There were maids in the hallway, and the way Corvine had shoved Jasmine out of his room sent her stumbling so badly that she ended up falling hard against the polished floor.
The embarrassment was unbearable, hot and immediate, flooding her face while the cool air of the hallway bit at her bare skin. Jasmine barely knew how she managed to get herself back on her feet, let alone how she found the strength to open the door to her room.
Everything around her had become a blur of soft lighting and quiet footsteps, but there was one thing she knew she would never forget. The looks in the maids' eyes.
They had always respected her. Now their expressions had been filled with confusion, shock, and something else she couldn't bear to put into words. Pity, maybe, or quiet judgment.
Jasmine could still feel those complicated stares following her as she stumbled away, clutching her clothes tight against her chest and trying to hide what had already been seen.
