She was going to refuse his proposal. But all it took was the memory of what her boyfriend had done to her. All it took was the blatant betrayal.

"I'll marry you. As long as you promise to help me make that scumbag pay for hurting me."

"Just say the word I want to hear. Just say yes."

~~~~~

In an office in D'Angelo Inc., a video was played in which a man and a woman conversed without a care in the world. Without the consideration that they were being watched and overheard,

"Antonio, my love. Tell me, do you love me, or that piece of scum jasmine?" the woman asked, her voice a low catlike purr, set to entice the hearer,

"Oh, baby girl, you should know without needing to ask that I only love you. Jasmine is a woman without any style. And once the perfume competitions are done tomorrow, she'll be out of our lives for good."

"I love you, Antonio. This is why you are the absolute best."

At this point, the video was paused.

Jasmine put away her phone, and with reddened eyes, and a constricted throat, she finally spoke, "That is Antonio Luigi, the president of Luigi Inc. and also my boyfriend for the past five years."

She sniffed and continued, "When he started his company, I wanted nothing more than to support him. I worked in the laboratory without any desire for a salary, but to see him thrive. I wanted to build an empire with him. But just this afternoon, I caught him cheating on him." she said, and her lower lips wobbled as she fought the desire to bawl out her eyes,

"Mr. Jasper… please, please make them pay. I'll do anything you want."

From the other side of the desk, Jasper lifted his gaze and laid it on her coldly, "How is it that you need me to help you?"

She bit her lower lip, and managed to stifle her tears before speaking,

"There will be a national perfume competition tomorrow, and I am aware that your company will be entering. There is a perfume that I have worked on and researched on for months now. I'd like to join your team. With that perfume."

Jasper was not impressed by her offer, and the lazy way he spoke to her told her as much, "D'Angelo Inc. has already decided on the perfumes that it wants to be entered… miss."

She gulped with effort but didn’t back down. Antonio and his lover really had to pay, "I know that. But you could also enter my perfume as a substitute, Mr. D'Angelo."

"You're still a new perfumer." Jasper said unhurriedly, "And so, you can always enter the competition without being under a company. My company doesn’t need to enter with your perfume"

D'Angelo Inc. was a very important perfume company and had been the only one she could think of to carry out her plan. So she might have been for a moment, but she was not deterred.

"Okay. But consider this. Should the perfume I present not be suitable for you, then you are free to take the copyright of all the perfumes I produce for the next two years. Does that work?" she asked with all sincerity. She really needed him to agree to her plan.

But even the sincerity in her expression seemed to leave him unfazed and she was slowly losing her footing. Even then, she still tried,

"Mr. D'Angelo, as long as you accept my proposal, I promise that I'll do whatever you want."

At her words, Jasper raised a brow, "Anything, miss Romano?"

She nodded enthusiastically,

"And if my ultimatum was to marry me?" he asked without missing a beat, but he might have as well punched her in the gut,

"What… what did you say?"

"You said you'd do whatever I asked. Well, I'm asking you to marry me," he said, his patience slowly waning. Why was the girl acting as if she had never heard the word marriage?

"I.."

"of course, if you wish not to. Then you can be on your merry way."

"Oh my. No no no," she said, completely flabbergasted. She was surprised, no doubt. Jasper D'Angelo was handsome and crisp. With the body of a male body, and an aura that left the whole of Italy longing for him. And he wanted to marry her?

That was too much for her to take in, let alone, believe.

She pinched her side to be sure that she was not dreaming. And the pain she felt told her that she was indeed awake she felt pain. Very much so.

She opened her mouth to finally speak,

"But, Mr. D'Angelo, why in the world would you want to marry me?"