How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 85: Asking Her Out...

Jasmine walked in, her shape outlined by the doorway as the fading light highlighted her features. She wore combat boots and a blazer, with a light sheen of sweat on her skin and an intense look in her eyes.

In her hands was a sleek black cube, about the size of a box of files, humming faintly with power. "You’re going to want to sit down for this," she said in a steady voice. "Both of you."

Kaiden and I exchanged a quick glance before turning to face her completely. She stepped forward and placed the cube on the table between us.

"This," she said, tapping the top, "is what I found beneath the old Heart building."

I stepped around the desk, wary. "That’s not standard tech."

"No. It’s older than anything we’ve used in years. And it’s not just tech." She exhaled. "It’s magic."

Kaiden raised a brow. "Magic? From your father?"

She nodded. "It was hidden beneath the old foundation... literally. There was a vault hidden behind stone, and sealed by blood."

That made both of us go still.

"Blood?" I asked.

"A crescent in the floor cut my hand when I pressed against it. Just enough to bleed. The moment the blood hit the engraving, the vault opened, leading us underground."

Kaiden muttered, "That’s some ancient shit."

"It is," Jasmine said. "Inside, I found a... calling it a shrine would make it seem like some coven. But the room was full of holograms... recordings of my father, my childhood, corporate meetings, projects... Everything he didn’t trust anyone else with." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

She paused. "There was a message too. My dad said if I found it, it meant they’d moved against me. He said I wouldn’t have many allies left... but I’d have this. The cube holds records. Spells. Deals. Every off-the-books contract Heart Enterprises ever touched."

Kaiden blinked. "So it’s not just a vault. It’s a loaded weapon."

Jasmine nodded once. "Exactly."

Kaiden looked between us, awe still flickering behind his eyes. "Damn."

I stepped closer to her, my voice softer. "Are you okay?"

She turned to me then, and the look in her eyes wrecked me. "No," she said. "But I will be."

There was a beat of silence as we all stared at the cube.

Then Kaiden cleared his throat. "I’ll leave you two... sounds like this needs to be processed." He gave Jasmine a respectful nod before turning to me. "I’ll keep watch on Council comms."

"Let me know if Elena breathes wrong," I said.

Kaiden smirked faintly. "Will do." Then he disappeared through the door.

I waited until I heard it click shut before I turned back to Jasmine.

She crossed her arms. "What?"

I hesitated.

There it was... that pull in my gut. The instinct to protect her, to shield her from things going on around her. But I knew better now; Jasmine didn’t need protection from the truth.

"I need to tell you something," I said slowly.

She raised a brow. "This is never a good preface."

"Elena," I said. "She’s been reaching out to some council members... I don’t know who. But she’s pushing for a vote of no confidence against you."

Jasmine didn’t flinch. "Figures."

"She’s saying you’re unstable, that you can’t control your wolf. That you’re cursed."

Her eyes darkened. "Cursed."

"Yeah."

"No offence, but I’m not the cursed one here... at least from the two of us."

"Touche," Ace replied.

"None taken."

She turned away slightly, pacing toward the window, hands clenched at her sides. "She’s using my transition against me."

"She’s using fear," I said. "Fear on the part of the council members... and she’s doing it smart. The way rot spreads beneath the surface before the whole tree falls."

Jasmine exhaled. "If she thinks I’ll sit and let her discredit me with half-truths and superstition..."

"She knows better," I cut in. "Which is why she’s doing it like this."

Jasmine turned back to me, chin high. "Then we fight smarter."

I stepped forward. "You’re not unstable. You’re evolving. And that terrifies her."

Her expression softened just slightly. "So what’s our plan of action? Burn them all down?"

"Not yet," I said. "We do it right... expose them at the moment it matters most."

She studied me. "And until then?"

I reached down and picked up the cube. It buzzed gently in my hand, warmth radiating from its core.

"We take this home," I said. "We study every piece. Every record. Every spell. We learn what your father left behind... and what it’ll take to use it."

Jasmine nodded. "Okay."

I didn’t ask for permission. I just stepped to her side, one arm brushing hers. "I’ve got you."

"I know," she said quietly. "Even when I don’t say it, I know."

For a moment, we stood there in silence... me holding the cube and Jasmine with her arms crossed, looking serious. It wasn’t a tired look; it was the heavy burden of responsibility and legacy.

I couldn’t explain it, but I felt the cube’s hum sync with the tension in the air, like it knew it was home, or maybe it just recognised Jasmine.

We didn’t speak, not for a minute or two; we just stood there, letting the moment settle between us, unspoken truths passing in the silence.

Then I cleared my throat, shifting the cube under one arm. "Alright. This day’s been... a lot."

Jasmine scoffed under her breath. "That’s putting it lightly."

"I’m starving," I said. "And unless you’re planning on eating Council politics for dinner, I’d suggest we step out. Just you and me."

Her lips twitched. "You’re asking me out."

I shrugged. "Technically, I already married you. I’m overdue."

She tilted her head, considering. "Are you planning to romance me into forgetting Elena’s trying to ruin my life?"

"No," I said honestly. "But I figured I’d try to remind you you still have one. A life, I mean."

There was a pause.

Then she sighed and finally let her arms drop. "Alright. But I’m not changing."

I smiled. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

—

We didn’t go anywhere fancy. Just a simple spot by the riverwalk with soft lighting, wooden decor, and low jazz music that made the night feel calm.

This place was a hidden gem... you only found it if someone recommended it to you. I used to come here when I needed to think, especially when things with Alpha got tough.

Tonight, it felt different.

Jasmine sat across from me, blazer still on, hair tied back in that sharp, clean line that made her look like she could kill a man with a spreadsheet. She didn’t soften, she never did. But she let herself relax, just slightly.

"So," I said as the drinks arrived, "tell me something real."

She raised an eyebrow. "That’s vague."

"I know. I’m leaving it wide open on purpose."

She took a sip of her drink, then leaned back in her seat. "Alright. I hated math as a kid. Still do."

That made me grin. "You? The woman who can calculate equity splits faster than a calculator?"

"I memorised all of it. Patterns. Logic. Tricks. But it never felt natural." She paused. "My uncle thought it was a flaw. Made me double up on business theory by twelve."

"That’s not a flaw," I said quietly. "That’s being forced into the deep end."

She shrugged, like it didn’t matter anymore. But I knew it still did. "What about you?" she asked. "Tell me something real."

I exhaled, letting my fingers trace the edge of my glass. "I used to talk to trees."

Jasmine blinked. "Come again?"

"As a kid," I said. "Before my wolf fully came in. I’d wander the woods behind the estate. Sit under the big cedar and just... talk."

She stared at me.

"I knew they couldn’t answer," I added. "But they didn’t interrupt, didn’t judge. And it helped."

She smirked. "And here I thought I was the only emotionally repressed one."

"Same tree is still there," I said. "I visit sometimes."

She softened just a little more. "That’s kind of sweet."

"Don’t tell anyone."

"My lips are sealed."

We took our time with the meal, chatting away as we enjoyed each other’s company. It wasn’t about being hungry; we just wanted to savour the moments together.

She shared a story about sneaking into her uncle’s private library for the first time, and I recalled the day I accidentally shifted and shattered all the windows in the conservatory.

She laughed, really laughed, and gods, I wanted to bottle that sound.

When dessert came, we didn’t even touch it... just sipped wine, watching the city lights flicker outside the window.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"For?"

"This. The food. The space. Not asking me to fix anything for one damn hour."

"You do enough," I said.

She met my gaze. "So do you."

"Want to take a walk?" I asked out of the blue.