Excuse

Jasmine only went home for a shower and few hours of not being suffocated by the smell of stress, before she was calling the Servants again to help her Dress.

She smiled a bit as she watched Mira do her hair from the mirror.

Her talk with Kimberly, had no doubt, been what she needed to cool off for the long moments working had occupied her being. She needed something to pour out all those times of not being able to get her hands on Laura Lorins, on. But, it certainly was just a matter of time before she got her. 

A matter of time.

Jasmine didn't wait for things, so she was obviously getting impatient now.

But, coupled with the fact that her Sister, still had not gotten the extent of her transgressions the last time she had plotted to sabotage her Trip and the warning that came with it, Jasmine decided she needed more than a little push. 

She had not gotten the chance to bring it up until Kimberly had made it possible to provide a clearer warning. Kimberly saying all those rotten things about her down-fall, was just an opportuned opening to show her her place and who had put her there, since the thing about Ian had not been enough to warn her off.

Though Jasmine still thought their chat the last time didn't do much, she was going to lay low and wait for another time, which Kimberly certainly would provide.

Pamela gave her a side-way glance as her smile widened sinisterly.

---

She was grabbing her Car keys as she waved Anthony away, hours later.

It was Afternoon already.

The Sun shone brightly, turning the colour of her hair to slight gold as Anthony banged her Car door close.

"Just call me if you need anything, Boss." He said, frowning slightly as he stood on the outside.

Jasmine rolled her eyes as she started the Car. 

That accident was only a few years ago.

She was younger and more carefree then, it wasn't like she was going to make the same mistake again when she was a grown Woman, who had thousands of responsibilities to think about all at once.

She drove to her Company in utter silence, choosing the lonely Path to have enough time to ponder on a lot of things.

Like Ian.

What was she going to do to him?

She clucked her tongue and waved it away.

After hours of driving, Jasmine was finally pulling up into the Underground Parking Lot of her Company, just as her phone went off.

Gemma?

"I'm pulling up just now." She said, flinging her hair to the side to get a better view of the Car she found familiar.

"Oh, I just wanted to know if you were coming. Someone is here to see you."

Jasmine knew who that person was at once. She glanced at the Car she parked beside with narrowed eyes, then got out, adjusting her eyes to the heavy lighting of the Parking Lot as she nodded, "I know. Tell him to wait in my Office, I'll be there in 5."

Gemma blinked. "Office, Madam?" 

Jasmine didn't like people being in her Office for long, talk more of someone entering when she wasn't there.

She was just a person who liked everything of hers to be steered away from.

What changed?

"Caury, you'll be in trouble, if I say it again."

"Your Office it is, Ma'am. Good Morning!"

"Good Morning." Jasmine said in amusement as she hung up.

She took the back door to avoid attention and rode up to her Floor to meet the person waiting for her.

"Mr. Smith," she said, holding the door knob as she stood there, looking angel-likely beautiful in all white; Pant-suit, shoes and every other thing that made him smirk as he turned.

"Ms. Reign."

She smiled also, throwing a leg after the other as she walked to him. He had been standing by the Walls, overlooking the City.

"It… Hasn't been long. Brings me to what you are doing here, Mr. Smith."

With him still smiling, he moved to her. "I don't believe you don't know."

Laura Lorins. 

She did know.

"And how tired I am of hearing that name." She admitted, shaking her head to show her tire.

Dylan made space for her as she came by, and she motioned him to seat on the couch, away from her table, when she sat.

He did, shrugging. "Relatable."

She did not believe him. But, she had, for a while, from the intent kind of way he stared at her for that moment. In the end, she turned on her Laptop, shaking her head again at him.

"You never change, Mr. Smith." She mused, causing his brow to raise subtly.

"What do you mean? I don't think we have… Spent much time together for you to know what kind of a person I am, Ms. Reign."

She nodded in agreement, peering at him from the side of her eye. "I'm a 'Madam' kind of person, you know."

"I did not know."

"Now you do, it's 'Madam' for you."

"And 'Dylan' for you."

She raised her head to meet his stare squarely. His eyes bored into hers like bottomless abyss, drawing her in and causing her to say again,

"You never change."

"And I'm still wondering how you think that." She got back to work, saying nothing. "About Lorins…"

"Drop that; the name. You're welcome." 

"Whatever," he shrugged again, "I don't know what to say, really."

"You don't say." 

"I am saying." He remained quiet for sometime. "I know she made an irrational decision by making this little trouble so huge and creating such a social commotion, Ms. Reign," she noted the way he defiled her orders, "but I think her complaints are childishly justified."

She said nothing, only the loud sound of the tip of her pen tapping rhythmically on her glass Desk, enveloped them. 

He crossed his legs, one knee over the other, remained quiet and let her do her job in silence.

Jasmine read her Mails and sent back the ones needed, just as she brought her head up to talk to him, her phone was ringing. She glanced at Dylan.

"You won't mind, it's my Office." She shrugged as she gave him a lop-sided smile.

His own lips pulled up.

What a way to take an excuse!