Chapter 123 Ethan is Pressured into Marrying Harper
In the CEO's office.
Jasmine looked at her desk that had been moved to the corner, feeling very cramped. "Mr. Douglas, maybe I should... I'll just go outside, it's nicer there."
The CEO needed his private space too, and here she was working right in the middle of it.
"What do you think 'personal assistant' means?" Ethan asked as he set down the contract he was holding.
Jasmine looked down and stayed silent, not wanting to anger him.
"Coffee," Ethan gestured toward the coffee cup.
Jasmine quickly walked over, taking the cup to get coffee for Ethan.
"Mr. Patrick Sr. won't give up custody of Justin that easily. He's waiting for you to slip up," Ethan casually reminded her.
Jasmine paused at the door, not saying a word.
"If necessary, Liam can help you with the paperwork for Justin's registration," Ethan said arrogantly without looking up.
He would never admit it, but he actually liked Justin a lot.
Ethan thought he disliked kids before he met Justin.
After encountering Justin, Ethan realized that he didn't dislike kids, he just disliked Lisa's son, Casey.
"Thank... thank you, Mr. Douglas, but there's no need." Jasmine declined, shaking her head.
She couldn't accept it, even if Ethan was willing to help her.
If Justin's registration was moved under Ethan's name, her covert relationship with Ethan would be brought to light by the Patrick family.
Besides, she and Ethan were just in a partnership.
As Henry said, Ethan might end up marrying Harper sooner or later.
At most, it would be three years, maybe less, before Ethan grew tired of it.
Why would she bother stirring the pot?
And if Justin's registration was officially under Ethan, that would establish a de facto custodial relationship, which meant Justin could claim part of Ethan's fortune legally—something the Douglas family would never allow.
Jasmine was no fool. She didn't want to bring trouble and complications on herself and Justin.
Ethan remained silent, fully aware of Jasmine's concerns about the Douglas family.
Their marriage was a business arrangement, one that could end at any time.
Jasmine stepped out of the office and went to make a coffee for Ethan.
"Mr. Howard." As Howard arrived, Jasmine stepped aside.
Howard shot Jasmine a brief glance before entering Ethan's office.
"The Browns paid me a visit today." Howard got straight to the point.
"If it's not about work, we can talk when I get home." Ethan didn’t want to discuss this any further.
"Daniel's out now. Give it a few months, and Jasmine won't be able to threaten the Douglas family anymore. It's time to let her go." Howard frowned, urging Ethan to dispense with Jasmine swiftly, since she was a ticking time bomb. "You don't need me to spell out your situation with Harper. We're all adults here. It's not a matter of responsibility. If the Browns bring up that incident, are you prepared to face assault charges or marry her?"
Ethan slammed his pen down. "Since we're all adults, both parties are responsible. Why was she there if the hotel room was in my name,? Is intoxication an excuse? How did she get in? Do they take me for a fool?"
If Harper was as innocent as she appeared, how had she ended up in his room?
"Are you saying you're the one at a disadvantage?" Howard turned pale with anger.
Ethan frowned. "If the Browns insist on pursuing this, I'll be the one to hold them accountable. Marrying her is out of the question."
"This is non-negotiable. It's about the Douglas family's reputation. You might be willing to take the hit, but the Douglas name cannot afford that! Don't think you're too big to defy us. This company isn't yours to control!" Howard was furious at Ethan's rebelliousness.
"Marry her? That's not happening," Ethan said, dismissing Howard as if he hadn't heard a word.
"You!" Howard struggled to breathe, infuriated. "Is that any way to speak to me?"
"I've already given a heads-up about the Douglas-Brown alliance, and the Browns have hinted at it to the media. As for Jasmine, she had better keep her mouth shut. If she leaks even a whisper, I'll make sure she disappears from Silverlight City," Howard hissed a threat.
Ethan looked up at Howard. "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm talking about Jasmine! She’s reckless, she gave birth for a dubious type, and she’s someone with a tangled private life. Keeping her close is like keeping a ticking bomb. I'm just looking out for you," Howard slammed his hand on the table, enraged.
"Carmen wasn’t discreet. She seduced a married man, and bore two kids out of wedlock for some shady characters. But you married her despite everyone's objections, didn't you? I should take a page out of your book." Ethan leaned back in his chair, speaking up again.
"Besides, Jasmine is my wife. If you insult her, you insult me too. Have you witnessed her so-called chaotic private life yourself? It's true, she had a child with someone unsavory, Henry's no saint, but how is that Jasmine's fault?
"You pride yourself on being high-class intellectual, but don't lose sight of your own standards." Ethan cautioned Howard to think before he spoke.
"Ethan!" Howard’s hands trembled with anger. "Do you think you're untouchable now since you have those shares? You're being naive. Half your grandfather's shares legally belong to Daniel. By the principles of inheritance, your mom's shares should first go to me. Whether I give them to you or not depends on my mood."
Howard was leveraging the shares against Ethan.
"Suit yourself," Ethan was curious to see how far Howard would go.
'Split my mother's shares with Daniel? Hah...' Ethan thought to himself.
"Ethan, you've always been my pride. Don't disappoint me. Agree to an engagement with Harper for now, and we can settle the marriage after dealing with Jasmine. Then we won't need to talk about the shares. If you disobey, don't blame me for being ruthless." Howard huffed and turned to leave.
He had come specifically to steer Ethan in the right direction.
As Ethan sat in his chair, his face turned a shade darker.
Howard did have leverage to threaten him.
From an inheritance perspective, Ethan was not in a strong position.
Ethan’s mother had suddenly passed away, and Howard malevolently hid the will, failing to get it notarized and claimed in time.
His grandfather's shares posed a similar problem.
Therefore, even though Ethan currently held both his father's and mother's shares, Howard could still wrest them away if he chose to fight.
Outside, Jasmine held her coffee cup, feeling a tightness in her chest.
Ethan’s situation at Stellar Enterprises was even more difficult than she had imagined.
"The coffee's gone cold." Ethan stood at the doorway, smiling at Jasmine who was hiding outside.
Jasmine walked in with red eyes. "Mr. Douglas, maybe... we should just get a divorce."
"Do you think I can't protect you?" Ethan asked.
"No, it's not that..." Jasmine shook her head.
She didn't want to see Ethan in trouble.
For some reason, it pained her when Howard threatened Ethan.
"Just trust me." Ethan didn't explain. He simply asked Jasmine to have faith in him.
Jasmine looked up at him, nodded silently, and felt an inexplicable sense of security.
"Jasmine! Come out here! Jasmine!"
"Jasmine, you Jezebel, get out here!"
There was loud, chaotic shouting from outside, and Jasmine heard Serena's hysterical voice.
Jasmine paused, unsure what had happened, and wanted to go see what was going on.
Ethan caught Jasmine by the collar of her shirt. "Why would you chase after trouble? Go write up your report."
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