Jasmine quickly prepared. Her luxurious suitcases were packed. The maids were no longer curious; Ana's scolding and Jasmine's cold resolve had silenced them. Jasmine was now wearing stylish but simple travelling clothes. Her white hair was impeccably tied, and her blue eyes held extreme resolve.
She stepped out of the room and onto the corridor. The distance to Korea and Ji-Han's presence—nothing could stop her.
She was walking quickly down the corridor, her only goal being the door.
Just then, a strong hand came from the side and grasped her arm.
Jasmine flinched. A sharp shock ran through her body. That touch was intimately familiar, but at this moment, it was merely irritating and a symbol of possessiveness.
She turned back. Dmitry was standing there. His long blonde hair, blue eyes—but the smile on his face was gone. He was serious and authoritative.
Dmitry pulled Jasmine closer, as if she could never escape his grasp.
"Where are you going, my Sorceress?" Dmitry's voice was calm, but it held a terrifying suppressed rage. "You are not going anywhere without informing me."
Dmitry's control and the horrifying information about him using other women in her image—all of this made Jasmine lose her patience. Fire flashed in her eyes.
Jasmine tried to pull her hand away with all her strength, but she couldn't. She looked directly into Dmitry's eyes.
"To hell!" Jasmine hissed with intense fury.
"Yes, Dmitry! I am going to hell! And I want you to let me go, because after this madness and betrayal of yours, there is no better place for me on this earth!"
Dmitry's face hardened. He gripped Jasmine's arm even tighter. "How dare you! You are my wife! You won't go anywhere without my permission!"
"I am not your wife, I was your doll!" Jasmine screamed. "I am going to Korea, but not for Alia's or your game. I am going to reclaim my freedom. Let me go!"
The Claws of the Tiger
Jasmine's rage was no longer just in her voice; it spread throughout her entire being. Dmitry's words and his grip seemed to reopen her old wound—her use as a spy, her subjugation as a model, and the emotional blackmail she suffered at Dmitry's hands.
When Dmitry pulled her closer, tightening his grip on her arm, Jasmine's blue eyes seemed to flicker with anger. Her white hair slipped from her shoulder, her face bearing the deep imprint of rage.
"You won't let me go!" Jasmine said, gritting her teeth. "What do you think I am? Your property? Your puppet?"
Dmitry said nothing, but his expression was unyielding. He was not willing to let Jasmine go. His look made it clear—Jasmine was his now.
"I am giving you a last chance, Dmitry," Jasmine said in a choked voice. "Let me go. Go to your other girls! Stay with your false love of golden petals! I refuse to be part of your sick game anymore!"
The fire of rage seemed to spark from Jasmine's eyes. She tried to free herself from Dmitry's hand with all her might.
Dmitry was slightly surprised by Jasmine's unexpected resistance, but he tightened his hold. "No, Jasmine. You are speaking emotionally now. You won't go anywhere alone. You will be harmed if you leave my sight. I won't let you go!"
This struggle, this silent war, created extreme tension in the corridor. Jasmine made it clear that even if the key to her heart was with Dmitry, her willpower was now completely independent. She would now use this extreme anger as fuel for her mission in Korea.
The Slap and the Silent Hatred
Dmitry grew angrier at Jasmine's words. Jasmine's intense rage, her attempt to break free, and the mention of other girls—everything severely wounded Dmitry's frantic sense of possession. He forgot that he loved Jasmine. His mafia boss persona only sought to establish control at this moment.
For a moment, Dmitry's blue eyes turned cold.
The next moment, Dmitry slapped Jasmin hard in a fit of intense rage.
The sound of the slap echoed down the corridor. Jasmine's face turned to one side. Her white hair fell down to graze her cheek.
But Jasmine did not scream, nor did she protest. She went silent instantly. Her intense rage was momentarily stunned.
Slowly, Jasmine raised her head. Her cheek was red, and perhaps a trace of blood could be seen at the corner of her lips.
Jasmine looked at Dmitry. There was no more anger in her blue eyes, only a cold, fixed hatred. She looked directly at the hand with which Dmitry hit her with.
Dmitry's hand was still gripping Jasmine's arm tightly.
Dmitry himself might have been slightly taken aback by the intensity of the blow. He immediately tried to pull Jasmine close. "Jasmine! I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you…"
But Jasmine paid no attention to his words. She did not focus on Dmitry's apology or remorse. Her eyes were fixed only on the hand that had struck her. This slap broke the last emotional bond Jasmine had with Dmitry.
Jasmine met his eyes; her voice was incredibly calm, as if she had made a difficult decision.
"You hit me," Jasmine said. "You struck me. Now I will truly go to hell, Dmitry. And you won't be able to stop me."
The Persian Cat and the Black Tiger
Dmitry was deeply hurt by the cold, fixed hatred in Jasmine's eyes. The mafia boss within him could not tolerate this silent rejection. Instead of remorse, he needed to bring Jasmine back under control, reminding her of their past bond.
