Chapter 139 Mr. Douglas's Attentive Love
"Mr. Douglas..." Outside the hotel, Vittoria arrived to pick them up.
Harper stood by the car, anxiously watching Ethan.
Ethan didn’t so much as glance at Harper as he took the laptop from Jasmine's hands and opened the car door for her. "Get in."
Jasmine was flattered and knew Ethan was doing it on purpose, using her as a shield.
But that was her value.
"Ethan... Can we talk, please?" Harper's voice quavered with the threat of tears. "Last night, you had too much to drink, and I was just taking care of you, Ethan... Please, believe me."
Ethan signaled Liam to close the door.
"Harper, how about we talk after the Hawaii project wraps up?" Liam coaxed softly.
Harper stood rooted to the ground; her eyes rimmed with red as she watched Ethan shut the door.
"Harper..." the secretary said, opening the passenger door for her to get in.
Reluctantly, Harper took the passenger seat.
"Thirsty? Drink more water if you're catching a cold," Ethan said to Jasmine, his voice dripping with tenderness.
Liam, sitting beside them, trembled with anxiety.
Ethan was being too obvious. This display was clearly for Harper's benefit.
Harper must have crossed a line with Ethan again last night.
However, there was nothing to be done; Liam hadn't dared tell Ethan that photos of him and Harper entering the same suite at the hotel had been leaked online, now topping the trending list.
The union between the Brown family and the Douglas family was inevitable now.
Even if Ethan wasn't happy, it was out of his hands.
For the sake of both families' reputation, calling off the engagement wasn't an option.
Sighing, Liam stared out the car window, worried that Harper's cleverness might be her downfall.
Ethan despised being manipulated and used, and Harper's tactics were far too transparent.
How had the paparazzi so conveniently caught those hotel pictures unless someone had prepared in advance?
"Hungry? You haven’t had lunch and dinner might not fill you up," Ethan said, nonchalantly offering Jasmine a piece of chocolate.
Surprised, Jasmine looked at Ethan. "Where...where did you get that?"
She hadn't seen Ethan carrying chocolate.
"Magic." Ethan raised an eyebrow playfully.
Jasmine blushed and averted her gaze, looking out the window instead.
This man's face was devilishly charming. Even a casual joke from him was incredibly flirtatious.
Taking a deep, nervous breath, Jasmine didn’t dare turn back to Ethan.
Harper sat in the passenger seat; her expression so dark it could touch the sky.
Ethan was purposely provoking her—provoking her for scheming against him.
Howver, there was no point in that. He still had to marry her in the end.
Jasmine...
Biting her lip, Harper wished nothing more than for Jasmine to drop dead.
She had to find a way to make Jasmine disappear for good.
She wanted Jasmine's reputation ruined once again, to be kicked out of Silverlight City and never return. She needed to make Ethan feel disgusted at the mere sight of Jasmine.
"Mr. Douglas, would you like to review the project proposal again?" Liam carefully handed over the proposal to Ethan.
Ethan took it with one hand, his other hand secretly grabbing Jasmine's, prying her clenched fingers apart.
She tended to clench her fists so tightly when nervous that her nails would pierce her palms.
Ethan seemed to see through these little acts of self-harm.
He kept hold of Jasmine's hand in secret, preventing her from hurting herself further.
Jasmine watched the world outside the car window with a stiff breath, her ears burning red.
Ethan was feeding into her delusions. Maybe, he was always this attentive and caring with every woman.
‘Jasmine, snap out of it, this is Ethan we're talking about,’ she thought to herself.
"Mr. Douglas, our people at the venue said Clara and Daniel have already arrived. They look very confident, as if victory is assured,” Liam spoke softly.
Ethan didn’t even bother to acknowledge Liam.
Victory is assured?
Heh...
With what Daniel's got?
...
The car pulled into the parking lot.
Liam got out to open the car door for Ethan. After he got out, he waited for Jasmine to exit. He even shielded her head, careful not to let her bump it.
Liam cleared his throat subtly when he noticed Harper standing with red-rimmed eyes next to her secretary. He whispered, "Mr. Douglas, that's enough, Harper is crying."
Ethan glanced at Liam with a nonchalant look.
"Besides, with all these reporters and media watching, this isn't doing Jasmine any favors. She's already in the spotlight." Liam was concerned for Jasmine.
After a moment's thought, Ethan conceded that Liam had a point and headed straight for the venue.
Liam breathed a sigh of relief, pulling Jasmine aside. "Mr. Douglas is only putting on a show for Harper's sake. Don't read too much into it. Sure, Mr. Douglas is handsome, but don't let your heart wander. Getting emotionally involved is just asking for trouble. You'll be the one hurt in the end."
Liam's words were a reminder to Jasmine that their relationship was strictly professional, and she better not forget it, to avoid future complications.
Jasmine bit her lip, nodding slightly as a touch of sourness tingled her nose. "I...understand, I'll know my place."
Liam breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Jasmine with satisfaction. "I have a good feeling about you, and Mr. Douglas appreciates you too. Even if the contract ends early, I bet Mr. Douglas will keep you on at Stellar Enterprises. Your best days are still ahead, so give it your all. Let's work well together. As long as Mr. Douglas is around, we'll be living the good life."
Jasmine nodded vigorously, her head bowed.
"All right, let's head into the meeting." Liam nodded with the confidence of a veteran.
This bid was masterminded by Otis, who organized not only the project partnership but also the banquet. Before the bidding, business tycoons from all regions would gather, mainly to network. After all, everyone knew that the project would ultimately go to Stellar Enterprises.
When Stellar Enterprises entered the fray, other companies rarely stood a chance.
However, networking was crucial for them, so they showed up regardless.
Many were there for Ethan.
"Mr. Douglas is such a young and promising man; it's truly an honor to meet him in person," exclaimed a magnate who had never met Ethan, approaching him for a conversation.
"Ethan, this is Howard's Michael," introduced a mutual acquaintance.
"Nice to meet you, Michael. I'm glad we could meet," Ethan said with a smile, clearly in a good mood.
Liam was shocked, as Ethan, usually so reserved and unapproachable, was unexpectedly amiable and all smiles today.
It was impressive.
Silently, he hoped Ethan would keep it up, just like this.
If Ethan had had this realization earlier in his career, Stellar Enterprises would not have had room for the likes of Daniel and Clara.
"Hello, Michael. I'm Mr. Douglas's assistant. I'd like to leave you my business card for any future business opportunities," Jasmine said cheerfully, stepping forward to offer her card, determined to make the best impression on Ethan.
Michael was momentarily surprised but then happily exchanged cards. "Ethan, you've got a fine assistant here. Only talents work with you."
Michael looked genuinely impressed with Jasmine and laughed heartily. "If Mr. Douglas ever hires new blood, consider sending this assistant my way."
"I tend to stick with what works," Ethan said with a smile.
"All right, this idea is solid. Partnering with Stellar Enterprises makes me feel at ease!" Michael's boisterous personality and booming voice caught the attention of everyone in the room.
Everyone looked at Ethan in shock. Those who knew him understood that he was as unapproachable as a rare flower on a lofty mountain peak. No one knew had gotten into him.
"Jasmine!" A man with ill intentions approached through the crowd, calling out Jasmine's name with a smirk. "Wow, what a change a few years make, huh? Mr. Douglas’s assistant now? Has Stellar Enterprises raised the bar for assistants that high or were they just scouting for someone to warm the bed?"
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