30: The indifferent icy princess

"This? These tears? They are not a weakness. They show strong you are and how strong you've been," Leah said, cupping Elisa's face in her hands. "And when you are done, look back and know that you were strong enough to overcome what you once thought to be impossible," she added. 

Elisa moaned pitifully, she took comfort in Leah's words and rested her head on Leah's chest. The medicine started kicking in and she relaxed to let the comfort of sleep seize her body. 

Leah laid her back down on the bed and pulled the blue quilts to cover her. She used a tissue to wipe Elisa's tears away, she slowly got up from the bed and ambled out of the room.

"Other than me, no one else knows how to calm her down when she breaks down," Jasmine flatly let out, starting a conversation with Leah. 

"I should count myself lucky that Elisa considers me a friend," Leah said, her tone ever so pleasant. 

Jasmine scoffed, she pulled Leah by the hand and dragged her away from Elisa's room. Jasmine's blood was boiling and her patience running thin, the unexpected guest in her house pushed her to the edge. 

"Jasmine? Is everything alright?" Leah asked as she was harshly pulled along. Jasmine's grip was so tight and strong that Leah failed to release herself from her hold. She could helplessly allow Jasmine to have her way. 

They descended the glazed stairs to the main room of the house. Jasmine paused and released Leah. 

Leah stared down at her hand, Jasmine's fingers left prints on her skin, she frowned. The harsh treatment was uncalled for, a simple request to talk in the main room would've sufficed. 

"What are you doing here, Miss Medrano?" Jasmine inquired coldly. 

"I came to check on Elisa. I wanted to see to it that she was alrig..."

"She's with her family. Why wouldn't she be alright?" Jasmine cut in icily. Her tone firm and frosty, but Leah didn't flinch. 

Leah met Jasmine cold gaze with a warm friendly smile. She refused to let Jasmine cold glassy persona get in the way of her plans. Leah was determined to melt Jasmine's cold candy shell and befriend her to help her plans to get closer to Sebastian. 

She found out from colleague gossip at the office that Sebastian instructed Faber to look into Jasmine. Sebastian wished to find out about Elisa, Leah didn't know the reason behind Sebastian's interest in Jasmine and Elisa but she was going to grant his wish. 

A move that earns her favor with him and help get her in his good graces. The first step to winning him over and stealing him away from Aryanna. 

The obstacle in her path was Elisa bodyguard and caretaker, Jasmine Kincade. A girl so cold that even her father dares not offend her. Leah wondered how Jasmine mastered the art of indifferent at sixteen. 

Instead of being obsessed with boy bands and shopping like other girls her age, she had her hands in the family business. Taking reigns in the chains of hotels she managed.

"Elisa and I met at the gala and we bonded instantly. I see her as my friend and..."

"I don't regard you as her friend at all!" 

Jasmine declared openly. A moment of silence passed, Leah and Jasmine stared at each other, neither of them backing down from the confrontation. 

"You should let Elisa make that choice. Whether or not she wants to be my friend should be her decision," Leah composed herself and spoke softly. "You saw it yourself how she listened to me. I only mean well for her, trust me."

"Hahaha!" Jasmine burst into laughter. She laughted hysterically, clasping her stomach she fell on the sofa and continued laughing. Like she'd heard the joke of the century. 

Leah went still, unsure of Jasmine's reaction to her words. She had rehearsed it countless times Infront of the mirror to get it right and didn't understand why Jasmine was laughing. 

"I don't even trust my own reflection and you want me to trust you, on what basis?" She asked, her face turning expressionless and cold. "Sit, let's talk over tea," she ushered. 

Leah took a sit and almost immediately a servant walked into with snacks and tea for them. 

When the maid poured tea for Jasmine, she accidentally poured boiling water on Jasmine's hand. Jasmine barely cringed as the hot water grazed her skin. The servant trembled with fear as she apologized. 

"I'm sorry, did you get burnt?" She asked Jasmine. Getting a tissue and whipping the hot water on Jasmine's skin. 

"It's hot water and you're asking me if I got burnt. Let's find out, shall we," Jasmine said, she grabbed the tea spoon from the side dish and dropped it in the boiling pot of water. "Fetch it," she ordered the servant. 

Leah's eyes went wide for a split second as she watched the scene. Crippling fear trailed down her spine but she bit the inside of her mouth and maintained a brave front. 

"I'm sorry, miss. It was an accident," the servant apologized and went on her knees. 

Without hesitation, Jasmine rose from her seat, she forcefully pulled the servant's hand and pressed down into the pot of boiling water. 

"Aarghhh," the servant screamed at the top of her lungs as her hand burnt in the hot water. Jasmine's eyes were cold and lifeless, as though she couldn't feel the hotness of the water against her skin.

Leah swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart beating loudly against her chest, her gut urging her to get up and ran for her life before it was too late. But her body was paralysed on the chair, refusing to move an inch. 

Jasmine set the servant free, she removed her hand from the pot and dried it using a napkin.

The servant held her hand close to her heart, the teaspoon she fetched from the pot dropped to the ground, tears flooded her eyes and streamed down her face. She openly cried out in pain. 

Jasmine leaned her head to the side and smirked. "Did you get burnt?"

The servant snapped her head to stare at Jasmine with disbelief. Her boss showed no remorse for her actions, Jasmine seemed amused by her misery. 

"Pack your things and get lost. I never want to see you again," Jasmine ordered, she averted her gaze from the servant and gave her attention to Leah. "Where were we?" She asked, Leah shivered. "Right, you were boldly asking for my trust. Why should I give it to you?!" She bellowed, her voice hitting every corner of the room.

Leah's breath hitched, she underestimated Jasmine and had gotten a display of the girl's temperament. Leah regretted her choice to take on the indifferent icy princess of the Kincade family. 'I'm doomed!' she thought.