Chapter 164 Put a Sack Over Daniel and Beat the Hell Out of Him
Ethan shielded Jasmine, delivering a kick to Daniel's stomach. "Are you asking for it? Laying hands on what's mine?"
"Ethan, Jasmine is mine!" Daniel, wiping the blood from the corner of his eye, glared at Ethan with intense anger. "We've been together since we were sixteen—ask her if I still have a place in her heart!"
"Sixteen? You really have the nerve to bring that up—playing house as kids, and you think you knew about love?" Ethan's voice was deep as he tightly sheltered Jasmine in his arms.
He didn't need to ask Jasmine if she still held a place for Daniel in her heart. Whether she did or not was irrelevant.
All he had to do was what needed to be done. Whether Jasmine would fall for him was entirely up to her.
"Jasmine, tell him you still have feelings for me. Tell him I'm the one you love!" Daniel's voice trembled, like that of a child desperately seeking confirmation and an answer.
Jasmine shivered; her entire body numb. Her anxiety was so intense that she was rendered speechless, unable to even make a sound.
"Ethan, if she doesn't answer, that means she still cares about me," Daniel stubbornly taunted Ethan, as if he had to win over Jasmine to defeat Ethan.
"Jasmine, can we talk? I understand you weren't ready six years ago, that Henry pushed you into it... But you've always had a place in my heart, I can't shake it off. Please, let's have a conversation..." Daniel's words stumbled out nervously, his hope clinging to the possibility of a meaningful dialogue with Jasmine.
"Huh..." Ethan scoffed coldly. There went Daniel, professing his love for Jasmine, saying he couldn't forget her, yet he was clueless that Jasmine had depression and was so startled that she couldn't even speak.
Ethan covered Jasmine’s ears with his hands, soothing her in a gentle voice, "Don't listen to him. I don't want him to sicken you."
Over the years, the man who had caused Jasmine so much pain now had the audacity to claim he hadn't forgotten her. His words felt like filth to Ethan, who couldn't bear to let them taint Jasmine's ears.
Jasmine slowly closed her eyes, curling up rigidly and trembling in Ethan's embrace.
His heartbeat was strong, yet it surprisingly became the remedy that calmed her down quickly.
Daniel continued his taunting, "Ethan... you simply want to destroy me. You harbor resentment toward my mom for taking your dad away, fearing that I will claim what rightfully belongs to you. So, you're retaliating against me. That's why you used Jasmine. You knew I'd do anything for her..."
Daniel perceived Ethan's provocations as entirely calculated.
He felt like Ethan did it on purpose and was using Jasmine; using her to get to him.
"Do you even deserve it?" Ethan said protectively as he led Jasmine away.
Holding Jasmine's hand, Ethan guided her into his office.
Jasmine's fingers were so stiff, clasping tightly; it was hard for her to relax her grip. That cramping sensation was beyond her control.
Luckily, the corridor was empty of staff; nobody saw Mr. Ethan holding hands with his assistant...
Otherwise, the office gossip would explode again.
"From now on, never leave my sight," Ethan instructed Jasmine as he handed her a cup of hot water, warming her icy hands.
Holding the cup, she felt a bit warmer. It wasn't until she took a sip of the hot water that she realized it was Ethan's cup.
"Ethan... Ethan..." Jasmine's gaze darted to the cup, panic seizing her, tears threatening to spill. She couldn't believe she had grabbed Ethan's cup. He was a germophobe, after all.
Jasmine hadn't prepared a cup for herself; she always used disposable ones at the company. "I..."
Seeing Jasmine's nervousness and inability to speak, with her eyes red and frantic, Ethan's heart felt a slight pang. He didn't dare to let Liam look too deeply into what Jasmine had been through these years.
Pressing her head gently, Ethan leaned down and kissed her. His kiss was tender, as if silently soothing her, conveying the message, "Don't be scared, I'm here."
Jasmine's body stiffened for a moment but then, miraculously, began to warm up. Tears burst forth uncontrollably, and she wept for a long time, hidden in Ethan's embrace.
