Chapter 160 Ethan's Gift to Jasmine
Jordan was stunned for a moment, shocked as he looked at Ethan and then back at Jasmine. "Jasmine..."
"Don't you get it?" Ethan's voice was deep.
Jordan was intimidated by Ethan, clenching his fists nervously, looking at Jasmine as if pleading for an explanation.
Ethan found Jordan laughable.
Jordan had a wife and his own child and wasn't much into Jasmine, and now he was acting like he had been dumped.
"Ethan, you can't be with Jasmine..." Daniel was getting anxious.
"Since when do I need your approval for who I'm with?" Ethan's voice was an ominous rumble, making it clear he wasn't here for a peaceful and friendly visit.
"Bad man!" Justin glared at Daniel angrily.
In an unguarded moment, Justin lunged forward and clamped down on Daniel's hand with his teeth.
"Little bastard!" Daniel cursed in pain, raising his hand to strike Justin.
Ethan caught Daniel's wrist and squeezed hard.
Daniel's expression twisted in pain, his eyes seething with anger as he faced Ethan. "You know damn well that Jasmine is my girlfriend."
"Who're you calling a little bastard?" Ethan's grip didn't falter.
Daniel winced as his wrist dislocated, clenching his fingers with gritted teeth. "Justin!"
"Yeah? And what does that make you?" Ethan glanced at Clara approaching and shoved Daniel away. "Your mom got pregnant out of wedlock and secretly had you. You're the bastard!"
"Ethan! If you have a problem, take it up with me, leave my mom out of it!" Daniel squared up, ready to fight.
Jasmine, tense and protective, instinctively stepped in front of Ethan, biting her lip as she faced Daniel.
Daniel froze, staring at Jasmine.
It looked like she was protecting Ethan.
There was a time when Jasmine always stood in front of him.
Back in school, even if he wasn't at a losing end in a fight, Jasmine would block in fear, anxious that he might get hurt.
But now, Jasmine was shielding someone else.
"Ethan, if you're upset, take it out on me... Daniel is your own brother." Clara rushed over, tearfully hugging Daniel. "Ethan, how could you hit your brother?"
Ethan watched Clara's act, pulling Jasmine behind him. "The leading lady of the Silverlight City theater troupe back in the day, and still such a good actress after all these years."
Clara blinked, her annoyance biting at her.
"Ethan! How dare you speak to Clara like that!" Howard's voice was low and heavy with anger. "Let's go inside. Don't make a scene at the door."
"So, you realize this is shameful?" Ethan chuckled. "Clara had her assistant plant poison in my room. If I had died, would you have felt disgraced?"
Howard's expression darkened, but he had no moral ground to stand on and could only speak in a strained tone. "This is a misunderstanding. It was all Clara's assistant acting alone. I've already dealt with Clara about this. We're family. No harm was done, so let's show some mercy where we can."
"Do you hear yourself? That doesn't even sound human." Ethan lifted Justin with one arm.
Justin, playing along, shook his head. "Not human talk."
Jasmine's back was slick with nervous sweat as she softly reminded Justin to keep quiet.
"Mom, is he Dad's father? Why doesn't he protect his own child?" Justin asked with a puzzled look. "If Dad can't be a superhero for his child, that's a pretty lousy dad."
Howard's face turned dark with anger.
"Wild children seem to slip into the Douglas Family these days, butler! Show them out," Howard said angrily.
"Even a child understands what you fail to grasp. It's downright pitiful," Ethan scoffed, taking Jasmine's hand. "Since the Douglas Family isn't welcoming, no need to show us out. We're leaving on our own."
"Ethan! If you walk out that door today, don't bother coming back!" Howard threatened, trembling with rage.
"It's all my fault, Ethan. Please, don't be angry with your dad. I'll do anything you ask, just don't hold a grudge. He's not been well," Clara pleaded, crying as she blocked Ethan's path. "Ethan, your dad's health has been deteriorating for years, and he misses you so much."
"My dad's poor health is your fault, isn't it? You couldn't take care of him and now you have the nerve to bring it up?" Ethan said, staring at Clara. "Or maybe, he might live longer without your care."
"You!" Clara was almost too furious to maintain her composure.
"Ethan, don't go too far. Mom didn't mean you any harm. It was that assistant aiming to hurt you. You've made too many enemies; don't play the blame game," Daniel said, his own anger apparent, as their relationship irrevocably broke down.
He had always been wary of Ethan. However, after seeing how Ethan told him to address Jasmine as his sister-in-law, he felt like he was losing his mind.
He didn't need to do that. Jasmine was his. Even if he was to end things with her, he wouldn't let Ethan have her.
If he couldn't have her, he would rather destroy her than let someone else have her.
Jasmine was his!
"You are truly disgusting..." Jasmine said, looking at Daniel with eyes filled with disappointment and revulsion.
She could never have imagined that she had loved this man for so many years.
"Jasmine!" Daniel's emotions were starting to spiral.
"Ethan, let the outsiders leave first," Howard said, taking a deep breath, trying to pacify Ethan. "Let's have a family discussion."
"Jasmine is not an outsider," Ethan said firmly, locking eyes with Howard.
If they wanted Jasmine and Justin to leave, he would leave too.
"You!" Howard clenched his chest in anger.
"Howard." Clara rushed over to support Howard.
Ethan unlocked his phone and played the recording where Clara’s assistant admitted to spiking the water with sulfuric acid on Clara's orders.
"Can we talk now?" Ethan looked at Howard. "This audio clip isn't the only evidence I have; I also possess recordings of phone calls from the assistant's cell. If you want to hear them, I'm willing to play those too."
Howard's complexion turned dangerously dark as he cast an angry glare at Clara.
Clara, clearly panicked, faced Ethan with a pale expression. "Ethan... She did this on purpose. The assistant is crooked. I admit I was wrong in judging her character, but surely such dishonest people must be instigated by someone aiming to ruin our family's harmony. Ethan, you have to believe me. Haven't I always treated you well over the years?"
"It seems like you still refuse to admit your mistakes," Ethan sneered. "It's a shame to see the esteemed reputation of the Douglas Family, which our father has worked so hard to maintain, just fall apart like this."
"What are you trying to do, Ethan?" Howard watched Ethan in shock. "Let me tell you, this cannot be leaked. Dirty laundry should not be aired in public. Whatever issues we have, we should resolve them privately!
"Clara, you better apologize to Ethan. If you can't get his forgiveness today, you’re out of the Douglas family." Howard had begun his ploy of the wounded.
Ethan scoffed. "If apologies were enough, what would we need the police for?"
"Ethan, that bottle of water was meant for Jasmine, and you never drink bottled water. Are you going to create such a fuss over a woman?" Howard dropped the pretense and spoke angrily in candid irritation.
It was clear that Howard had always been aware of Clara's actions.
This wasn't some initiative taken by the assistant.
Ethan looked at his father with disappointment. This was the man he called dad.
It was truly sickening.
"Making a move on my woman, and you think this is making a mountain out of a molehill?" Ethan laughed. "You're really underestimating me."
The moment Ethan finished speaking, the sound of police sirens could be heard from outside of Tranquil Manor, accompanied by a throng of reporters, clamorous noise, and flashing cameras.
He had notified not just the police, but also the media.
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