Chapter 2

I spun around. Of course. It was Jasper. We stared at each other, disbelief plastered across both our faces.

Then, in perfect unison, we blurted out: “What are you doing here?!” “What do you mean, what am I doing here?!”

A few seconds of awkward silence followed.

My patience wore thin. I crossed my arms, chin tilted, glaring down at him with disdain.

“I let you have the necklace and the island,” I snapped, “but this is *my* family’s horse ranch! We’ve owned it for years. Are you seriously going to try and snatch this too?!”

A flicker of surprise crossed Jasper’s eyes. His impressive six-foot-two frame bent slightly as he curved his lips into a teasing smile.

“Miss Skylar,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement, “look closely. This is *my* private horse ranch.”

I followed his gaze. ‘The Jasper Estate,’ large letters declared, prominently displayed above the entrance.

My world went black.

Just then, Alfred came rushing up. “Miss Skylar,” he panted, “the two ranches are quite close. I was worried you might confuse them, so I hurried over. I guess I was too late.”

My face burned crimson. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

After that whole ranch debacle, I seriously suspected our family property had some bad juju. I even consulted a spiritualist.

The spiritualist said the only way to banish the bad luck was to move and find a boyfriend.

So, that night, I moved into a sprawling penthouse in the city center.

As for the ‘boyfriend’ part, I meticulously sifted through my many admirers and picked Kyle, an earnest-looking corporate executive who seemed reliable and harmless.

I chose him because he seemed safe. I had no intention of anything serious, just needed him to help get rid of this bad luck. But who knew? That jerk cheated on me on our *third day* together!

My friends said they saw Kyle flirting with some girl at a bar. And the kicker? I *owned* that bar!

I gnashed my teeth, ready to storm in and cause a scene, but then I forgot the color of my new car and ended up circling endlessly in the underground parking garage.

“Alfred,” I called, “I just bought a new Bugatti, right? Do you remember what color it is?”

“Miss Skylar,” Alfred sighed, “you have so many cars, I can barely keep track. I wasn’t even aware you’d acquired another Bugatti.”

I hung up, racking my brain. Black! It was black! Then, I realized I’d forgotten my car keys.

Just then, the window of another black Bugatti next to me rolled down.

“Skylar?” Jasper asked, from the driver’s seat, a cigarette held delicately between his fingers as he exhaled a plume of smoke.

Through the swirling smoke, I saw a beacon of hope!

I practically dove into the passenger seat, barking out an address and ordering him to drive.

Still seething, I snatched the half-smoked cigarette from his fingers and took a long, furious drag.

He paused, surprised, then blinked and asked what was wrong.

I exhaled a cloud of smoke, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “Cheater busting,” I deadpanned.

I didn’t notice his gaze linger on me for a fleeting moment.

As I got out, I pulled a wad of cash from my bag and tossed it onto the seat. “I know you’re not hurting for money,” I said, “but I don’t take free rides.”

Ignoring the way his eyes crinkled in amusement and a subtle smile played on his lips, I stormed into the bar, marched straight to the VIP section, and successfully busted the cheater.

But soon enough, karma came knocking.