16
Following Granny Beth’s directions, Jasmine left the mountains. The first thing she did upon returning to the city was contact the relevant local
authorities.
She wanted to build a road to the village, bringing internet access to the elderly and children, connecting them to the outside world. She also planned to build a school and a hospital to improve their lives.
Her ultimate goal was to transform the village into a tourist destination, creating jobs and attracting those who had gone out to work to return and spend time with their families.
It was a massive undertaking, a multimillion–dollar investment. Jasmine personally led the team back to the village to oversee the construction. “Girl, why are you back?” Granny Beth said, her eyes welling up, “The conditions here are so harsh; you won’t be comfortable.”
“Things will get better. Life will be good,” Jasmine said, hugging Granny Beth.
The villagers didn’t understand the concept of “development,” but they knew Jasmine wouldn’t harm them. Everyone who could help pitched in. No matter how much Jasmine tried to discourage them, they insisted on contributing.
Jasmine arranged for a professional medical team to conduct health checks for the villagers, and she personally taught the children, giving them their first lessons in reading.
For the first time, she felt a sense of purpose.
It turned out that a world without Adrian could be so rich and fulfilling.
One day, Jasmine was teaching the children word problems when Granny Beth brought someone in.
“Girl, someone to see you,” Granny Beth said, a smile in her eyes.
Jasmine’s heart skipped a beat. Her first thought was Adrian. She felt a wave of unexpected annoyance.
She liked her life now; she didn’t want any more contact with Adrian.
Frowning, she looked towards the entrance, freezing in place.
Granny Beth pushed the man behind her forward.“I’ve checked him out. He’s not a bad guy.”
“Thank you, Granny Beth. I’ll always be a good person,” Benjamin said, dressed in a black tracksuit, standing in the doorway, his smile as warm as the sunlight behind him.
Jasmine stood up, looking at him in surprise.“Benjamin, how did you find me here?”
To see you,” Benjamin said readily.
“See me?” Jasmine searched her mind. What outstanding contracts did she have with Benjamin?
Since her parents‘ death, she had hired a professional manager to oversee her company, and Benjamin was no longer its legal counsel. She’d hired him to handle her assets with Adrian, paying him his fees.
After she’d started dating Adrian, she’d had almost no social life and hadn’t maintained contact with Benjamin. They weren’t friends. She couldn’t fathom why he would seek her out.
“Jasmine, you don’t remember me? Five years ago, you were in that accident trying to save me,” Benjamin said, a flicker of sorrow in his eyes. Five years ago, it was supposed to be him who was hit. His half–brother had hired someone to kill him. Just as the car was about to hit him, Jasmine pulled him aside.
The assassin, angry at her interference, had hit her instead.
If hot for saving him, she wouldn’t have been in the accident. Rosalie wouldn’t have appeared. She wouldn’t have suffered all this pain….
