Bound By Her Ring

by Nicole Flockton

  Jasmine quickly made her way upstairs, changing out of her dress. She scanned the contents of the wardrobe and picked out some black Capri pants and a purple short sleeved blouse. She also worked out what she planned to wear tonight at dinner. This time she was going to seduce Lukas.

  After running a brush through her hair, she made her way back downstairs, stopping briefly in the kitchen to check to see what ingredients they held and what other items they’d need.

  With her list in hand she made her way to the garage and unlocked her car. After her accident it had taken her a few months before she’d felt confident enough to get behind the wheel again.

  The drive to the supermarket was short and she picked up the items on her list. After she dropped them home she decided that a trip to the hairdresser was in order. Fortunately she was able to get an appointment with her usual hairdresser. It was as she was walking back to the car that she passed a baby shop. Jasmine stopped and gazed in the window. The teddy bears of pink and blue propped in the corner of the wooden cot called out to her. They looked so adorable and innocent. Her feet led her through the door.

  She was drawn to the corner that held the cribs and cots. Jasmine trailed her fingers over one particular cot. It was white and had double doors that opened out making it easier to pick up a crying baby, she could picture it in the empty room she’d been in that morning.

  Jasmine moved to where the change tables stood and hunted until she found the one that matched the cot.

  “Can I help you at all?” Jasmine whirled at the sound of the salesperson.

  “No I’m fine. I’m just looking, thanks.”

  She flushed slightly as the girl looked at her flat stomach and smiled knowingly. “Ahh, first child and you’ve just found out.”

  “Something like that,” she murmured as the thought of being pregnant with Lukas’s child took hold. Jasmine couldn’t think of anything she’d love more than to watch her body swell with his baby. She realised then it could be a possibility. She and Lukas hadn’t used any protection. The thought had never crossed her mind until that moment. She could be pregnant with their child right now. The thought didn’t scare her, it just filled her with joy.

  The girl fiddled with the pillows in a cot as she spoke. “Well, I’ll leave you to wander about. If you need anything or have any questions please let me know.”

  “Thank you.” Jasmine relaxed slightly as the sales assistant moved onto another customer.

  She continued walking around looking at the linens and matching quilts sets. Finally she reached the clothes section; everything was just too gorgeous to pass by.

  Jasmine spent the next few minutes picking up various outfits seeing clearly a black haired, blue eyed child in them. It didn’t matter if it was a boy or a girl, Jasmine could see it clearly as if the baby were lying in her arms.

  On an impulse she didn’t understand Jasmine picked out a boy and girl outfit and went to pay for them.

  She didn’t see the person taking a photo of her with her purchases. Full of joy and happiness, Jasmine had no idea that everything was about to crumple around her.

  Chapter 11

  Luciano couldn’t describe the feeling of contentment he felt when he opened the garage door and still found Jasmine’s car in the garage.

  When he’d heard she’d left the office early, his first instinct was to search for her. Fortunately for him or for her, he still wasn’t sure who, an urgent call had come through. He could’ve tried her cell but he had to let go of the distrust that threatened to consume him.

  He didn’t want to believe he’d been taken for a fool a second time. He wanted to believe that this time it was right. He wanted to believe this time they had a future.

  Luciano opened the door into the house and the aroma of garlic wafted towards him. His mouth started watering, Jasmine was cooking for him. He wondered if she remembered what his favourite meal was. Probably not, if she couldn’t remember their relationship, how could she possibly remember his favourite food.

  As he walked into the kitchen he could see Jasmine was totally engrossed in whatever concoction she was making.

  He walked softly up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, catching her as she jumped.

  She swivelled her head, eyes wide with at first fright and then delight. He had planned to say something, but found himself capturing her surprised lips with his. They were warm and opened up beneath him. He pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Her perfume filled his senses and he wanted to carry her upstairs and ravish her again like he had last night. Luciano didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her. How he’d lasted without any contact with her was beyond him. He only had to get within ten feet of Jasmine before he succumbed to her wiles.

  “As much as I’d like to continue and take this further, I’m cooking here.”

  “Can’t it keep?” he asked as he nibbled his way down the supple flesh of her neck.

  She gave him a gentle shove. “No it can’t, now go have a shower.”

  He caught up her lips one last time before he made to leave the kitchen.

  “I’ll be ten minutes, and it will be a quick meal by the way.”

  She laughed. “Is that a threat or a promise?”

  He eyed her up and down. Jasmine was wearing another dress he’d chosen for her, only this time, not the pale blue of that morning’s dress, but the palest of lilac. The dress had a low neckline that hinted at the treasures which were hidden beneath.

  “Oh it’s definitely a promise.” He had the pleasure of seeing a flush creep into her cheeks.

  He whistled softly as he made his way upstairs. Once he reached the suite he paused briefly at the wedding photo. He’d told the decorator to leave the photo when she’d uncovered it. At the time he didn’t want any reminders of his ill-fated wedding. On the morning before they’d left for Broome, for some reason, he’d taken it out of the box and placed it on the wall. Now he was glad he had.

