Sebastian sat beside her, his mind was consumed by many questions. Who would have wanted to drug her, and why? The more he thought about it, the more his concern grew. Just as he was starting to feel like he'd never find answers, she stirred in her sleep, her lips parting slightly as she mumbled incoherently. He turned to look at her, and his gaze fell on her peaceful face. Her eyes were still closed, and the effects of the liquor were still evident. He reached out and gently touched her forehead, his fingers detecting a slight rise in temperature. He quickly grabbed the towel and bowl of water he'd placed beside the bed earlier and began to mop her forehead, trying to bring down the fever. As he sat there, the only sound in the room was her labored breathing and the gentle dipping of the towel in the water. After a while, her fever began to subside, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was unfocused, and her voice was laced with the remnants of the liquor. "Where...where am I?"she slurred, almost in a whisper. "Why did we leave the bar?" Sebastian's expression softened as he tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, you are safe." "Now sleep", he said as he patted her shoulder softly, trying to put her to sleep. She looked up at him, her eyes still hazy, and mumbled that she wanted to go home, to rest. Her words trailed off, and she suddenly became lucid, her voice taking on a determined tone. "Tell my sister...she cheated...I hate her..." The words hung in the air, and before he could respond, she drifted off to sleep again. Sebastian looked at her, a mix of emotions swirling inside him. He sighed, feeling a sense of responsibility wash over him. As he sat there, watching her sleep, he eventually felt his own eyelids growing heavy, and before long, he too fell asleep, the silence of the room enveloping them both.
Jasmine woke up to a pounding headache and a her whole body felt sore. She groggily opened her eyes, her blurry vision taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the man from the bar lying beside her, sleeping peacefully. A rush of panic set in as she scrambled to piece together the events of the previous night. Had they...? She frantically checked her body, feeling relieved as she found no signs of anything untoward happening. Still, her mind was a jumble of questions and self-recrimination. 'How could I have been so foolish?' she thought, still thinking about the heartbreak of the day before. She had let her emotions get the better of her, and now she was paying the price. As she sat there, trying to gather her thoughts, the man beside her stirred, stretching his arms and opening his eyes. "Good morning," he said, his voice low and husky. "How are you feeling?" Jasmine's response was curt, her mind still foggy. "What happened? Why am I here?" She tried to keep her tone neutral, but a hint of accusation crept in. The man sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "Calm down, one question at a time" he said, with a hint of unseriousness in his tone. "You drank a lot last night and you had blacked out. Don't you remember?". Just then, Jasmine's phone rang, shrill in the morning silence, interrupting him. It was Mia, her assistant, her voice was urgent. "Jasmine, you need to see this. Check the tabloids." Jasmine's heart sank as she scrolled through her phone, her eyes widening in horror. There, plastered across the screen, were intimate pictures of her and the stranger, taken outside the bar. Her face was clearly visible, while his was completely blurred. The comments were vicious, labeling her immoral and indecent. Some were even calling for her to be fired from her acting role, citing her 'reckless behavior' as a bad influence on her fans. Jasmine felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe this was happening, not now, not when she was still reeling from her recent heartbreak. The man's gaze snapped to hers, concern etched on his face, as he noticed her expression change. Without a word, Jasmine handed him the phone, her hands shaking slightly. She couldn't bear to look at the pictures again, couldn't bear to read the cruel comments. She just wanted to disappear.
Sebastian's gaze lingered on the pictures, his expression unreadable. "This person is sure a skilled photographer. They know how to capture the moment ". He commended, chuckling.He seemed more bothered by the fact that his face was blurred out than the potential damage to Jasmine's reputation. Jasmine's eyes widened, her anger simmering just below the surface. How could he be so unreasonable about this? Her career and personal life were on the line, and he was joking about it? Her gaze turned icy, and she felt like she could shoot daggers at him with her eyes. The air in the room thickened with tension as she glared at him. Sebastian noticed her anger and quickly apologized, his tone turning serious. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem insensitive," he said, his eyes locked on hers. "But I think I have a solution that can help", he said, rather playfully. Jasmine felt like strangling him. How could he make a joke in such a serious moment?. Her life was on the line, her career was on the line, and all this man cared about right now is some picture angle. She suddenly felt angry, angry at her self for being so foolish. Without waiting for her response if she wanted to hear him out or not, he said "MARRY ME".
Jasmine's eyes widened in shock, and she felt like she'd misheard him. She leaned forward, her heart pounding in her chest. "What did you just say?" she asked, her voice shaking. Sebastian's tone turned serious, his eyes burning with intensity. "Marry me, Jasmine" he said again.