Dmitry held Jasmine even tighter, his voice now filled with deep agony and plea instead of anger.
"Listen to me, Jasmine," Dmitry whispered, as if he didn't want anyone in this corridor to hear their childhood secrets. "Don't you remember? The time we spent together as children?"
Dmitry tried to touch Jasmine's reddened cheek, but Jasmine immediately pulled her face away.
Dmitry held Jasmine's hand and pulled her, as if trying to take her back to that memory.
"What did you have in your hand back then, do you remember? You had a Persian cat. Your cat looked just like you—calm, white, and its eyes were blue like yours."
Dmitry tried to smile, but the smile sounded pitiful.
"And in my hand? Mine was a black tiger. Frightening, ferocious. But whenever your cat went near my tiger, it would calm down. Only you could calm it."
Dmitry held Jasmine's gaze intensely. His purpose in saying this was clear—their childhood game and the symbolic relationship of their pets were reflections of their current relationship. Jasmine was the white, calm cat, and Dmitry was the black, ferocious tiger. And Jasmine was the only person who could tame Dmitry's madness.
"You are the only one, Jasmine," Dmitry said. "You are the Persian cat who can tame my tiger. I didn't mean to hurt you. But when you want to go far away… the tiger inside me goes mad. Don't leave me!"
Dmitry's emotional confession was an expression of his love, but to Jasmine, it was just another proof of his possessiveness. Jasmine was still motionless, the pain and disbelief of the blow visible in her eyes. Even the memories of childhood could not shake her new resolve.
The Last Embrace and Ziaisko's Secret
The memory of their childhood, Dmitry's confession of his 'tiger'—it caused an unexpected crack in Jasmine's firm resolve. Despite the pain of the slap and the hatred, that deep childhood bond, the game of the Persian cat and the black tiger… all of it stirred the emotions within Jasmine again.
The hatred slowly faded from Jasmine's steady eyes, replaced by intense pain. In an instant, her rage melted away into extreme sorrow. She lowered her head.
Without another word, Jasmine fell into tears silently.
Dmitry, seeing the tears in her eyes, seemed immensely relieved. The 'tiger' inside him was soothed. He knew that Jasmine might hate him, but she couldn't completely deny him.
Dmitry immediately pulled Jasmine into his arms and embraced her tightly. His long blonde hair mingled with Jasmine's white hair. Dmitry no longer tried to stop Jasmine; he only wanted to be a shelter for his broken lover.
Jasmine felt Dmitry's warmth, temporarily forgetting all the betrayals and the slap in this embrace.
Dmitry gently touched Jasmine's forehead, then kissed her cheek. The kiss was a mixture of deep remorse and eternal possessiveness.
"Be calm, my Sorceress," Dmitry whispered. "I will let you go. But not alone. You must be my eyes. You don't need Ji-Han, but I need you."
Jasmine did not reply.
Ziaisko Volga: The Mafia's Weakness
Jasmine was still held in Dmitry's arms, but her last cry was not of remorse, but the birth of a new resolve. As soon as Dmitry kissed her cheek, she pulled away. There was no more emotion in her eyes, only a calculated sharpness.
"Should I be ashamed?" Jasmine whispered with intense fury, but her voice was low. "You should be ashamed, Dmitry! You hit me! And you are reminding me of your brothers' stories?"
Jasmine quickly shook her head. Her white hair swayed. She brought up the strict rules of Dmitry's family and the mafia clan.
"Your brother… your other Boss… whose name starts with Z, don't you remember?" Jasmine said intensely. Her spy training reminded her of the old information. "Oh yes, I remember! His name is Ziaisko Volga!"
Jasmine now looked Dmitry in the eye.
"Why won't your brother Ziaisko Volga get married? They were engaged! They were both as tough as you! Victor married Alia. Alia was already Muslim, and Victor converted to Islam to marry her. This strengthened your family and business foundations. But why did Ziaisko Volga break his commitment? Why did he cancel his engagement?"
Jasmine's questions were sharp. She knew that marriage in this mafia clan was not just about love, but a power contract. Ziaisko's cancellation of his engagement meant a severe internal problem within the clan, which put their international network security at risk.
The look of love and remorse on Dmitry's face quickly faded. He was stunned by Jasmine's question and the mention of Ziaisko's name. This was one of the most sensitive and secret matters of their family.
"Jasmine, you…" Dmitry couldn't finish his sentence. There was fear in his blue eyes now. Jasmine proved once again that she not only held the key to his emotions but also the secret weakness of their mafia clan.
Dmitry quickly looked around the corridor to see if anyone was listening to them. He grabbed Jasmine's arm and quickly pulled her inside the room.
"Not these things outside, Jasmine," Dmitry whispered, his voice full of extreme caution. "If Alia or Victor find out the information you know... you won't just be my 'Sorceress,' you will become an extreme danger to them."
Dmitry quickly closed the door. He knew that the reason for Ziaisko's cancelled engagement directly affected the ancient power of their clan and the future of their business.