  Luciano shrugged out of his jacket and went to hang it up. As he did his cell rang. He reached into his pocket prepared to let it go to message bank until he saw that Nick was calling him. They had closed a deal that afternoon and he hoped Nick wasn’t calling to tell him there was a problem.

  “Hey Nick, what’s up?”

  Silence sounded in his ear and Luciano wondered if the call had dropped out. “Nick? Are you there?”

  “Ahh yeah, sorry. Umm…are you near your computer?”

  There was something in Nick’s tone that had Luciano on red alert. “No, why?”

  “I think you should check out the ‘Gossip About Town’ website.”

  “Why would I do that? You know I don’t believe anything those websites say.”

  “I think you should look at it, Luc,” Nick said quietly.

  “Fine. I’ll look on my laptop.”

  “Call me if you need anything, Luc.” A heartbeat passed and Luciano waited for the beep-beep tone. “I mean it, call me. Bye.”

  Luciano ended the call and headed to his study to boot up his computer. His mind was going over the scant conversation he’d just had with Nick. Nick’s whole demeanour was out of character for his business partner. With quick motions Luciano had the offending website up on his screen. It took all his willpower not to throw the laptop at the wall as he saw a picture of Jasmine holding baby clothes in her hands. The headline above it screamed out at him.

  “Pink or Blue? And who is the baby’s father? Can she remember him?

  Pain gripped his chest, as if his heart had just been ripped out and trampled on by a pair of stilettos. Blood roared through his ears, and Luciano was immediately transported back to that time in the hospital. When he’d rushed through the ICU doors, and had been confronted by Thomas. He’d demanded to see Jasmine but Thomas had told him not to bother. He then went on to tell Luciano about her amnesia and how little she valued their relationship.

  “Here’s all you need to see to know what Jasmine thinks about your relationship. Mar
rying you was a mistake. She’s got amnesia and has forgotten all about you. That’s how much she loved you. You no longer exist for her.”

  Thomas then handed him the piece of paper that changed his life forever. Two words shouted out to him from the letter.

  “Foetus terminated.”

  He’d dropped the medical report and walked out. Never looking back, but planning his revenge. A revenge he’d failed to follow through on because, once again, she’d entrapped him.

  He should’ve known it was all an act. He glanced back at the picture, what was she playing at now? Did she think he’d fall for it a second time? Did she really think he was that stupid? Obviously she did, but she would soon find out that no one played him for a fool twice and got away with it.

  “Why are you in the study and not in the shower yet?”

  This time it was he who jumped at her presence. Anger filled his veins like hot lava about to spew out of a volcano.

  He looked up and swivelled the computer screen around to face her. “Is this some kind of joke?”

  As she walked towards the desk, satisfaction filled him when he saw the colour leech from her face.

  “I umm I wanted, umm…”

  “Spit it out Jasmine, you were what? Going to soften me up with wine and good food and then drop your bombshell?”

  Luciano advanced towards her and when he reached her, gripped her around her upper arms, his fingers digging into her soft flesh. “You really can’t believe I’d be so stupid a second time around did you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lukas.” He tightened his hold as she tried to shake him off. “Please, Lukas let me go, you’re hurting me.”

  Luciano let her go and started pacing around the room, thrusting his fingers through his hair. “Have you been gloating all this time, Jasmine? You know I believed you when you said you didn’t remember. I was starting to hope, regardless if your memories returned or not, that we may have a future again. But now, after this, never…ever will I trust a single word that comes out of your mouth.”

  “But I don’t remember, why can’t you believe me?”

  “Because of that,” he pointed to the computer screen. “What were you going to do this time? Terminate again and tell me you’d had a convenient miscarriage?”

  His cynicism grew as he watched her wrap her hands around her stomach.

  “Miscarriage? Terminate?” she whispered. “No, no, no, never. I could never do that. Why would you even think it?”

  “Because I’ve seen the proof, your father couldn’t wait to hand over the medical report to me.”

  “My father, when did he do that?”

  “Does it matter? I saw the proof of how little having our child meant to you.”

  “No, that’s not true. I want to have your child, Lukas.”

  “You disgust me,” he spat at her. “Standing there looking so innocent and wounded when underneath you’re nothing but a conniving bitch. Why the hell did I think it possible you’d changed? You’ll never change and I’m better off forgetting you or we ever existed.”

  He strode out the room and retraced his steps into the kitchen, picking up the keys he’d placed on the bench. Less than a half an hour had passed since he’d placed them there, but he felt like a lifetime had whizzed by.

  “Don’t go, Lukas, please don’t go. We need to talk about this, get to the truth of it all.”

  He stopped but didn’t turn to face her. “No, the time for talking is over. I want you gone by the time I return. If you’re not gone then I won’t be responsible for what I do or say next. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  The slamming of the door reverberated loudly through the house and her soul. Jasmines knees crumpled to the ground and the tears she’d been struggling to hold back poured down her cheeks.

  How could he think that of her? Why would he think that of her? She asked the questions over and over.

