CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

—HADES

As I step out of the hospital, leaving Jasmine in the capable hands of the doctors, my thoughts are still tangled in a web of confusion and frustration.

Despite the long and challenging journey that lies ahead, my mind refuses to shift its focus away from the whirlwind that is Jasmine.

Her presence has left me reeling, like a storm that has upended my entire world.

I can't help but wonder how one person can create such turmoil in my life, turning my once-ordered thoughts into a jumbled mess.

I horribly detest the way she carries herself, shamelessly disregarding my authority and the fact that I have a claim on her, a solid ownership over her that no one can sever.

No matter how many times I remind her of her obligations to me, she continues to be involved with that bastard Wayne.

Her eyes light up with an adoration that grates on me whenever she’s around that fool, and she behaves with a vulnerability that's at odds with her true character. She flaunts herself at hi