Chapter 114 Ethan's Creative Ways of Offering Money
Henry furrowed his brows, reluctantly moving toward the door, fearing what Mr. Patrick Sr. might say to unsettle Jasmine.
"Has this woman become more important to you than your grandfather?" Mr. Patrick Sr. asked angrily.
Henry remained silent for a long moment. "Justin, let’s go," he finally said.
Justin looked back at his mom, unwilling to leave.
Jasmine cupped Justin's cheeks. "Wait for Mom outside, it's okay. Grandpa Pat just wants to chat with me."
Justin nodded, worry in his eyes as he left the room.
Now alone with Jasmine and an assistant, it was the assistant who spoke first. "Ms. Wilson, name your price. What would it take for you to willingly give up custody of the child?"
"Justin is mine," Jasmine said firmly, gripping her fingers tightly. "Henry and I have an agreement, the child stays with me, and I won't sue him for rape."
Jasmine took a deep breath, looking up at Mr. Patrick Sr. It wasn't her fault, and she had nothing to be ashamed of.
Justin was an accident, one she never wanted in the first place.
Mr. Patrick Sr.'s face darkened instantly. "Quite the tactician, Ms. Wilson."
Jasmine bit her lip, her voice hoarse. "I have nothing to lose, and I don't want a single thing from the Patrick family. If it makes you feel better, I can sign an agreement that Justin will have no ties to the Patricks."
Mr. Patrick Sr. squinted his eyes. "You should know that if I sue for custody of Justin, your chances of winning are slim."
"Look, Henry's marriage into the Brown family isn't going to benefit from Justin's existence. It could harm your business collaboration. Concealing Justin's identity and acknowledging him as my son, not a Patrick, could be the wiser move," Jasmine reasoned with the old Mr. Patrick Sr. "Besides, I have a steady job and income now, and as his mother, I don't think you can be so sure of victory."
"Shame you've been to jail," the old man's words hit Jasmine hard, pressing her down into the depths of despair.
That stain in her life, jail time, she could never erase it.
To Justin, she would always be a burden.
What sort of child can a mother who's been to jail raise?
"Justin is registered under my brother's name." Jasmine looked up at Mr. Patrick Sr. "I doubt going to court with me in a grand display is going to reflect well on Henry or the SHC Group."
Mr. Patrick Sr. looked back at her intently, having expected Jasmine to seize the opportunity today to make all sorts of outrageous demands with greed smeared all over her face.
She proved to be a smart woman, negotiating methodically.
In truth, he never wanted it to reach a courthouse.
It would expose Henry and Jasmine's affair, negatively impacting both Henry and the SHC Group.
"As Justin is a Patrick, our family will certainly not neglect him. He needs a nurturing educational environment, so I'm willing to provide you with a $30,000 monthly educational fund. You take good care of Justin and bring him to Boston to visit me once a month. If he doesn't get a proper education by your side, I'll take measures to remove him, and you won't see him until he turns eighteen," Mr. Patrick Sr. laid out terms that were quite fair, mainly for the sake of Justin.
"Justin doesn't need the Patrick family's education fund." Jasmine clenched her fists, stood up, and bowed to Mr. Patrick Sr. "I understand the real reason you've allowed me to stay is not just because of Justin but also because of Henry."
The old man did harbor some appreciation for Jasmine. Although she seemed meek and compliant, she was pretty sharp.
"There's never going to be anything between Henry and me, so you don't have to worry, sir. You should have faith in your grandson. He's more rational than anyone and would never give up the alliance with the Brown family for my sake." With those words, Jasmine turned and left.
"Sir, about this Jasmine, she seems unambitious, but I'm afraid she’s good with words." the assistant expressed concern.
"She's in Silverlight City, she won't be able to stir up any trouble. Just keep someone watching her. If she slips up in taking care of Justin, bring the kid back to me," Mr. Patrick Sr. said calmly, glancing at his assistant. "What’s the word from the Brown family?"
"The press has been suppressed for now. The news of Zelda being taken by the cops hasn't leaked. The Browns say as soon as Miss Zelda is released, we should announce the engagement," the assistant whispered.
Mr. Patrick Sr. pondered. Henry was always obedient. Hopefully, he would comply this time too.
He feared that Jasmine might be the unpredictable factor.
...
Outside the room.
Henry held Justin, waiting for Jasmine to come out.
"Did my grandpa give you a hard time?"
Jasmine shook her head and reached out for Justin. "Mr. Patrick, we should be heading home."
"Jasmine, you need to think carefully about what I said." Henry frowned, feeling he had overindulged Jasmine, allowing her to adopt this attitude with him.
"Henry..." Jasmine stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Henry. "You have your own life to lead. If you can't give me what I want, then please, stay away from me."
Henry furrowed his brows. "Jasmine, you’re the one being greedy."
Jasmine cracked a sarcastic smile and stepped into the elevator.
She was indeed too greedy, though her greed was just an excuse to keep Henry out of her world.
"Mom, are they going to take me away?" Justin clung to Jasmine's neck, his voice small and scared.
"No." Jasmine's voice was hoarse as she shook her head.
Justin nuzzled against Jasmine. "Mom, did I worry you?"
"Why did you have to go with that grandpa?" Jasmine asked softly.
"That grandpa had a paternity test, said I was their kid, and he was going to take me away. If I didn't go with him nicely, he would take me from you," Justin said, fear in his voice.
"That won't happen, Mom won't let anyone take you away."
As they left the hotel, Jasmine saw Ethan waiting by the car for her.
Perhaps it was just his presence but the evening sunlight seemed to glow a bit brighter.
"Dad!" Justin's voice rang out with instinctive joy, but then his head drooped in disappointment.
It wasn't his dad.
"Did they give you any trouble?" Ethan asked.
Jasmine shook her head. "They offered a fund for Justin's education, but I declined."
"What does Justin want to eat?" Ethan felt in a good mood, gratified that Jasmine had refused the offer.
"Justin's not picky." A spark in Justin's eyes shone when he looked at Ethan.
A child's affection is always so pure.
"My brother messaged me to babysit Justin tonight because he has to work late. Mr. Douglas... I was planning to take Justin back to my apartment, we can just grab a cab."
Ethan glanced at Jasmine. "Let's go home together, the chef took the night off."
Clever Justin hugged Ethan's neck. "I want to eat the pasta you make, Mom. Will you make it for me and Dad tonight?"
"You'll get overtime pay for this." Ethan didn't give Jasmine a chance to refuse and ushered Justin into the car while flashing a discreet grin.
Jasmine quickly waved her hands. "No, no overtime pay needed."
"With the housekeeper away and the chef off tonight, I guess you're going to be pretty busy taking care of my daily meals and household," Ethan quipped earnestly.
"I'll make sure to familiarize myself with your dietary preferences quickly, Mr. Douglas," Jasmine promptly nodded.
"The money you'll save on the chef and housekeeper will be transferred to you by Liam," Ethan spoke as if discussing work.
In reality, he knew Jasmine was proud. He was inventing ways to give her money without her having to accept a single penny from the Patrick family.
He could afford to support ten Jasmines and Justins. Did they need a fund from the Patrick family for education?
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