Chapter 147 Ethan Tells Zelda to Get Out of Silverlight City
"Wow, the Browns' daughters sure are a varied lot. We even have a drama queen here," Erin whispered under her breath in mockery.
Richard took a deep breath and walked over to cover Erin's mouth with his hand.
"Less chitchat, Erin, you don't want to stir up more trouble," he warned her quietly.
Erin batted her eyelashes at Richard as she flirtatiously said, "Sweetie, are you worried about me?"
"I..." Richard felt a tingling in his palm; Erin was clearly flirting with him on purpose.
Suddenly, he withdrew his hand and stood behind Erin with a grim expression. "Keep it professional, boss."
"That won't do," Erin leaned into Richard, putting all her weight on him.
If Richard were to step aside at that moment, she would certainly fall.
However, she boldly lay in his arms as if she hadn't been the one to hit Zelda, but rather a mere spectator to the scene.
Richard took a resigned breath and stood straight, helplessly.
Erin tilted her head back and continued to tease Richard, as if this was all just a game to her.
"Ethan, you're more aware of Harper's condition than anyone. No need for me to remind you what you two have been through. Since your father has agreed to the marriage between our families, you should weigh which is more important," Lance admonished Ethan sternly, speaking as an elder.
It was evident he was confident that Ethan would marry his daughter.
"My father's agreement has nothing to do with me," Ethan replied quietly, gently patting Justin's back. "The child is tired, and as an elder, you should know to keep your voice down. It's a matter of upbringing."
"You!" Lance exclaimed angrily. "Howard, look at what your son is doing."
Howard looked downright ugly, but he felt somewhat guilty about Clara's poisoning incident in Hawaii, so he never took too strong a stance. "Ethan, come out here."
Ethan obviously had no intention of dealing with Howard. "Do you think what Zelda did was right?"
Howard's face darkened at the question.
"I heard from your Uncle Brown that you've asked our partners to halt all collaborations with the Brown family. What's that about? For the sake of an outsider..." Seeing Ethan refusing to come out, Howard's pride took a hit, and he had to speak his mind then and there.
"An outsider? Who's the outsider? Shouldn't you be very clear about that? Or is it that when I'm needed to help Daniel, we're family, but now that Daniel's back on his feet, we're strangers?" Ethan was reminding Howard that Jasmine was the daughter-in-law of the Douglas family, a fact well known to him.
Howard made him agree to marry Jasmine to get her to drop the charges in the first place.
"Ethan!" Howard was losing control and gestured for him to stop talking rashly. "Both parties are to blame for this mess. Zelda was hurt too and paid a price. You need to call our partners right away, and sort things out within the company. You're deliberately making things difficult for me for some bastard child."
Howard thought he understood his son—his rebelliousness since returning from Hawaii wasn't about Jasmine or the child.
It was clear to Howard that Ethan was acting out because of the incident with Clara, making his life miserable.
Yet now, feeling in the wrong, he could only infuriate himself to no end.
"Impossible," Ethan stated firmly.
"Ethan, you're being too much. Do you intent on completely destroying the Brown family?" Zelda looked at Ethan in shock. "Ethan, your uncle and I have high hopes for you. You and Wan Tong are a great match. We are family. What are you doing?"
"Let Zelda make a public apology, confess to her crimes, and speak in front of the media to clarify all the harm she's done to Jasmine—be it bullying at school, defamation, or personal injury. She must apologize sincerely and promise publicly never to harm Jasmine or her family again. She must leave Silverlight City and never appear before me again. Then, and only then, will I consider letting her off," Ethan said, his voice not loud but filled with a commanding presence as he held the sleeping Justin.
Jasmine stood behind Ethan, looking up at him blankly.
Her eyes were rimmed with red as she looked away.
Even if the Brown family didn't agree, the fact that Ethan was willing meant the world to her.
Once upon a time, she begged Henry to acknowledge Zelda's misdeeds publicly and to call off their engagement, but he refused.
Yet, Ethan was willing to press the Browns into making a public apology.
"Ethan, your demands are too much. The Browns are also a prestigious family in Silverlight City. Where do you expect them to hide their faces after?" Howard raised his hand to rub his forehead, frustrated with Ethan's hard stance against the Browns.
People in business circles cared deeply about their reputation, just as the Douglas family did and so did the Browns.
Asking their daughter to publicly admit her crimes was more outrageous than slapping them in the face.
"You're being unreasonable..." Lance was trembling with anger. "The Browns are not only connected through marriage to the Douglas family but also to the Patrick family of Boston. Zelda's situation is complicated. We were at fault this time. I'll have Zelda apologize. But Ethan... let's not dwell on this issue forever. We should all take a step back. Don't you think so, Ms. Jasmine?"
Lance then directed his anger toward Jasmine.
"It's not..." Jasmine had been silent for a while until she finally spoke with a hoarse voice. "All of Zelda's wrongdoings are a result of your indulgence..."
Lance's face darkened with rage; Jasmine now had someone to back her up.
"Jasmine, a wise woman knows how to go with the flow. No one can protect you forever," Lance warned Jasmine, hinting at a time when Ethan might not be there to defend her.
Jasmine stood up straight, her voice hoarse as she spoke again. "This has nothing to do with others. Even if you break my spine, I will never forgive Zelda in this lifetime. What she did to me, what your family did to me, the Browns know best."
Back in Boston, Zelda had Daniel take her to an outskirts warehouse where she nearly died.
"Hmph." Lance snorted. "Ethan, this matter isn't of much concern to you, don't make both our families look bad."
"This is the furthest I am willing to go. If Zelda refuses to publicly apologize for her actions and leave Silverlight City, then I will reveal all her misdeeds over the years. I'll call a press conference myself and express my dissatisfaction with the Brown's family values, something that will also impact Harper, right?" Ethan had been intending to clarify his relationship with Harper.
It was a fitting excuse given Zelda's situation.
Harper's eyes were red, her face pale.
Ethan was using this incident with Zelda as a means to distance himself from her.
She had intended to provoke Zelda into confronting Richard and Justin, believing Henry's connection would prevent any major missteps. What she hadn't anticipated was Ethan's ruthless streak.
He was willing to go such lengths for Jasmine and for a child born out of wedlock.
"Ethan, what have you done..." Zelda was petrified, knowing that if Ethan spilled the beans, it would be the end of the Brown family.
No one would dare to marry a Brown after that.
If the ordeal got any bigger, explaining it to Patrick would be impossible, not to mention the risk of the Patrick family calling off the engagement.
"Xiancheng, what do we do? You must get Howard to talk some sense into Ethan!" Zelda was on the verge of tears.
She only had two precious daughters.
"What's the rush?" Lance snorted coldly, clearly holding one last ace up his sleeve. "Henry's still in Silverlight City, he'll be here in no time. As Zelda's fiance, this is also something he should deal with!"
Even if the Douglas family didn't respect the Browns, they had to consider the Patricks. Should SHC Group and Stellar Enterprises end their partnership, it would be a loss Ethan couldn't afford at this point.
Ethan's position was already precarious—would he really risk everything for Jasmine and an illegitimate child?
Neither side was foolish; a graceful exit would suffice.
Upon hearing Henry's name, Jasmine's head shot up in alarm, locking eyes with Ethan.
She didn't want Ethan and Henry to be at odds.
It would be detrimental to his position at the company.
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