Married for the Prince's Convenience

Jasmine had been in enough fights to know which ones she stood a chance in and which ones were hopeless.

Joaquin’s eyes glittered as he perused the sheets, before rolling up the document.

‘Thank you, Miss Nichols. I think this concludes our business together.’ He started to turn away.

Sick with self-loathing, she stepped forward. ‘Wait! Please tell me you’ll return the treaty to Prince Reyes before tomorrow?’

‘You don’t need to trouble yourself about that,’ Joaquin answered. ‘I’ll make sure it reaches the right hands.’

Sweat coated her palms. ‘But if the document isn’t returned tonight, Rey...the prince will know I stole it.’

‘And what does that matter? It’s highly unlikely you and the prince will ever cross paths again, is it not? Besides, going on past experience, I wouldn’t have imagined you would be bothered by something as trivial as your reputation,’ he scoffed.

‘I’m not that person any more. I’ve turned my life around.’

‘So you say. But once a thief, always a thief. You reverted to type quite easily.’

Pain frayed the outer edges of her heart. Holding her head high, she stood her ground. ‘I don’t need to prove myself to you.’ Anxiety churned through her stomach. ‘What about Stephen?’

‘He’ll be home for breakfast. Goodbye, Miss Nichols.’ He walked out of the room.

Jasmine wanted to chase after him, rip the document from his hands.

As if guessing her intentions, the bodyguard cleared his throat.

Jasmine didn’t flinch. She’d dealt with brutes like him before, taken down one or two, even. But she knew she wouldn’t win this battle. She’d been damned from the very start.

Nevertheless, the enormity of what she’d done settled like a heavy mantle on her shoulders. Ice flowed through her veins as she clenched her fists.

‘Taxi?’ the bodyguard snarled.

‘No, thank you. I’ll find my own way.’

The first rays of dawn slashed across the sky as Jasmine returned to her hotel. With disjointed movements, she wheeled her suitcase out of the closet and stuffed her belongings into it. Forcing herself not to think, not to feel, she undressed and entered the shower.