Chapter 2
Elle’s resentment for Jasmine ran deep! She never felt guilty for almost killing her a year ago. If anything, she had been disappointed that Jasmine didn’t die.
And when she got sent away and locked in a foreign land these past few months, it had felt as if she was losing her mind as the days went by. Her hatred for Daphne grew and she did all she could to convince Dante to let her come back.
She had planned on tormenting the deaf Jasmine as soon as she got back. She thought Jasmine must have become weak and miserable.
But the person standing before her didn’t look miserable at all.
Still, her pride was shattered to the floor and she couldn’t accept getting slapped like this!
As the room was still reeling in shock at the recent development, Elle suddenly let out a scream.
“You fucking bitch! How dare you hit me?!”
She lunged towards Jasmine, fingernails out, aiming for her face. She had always hated that angelic face Jasmine had.
Jasmin moved, swiftly, grabbing Elle by the hair and yanking her backwards.
Elle yelped and fought back. They both crashed into each other, two women in silk and fury, scratching, shoving, tearing.
“Stop!” Dante was on them in a heartbeat. He grabbed Jasmine’s wrist. His fingers were iron around her bone.
“Jasmine, let go…”
Elle found that as an opportunity to strike. While Dante was holding Jasmine back, she swung.
Jasmine ducked. The palm missed her cheek. But Elle’s nails didn’t.
Four thin lines tore across Jasmine’s jaw.
Blood welled immediately. A red trail down to her collar.
Pain bloomed within her. Jasmine hissed and let go of Elle’s hair. Her hand went to her face. Blood on her fingers.
Dante’s eyes went black as he shoved Elle aside.
“Are you insane, Elle. This wasn’t what you promised me!”
Elle wasn’t expecting the push, she stumbled back and her heels bent. She shrieked as she fell, hitting the mahogany drinks cabinet with her shoulder.
The whole thing swayed. For half a second, nothing happened, then the bottles on top slid.
Crystal. Whiskey. Red wine. Vodka.
The sound was awful, glass exploding on marble. Liquid spraying. A thousand shards flying.
Elle screamed in pain and Jasmine watched as Dante ran to her.
He lunged forward, throwing his body over Elle, shielding her head with his arms. A heavy bottle clipped his shoulder and shattered.
Another one didn’t, it struck Jasmine. First her shoulder blade. Then her temple.
The impact made her feel disoriented for a moment before pain took over.
Her knees gave out as the floor rushed up.
She hit the ground on her side. Glass crunched under her palm.
Blood. She tasted it. Copper. From her temple, warm and fast, running into her hairline, down her neck.
The room tilted. Voices became noise.
“Elle…are you okay?!” Jasmine heard Dante’s panicked voice.
“My legs hurt.” Elle cried out.
Dante wasted no time as he scooped Elle into his arms.
Someone in the crowd spoke up. “Jasmine got hurt too…she’s bleeding.”
Elle quickly clung tightly to Dante, not wanting him to let her go.
“Take her to the hospital,” Dante snapped at no one in particular. “Now.” Then he hurried away with Elle in his arms.
Through blurring eyes, Jasmine watched as he left.
She tried to lift her head but room spun. Her vision fractured into pieces, like the glass around her.
“Call an ambulance,” Someone let out.
The last thing she heard before the dark took her was an ambulance siren. Far away. Getting closer.
Jasmine woke to pain and a beeping sound.
Her temple throbbed, her throat felt like sandpaper.
“Miss Gallo. Can you hear me?” A man’s calm voice sounded.
She turned her head to see who it was.
It was Dr Gary Smith.
She knew him. He was her attending doctor in charge of her hearing rehabilitation.
He was wearing a white coat and had a friendly look in his eyes.
She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
Her throat was raw and her voice was gone. A high fever had burned it out while she was unconscious.
Panic flickered within her.
Was she deaf again?
She could hear the monitor. She had heard his voice earlier.
Gary saw her eyes and understood immediately, he reached to the bedside table and handed her a notepad and pen.
Her hand shook as she wrote. “My hearing?”
He read it and replied.
“It’s intact. Although you didn’t listen to me. I told you to avoid loud places for now. But you were brought in from a club? Miss Gallo, please take it easy for now.” He warned again.
She sighed and wrote again. She had been just too excited to see Dante. But after what had happened tonight, she was determined to cut him off, completely.
“Thank you for everything.”
“I’m not the one to thank actually.” He replied.
Jasmine frowned and wrote to him.
“What do you mean?”
“I was sent here on behalf of someone. He funded everything, paid me triple of everything. It was quite an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Jasmine was perplexed and asked.
“Who is it?”
He met her eyes. “He wants to stay anonymous. Maybe he’d tell you someday. Maybe not. I’m just so happy I finally get to return to Madrid. If I had been unable to cure you, I’d have been punished.”
The monitor beeped.
An anonymous person had helped her?
Who was it?
It couldn’t have been Dante because she hadn’t told him about this new treatment plan yet.
Frankly, she didn’t have faith in it from the start and in any case it ended up unsuccessful, she had wanted to be the only one to bear the disappointment.
If Dante was behind this, he would already know that she had regained her hearing before tonight.
But he didn’t.
Someone else had helped her.
But who was it?
She wrote, the letters uneven.
“Do I know who he is?”
She just wanted any hint.
This was something huge. Someone had done something so huge for her and she at least wanted to thank him.
“Get some sleep.” Gary let out. “You lost a lot of blood. Your fever needs to break. We’ll talk more when you can speak properly.” With that, he left the room.
Jasmine lay back on the pillow. Her temple hurt, her jaw hurt, but her ears worked.
Someone wanted her to hear. Someone had done so much to ensure she could hear again, it meant a lot to her and she really wished she could meet him.
