Page 51 of Maxwell

“I’ve thought about what you said, and I have an answer. You want me? Prove it.” She kept her eyes level and locked with his.

He leaned back in his chair. “How?”

Feeling more confident, Jasmine moved closer, keeping her voice even. “I know what kind of man you are, Maxwell. Like I told you, I clocked you the first night we met. The champagne, the charm, the whole production. Since then, I’ve done research on you and your family. You really downplayed your pedigree. The fact is, you’ve probably had easy access to everything you’ve ever wanted your entire life: money, connections, women. The only thing you’ve ever had to work for is your residency and career, and both of those came with a safety net not afforded to most people.

“I’m not interested in a wealthy, entitled player who thinks he can get whatever and whoever he wants. Someone who has probably been careless with women without any real consequences, coasting through life on charm and his family’s last name, slumming it with regular folk for the novelty of something that doesn’t come easy.” She studied his expressionless face. “If that’s the kind of person you are, tell me now so we don’t waste each other’s time.”

She had expected him to push back or argue, but he remained perfectly still, absorbing what she had said.

“Is that what you really think about me?” he asked.

“I’m asking you to tell me if I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong,” he said quietly.

Relief swept through her. Despite her confident air, she hadn’t known what answer he would give.

“In that case, I need something from you before we can move forward. Assuming you’re serious about this thing between us, here’s what I need. I want you to apologize to the last three women you hurt. Not women from years ago who’ve already healed. Leave them alone. I’m talking about recent women who might still be carrying the pain of your betrayal. You need to give a real apology. Not a half-hearted one just so you can report back that you did what I asked.”

He looked appalled. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I want you to fully understand what your behavior cost them.”

“Three women?” he asked, his expression bordering on disbelief.

“Three. Oh, and this has to be done in person.”

“In per—” He broke off and stared at her. “How will you know if I did as you asked?”

“I won’t. I’ll have to trust that you’re being honest. It’ll be a test for both of us,” Jasmine said simply.

Maxwell glanced away for a moment, his jawline tightening. “I do this, and then what?”

“I’ll have dinner with you. One dinner. That’s all I’ll commit to for now.”

“What if I can’t find the women?” he asked.

“That’s your problem to solve, but I believe in you. A man with your resources shouldn’t have any problem locating them.”

“What if they don’t want to talk to me?”

“Then you go to the next woman on your list.”

Maxwell remained quiet for a moment. “Why is it so important to you that I apologize to these women? You don’t know them.”

“But I can empathize with them. They’re someone’s daughters. Men like you, Jayson, and Leon, my ex, wreak havoc on women. I want you to reckon with your actions and really understand what you did. Do we have a deal?”

He held her gaze for a long time. She didn’t move, waiting for his answer.

“Okay,” he finally said.

He didn’t try to negotiate or deploy his charm to soften the terms. His answer was simple. Okay. That’s all it took for her to make a deal with a man who could be the next one to break her heart.

“I guess we’re done here.” Jasmine turned to the door.

“Jasmine.”

She faced him.