Ethan just allowed her to cry her hearts out.
After what felt like an eternity, Jasmine tried to speak again, her voice hoarse. "I..."
Ethan patted her back reassuringly.
"I don't love, don't love Daniel..."
When Ethan heard Jasmine's explanation, the corners of his mouth lifted in a satisfied smile. "Yeah, I know."
Only a fool would keep loving such a scumbag."
Jasmine was no fool; she was a sly little fox with a sharp bite.
"He... he's bad."
"Yeah, he's not a good guy," Ethan said in agreement with Jasmine.
Jasmine cried again, saying, "I'm sorry... I hit, I hit him..."
She seemed to have cracked Daniel's head open, and Ethan anticipated the Douglas family would blow the situation out of proportion, aiming to cause more trouble for him.
"It's indeed your fault, for not finishing him off with a single blow," Ethan said, ruffling Jasmine's hair.
Jasmine looked up at Ethan, her eyes red but piercingly bright.
Ethan caught his breath; Jasmine's eyes were probably the most beautiful he had ever seen...
"Now, slowly spread your fingers, okay?" Ethan coaxed her, opening her hand so she wouldn't hurt herself. He knew her well enough to anticipate that in moments of agitation and fear, she would instinctively clench her fingers, nails digging into her palms.
Jasmine lowered her head, trying hard to spread her fingers, which hardly obeyed her commands.
Ethan's larger hands cradled hers. "Didn't I tell you, even if you're scared, you can't hurt yourself?"
With guilt evident in the way she bit the corner of her lip, Jasmine slowly opened her hands.
Only then did Ethan noticed a few deformed White Rabbit creamy candies in the palm of Jasmine's hand.
Narrowing his eyes, Ethan became instantly alert. "Where did you get these?"
"Liam gave them to me," Jasmine said softly.
"They're not good," Ethan said as he tossed the candies into the trash can.
Jasmine instinctively tried to stop him, but it was too late. "No, they're not bad."
Ethan had given her the same White Rabbit candies before which were delicious.
"They're fake. He likes to buy cheap stuff from some app, fake stuff—I'll buy you some," Ethan firmly criticized Liam. "He likes cutting corners."
"Mmm." Jasmine just made a sound in acknowledgment.
Ethan fetched the first aid kit, cleaned the blood from where she had clawed her palms, and magically produced a bright red apple.
Jasmine's eyes lit up. "An... apple?"
"Yeah, tastier than what Liam gave you," Ethan said mysteriously.
"Where did he go when I asked him to check on you?" Ethan suddenly remembered, his voice growing dark with irritation, almost grinding his teeth in frustration.
He had asked Liam to look after Jasmine but his idea of protection was questionable.
Outside the CEO's office, Liam held the documents Daniel had mentioned, feeling an inexplicable shiver run down his spine.
After sneezing twice, Liam finally mustered up the courage to knock on the CEO's office door. "Mr. Ethan, Daniel..."
Liam was startled as the door opened just a crack.
Right behind the door was Ethan, his expression grim.
"Mr. Ethan... You scared the living daylights out of me. Why are you standing behind the door?" Liam didn't believe for a second that Ethan was there just to open the door for him.
"The desert project… Daniel is not going but you are," Ethan said with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Liam's eyes widened, his heart sinking as he fought the urge to drop to his knees, unsure of what he had done wrong this time. "Mr. Ethan, you can't be so heartless. I'm indispensable to you, Mr. Ethan. I can't just leave..."
After just half a month there, he doubted he would even resemble a human being upon his return. Liam was adamant that he wouldn’t go.
"You're not going?" Ethan huffed. "Second option, find a place without surveillance, put a sack over Daniel's head, and beat him up."
Liam gasped. "I’d rather go for the desert project." He couldn't afford to mess with the Douglas Family.
"Ethan." Harper arrived before Ethan’s temper had cooled down, holding a paternity test file from the clinic.
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