Chapter 124 Ethan Curses Without Filth
"Jasmine, come out here!
"Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? How could you even dare show your face at Stellar Enterprises? What right do you have to stay at Stellar Enterprises? Get out!"
Serena continued shouting outside. Daniel's fiancée, the executives and security guards at the company didn't dare stop her.
Everyone knew that Serena was fragile. If you messed with her, you would regret it. No one wanted to take responsibility if she fainted with just a touch.
Jasmine sat anxiously in her chair, nervously clasping her fingers.
She looked up at Ethan several times, but he seemed not to hear, still engrossed in his work.
However, Serena clearly wouldn't rest until she saw her.
"Mr. Douglas... she's disturbing your work, I’ll go..." Jasmine was a little scared, afraid that Ethan would think she was always causing trouble.
"Liam can handle that." Ethan didn’t even lift his head, and motioned to Jasmine to over. "Come here."
"Oh." Jasmine quickly stood and walked over to Ethan’s side.
"This is a list from Daria. Handle this person." Ethan circled a name on the paper, Branson, the director of the investment department at Stellar Enterprises.
That man was forty-eight years old, and he was one of Howard's most trusted confidants.
Stellar Enterprises was a highly centralized corporation. Howard, as chairman, didn’t involve himself in day-to-day management, but he held the real power.
If Ethan wanted to undercut Howard, he would need to gradually replace all his people.
The investment department was under Ethan’s jurisdiction, and Branson was effectively a roadblock.
“The list Daria provided means that Branson is Carmen’s guy, which spells trouble,” Jasmine mused, holding the list. “This man... he’s been with the company for a while. I’ve scoped out all the department heads, and Branson’s the kind that smiles in your face. He’s well-liked at the company, and it’s hard to pin any faults on him."
"Will it be tough?" Ethan leaned back in his chair, wondering whether he had handed Jasmine too hefty a task from the get-go.
Jasmine experienced a mix of nerves and excitement as she processed the challenge. Although Ethan had thrown her into the deep end with instructions to target a big fish, it at least showed his trust and belief in her abilities. "No biggie, just give me some time."
Ethan gave Jasmine a long look, chuckling softly. "Why is it that you don’t stutter all the time?"
He noticed that Jasmine's stammer only surfaced when she was deep in work.
Jasmine's face flushed cherry red as Ethan teased her. She lowered her head, stammering out a reply. "I-I don’t know."
"Got any ideas? Need help with anything?" Ethan was curious to hear Jasmine's thoughts.
"I need to dig into his personal life first, do some sleuthing," Jasmine said, hoping that Ethan would help with that. Hiring a private investigator was beyond her means.
"Here's his file." Ethan gave all of Branson's personal information to Jasmine.
Surprised, Jasmine looked at Ethan. It seemed he had been wanting to deal with Branson for quite some time.
"That’s the result of Liam's research, but he couldn't handle it for me." Ethan didn't intend to put Liam down. His talents were just confined to poking around Branson's private life.
"Everyone has their specialty; Liam has his strengths... we need to collaborate to nail this assignment." Jasmine nervously spoke up for Liam, taking the file to her desk to study it more closely.
Ethan propped his head up, watching Jasmine with interest as he twirled his pen.
He really had found a gem.
"We’ll depart for the airport at two-thirty sharp. Got all your essentials for the trip?" Ethan wanted to make sure Jasmine was prepared for her first business trip.
"I've got everything ready, Mr. Douglas. Your suit has already been shipped to the hotel. The staff will dry-clean and press it. I’ve prepared a matching tie and watch, with alternatives in case you want a change," Jasmine rattled off the preparations, springing to her feet like a student reporting to her teacher.
Glancing at the clock, she added, "The gift for Otis has also been air-freighted in advance. After you arrive, you can head straight to the meeting."
"Mr. Douglas..." Outside the door, Liam took a deep breath and walked in. "Daniel's fiancée is going berserk out there."
Ethan ignored Liam. His sole concern was whether Jasmine had his stuff ready. "What did you prepare for Otis?"
"Fresh... crabs..." Jasmine had researched Otis' preferences.
Ethan's spinning pen dropped on the desk, causing him to choke for a second. "Excuse me?"
Crabs?
Did Otis need of crabs?
"You got Otis crabs?" Liam was equally shocked. "Well, you might think they're a delicacy, but there's still time. I'll handle the preparations."
Liam was critical since he had expected Jasmine to prepare something impressive.
Ethan just smiled and said nothing.
Jasmine wanted to explain herself, but remained silent after opening her mouth.
"Serena's throwing a fit, Mr. Douglas. No one’s dared to confront her," Liam said, looking helplessly at Ethan.
"I... I'll handle it." Jasmine, who was feeling guilty, headed out the door, clueless about how she had offended Serena so much that she had come to cause an uproar at the company.
Ethan shot Liam a glare and rose to follow.
...
"You've already stolen twenty years of my life, Jasmine, what more do you want? Will you ever let me be? When will you leave Stellar Enterprises and stay away from my boyfriend?" Serena cried out in agitation as she saw Jasmine emerge.
Jasmine stood there, bewildered.
There was a huge crowd of onlookers, all buzzing with chatter. There had never been a dull moment since Jasmine's arrival at the company.
"Serena!" Evan and Daniel hurried over, desperate to placate her. "Serena, stop this, okay? I'll explain everything once we get back."
Daniel wrapped his arms around Serena, whispering comfortingly. "Calm down, I'll explain everything back home."
Serena's gaze was fiery as she stared at Jasmine. "Do I have to kneel and beg you? You lived in my home for twenty years, assuming my identity, enjoying the best education and the finest life. Do you even know what kind of life I've been subjected to? Do you have any clue how Richard has treated me?" Serena sobbed, recounting the pain of those years and accusing Jasmine of a litany of wrongs.
"You took my life and my boyfriend. How else are you going to ruin me?"
Jasmine stood quietly, letting Serena vent her wrath.
"What does she want from me, Daniel? Does she really want me to end it all?" Serena's cries pitched to a hysterical level, as she spun around, poised to jump from the window's ledge.
Evan quickly grabbed Serena, holding her back, his gaze burning with anger at Daniel. "Figure something out!"
Daniel rubbed his temples, visibly annoyed, and after a moment, he turned to face Jasmine. "Apologize to Serena. Make it right."
Jasmine remained silent, staring at Daniel.
Daniel averted his gaze. "You'll never be able to make up for what you've done to her. If anyone can end it, it's you. Apologize to her."
"Did your mom forget to take her vitamins while she was pregnant with you?" Ethan leaned casually against the doorframe and loosened his tie, prompting a mixture of frustration and amusement in Daniel.
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