The mirrors inside the private fitting suite reflected rows of shimmering gowns, each one more breathtaking than the last.
Jasmine stood quietly before the full-length mirror, still wearing the satin mermaid wedding dress.
She hardly recognized the woman staring back at her.
The elegant satin hugged her figure perfectly, while the soft train pooled around her feet like flowing moonlight. Her cheeks remained faintly pink from Leonardo’s whispered compliment only moments earlier.
“My wife is so beautiful. Even more beautiful than an angel.”
The words replayed in her mind against her will. She pressed her lips together.
“It’s only a contract.” She whispered the reminder to herself as though saying it aloud might calm the strange flutter in her chest.
Does he have to be so...she honestly didn’t know how to describe it at this point.
Outside the fitting room, Leonardo’s phone vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID.
Marcel Ortega.
Without disturbing Jasmine, he quietly stepped out of the boutique’s private fitting area and into the corridor.
The moment the call connected, Marcel’s lazy voice drifted through the speaker.
“So...I assume you were serious.”
Leonardo stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Ring.
“What do you mean?”
“I meant serious about stealing Star Entertainment from me.”
Leonardo replied calmly, “I’m not stealing it, I’m buying it, punk.”
Marcel laughed. “You really know how to ruin a man’s mood. I’d already spent weeks negotiating with other people. And then you casually decide you want it.”
Leonardo remained silent.
Marcel sighed dramatically. “I’ve already had Legal prepare the paperwork. The ownership transfer will be processed immediately. By tomorrow, Star Entertainment will officially belong to you.”
Leonardo’s expression remained unchanged. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Marcel chuckled. “There’s one more thing.”
Leonardo waited.
“My brother owns a small percentage of Star. A nominal shareholder. He insisted on buying shares years ago. I never bothered taking them back.”
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So technically...”
Marcel continued, “He’d still be hanging around the company. If you find him useful, keep him. If you don’t...” His tone became completely indifferent.
Leonardo answered without hesitation. “I understand.”
Marcel laughed. “See? That’s exactly why I like doing business with you. No unnecessary sentiment.”
Leonardo looked through the glass toward the fitting rooms. His voice remained even.
“I’ll give you something.”
“Hm?”
“The racetrack.”
Marcel blinked. “What racetrack?”
“The one I purchased last month.”
“You wanted it.”
Several seconds passed before Marcel finally spoke. “You’re giving it to me?”
“As thanks, yeah.”
Marcel almost laughed in disbelief. He felt that offer was too much for Star entertainment.
“Leonardo...You really know how to make people feel guilty. I’ve been trying to buy that racetrack for almost a year.”
Leonardo simply replied, “It’s yours now.”
Before Marcel could say anything else, Leonardo ended the call.
Almost immediately, his phone rang.
It was Bruno.
Leonardo answered. “Talk to me.”
His expression remained calm as he listened to the report from the other end.
He spoke only a few brief sentences. “I know.”
“Handle it.”
“I’ll return later.”
The call ended almost as quickly as it had begun.
Leonardo slipped the phone back into his pocket before turning toward the fitting area once more.
***********
Meanwhile, Jasmine had changed out of the wedding gown and into one of the boutique’s elegant sample dresses while Vera arranged alterations for the remaining outfits.
The dress she’d chosen to wear while waiting was simple compared to the bridal gowns, yet it still looked graceful against her slender figure.
She wandered quietly into the corridor outside the fitting rooms, absentmindedly smoothing the wrinkles from the skirt.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Leonardo.
He had prepared thirty-six custom-made dresses...
Simply because they suited her. He had looked at her as though she were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
The thought made her ears warm again.
She lowered her head, trying to compose herself. Without looking where she was going, she bumped into someone.
“Oh!” Jasmine immediately stepped backward. “I’m so sor...” Her apology stopped halfway.
Standing before her was a familiar woman dressed in an expensive designer outfit.
Carla Hughes.
One of Jasmine’s university classmates. Carla’s eyes widened briefly before curving into a smug smile. “Well...What a coincidence.”
Jasmine forced a polite smile. “Carla.”
Standing beside Carla was a handsome man in his early thirties wearing a tailored navy suit.
His posture was elegant. His expression carried quiet confidence.
Carla naturally slipped her arm through his. “Oh, you probably don’t know him.” She smiled proudly. “This is my fiancé. Gael Morrison. The Music Director at Star Entertainment.”
