Chapter 118 Jasmine is a Formidable Woman
Howard dismissed Jasmine and said to his PR team, "Call the police."
Daria seemed relieved. "Exactly, Mr. Howard. Why give her a chance to explain? She's got a record. We should simply call the authorities with no further ado."
"Uncle, maybe we should give Jasmine another chance. Just let her leave the company," Harper suggested kindly.
Howard snorted. "Harper, don't be too soft-hearted. Your sister is in jail because of her."
Harper let out a wistful sigh. "I just don't think Jasmine seems like a bad person."
"You can never truly know someone," Daria chimed in with feigned concern.
Jasmine remained calm, sitting until Howard and the PR team had left. Then she turned to Daria. "I don't mind, but I do have a recording in my possession. Are you interested in hearing it?"
Daria, who was about to leave, tensed up at the mention of a recording.
"What are you talking about?" she asked Jasmine, confused.
Jasmine methodically played the recording on her phone. She had already sent a copy of the audio to Ethan.
After hearing the news, Daria's face turned pale, showing a mixture of shock and disbelief. "You... you've set me up!"
From her first day at the company, Jasmine knew to keep records; she had come for Daria.
"Ms. Daria, have you ever heard of being hoisted by your own petard?" Jasmine paused the recording and dodged with her phone. "I have many copies of this recording. Stealing my phone won't do you any good."
Daria's fingers trembled with rage as she pointed at Jasmine. "What exactly do you want?"
"For years, you've been a fixture at the company, holding a coveted HR position, somewhat too self-assured due to Carmen's favoritism," Jasmine stated calmly, her voice steady.
Her heart raced with fear.
However, the fear dissipated at the thought of Ethan arriving soon.
"When people get cocky, they make fatal mistakes, like in this situation," Jasmine said, standing up and facing Daria. "Today's fiasco is the talk of the town, from the police department to the company corridors. If I release this recording, I can clear my name. And you, on the other hand, will be taken in for questioning by the authorities."
To think, a HR manager luring a new employee into plotting against the CEO.
What crime would that be?
"If Mr. Douglas decides to press charges, you might be facing allegations of aggravated assault," Jasmine said, clutching the hem of her blouse, refusing to lose her composure.
Daria was visibly panicked, her anxiety profound.
"A single recording proves nothing. No one will believe you," Daria retorted defensively.
"The authenticity of the recording can be verified. Belief is irrelevant," Jasmine knew Daria was desperately clutching at straws.
The truthfulness of the tape didn't matter much to most people. Once released, there would be plenty of others ready to kick a rival when they're down.
Daria's hands shook as she glanced nervously toward the door, then rushed in and grabbed Jasmine's clothes. "How do you want to resolve this? Don't give the recording to the police."
"Did Carmen put you up to this? Do you really think your subtle maneuvering at Stellar Enterprises over the years went unnoticed by Mr. Douglas?" Jasmine shoved Daria's hand away and stepped back.
Daria took a deep breath. "Is Mr. Douglas using you to get rid of me, to replace me with one of his own?"
"Mr. Douglas isn't that petty, but you're not so clever," Jasmine said, feeling unsteady, and sat down.
"Ms. Daria, you've been with the company for years – no merit but certainly hard work. If Mr. Douglas pursues this, it's not just a conviction. All your efforts are for naught, and you'll be left with a criminal record and jail time," Jasmine spoke calmly. "Prison life is something I wouldn't wish you to experience."
Daria stepped back, defeated. "What will it take to destroy the recording? Name your price. If it's money you want, I can give it to you. I'm begging you."
"It turns out, only when you hold leverage can you make people humble and courteous," Jasmine mocked with a laugh.
Daria had never been so submissive until she lost her advantage.
"Jasmine, you did this on purpose, didn't you? Just to make a mockery of me. You deliberately led Mr. Douglas to Owen and the others to get them fired, all because Carmen planted them!" Daria's realization had come too late.
She observed Jasmine with a mix of horror and disbelief, trying to grasp the concept that this woman, a convicted felon who had spent five years in prison and lacked significant education or connections, had achieved so much in just a few days at the company.
It was frightening.
The woman was genuinely terrifying.
With a calm demeanor, Jasmine faced Daria. "Howard called the cops. From the moment they were alerted to the time they'll walk through that door, we've got forty minutes."
Jasmine gave Daria forty minutes to figure out her next move—what she should do and what she really wanted.
"Jasmine! You're threatening me? Who do you think you are?" Daria was on the brink of hysteria.
Jasmine just looked at her, serene as ever.
A breakdown is the mind's first line of defense when it can't accept reality.
"Jasmine, please, just delete the recording, and I'll tell the police it was my oversight, that I failed to give clear instructions, okay? That way neither of us suffers much loss. Can we agree to that?" Daria was now looking for a way out, beginning to beg for mercy.
In Jasmine's eyes, this was her second line of mental defense, still clutching at straws of hope.
Seeing Jasmine ignore her, Daria paced restlessly, drawing a deep breath before walking over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Jasmine was right. It would take the police thirty-five minutes to arrive at Stellar Enterprises on the ground floor and another three to five minutes to come up and enter the room.
Daria glanced at Jasmine with terror.
At that moment, she feared the woman even more.
She seemed so fragile and easy to bully.
"What the hell do you want?" Daria demanded in desperation.
The police had arrived, their patrol car visible outside. Yet, Jasmine remained focused on Daria, ignoring the commotion.
‘She wasn't sharp enough,’ thought Jasmine, and therefore was of little use to Ethan. Better to get rid of her.
Daria's palms were sweaty with anxiety, and she couldn't fathom what Jasmine truly wanted.
‘Not money, not a job. Was it about Ethan?’
"Through firing Owen and the others, I thought you'd have gotten the hint, Ms. Daria. It seems... I expected too much." Jasmine said sardonically as she rose to greet the arriving law enforcement.
In a panic, Daria reached out, grabbing Jasmine's wrist. "Carmen and Daniel went to Hawaii. She'd gathered info on Otis's contacts and likes beforehand, and years ago, she approached me to plant her people in the company. I know every placement... which ones are Carmen's."
"Jasmine, I'll give you the list! Just help me this once, and I'll be loyal to Mr. Douglas from here on out. Anything Carmen does, I'll report directly to you!" Daria's voice was shaking.
Jasmine's gaze burned into Daria as she chuckled. "How can I trust you?"
"The secretary, Vittoria – she's Carmen's plant, shadowing Ethan!" Daria was scrambling for self-preservation.
Jasmine nodded, waving her phone in front of Daria – it was recording. "Ms. Daria, you should learn from your mistakes. Now I've got everything captured here. If Carmen finds out..."
Jasmine had effectively cut off Daria's escape.
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