For the rest of the morning, Jasmine wandered around her new room like someone who had stepped into the wrong life.
She opened the closet again.
Rows of neatly hung clothes stared back at her—jeans, sweaters, dresses she had never owned before. The fabric looked soft, expensive.
Carefully, she touched one of the sleeves.
"Who buys clothes for someone they just met?" she muttered.
The question echoed quietly in the room.
She still couldn't decide if Lucas was incredibly kind… or incredibly strange.
Jasmine eventually changed into a simple pair of jeans and a loose gray sweater from the closet. The clothes fit surprisingly well, which somehow made the whole situation feel even more unreal.
After a few minutes of staring at herself in the mirror, she left the room and wandered down the hallway.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that made every sound seem louder.
Her footsteps echoed slightly against the polished floor as she explored. Paintings lined the walls, and tall windows allowed sunlight to spill across the marble floors.
Everything looked spotless.
Perfect.
Like nobody had ever lived here.
Eventually, she found herself standing near a pair of tall wooden doors.
They were slightly open.
Curious, Jasmine pushed them wider.
And froze.
The room beyond was enormous.
But it wasn't another living room or office.
It was a music room.
A grand piano sat near the center, its polished black surface reflecting the sunlight. Several guitars rested on stands near the wall, along with a violin and other instruments Jasmine couldn't even name.
Her mouth fell open.
"This can't be real," she whispered.
Slowly, she stepped inside.
Jasmine had only seen a piano up close once before—at school during music class. Even then, she had only been allowed to look at it.
Now one stood right in front of her.
Carefully, she walked toward it.
Her fingers hovered above the keys before she gently pressed one.
A soft note echoed through the room.
The sound made her smile.
She pressed another.
Then another.
The melody was clumsy and uneven, but something about the sound made her chest feel lighter.
"You're supposed to ask before touching expensive things."
Jasmine jumped so badly she nearly knocked into the piano.
She spun around.
Lucas stood in the doorway.
His expression looked mildly amused.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, embarrassed.
"Long enough."
Her cheeks turned pink.
"I was just looking."
Lucas walked into the room slowly.
"This room is meant for music," he said.
"That's obvious."
Jasmine glanced around again.
"You play all these instruments?"
Lucas shook his head.
"No."
"Then why do you have them?"
"Because I enjoy listening."
That answer somehow made sense.
Jasmine shifted awkwardly.
"Sorry if I wasn't supposed to come in here."
Lucas leaned casually against the piano.
"You were curious."
She nodded.
"Yes."
"That's not a crime."
Jasmine relaxed slightly.
But then Lucas looked at her with that same thoughtful expression he had during breakfast.
"Sing again."
Her eyes widened.
"What?"
"You sang earlier."
"That was different."
"How?"
"Because Maria was there," she said quickly.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"You're saying Maria is less intimidating than me?"
Jasmine hesitated.
"…Yes."
To her surprise, Lucas laughed.
A real laugh this time.
It softened his face completely.
"Well," he said, "that's honest."
Jasmine crossed her arms slightly.
"I'm serious."
Lucas gestured toward the center of the room.
"Sing."
She sighed.
"You're not going to stop asking, are you?"
"No."
Jasmine glanced around the large room.
Her heart started beating faster again.
But something about this space made her feel… comfortable.
Music belonged here.
She took a deep breath.
Closed her eyes.
And began to sing.
The first notes came out soft.
Careful.
But as the melody continued, her voice grew stronger.
Emotion filled every word.
The room seemed to hold the sound, letting it echo gently through the high ceiling.
When she finished, the silence felt almost sacred.
Jasmine opened her eyes slowly.
Lucas hadn't moved.
But the expression on his face had changed.
He looked impressed.
Truly impressed.
"That," he said quietly, "is not ordinary."
Jasmine shrugged awkwardly.
"It's just singing."
Lucas shook his head.
"No."
He stepped closer to the piano.
"That voice could make people stop what they're doing and listen."
Her chest tightened slightly.
No one had ever spoken about her voice like that before.
"You really think so?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
Lucas's answer came without hesitation.
Then he said something that made her blink.
"I'm hiring a vocal coach."
"For who?"
"For you."
Her eyes widened.
"Wait—what?"
"You're getting proper training."
Jasmine stared at him like he had just announced the sky was green.
"You can't just decide that."
"I just did."
"But why?"
Lucas studied her carefully.
"Because talent like yours shouldn't be wasted."
The words settled into her chest slowly.
Hope flickered there again.
Real hope.
But before Jasmine could respond, Lucas's phone buzzed in his pocket.
His expression changed slightly as he checked the screen.
Annoyance.
Then something colder.
He answered the call immediately.
"Yes."
Jasmine pretended not to listen, but the room was too quiet.
"…No mistakes this time," Lucas said.
Silence.
Then his voice dropped lower.
"…If he talks, you know what to do."
Jasmine felt a strange chill crawl up her spine.
Lucas ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
When he looked up again, the calm expression had returned.
But Jasmine couldn't shake the uneasy feeling growing inside her.
For someone who loved music and helped strangers…
Lucas Valtieri seemed to deal with very dangerous problems.