"Ice Prince, I know I promised to take care of you during the period your hand is injured but sorry I am not in the mood to cook today....,"

"Did something happened? Are you ok?" Jackson asked subconsciously standing up.

"I don't want to talk about it. I will see you tomorrow," Jasmine said as she instantly disconnected the call.

"Jasmine...," Jackson called but it was too late. If she knew just how worried Jackson was maybe she wouldn't have disconnected the call so hastily.

"I am this worried about her but she did not allow me to talk. Is this my punishment for concealing my feelings for her?" Jackson thought aloud as he sat down on the chair dejectedly.

I know she doesn't love me but despite knowing this why does my heart hurt so much each time she treats me like this. Sometimes we are like friends, other times like lovers and sometimes like total strangers. Why is our relationship so complicated? Will it get better if I confess my feelings to her?

Jackson thought as he rested his head against the chair. He stayed out on the porch for a long time. He later went upstairs to his room but yet again he could not fall asleep just like the previous night. He stayed awake until it was time for him to get off work.

Jackson freshens up and leaves the mansion without having his breakfast. At the office, the first people to notice the change in their boss were his employees on the ground floor. Seeing how moody he was that early morning all of them made up their mind not to make any mistakes at work that day. They knew with their boss current state, he won't hesitate to fire them at the slightest mistake. Max, his executive assistant and the closest person to him at the office walked on eggshells. He made sure that he did not let his already moody boss flare-up. Throughout that day Max wasn't himself, he was only able to breathe normally after his boss went home.

Driving back home Jackson was so hopeful. He was so hopeful of meeting her at the house like he normally did. He heaved a sigh of relief when he peeped at the kitchen and saw her cooking. He quietly walked up to her without making a sound. When he reached her, he touched her by the cheek. He was taken aback when she did not scold or tease him like she normally did.

"What is wrong?" Jackson asked as he rested his back against where the burning stove was. Jasmine who was previously ignoring him quickly pushed away from there.

"Are you incapable of feeling pain? While you were resting your back against it, didn't you feel hot? Do you have a tendency for getting injured? What would you have done if you had caught fire?" Jasmine asked fiercely to the shock of Jackson who hasn't seen her so furious before.

"Jasmine, why are you getting so mad at me? You have never gotten furious with me before," Jackson asked not getting over the shock. Despite talking to talk, she did not spare him a glance.

"There is always a first time for everything," Jasmine said with an indifferent expression. She did take her eyes off what she was doing for a split second.

Why is Jasmine suddenly treating me this way? Even when I pissed her off she has never gotten mad at me to this extent. Did the old man scold her yesterday? I wonder what he said to make her treat me like a stranger.

Jackson thought as he watched her continue to ignore him. When he couldn't tolerate her behaviour anymore he decided to go upstairs to freshen up.

"I will go upstairs to change and freshen up. I will come back later," Jackson said expecting to get a response from her but she uttered no word. He went upstairs when he saw that she won't even talk to him anymore.

When Jackson came downstairs, Jasmine and Lilian were in the middle of setting the table.

"Leave us, Lilian," Jackson ordered sternly. Lilian who sensed the awkwardness between the two of them immediately left. From the way they acted she knew that something was wrong but the problem was she couldn't lay a finger on what exactly was the issue.

"Jasmine, what exactly is wrong with you? I thought we were cool before you visited your parents, did I perhaps do something wrong that I am not aware of? I am not used to this silent part of you. In fact, your silence is driving me insane so say something, Jasmine," the helpless Jackson who couldn't take it anymore said as he grabbed her right hand holding onto the cutlery.

"You didn't do anything wrong...,"

"Then why are you avoiding me? Why are you not talking to me?" Jackson asked in a serious tone?

"Because I don't want to get attached to you," Jasmine blurted out as she turned and stare into his eyes.

"I started coming here because of the contract but after seeing those pictures of us on my father's table I realised that I was slowly drifting away from my task without even realising it...,"

"Pictures? What pictures are you talking about?" Jackson asked in confusion.

I can't believe that my guess is right. The old man has a hand in why she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. Damn it!

Jackson thought with clenched teeth.

"The pictures of us in the amusement park...,"

"But we didn't do anything wrong there," Jackson said still holding onto her hands.

"Yeah, I know but despite that, I still don't want to get close to you. I realise that I tend to forget myself whenever I talk to you...,"

"And you want to stop talking to me because of this? Jasmine do you know how absurd this is?" Jackson said. He could not believe that she ignored him because of these stupid reasons.