  Pain smashed her brain and she gripped her head in an attempt to stop the throbbing and pounding and clamouring that was happening inside.

  Visions filled her mind.

  Lunches and dinners with Lukas. Their first kiss. Their first dance. Their wedding. Their final kiss goodbye at the airport before she boarded her plane.

  Her accident and the aftermath.

  Her memory was returning. With each passing second the pieces of the puzzle shuffled around until they all fell into place.

  Her heart ached as she remembered how happy she’d been when Lukas proposed and when she’d shared the news of her pregnancy with him.

  Then the devastation on hearing the words spoken by the emergency doctor— “She’s going to lose the baby there’s nothing we can do but wait until the bleeding stops and then evaluate the situation. If the internal injuries are severe she may never have another baby again.”

  She’d never wanted to remember those words.

  It had been her last thought before blacking out with pain once again. That was why she’d suffered amnesia. Her brain had simply followed her heart’s desire—to forget she’d lost the baby because of her carelessness.

  But it still didn’t make sense why Lukas believed she would have a termination. How could he have thought that? What did her father show Lukas to believe she could act so cruelly? Take the life of an innocent child without any thought or remorse.

  Her mind whirled as she tried to process everything that was going on. Jasmine knew her father had never liked Lukas and she could never understand why. But for him to say that she, his own daughter, had so callously destroyed a child was beyond comprehension.

  The time for confrontation had come. She would find him; there was no way he’d leave his business unattended for this long. He was in hiding and had been ever since Lukas had arrived into town and crashed the opening party.

  Her father was running scared. And so he should be. This time she wasn’t going to be fobbed off she was going to get answers.

  Then she was going to come back and fight for her marriage.

  A light was shining in her father’s study as she turned her car into the driveway. So much for him being away, with the benefit of her full memory she should’ve realised he was playing games.

  Jasmine parked her car and took a deep breath. She’d taken the time to calm herself after her argument with Lukas. Now she was composed and ready to do battle.

  She didn’t knock she just used her key to let herself in and marched straight into her father’s study. He was sitting behind the desk and looked up in surprise.

  “Jasmine, I didn’t know you were coming for a visit. What a pleasant surprise.”

  His charm was false and it grated on her senses. The anger she thought she had under control, flared to life. She went up to his desk and thumped her hand on it. “How could you?”

  Whatever he expected it wasn’t anger, he reared back as if she’d slapped him and not the desk. “Don’t you speak to me that way, young lady.”

  “Oh cut the ‘offended school principal’ crap, Father. How could you have lied and deceived me the way you have, your own daughter. I deserve better.”

  “I take it your memory has returned?”

  His tone was condescending. It was like he didn’t care, that he was proud of all the anguish he had caused her over the last months.

  “Yes my memory has returned and with it so have all the ways you’ve abused your position as my father. Instead of helping me you deliberately, without any remorse, kept vital information from me.”

  “I did it for your own good Jasmine, the doctors kept telling me not to feed you information.”

  “That’s a cop out and you know it. One of the main causes of my distress was that I couldn’t remember who I’d married but you knew the whole time. How was keeping that from me supposed to help me heal?”

  He crossed his arms and set his chin. “If I had my time over again I’d do it all the same.”

  “Even telling my husband I had aborted his child. Which was your gr
andchild, by the way, or don’t you care about that?” Her voice broke and she took a deep breath before continuing. “Would you do that again too? Destroy all our lives?”

  “Yes. In the name of love I would.”

  Jasmine shook her head in amazement. She should’ve realised though, her father believed he would always control her life. “You’re unbelievable, my own father happy to destroy his only child’s life and not mourn the loss of his grandchild. Do you have any idea what pain you’ve caused not only to me, but Lukas?

  “Bah, don’t give some sob story about Morelli feeling sorry for himself. I didn’t destroy his life, he was about to destroy yours.”

  “He was never, ever going to destroy it, he enhanced my life and I love Lukas with my whole heart.” The tears started to well again as she thought about all the time they had lost, because of her father. “The thought of having his child filled me with insurmountable joy. But what you did was the lowest of lows. How can I ever think of you as my father again?”

  She stepped back from him as he came towards her, arms outstretched as if he wanted to comfort her.

  She held out her hand to stop him. “No, don’t even think about it. Don’t you even dare try and comfort me. Right at this moment I think I hate you.”

  And just like that her father seemed to die right before her eyes. His shoulders slumped and the skin across his face tightened, aging him in an instant. His whole demeanour went from assurance and confident to defeat and despair.

  “I love you, Jasmine,” he whispered. “I only want what’s best for you.”

  “If you love me like you claim you do then you wouldn’t have done what you did. You would’ve let me have my husband by my side when I needed him the most.”

  A little bit of fight appeared back in her father. “But how do you know he would have been there?”

  “Because he came to the hospital when I was unconscious, he told me that and don’t deny you didn’t know that.”

  “I won’t. He came and I told him what I thought he needed to know.”

  “What you wanted him to know, that’s the real story. But what I still can’t understand is why tell him I had an abortion when I lost the baby because of the accident?”