STEPHAN
I seriously don't know how she does it. No matter what Jasmine does to me, no matter how deeply she hurts me, the moment I look at her, this weak feeling always creeps in. There is always that invisible bond pulling me toward her, even when my mind screams to stay away.
I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her again. It had been so long since she had let me hold her like this. Only when I embraced her right now did I realize how much I truly couldn't live without her. Being with her was driving me insane.
I couldn't help but wonder why she had suddenly started wearing my clothes ever since she woke up from the coma.
She kept raiding my wardrobe, scattering my things, and walking around in my hoodies and joggers. As much as it pleased me to see her in my outfit, the silent message was sent to the world that she belonged to me, especially Henry. I still couldn't stop questioning why she did it.
"St… Stephan…" she called, sounding a little shocked. She glanced back at Mr. Philip, then up at me. "That was too harsh. Do you know how hard he worked to reach that position?"
She whispered the words urgently, almost yelling in a hushed tone.
"He was only mad at me because I beat up Henry. He just crossed the line."
I stared at her like she had grown a second head. Did she pity the man I had fired for insulting her?
I remembered how the old Jasmine used to scream at me to fire any worker who spoke rudely to her, and how I would do it instantly because I never wanted to see her angry.
"Really?" I asked.
"Miss. Maxwell… I…" Philip started.
"I am Mrs. Maxwell!" she snapped back at him.
He swallowed hard. "I am sorry, Mrs. Maxwell. It won't happen again. I will never cross my limit again."
She sighed, moved toward him, and pulled him up from his knees at once, as if there was no single struggle in how she had just done it. I was stunned again by how strong she had become lately.
"You shouldn't kneel to someone you are older than," she said gently leaving me stunned again, when did she begin to give advice?
"Well, Mr. Philip, I forgive you for what you said, but you will have to do something for me in return,"
I smirked. Of course, she wasn't that nice. There was always a condition.
"Yes, Mrs. Maxwell. I will do anything," Philip said, glancing nervously at me then back at her.
"I want to take my education seriously, and you are the best person to guide me through it." She grabbed his arm lightly, a small smile appearing on her face. "You know my past performance records. Tell me my weaknesses and help me fix them."
That was when the jealousy hit me hard, the heck is she talking about her education?
The way she touched his arm so casually, the way she smiled at him while asking for help stirred something ugly in my chest. She was chatting with him so easily, laughing softly, treating him like an old friend.
The old Jasmine would have demanded I fire anyone who looked at her wrong. Now she was being kind to the very man who had just insulted her.
I couldn't stand it and stepped forward gently pulling her away from him, my hand firm on her waist.
"Talk without touching him," I said, my voice coming out harsher than I intended.
She looked at me, surprised, then back at Philip. "So… you will have to give me an hour of your time every day to help me with my problems. Deal?"
Mr. Philip glanced at me, swallowed hard, and finally nodded.
"Good." She patted his arm lightly one last time, making him offer a small, relieved smile.
The sight of her hand on his arm again sent another wave of jealousy through me making me clench my jaw.
"Stephan, since we are done here, we can leave," she said brightly.
I stared at her with a grim expression. How had she noticed I was annoyed by the way she was suddenly laughing and chatting with someone else? She always notices everything now.
"You beat up Henry," I reminded her, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's not something easily overlooked, and he is my brother. There are some things I need to straighten out. Excuse us for a moment."
She stared at me for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Oh… about that. He kept provoking me, demanding I bring a project I didn't even know existed."
I stared at her, momentarily speechless. "You don't know about the project?" She nodded. I stayed quiet, processing.
"Stephan? Is anything wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.
I shook my head. "I just need to talk with him." I gestured toward Mr. Philip. "You should wait outside."
She shrugged again and walked out, but not before giving Philip one last friendly wave. That small gesture twisted the jealousy deeper in my gut.
"Mr. Maxwell…" Philip almost dropped to his knees again, but I walked past him and took a seat behind the desk.
"I still don't understand why you spoke to my wife that way, but she isn't angry at you anymore," I said, watching him carefully. "However…"
I paused, letting the silence stretch.
"I want you to drop any pursuit of the matter regarding her hurting Henry or his friends. He is my brother, after all. It was just a family matter that happened to occur in public."
Philip stood mute, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Help her exactly as she asked. Guide her so she can graduate this year. I know your wife is having complications with her pregnancy right now."
His head snapped up in shock. "H-how did you know?"
I smirked. "I settled everything before coming here. You have been making Henry the top student, and with your help, everything runs smoothly. This is the least I can do."
I stood up and walked toward the door.
"Thank you so much, sir," Philip said, voice trembling. "I promise to do my best. I will not make you regret helping me." This made me stop at the door, hand on the knob.
"I want you to keep a strictly professional teaching relationship with her," I said without turning around. "No unnecessary touching. Control her if she gets too friendly. I might not be this merciful next time."
With that, I walked out.
Jasmine was sitting on a long bench outside the office, scrolling through her phone. She looked up when she heard my footsteps, a small smile forming on her lips.
I felt that familiar pull again the one that made me weak every single time.