Jasmine wasn’t trying to get back at Damien for being cold to her before. It was just that the thought of Damien and that red-haired woman possibly having some secret relationship made her so angry.

After shoving the rose back at him, she actually started to regret it a little.

‘I shouldn’t have been so impulsive,’ she thought.

But she’d always had a quick temper and struggled with feeling secure.

The moment she sensed trouble, she’d bristle up like a porcupine—all to protect herself from getting hurt.

She thought, ‘Was Damien about to explain something earlier? If he comes after me to talk, maybe I’ll listen, just maybe.’

Jasmine glanced back a few times, but Damien was nowhere to be seen. She had no idea where he’d gone.

‘Typical. He gave up again,’ she thought.

Jasmine bit her lower lip, her thoughts wandering.

After that, no matter who handed her a rose, she didn’t really look at them. Her mind was too muddled.

For the first 20 minutes, Shirley didn’t get a single rose.

She sipped her drink, looking lazy, and raised an eyebrow.

She wondered, ‘Is there not a single man in the Kingdom of Xyperia brave enough to be with me?’

It made sense really. She carried herself with such strength, and as a queen, she held a high position.

Even if some men were interested in her, her status would make them think twice.

After all, being a queen’s man wasn’t easy.

Finally, right before the event was about to end, one man stepped forward and handed her a rose.

He looked young and refined with a gentle, clean vibe—not effeminate.

His hair was past his shoulders, tied back loosely with a hairband. He wore a plain shirt and black pants.

His eyes were clear as he said, “For you, Your Highness.”

Shirley took the rose and studied him. “You’re brave.”

The man smiled, “This is a mixer, isn’t it? If Your Highness is here and I like you, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Shirley raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “What’s your name?”

“Frank,” he replied.

“How old are you?”

“22. Way too young—six years younger than me,’ Shirley thought. ‘No wonder he looks so fresh-faced. So he’s just a kid really!’

Shirley said, “I’ll take the rose, but let’s skip the date. I don’t date guys younger than me.”

Frank Knox’s face fell, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he said, “But what if I really like Your Highness…”

Shermaine knew exactly what was going on at the party. She was in the back, and robots were recording every little thing.

Damien had left because he’d gotten word that suspicious people had entered Oster Tower. He’d gone to check it out. It wasn’t like he’d left on purpose.

But when Jasmine had looked back and didn’t see him, she’d seemed pretty upset.

It was all a misunderstanding really.

Shermaine thought, ‘Well, that works out. By the time he got back, he’d probably have a hard time finding Jasmine…’

Then there was Shirley. ‘It’s weird for half an hour, not one guy went up to give her a rose. That’s crazy,’ Shermaine thought.

Jasmine, on the other hand, had half the guys at the party into her.

That made sense. Baykeep was the richest city in all of Xyperia. Marrying Jasmine meant both wealth and power. Not a bad deal.

Not that many were there tonight for true love.

In the end, a cute young guy had gone up to Shirley.

He was clearly younger than her and she’d turned him down, but he didn’t seem ready to give up. He was bold, his tone hinting at a subtle flirt.

The flower-giving part was over. Now it was time for the reverse choice.

Jasmine was really torn. She couldn’t remember a single name of all the guys who’d given her roses.

She thought, ‘It’s all Damien’s fault. Why did he have to come over with a rose, saying he wanted to be my man? Then after I turned him down, he just ran off. So annoying. It has totally killed my mood for meeting cute guys.’

In the end, under everyone’s gaze, she picked the last guy who’d handed her a rose. It was not because he was good-looking, but because he’d been the last one and she’d actually remembered his face.

Lots of guys looked disappointed.

Once the reverse choice was done, it was time for the first dance of the night.

Jasmine’s outfit was on the sexy side. When the guy smiled and asked her to dance, she felt a little reluctant.

But there was no way around it. She’d just have to suck it up and go.

A couple’s dance was bound to get a little close, of course.

But the guy was a gentleman. While they danced, he took the initiative to step back a bit, putting space between them.

Once Jasmine noticed that, she relaxed a lot. She wasn’t so stiff anymore and her movements loosened up.

She was a good dancer to begin with. In no time, the two of them stood out, shining brightly on the dance floor.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit underground garage of Oster Tower, a light glowed from one spot. It was Damien’s Orthish.

Teddy had sent him a video where Jasmine was dancing with some guy. Under the lights, they looked like a perfect match.

Damien nodded, but his footsteps froze instantly. In the dark, his eyes seemed to flicker with a reddish hue, and a violent rage roared inside him.

Chapter 533

He wanted to chop off that hand resting on Jasmine’s waist.

Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the shadows and charged at Damien.

