Chapter 152 Henry Pressures Daniel to Drive Away Jasmine
Picking up the fork from the floor, Jasmine remained silent and tense for a long time before she finally spoke. "No... That's not a good idea."
Ethan stood and fetched Jasmine a clean fork. "Don't overthink it."
Jasmine said it was not a good idea; she did not say that it was impossible.
"Mr. Ethan, don't fight Henry. He's the CEO of SHC Group. The collaboration between Stellar Enterprises and SHC Group is too intricate and significant. Both companies thrive on mutual benefit, prospering and suffering together."
Jasmine knew Ethan was already aware of this, but she said it anyway.
Ethan remained silent, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
The company's interests were paramount, especially given his current precarious situation.
However, when it came down to choosing, he had to assess what mattered more.
Ethan never thought of himself as someone driven by emotion.
In the past, everyone around him said he was too rational, so much so that he seemed cold-blooded.
But now, even he felt something was amiss, terribly amiss.
After taking a bite of her noodles, Jasmine changed the subject. "What about the situation with Branson from the investment department? Do you have any plans in place, Mr. Ethan?"
"There had been meetings about the vice-CEO position while I'm in Hawaii," Ethan replied, sliding his tablet toward Jasmine.
"Looking at the current voting results, Branson is in the lead." Jasmine frowned; this was not conducive to their strategy. "The company values a cutthroat culture and competition, and being Clara's ace card, Branson naturally is set on claiming the vice-CEO position."
The four vice CEO positions at the company included one ally of Ethan's, two selected by Howard, and if the last one went to someone in Clara's camp, Ethan would find himself in a tough spot.
Ethan had been instrumental in generating profits and value for the company over the years. It should have been his by right.
Unfortunately, Howard was not exactly Father of the Year material.
"What do you think?" Ethan asked, turning to Jasmine.
"Is this Brendon guy one of yours?" Jasmine inquired.
Brendon was second in line yet lagged far behind Branson.
"Yep." Ethan nodded.
Jasmine was sharp enough to sense the internal power dynamics at play within the company.
"The vote difference is thirty-four. Though the final decision rests with the CEO, if the gap is too wide and your actions too obvious, it might..." she trailed off, implying it could lead to unrest among the company.
"The votes can be managed quietly by Liam," Ethan reassured her, promising that within three days, Brendon's tally would overtake Branson's.
"When the votes even out, we'll just have to wait for him to slip up," considered Jasmine, speaking softly. "Considering how high Branson's votes are, he's definitely been campaigning behind the scenes. People's private opinions of him are favorable; he's being heralded as the popular choice, thinking you wouldn't dare go against the will of the company."
It was a setup for a fall from grace.
"Tomorrow, Liam and I will talk to him, suggesting that you're covertly supporting him. We'll make a big show internally of his abilities, convincing everyone that he's the people's choice, the desired successor, making him believe you wouldn't go against public sentiment," Jasmine laid out her strategy for Ethan to play along.
Ethan chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Where did you pick up these tactics?"
"Just... psychology, and military strategy," Jasmine stuttered, visibly flustered.
"Indeed... Building someone up only to expose their unworthiness and then striking opportunistically," Ethan mused. "But it takes skill to execute this precisely."
Jasmine bit her lip. "Don't worry, I've got this."
Sensing Ethan's potential doubt, she added, "I really... can do it."
"Once Branson is out of the picture, you'll be the hero," Ethan said with an insinuating smile. "You may want to start thinking about your reward."
His prompt for Jasmine to think of a reward was his way of showing unquestioning trust in her.
Jasmine's ears turned red, and she kept her head down, focused on her noodles. "No... There's no need, it's what I s-should do."
Ethan did something he never does; he devoured an entire bowl of spaghetti at midnight. Normally, his self-discipline was almost frightening—he would never indulge in so many carbs at such an hour.
But since Jasmine had come into his life, she seemed to shatter all his rules.
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it thrilled him.
He wondered just how far he could go.
...
Henry had been drinking heavily at an upscale establishment called The Lagoon Club, and his complexion showed it.
"What's got into you tonight?" his friends teased with a laugh.
Henry didn't respond, but when he saw Daniel arrive, he gestured for everyone to clear out.
Sensing tension in the air, the group quietly departed.
"Mr. Henry, you wanted to see me?" Daniel asked, settling into a seat with a furrowed brow.
"I hear there's a scramble for the position of deputy CEO within Stellar Enterprises?" Henry asked, his tone casual.
"You seem quite interested in Stellar Enterprises, Mr. Henry," Daniel replied, on guard.
Henry leaned back on the sofa, eyeing Daniel. "For two sons of the same father, you and your brother are worlds apart. Should I call you naive or just plain simple?"
Daniel's expression darkened. "What are you getting at, Mr. Henry?"
"SHC Group's partnership with Stellar Enterprises doesn't rely on Ethan alone. We collaborate with whoever sits at the top," Henry hinted heavily.
"So, you've finally stopped looking down on me?" Daniel wasn't at Kimberly's level of incompetence; he grasped what Henry was implying.
"One's disrespect doesn't mean they can't be a valuable ally," Henry said coolly, picking up his glass. "I could help you, help you get everything you want."
"And why would you do that, Mr. Henry?" Daniel eyed Henry skeptically. Henry must want something in return.
"I need a partner who will play ball, not someone like Ethan who challenges me at every turn," Henry tapped his fingers on the glass. "Pushing Jasmine away from Ethan should be an easy task for you, right?"
Daniel frowned. "After all these years, you're still hung up on Jasmine?"
"Jasmine is the woman I desire, and she will be mine." Henry's possessiveness was overpowering.
"Six years ago, you didn't hesitate to use every trick in the book to snatch her from me."
Daniel's fingers clenched slowly. "But you're allied with the Brown family. Even if you didn't marry Zelda, there'd be another political marriage lined up. You can't give Jasmine any legitimate status."
"I can give her everything else she wants." Henry's voice was deep and firm.
"My brother, he's not the type to put a woman first. He's just using Jasmine right now to show off to our father and mother. There's no need to press her; soon, Jasmine will be worthless to Ethan," Daniel scoffed coldly.
In his view, Ethan wouldn't be interested in Jasmine for long.
Ethan would discard Jasmine like trash.
"I don't have the patience, just like your mother doesn't have the patience to wait," Henry reminded Daniel.
"There are many ways to chase Jasmine out of the picture." Daniel frowned, his fists tightening.
Right now, he needed Henry's help to cement his position within Stellar Enterprises.
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