I whipped out my phone and dialed her number.
"Don't go, Caroline."
On the other end, she let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"You won't let me go? Who are you to stop me?"
Silence stretched between us.
Before I could explain, before I could find the words, she spoke again. Her voice turned indifferent.
"I'll give you a chance. Have dinner with me on the night of December 9th."
"Convince me face-to-face. If your reasoning holds up, I'll stay."
"If you can't, I leave tonight."
I agreed without hesitation.
That night, I arrived at the hotel address she'd sent. The front desk informed me a private room had already been booked and directed me straight there.
I shoved the door open, breathless. Before I could take a step inside, someone slammed me viciously against the wall.
Jasmine McLaughlin stood there, draped in a designer gown, clinging to Landon Joyce. His eyes were bloodshot, fixing me with a glare of pure hatred.
"Daniel Joyce." Jasmine's voice dripped venom. "I told you. The day I regained my clarity, I would kill you with my own hands."
She stepped closer. "You ruined the purity between Landon and me. And now you have the audacity to seek revenge? You want his other leg broken?"