Chapter 127 Evan Strikes Serena
Serena was stunned. Evan, her own brother, demanded she apologize to Jasmine?
"Brother…" Serena's voice was hoarse.
"Even if Jasmine owes you, you shouldn't slander her private life. Apologize to her, and we'll go home," Evan insisted.
Behind Ethan, Jasmine's gaze remained steadfast on him, still shaken by his words, trying to process what had just happened.
Six years... from when the scandal of the true and false heiress broke out to her imprisonment.
For six years, no one had ever spoken up for her objectively.
She was tongue-tied, rendered speechless by shock, and unable to articulate a satisfying answer no matter how hard she tried.
But Ethan, every word he spoke seemed to strike a chord in her heart, leaving her both shocked and moved.
It seemed like he expressed all her grievances more convincingly than she ever could.
Tears loomed, but Jasmine resisted the urge to cry.
She used to cry when she was wronged, but now tears welled up because someone stood up for her.
"Why should I apologize to her? Her private life is a mess. Did I say anything wrong? Six years ago, at the Bellagio Hotel, she let a strange man into her room. It was a well-known incident, even covered by the media. Did I say anything wrong?" Serena yelled, out of control.
"Slap!"
Evan gave Serena a sharp slap across the face.
After he did it, even Evan was shocked—he had actually hit Serena.
The person he should have been slapping was himself.
His fingers trembled as his eyes reddened. Lowering his voice, he commanded, "Apologize, then come home with me!"
Serena, staring at Evan in shock, touched her cheek where he'd struck her.
Clearly, Serena was frightened by Evan as well.
The look in Evan's eyes was filled with anger and menace.
She knew Evan was aware of the truth about what happened six years ago—how she had sent someone to the hotel to bully Jasmine, and how she had brought Daniel and the media to catch Jasmine in a compromising situation and ruin her.
Evan knew all of it...
For a moment, Serena was afraid.
Over the years, Evan had spoiled her too much. He always allowed her to have her way, almost making her forget he knew all about what she had originally done.
"Brother..." Serena looked at Evan nervously, pleading with her eyes for him not to expose the truth, not to let Daniel find out.
"What the hell, Evan!" Daniel was clearly shocked as well. Evan had actually hit his own sister.
"I apologize... I’m sorry." Serena feigned distress and turned back to Jasmine. "Jasmine, I apologize to you. I'm sorry for spreading rumors about your personal life."
Ethan watched Jasmine with a complicated gaze.
Six years ago, at the Bellagio Hotel?
Was it just a coincidence?
Liam had checked; Jasmine was indeed at the Luxor that day, but she was not on the same floor as him.
So, the likelihood was almost zero.
Besides, Justin's biological father was Henry. It was probably just his imagination.
"Serena, I do not accept your apology." Jasmine had been silent until now, her voice hoarse as she spoke.
She refused to accept such a meaningless apology. "What goes around comes around. My conscience is clear."
"Jasmine!" Serena became agitated.
But with Evan exuding such a low and menacing presence, Serena softened her stance. "Jasmine, I was wrong to accuse you of having an affair with Tom and others without knowing the facts. I apologize to you for that."
Jasmine remained silent.
"Ethan, I'm sorry for holding everyone up at work. It's my fault," Serena clenched her fingers tightly.
While she mouthed an apology, resentment toward Jasmine festered in her heart.
"If you've made a mistake, then there's a price to pay. A flimsy sorry won't cut it," Ethan said, turning to Daniel. "Serena is your responsibility. You'll take the fall for her mistake. You're going to personally oversee the company's expansion project in the desert. Until it's finished, I don't want to see you around."
Ethan had condemned Daniel to three months of blistering sun and windswept days in the desert!
With Daniel out of the way, Serena would surely toe the line.
Without Daniel there, Serena probably wouldn't dare step foot out of her house.
Serena, panic-stricken, pleaded emotionally, "Daniel, call Uncle Douglas. Why should Ethan send you to that godforsaken place?"
"Mr. Douglas is the CEO of the company. Daniel reports directly to him. The desert project is a key venture this year. How did it become a godforsaken place?" Liam asked, genuinely perplexed.
Daniel didn't even glance at Serena, his face dark with discontent.
Clearly, he was well aware that Serena had crossed a line this time.
Daniel silently held Serena by the wrist and walked away with his head down.
Today had truly been an embarrassment.
"Alright, enough. Everybody, disperse and get back to work," Liam dispersed the onlookers.
"Mr. Douglas, it's time to head to the airport."
Ethan grunted an acknowledgment, gesturing for Liam to drive. With a lift of his hand, he took Jasmine by the wrist, leading her into his office.
Jasmine's fingers went numb, and as Ethan closed the door behind them, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, overwhelmed with a sense of injustice.
"If you're bullied, fight back. If your reputation is slandered, don't just think about proving your innocence; demand proves that their lies are true. If they're not, and it’s purely defamation, you can then stand firm," Ethan said in a deep voice, leaning with one hand against the wall.
Jasmine was cornered by Ethan, her head down as she fiercely clutched at her clothes, barely whispering, "I haven't... my personal life isn't a mess..."
Jasmine's distress was rooted in the fear that Ethan might misunderstand her.
Before, she didn't care about being misunderstood because there was no one whose opinion mattered enough to her that she'd fight to clarify herself.
But now, it was different. She cared about what Ethan thought of her.
"So, how will you shut her up next time?" Ethan asked harshly, his tone accusatory.
Frightened by the question, Jasmine looked up at Ethan and then quickly cast down her eyes, as flustered as a student quizzed by a strict teacher. "I'll... I'll tell her to prove whatever she says is true and get her to provide evidence. Without evidence, I'll... I'll call the police."
Ethan chuckled. "The cops are so busy. Will they consider wasting manpower each time you call them?"
"Well..." Jasmine became anxious. What should she do?
"A real gentleman knows when to use his fists instead of his words," Ethan motioned for Jasmine to grab her notebook and follow him downstairs.
Jasmine was taken aback, scurrying behind Ethan. "Douglas... Mr. Douglas, what if... what if we can't win the fight?"
"What are you afraid of when I'm here?" Ethan spoke calmly.
Jasmine opened her mouth. "But... but what if you're not around?"
Ethan stopped, looked at Jasmine, and said, "If I'm not around, call me, and wait to fight until I get there."
Jasmine sniffled, looked down with a little smile and hurried to catch up with Ethan.
Having someone to back you up sure felt good...
She just wondered how long she could depend on Ethan.
Suddenly, anxiety and panic surged uninvited, and Jasmine lowered her head as a pang of pain hit her heart.
She was aware that she couldn’t be too dependent on Ethan. Otherwise... she’d be like a fish out of water.
...
At the airport.
Harper had arrived early, waiting with Ethan's secretary for their arrival.
"What happened with Serena causing trouble at the company? How did Jasmine handle it?" Harper asked.
"Mr. Douglas took care of it for her," Vittoria quickly responded.
Harper's face darkened, stunned as she looked at Vittoria.
Ethan was getting involved in the mess between Serena and Jasmine? What exactly did he feel for Jasmine?
She couldn't let Ethan and Jasmine's relationship continue. She had to marry Ethan as soon as possible.
"Vittoria, this trip to the hotel, the task I gave you - make sure there are no mistakes," Harper said meaningfully.
Vittoria paled and nodded nervously. "Yes..."
Harper was planning to drug Ethan, then have a reporter sneak in and snap scandalous photos of her and Ethan sleeping together in a hotel room.
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