But the next second, Damien, his face twisted with a menacing scowl, spotted him.

Right away, a shrill scream echoed through the garage.

Damien hit hard. He threw a punch at the guy’s face and blood spurted out. A few drops splattered on his arm, but he didn’t care.

He kept hitting hard. In just a couple more blows, the guy was out cold.

Even so, Damien’s fury didn’t fade. After beating the guy senseless—who knew if he was alive or dead—Damien checked his identity.

Turned out he was a loyal follower of the former Baykeep city lord. He’d snuck into Öster Tower to plant a bomb but hadn’t gotten far before he was spotted. Damien had tracked him all the way there.

With nowhere left to hide, he’d tried to attack Damien.

But he was out of luck. Showing up at that exact moment? He’d become nothing but a punching bag for Damien to vent on, and he paid dearly for it.

After dealing with him, Damien had someone come down to haul the guy away. Then he hurried off, eager to go back and get his bunny Jasmine.

But when he got back to the party, Jasmine and that guy were gone. No one knew where they’d gone.

More beautiful women were brought into the party.

The music was upbeat and lively. There were beautiful women, fine wine, and even gambling.

So even the men who hadn’t won Jasmine’s favor were having a good time.

Damien couldn’t find her, so he tracked down Teddy and asked, “Where’s Jasmine?”

“On a date, of course,” Teddy replied.

Damien’s eyes turned even redder. “Where did they go for the date?”

Teddy said, “How would I know that?”

Damien tried to get in touch with Jasmine, but he couldn’t reach her.

Teddy thought, ‘Damien must be in the mood to kill right now. This is really exciting. Mrs. York is ruthless, but isn’t this also a test for Damien?’

Teddy suggested, “I think you should ask Mrs. York. She must know.”

When Damien found Shermaine, she was sitting in front of a small mountain of drinks.

Shermaine said, “Finish these and I’ll tell you where Jasmine is.”

Jasmine never would have guessed that after the dance, there would be a private one-on-one date.

Luckily, the man was really a gentleman and he was funny too. So their conversation wasn’t awkward at all.

They were having dinner at a very romantic restaurant.

“The guy you turned down earlier,” the man started, “you must like him a lot, right?”

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Jasmine picked up a small piece of beef with her fork and put it in her mouth. She didn’t say yes or no at first, but then she nodded.

It was because she cared about him and liked him that she’d gotten so worked up and angry when she saw Damien.

“He made you mad?” the man asked.

“Yeah.”

“No wonder,” the man laughed and teased a little. “Looks like I don’t stand a chance then.”

Jasmine smiled awkwardly, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “Just getting to have dinner with you is an honor. And if there’s any business cooperation in the future, I hope you’ll keep me in mind.”

“Sure thing,” Jasmine said.

Once they’d cleared the air, her appetite opened up and she ate to her heart’s content.

Heaven knew how much time she’d wasted getting dolled up today. Before coming, she’d even only eaten some fruit to keep her figure looking good and avoid showing a little belly. Now she could finally eat as much as she wanted.

In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.

Originally, there was another activity planned after dinner, but now that things had been made clear, there was no need to go on with it.

Jasmine, full and satisfied, signaled that she needed to go to the restroom.

She picked up her bag, stood up, left the restaurant, and walked out.

Suddenly, an arm stretched out from the fire escape and dragged her into the darkness.

Jasmine was startled. She pushed hard with both hands, but her legs were pinned down and her waist was held tightly, leaving her unable to move.

Her back pressed against the cold wall. The next second, her lips were bitten.

Wafting over was a strong smell of alcohol, mixed with a pleasant scent.

She thought, ‘It’s Damien. He–He’s kissing me! You jerk, did I give you permission to kiss me?’

Jasmine turned her head to avoid his kiss. “You let me go.”

Damien panted, his gray eyes simmering with dark desire. “You keep moving, and I’ll take you right here.”

Jasmine’s face flushed bright red. She didn’t dare move again. She never thought Damien would say such a bold thing. “You… You womanizer. Just try touching me.”

Damien squeezed her waist a little harder, pressing his body closer. His voice was deep. “Watch me.”

“Why are you picking on me?”

“Because I like you. Is that enough?”

This was probably the most unbelievable thing Jasmine had heard all night. Damien really liked her. It was something she’d never even dreamed of.

Jasmine still wasn’t sure. “But you have another woman.”

“She has nothing to do with me,” Damien explained.

Jasmine pouted, “You’re so mean. How could you like me?”

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Damien’s voice softened. He lowered his head first. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Jasmine continued to complain, “You wouldn’t even let me touch your abs. I was really hurt.”

Damien’s eyes darkened. He took her hand and slipped it under his shirt. “You can touch them now. Will you forgive me?”