Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law novel Chapter 20

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Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Running Late

I yanked the scarf tighter around my neck, hoping it was enough to hide the hickeys Elliot had left behind. The bruises were still tender, and just brushing fabric over them made me wince. I bit down on the pain. I didn’t have time to fall apart. Not today.

I rushed up the long path to Gareth’s house, heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with my dream and everything to do with the mess reality kept shoving in my face. The guilt, the shame, the sting of Elliot’s words still clung to me like smoke.

“You thought rejecting me would end it?” he’d said last night, his voice low and cruel. “You’re tied to me, Jasmine. Every time he touches you, he’ll know you were mine first.”

Now I was here, on Gareth’s porch, forcing myself to push past it. ‘Focus.’

The butler spotted me the second I stepped through the front doors.

“Miss Jasmine,” he said briskly, walking over with a thick envelope. “You’re late.”

“I know. I’m sorry—”

He cut me off, handing over the envelope with a stiff nod. “These are Michelle’s assignments for the week. She’s behind in math, literature, and history. Don’t get too comfortable just because you made it through day one.”

I blinked at him, thrown off by his sudden coldness. “Uh... okay. Thanks. Is she already in the study?”

The butler shook his head, eyeing me in the way people do when they’ve already decided I was a lost cause. “She’s in her room. And no, she doesn’t want to come out.” ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

I swallowed and tried to smile, even though I felt like I’d just been slapped. “Got it. I’ll talk to her.”

His eyes narrowed. “They all start out confident, you know. Then they realize the girl’s not as sweet as she looks and quit by the end of the week.”

That explained a lot.

I didn’t let him see me flinch. Instead, I held my head high and walked past him with the envelope clutched tightly in my hands.

I reached Michelle’s bedroom door and gave it a soft knock. “Michelle? It’s me, Jasmine.”

No reply.

I knocked again, a little louder. “Hey... I know you’re probably not in the mood to study, but can we talk for a second?”

Silence.

I sighed, leaning my forehead against the door. “Listen, I get it. Trusting people sucks. And you don’t know me. But I’m not here to make your life harder. I’m here because I want to help.”

Still nothing. No creak of the bed. No footstep. Not even a fake cough to pretend she didn’t want to talk.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll wait here but I’m not giving up.”

I turned slowly, trying not to feel like I was being crushed. But I was. Emotionally, I was drowning.

I clutched the scarf at my neck and breathed through the rising burn in my throat. I kept thinking about Gareth—the way his voice had sounded in my dream. Safe. Warm.

His mark felt like love.

Elliot’s... felt like a curse.

As I leaned against the wall, my phone vibrated. A message.

Elliot: Don’t forget who owns you, Jasmine. Or should I drop by tonight to remind you?

I stared at the screen, stomach twisting. I saw red. This guy was a monster.

+++

Butler’s Jones POV

The butler stood at the bottom of the stairs, arms folded stiffly across his chest as he watched Jasmine retreat, her shoulders just a little too hunched, her walk just a little too unsure.

He frowned.

Elliot was right, he thought grimly. She doesn’t have what it takes.

He hadn’t planned on judging her so harshly. Honestly, when Mr. Laken hired her, the butler had hoped—for Michelle’s sake—that maybe this time would be different. Maybe the girl who looked smart might actually last longer than a week.

But that hope cracked the moment the butler welcomed Elliot into the study earlier that morning.

“I just thought you should know who you’re dealing with,” Elliot said in a low voice, leaning in slightly like he was sharing something confidential. “Look, I’m not here to badmouth anyone, but I’m telling you this because I’m worried about Michelle.”

The butler paused, narrowing his eyes. “What do you mean, Mr. Grayson?”

Elliot sighed, as if reluctant. “Jasmine Lowett might be a bad influence on her. I know she seems very charming and hard-working at first, but when I researched her background, I found there were a lot of other... issues.”

Butler Jones frowned. “If this is about her father’s imprisonment, I see no reason to worry. Children should not be punished for their parent’s sins.”