Page 176 of Modern Romance June 2025 1-4

That didn’t help. The space smelled like him. Like his light, airy cologne. It made her think of vast oceans and open meadows—a tranquil scent. Ironic, because that was far from the effect he had on her.

‘What? No “hello”?’ he teased.

‘Please, Emilio, I’m not in the mood.’

‘Very well.’ She heard the snap of a box which had her opening her eyes. ‘Give me your hand. This morning made me realise that my fiancée cannot be without a ring.’

They must have been thinking the same thing during the altercation with Richard and Zara: a ring would make it so much easier to explain their relationship.

She pulled her hand back to examine the jewel in the light. She had never quite seen anything like it; the emerald-cut stone changed colour between a bluish green and a purplish red. Little sparkling diamonds were set around it and all along the platinum band. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen, and she couldn’t help but think that it looked so much better on her finger than the one that had sat there previously.

‘It’s beautiful.’

‘I’m glad you like it,’ Emilio said, and she believed him. ‘You should know, my team will be taking care of the paperwork, and we will appear together to get the marriage licence. Thereafter, a court judge can marry us.’

‘A court judge?’ And the moment was gone.

‘Is that a problem?’

Jasmine didn’t answer. She looked out of the window at the city passing by, trying to make sense of her thoughts. Before Emilio had come along, she had planned a wedding, a beautiful ceremony. She’d got so close to walking down the aisle. She’d wanted her mother there—she would have been the one to give Jasmine away. But it had never happened. She’d been denied.

She still wanted that. Even if this marriage was nothing but a union of convenience for the sake of their child, Jasmine didn’t want to give up that dream.

‘I want a wedding,’ she said calmly.

‘We don’t have time for that, Jasmine,’ he replied, matching her tone. ‘There is no need.’

‘It’s not that important. We can get married in the court house, for all it matters.’

She didn’t want to marry another Richard. This morning the two men had been like night and day, but right now Emilio sounded so much like him. It made her determined not to give an inch.

‘We either have a wedding or we don’t get married at all,’ she said defiantly, staring him down. ‘What is the basis of your opposition?’

She noticed a flash of emotion in his eyes before he swallowed, but she couldn’t decipher it.

‘Time.’

‘That’s easily fixed. I can arrange it. You simply have to be there.’

‘No.’

‘Emilio.’

‘Fine. I will take care of it, Jasmine. I give you my word. You will have your wedding. And, once it is done, you will move in with me.’

Her rage flared again. ‘Don’t you pull this alpha bullshit on me! You don’t get to dictate to me, Emilio. If you want to have a discussion, I will be willing to listen, but I will not obey. I won’t leavemyhome because you ordered me to. Besides, I don’t even know where you live. It could be some dark lair, for all I know.’

‘I will not be living in some frilly townhouse either.’

‘Where do you get off—?’ Jasmine stopped herself before she could burst an artery and took a deep breath, and then another, until she could trust herself to speak calmly. ‘This marriage is never going to work if we are both unwilling to compromise.’

The car came to a stop, and she saw that they were outside her home. She grabbed the handle and opened the door before Emilio could react, internally celebrating at the unhappy look on his face.

‘Think on it.’

She closed the door and walked away. It would be interesting to see if he could compromise at all.

CHAPTER EIGHT

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