Jasmine politely nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
Gael returned a courteous smile. “You too.”
Behind them stood several other former university classmates. The moment they recognized Jasmine, whispers immediately began spreading through the group.
“Isn’t that Jasmine?”
“I heard she disappeared after graduation.”
“Didn’t she struggle finding work?”
Carla obviously heard every word. The corners of her lips lifted slightly. She looked Jasmine up and down. “So what’s brings you here? Where do you work now?”
Jasmine answered honestly. “I just had an interview today.”
“Really?” Carla raised an eyebrow. “At where?”
“Star Entertainment.” Jasmine replied.
Carla exchanged an amused glance with Gael before letting out a soft laugh.
“You know...” She leaned in slightly. “It’s actually very difficult to enter Star. There are hundreds of applicants every month.”
One of the classmates chimed in. “Especially the music department. They hardly recruit newbies.”
Carla smiled even wider. “Fortunately...” She affectionately squeezed Gael’s arm. “My fiancé happens to be the Music Director.”
There was obvious pride in her voice.
Several classmates immediately offered congratulations.
“So impressive.”
“Music Director already?”
“No wonder he spoils Carla silly.”
Carla accepted every compliment with satisfaction.
Then she looked back at Jasmine. “If you’re worried, I can help.”
Jasmine blinked. “Help?”
Carla nodded generously. “I’ll ask Gael to put your résumé through the back door.”
She smiled as though offering tremendous charity. “With one word from him, you’ll probably get hired.”
The surrounding classmates looked at Jasmine with mixed expressions.
Some sympathetic.
Some envious.
Others simply curious.
Jasmine smiled gently. “Thank you but there’s no need.”
Carla looked surprised. “No need?”
“I’ve already been hired.”
That surprised the others. Even Gael looked slightly taken aback.
“You have?”
Jasmine nodded. “I start tomorrow.”
For a brief second, surprise flickered across Carla’s face. Then she forced another smile.
“Oh...that’s wonderful.”
Although, her tone sounded anything but pleased before the awkward silence could continue, footsteps approached from the other end of the corridor.
Bruno walked steadily toward Jasmine. His black suit remained perfectly pressed as always.
Seeing him approach, Jasmine instinctively smiled.
Bruno stopped respectfully before her. “Mrs...”
He caught himself almost immediately. Jasmine’s face hadn’t been shown to the world as Leonardo’s wife yet.
“Miss...Mr. Madrigal asked me to inform you that he’ll be back shortly.”
Jasmine nodded. “Thank you, Bruno.”
Bruno gave a respectful nod before preparing to leave.
Unfortunately, Carla had already misunderstood everything. She looked Bruno over from head to toe before letting out a small laugh.
“Oh...So this is your fiancé?”
The corridor suddenly became very quiet.
Jasmine blinked. “What?”
Carla smiled apologetically. “I didn’t mean any offense. I just...didn’t expect him to be a chauffeur.” She glanced at Bruno again.
One of the classmates covered a laugh.
Another awkwardly looked away.
Carla continued speaking in a tone dripping with false sympathy. “Although there’s nothing wrong with jobs like these. As long as he treats you well I guess.”
Several people shifted uncomfortably.
Even Gael frowned slightly at Carla’s unnecessary remark.
Bruno remained perfectly expressionless.
Years of serving Leonardo had made him immune to casual insults.
He simply stood quietly, awaiting Jasmine’s response.
Jasmine opened her mouth to explain then stopped. There was no point.
She couldn’t exactly announce that Bruno wasn’t her fiancé but the personal assistant to her husband.
Nor could she reveal that her husband was Leonardo Madrigal. So she simply smiled politely.
“You’ve misunderstood.”
Carla interpreted the answer exactly as she wished. She gave Jasmine an understanding smile, the kind reserved for someone she believed had settled for less in life.
“I understand. Everyone has their own circumstances.”
Jasmine merely nodded, choosing not to argue.
From the far end of the corridor, unseen by the group, Leonardo had just returned.
He stopped walking the moment he noticed Jasmine surrounded by her former classmates.
His dark eyes settled on the scene before him. Then he heard Carla’s words.
“Even if your fiancé is only a chauffeur, it’s still better than being alone. You’ve always been a loner in school. We used to wonder if you’d ever date or marry anyone. I guess you finally settled for this. It’s not exactly shocking.”
A dangerous silence settled over Leonardo’s expression.
Without a word, he began walking toward them.