I was happy as well. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Jasmine’s face when she saw me at her own brother’s birthday party.

And when she found out that I was her brother’s girlfriend, what would her reaction be?

I could hardly wait.

But what I was looking forward to even more was Christopher’s reaction.

Asher’s birthday happened to fall on a Saturday.

After finishing up at the studio, I dressed up carefully and headed to the party with a gift in hand.

Jasmine was more than willing to spend money on her younger brother. She had rented an entire floor of the most expensive hotel in the city for Asher’s birthday.

By the time I arrived, night had just fallen.

As I pushed open the door, my eyes immediately landed on Asher, standing in the middle of the crowd.

He was already strikingly handsome, but tonight, with the extra effort he’d put into his appearance, he looked even more outstanding.

The moment I entered, Asher’s gaze was glued to me.

He eagerly ran over, took my hand, and sweetly called, “Grace, you’re finally here.”

I handed him the gift I had prepared in advance—a painting I had made especially for him.

Asher was so excited that he wanted to open it right away.

But I stopped him, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Open it later, and only when you’re alone.”

In that instant, Asher’s eyes lit up—both surprised and delighted, with a hint of unspoken desire.

Just then, someone asked him who I was.

He couldn’t wait to announce to everyone, “She’s my girlfriend.”

I noticed the disappointment in the eyes of the girls around us. I figured their night wouldn’t be going as they hoped.

But that wasn’t my goal for tonight.

At that moment, the door opened again.

Jasmine, with her pregnant belly, entered the room, her arm linked with Christopher’s.

The moment she saw me, she froze completely. Her pupils trembled as if she had seen something terrifying.

“Asher!” Jasmine called out affectionately.