Chapter 125 Ethan Tears into the Saintly Pretender
Jasmine tensed and swung around to face Ethan.
It was staggering to hear Ethan, of all people, insult someone without a curse. His nonchalant demeanor unexpectedly made him look undeniably cool.
Ethan was the epitome of the authoritative CEO—aloof, sophisticated, and untouchable. He always seemed elevated above mere mortals, shrouded in an enigmatic aura.
For the first time, Jasmine felt as if she had a powerful ally behind her. It was as if her personal guardian deity was standing just over her shoulder.
Daniel's fingers tightened into fists as he spoke in a low voice. "Bro, this is a family matter."
Ethan stood upright, glancing at Serena. "It’s not an issue that you missed twenty years of upbringing isn't the issue. It's about conscience, something intrinsic. Any sensible person should know that this is an office, a place of work, not your personal playground for tantrums."
Ethan's imposing presence silenced Serena's outburst. She stood, frozen in panic.
Daniel stepped in to shield Serena. "This is my fiancée. You have no idea what she's been through. You don't have the right to judge her."
"My people are not yours to criticize," Ethan countered, moving in front of Daniel. "Keep your lady in check. If you don’t have a kidney, it won't kill you, but if you don’t have any brains, you’ll be manipulated... and that's Pa true tragedy."
Ethan didn't need to guess what had happened. Someone had clearly provoked Serena.
Serena was gullible and easily manipulated.
"Ladies and gentlemen," interjected Liam as he stepped forward to address Daniel and Serena, "this is an office. Your behavior is unbecoming, and Mr. Howard wouldn't appreciate this scene either." He gestured for Daniel and Serena to leave.
Serena took cover behind Daniel, her eyes bearing a grudge as she watched Jasmine.
'Why does Ethan have to shield her like that?' Serena thought.
"Ethan, are you saying Jasmine is your girl? You've been with her? She's supposed to be Daniel's fiancée. Does that seem right to you? Spreading that around won’t sound too good, will it?" Serena's voice dripped with sarcasm, loud enough for the whole office to hear. "Besides, Tom is your cousin, right? I've heard that those guys Tom hangs with, Oscar and Logan, have been with Jasmine. Doesn't that bother you?"
Jasmine's breathing turned ragged as she looked at Ethan, her eyes brimming with tears. She wanted to explain.
For the first time, she desperately wanted to justify herself.
Before she met Ethan, she didn't care and never bothered to defend herself no matter how much Serena and the others maligned her. She let them talk.
However, panic was setting in now that she was front of Ethan. She wanted to make things clear. She didn’t want him to find her repulsive, to see her as tainted.
However, her voice failed her as she struggled to find the words.
Daniel's fingers tightened into a fist as he looked at Jasmine in disgust.
He must have been out of his mind to rush back to Stellar Enterprises out of concern for her.
It looked like her connection with Ethan had been special all along. Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to defend her?
"What's the story here? It seems like Miss Serena has seen it all." Ethan glanced at Liam. "Call the police. Tell them Serena is a witness to Jasmine's mistreatment. She knows who the perpetrator is."
"Report those names Serena mentioned, Tom and who else? Give it all to the cops. They can investigate," Ethan said with an air of composure.
"Serena..." Evan took a deep breath and grabbed Serena’s arm to lead her away.
Serena was no match for Ethan.
"Let's go."
"You can't leave now." Ethan extended his hand. "All eyes are on us. Serena is a witness. Did everyone catch that?"
Ethan looked over at the employees.
Their nerves were taut as they quickly nodded. "We heard everything, Mr. Douglas. Something about Tom and a few others."
"Good, call the cops," Ethan said, glancing at his watch. "I have time to seek justice for my assistant."
Liam pulled out his phone, ready to dial.
"Ethan..." In a panic, Serena stepped forward to stop Liam.
"What's wrong, Miss Serena?" Liam took a step back. "Didn't you see it with your own eyes?"
"I... I only heard that it was Jasmine's choice!" Serena bit her lip, her gaze filled with resentment toward Jasmine.
Jasmine stood numbly behind Ethan, her head bowed, tears dripping to the ground.
Her reputation was already ruined. She couldn't care less about it getting any worse.
However, Ethan... he was doing this to help her.
Ethan was the CEO of Stellar Enterprises and had no reason to get involved in a mess like this and deal with such trivial problems, but he did.
The debt she owed him seemed insurmountable now.
"Was it voluntary?" Ethan turned around, a sharp pain clutching his heart as he saw Jasmine crying.
His face darkened, his brows furrowed, and the veins on the back of his hand stood out.
How on earth had she made it through these years?
Jasmine couldn't speak a word, and she could only shake her head.
No, it hadn't been her choice.
"See, Miss Jasmine didn't choose this. That makes you a witness, Miss Serena," Liam said, glancing at Serena. "That's important for the police to crack the case. I've already contacted Tom and the others you mentioned. I’ve urged them to turn themselves in and wait for the police." Liam made a call and returned, looking at Serena. "You have a kind heart, Miss Serena. It was brave of you to call out those scum in front of everyone here."
"Liam!" Daniel pointed at Liam with a warning tone.
Liam shrugged. "None of us should leave. It's lunch break anyway. Everyone should stay and bear witness."
Liam summoned the office staff to witness the commotion.
Serena looked desperately at Evan, wanting his help to escape.
"Mr. Douglas, my sister... she's not in good health..." Evan tried to appeal to Ethan to spare Serena.
"Not in good health? She seemed energetic enough a moment ago," Ethan replied coldly. "It's a citizen's lawful duty to cooperate with an investigation. It’s also illegal to spread rumors. If Serena's allegations are false, we have the audio on the security tapes. Tom and his friends could sue her for defamation, since a rape accusation is a very serious matter."
In less than half an hour, Tom and his entourage rushed in frantically, pale as ghosts, their hearts racing.
"Daniel..." Serena sobbed, clinging to Daniel's arm.
Daniel frowned, whispering words of comfort. "It's okay, I'm here."
"What nonsense are you talking about, Serena? What rumors are you spreading?" Tom arrived looking frantic, his face sporting a slap mark. "Look! My mother did this!"
Ethan didn't crack a smile.
Everyone around them burst into laughter at the spectacle, and Liam couldn't help but join in.
"What's so funny? This is all your fault, what nonsense did you feed my mom?" Tom jabbed a finger at Liam in a verbal barrage before turning, shivering, to look at Ethan. "Bro, I swear I'm innocent. I’ve never even touched Jasmine's hand!"
The men behind Tom suddenly looked even paler. "Ethan, we barely know Jasmine, really."
"So, Serena was just spreading rumors?" Ethan asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Yes! It’s totally her, she's the one spreading lies. We're innocent," the men all hurriedly nodded in agreement.
"Well, this has already reached our parents, and it's probably not going to end well. If you guys want to clear your names, go to the police and accuse her of defamation," Liam said, looking genuinely apologetic.
He had already notified their families.
As soon as Liam said that, a barrage of calls bombarded their Pphones.
These people had, to varying extents, bullied Jasmine and spread lewd rumors about her.
This time, Ethan was going to set things straight.
"Daniel, your girlfriend has spread rumors at the company, severely damaging the assistant CEO's reputation and causing immeasurable harm. How do you plan to handle this?" Ethan's gaze landed on Daniel, demanding a solution.
"Bro..." Daniel was troubled, but it was clear Serena was in the wrong.
"Apologize." Ethan's gaze bore into Daniel with overwhelming pressure.
If Serena didn't publicly apologize to Jasmine today, she would face the consequences.
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