in shock. Even the entertainment industry was rattled.

Professors and the university president all called Jasmine in a panic. Her classmates who knew the truth were worried sick and practically blew up her phone. WhatsApp, Facebook, text messages-every platform was full of messages checking in on her.

Jasmine stood in Felix's apartment wearing a white fitted top and black leggings. Her long, golden hair was tied up high, and she faced the sunshine streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sunlight that day was soft and golden, casting a warm glow. She raised both arms above her head, standing on one leg, her slender back forming a graceful curve. Her figure was delicate and shapely, like a butterfly with wings spread high, ready to take flight. She had been holding this yoga pose for quite a while-yoga was all about patience and control.

The phone tossed on the sofa had been ringing non-stop since the scandal broke. It hadn't stopped once. The caller ID kept flashing with names-her professor, the university president, Nicola, and even Darlene.

Jasmine remained silent, eyes closed, meditating and staying calm. Only when Felix returned home did she finally lower her arms, exhaled slowly, and completed the finishing movements. Then she walked over to the sofa, picked up her phone, and saw that Darlene was calling again. Without a hint of emotion, she turned the phone off, cutting herself off from the outside world.

She had lunch with Felix-takeout-then asked him for his phone. Lying on the couch, she scrolled through Twitter's trending topics on his screen. The whole internet was coming after her, roasting her, smearing her name. Perfect. Just the effect she wanted.

Felix, dressed in a black T-shirt, loud floral shorts, and flip-flops, sat at the other end of the couch, playing games on his iPad.

"This whole thing's getting pretty loud," he said casually. "What exactly are you trying to pull?"

Jasmine stared at the nine-tile collage of paparazzi photos trending on Twitter. Her face was crystal clear in the images, while Bruce's side profile was barely visible. These were surveillance stills she had instructed the paparazzi to retrieve from the high-end apartment at Blue Sea Bay. Not bad-they made her look good.

Once she confirmed that the entire internet was calling her every name in the book, she said calmly, "I slept with Bruce. I'm not letting this man go."

Felix didn't even raise an eyebrow-he was used to this by now. "That's the filthy rich guy you've been telling me about? Isn't he your bestie's man? You sure about this?"

Jasmine zoomed in on Bruce's photo, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Yeah. He's the one."

Felix shot her a sideways glance. "Oh, you mean that Bruce? The one who dated Darlene for ten years and still never got in bed with her? The once-in-a-century, impossibly handsome, rich, and still-a-virgin golden boy?"

"Exactly. Darlene trained him too well. He's responsible, dependable, and-most importantly-filthy rich. Darlene said they'd been together since they were kids, and she always planned to save her virginity for their wedding night. Bruce stayed pure for her too. A man like that, with both morals and self-control-he's the ultimate target."

"Oh? You think you can squeeze money out of him?" Felix's long, slender index finger danced swiftly across his iPad screen as he spoke to Jasmine, all while directing his in-game team to hold the crystal base.