The two men exchanged a look, and the first man pulled out a key.“We have clearance to open the apartment if needed.But we can wait while you pack.”
“Wait, wait, wait—this is real?”Jasper asked, his voice cracking again, this time from disbelief.“This isn’t a joke?”
“No, sir,” the second guard replied.“Prince Saif asked us to retrieve you and your niece.His parents and sister are arriving shortly.It’s important to him that you’re all together.”
Jasper's heart was thudding now.He remembered Saif mentioning a house—an actual house, not this cramped apartment with flickering lights and peeling linoleum.Saif hadoffered.But Jemma had looked like she might be sick at the thought.
Still...“And Jayla?”he asked, eyes narrowing.
“She’s due for pickup at six-fifteen, but the prince requested we bring her early.We’ll go straight from here.”
They were serious.Dead serious.
Still suspicious, Jasper yanked out his phone and hit his sister’s contact.She answered on the second ring.
“Jasper?”Her voice was breathless, worried.“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said quickly.Then, lowering his voice so the guards wouldn’t hear, he added, “But there are two giant goons standing outside saying I’m supposed to go with them.”
There was a pause—then laughter.“Those are Saif’s bodyguards,” Jemma said, amusement laced with disbelief.“He told me they’d be there to pick you and Jayla up.”
Jasper stepped farther away and cupped a hand around the phone.“Do you think we should do it, Jemma?Like...actually go?”She was quiet for a moment, but before he could respond, she continued.“Do you think it’s safe?”she asked finally, her voice soft, uncertain.
“Yes,” he said immediately.“Yes to all of it.”
He risked a glance at the two men again.Still standing there, patiently waiting.“Why wouldn’t we take this, Jem?He’s offering help.Real help.”
Another pause.Then: “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice cracking.“It just...feels too easy.”
“You don’t trust good luck,” he murmured.“You never have.”
She exhaled sharply, a small, broken sound that made his chest ache.
“But Jemma,” he continued, “you’re a good person.And Saif—headoresyou.Anyone can see that.And maybe it’s finally okay to say yes when someone offers you something real.”
Another silence.Jasper rolled his eyes.Of course Saif hadn’t told her how hefelt—idiot.
“Okay,” he said into the phone, voice flat.“I’m going to go with these guys.If you don’t hear from me soon, call the cops.”
Before Jemma could argue—before she could say something likegood luck doesn’t come to people like us—he hung up.
He turned to the two suited men, squinting up at them with narrowed eyes.“Are you going to kill me?”
The older one actually chuckled.“No, sir.”
Jasper stared at him for another long second.They didn’tlooklike kidnappers.Too clean.Too calm.But that’s probably what good kidnapperswantedyou to think.
Still...
“Fine,” he muttered.“Let’s go get my niece.”
He pivoted and walked back, not even bothering to grab a sandwich.If these guyswereplanning to abduct him and Jayla, he wasn’t about to be weighed down by yet another peanut butter sandwich.Better to be ready to run.Or fight.
As they headed toward the elevator, a strange thought crept in.
I don’t really believe it either.
This wasn’t some fairytale.This wasn’t a glass slipper moment or a long-lost royalty plot twist.This was real life.And real life didn’t hand people like him and Jemma castles and second chances.
