Chapter 10

Melina immediately pushed the door open and rushed in, interrupting Neville's conversation with Drake. She couldn't let Jasmine go on that business trip.

"Nev, you're back?" Melina quickly adjusted her expression, gazing at Neville seductively as she swayed toward him.

Drake was so uncomfortable he didn't know where to look. He could only lower his eyes silently and stare at the carpet.

Having his conversation suddenly interrupted, Neville was quite displeased. He frowned at her. "What is it?"

Melina glanced at Drake and, assuming the mistress of the house's authority, ordered, "Um... Drake, is it? You can leave now. Nev and I have things to discuss."

Drake merely gave her a brief glance, then looked toward Neville.

He'd clearly heard Melina's command but didn't follow it. Instead, he was waiting for Neville's instructions.

Obviously, in his mind, he hadn't truly recognized Melina's position yet.

Melina naturally noticed this too. She clenched her fists, resentfully gritting her teeth, and where Neville couldn't see, she glared viciously at Drake.

Someday, she'd make everyone treat her with respect.

Melina swore to herself internally, though her face maintained its coquettish facade.

Neville furrowed his brow and thought for a few seconds. Seeing Melina stubbornly refusing to leave and assuming she actually had something important to say, he gave Drake a look, dismissing him.

Drake immediately withdrew, closing the door on his way out.

"Speak. What is it." Neville leaned back in his chair, frowning as he stared coldly at Melina.

Melina swayed over and stood behind Neville. Her palm covered his shoulder and began massaging gently. She giggled coquettishly, "Nev, you work so hard. Let me take care of you~"

"No need."

The moment Melina's hand was about to make contact, Neville immediately dodged, leaving her awkwardly suspended in midair.

That instinctive reaction spoke volumes about his aversion.

So disgusted by her, yet full of praise for that cursed Jasmine!

Melina bit her lower lip lightly. A fierce sense of injustice rose in her heart. She moved in front of Neville, her eyes brimming with tears as she asked, "Nev, you don't even like me, do you? Otherwise why would you bring me back here but never touch me once!"

"I heard you just now, praising Jasmine. Are you in love with her?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Neville's gaze instantly turned icy. His eyes seemed covered with a layer of frost.

He looked up at Melina and warned in a low voice, "Don't overstep. This isn't your concern."

Melina's entire body stiffened. Frightened by Neville's sudden shift, it felt like all the blood in her body had turned cold. Her lips trembled, not daring to say another word.

She decided to play it safe for now, stay by Neville's side, and squeeze as much money out of this situation as possible.

She never wanted to return to that poor, pinched life of constantly watching others' faces again.

Melina mumbled an agreement, gave Neville an ingratiating smile, and slunk out of the room dejectedly.

Having gotten rid of that foolish woman, Neville leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, yet his mind kept replaying Melina's earlier accusation.

Jasmine's image surfaced along with it—both her plain appearance with thick bangs and black-rimmed glasses, and that stunning moment when she'd shed her disguise and appeared breathtakingly beautiful.

There were other moments too: sitting at the workstation beside him sneaking breaks, studying seriously when he instructed her, stealing glances at him miserably when working late on an empty stomach...

Various scenes flooded his mind. Just Jasmine's name alone conjured up so many memories.

This seemed to be the first time he'd remembered the details of his interactions with another person so clearly—so vividly it was as if Jasmine were right beside him, that crisp, alluring iris flower scent ready to tug at his heartstrings at any moment.

Could he actually have feelings for Jasmine?

Neville's eyes snapped open. Frowning, he returned to his study.

Seeing the proposal Jasmine had submitted on his desk, he picked it up and looked through it again, his eyes showing appreciation.

A young intern who'd barely been working long could produce such a flawless proposal—Jasmine's talent exceeded his expectations.

Even with his guidance throughout the process, Jasmine's abilities and perseverance remained undeniable.

From a professional standpoint, this woman was truly an excellent assistant, with enormous potential waiting to be developed.

But still...

Neville quietly flipped through the documents, uncharacteristically caught in internal conflict.

Since their unpleasant falling out, Melina had blocked her. Jasmine had no way to contact her and had tried every method to no avail.

She could only discuss with Simon investigating this mysterious rich boyfriend. Simon advised her to stay calm, not rush, and take it slow.

Jasmine knew she couldn't force it. Melina was dead set on cutting ties with them now, obsessed with her boyfriend. No amount of persuasion would work—it would only make her more resentful and annoyed.

Jasmine had no choice but to keep strategizing with Simon while throwing herself into her daily work.

However, this time her work situation was different from before.

She was still Neville's personal secretary, but he no longer had her stay to work. She barely even saw his face anymore. Drake was now handling all her assignments.

Jasmine was confused. Why did it seem like Neville was avoiding her?

Had something actually happened between them at the hotel that time?

Otherwise, why would Neville suddenly start avoiding her? He didn't even let her do tasks like delivering coffee or organizing his bookshelf that required going to his office.

But wait—hadn't Neville said nothing had happened?

Jasmine spent several days puzzling over this, scratching her head. She didn't dare ask Neville directly, so she could only keep mulling it over alone.

Soon enough, Jasmine pushed the matter aside because her workload had become absolutely overwhelming. She was constantly staying late to finish everything.

Once busy, time flew by. A month passed in the blink of an eye.

A month later, at the hospital.

Jasmine sat in the chair in a daze, staring blankly at the early pregnancy test results in her hand, unable to speak for a long while.

Today was a workday. She should have been at the office.

But she'd been feeling unwell recently, experiencing frequent nausea. Jasmine had been gritting her teeth and pushing through, but this morning the vomiting had been so severe she had no choice but to call Drake and request time off.

A suspicion had been growing in Jasmine's mind. She'd sat at home for half the day, vomited several more times, then finally worked up the nerve to go to the hospital for tests.

The moment she received the results, she was stunned!