Chapter 170 Ethan Plans to Spoil Jasmine
That night, Casey felt abandoned like a latchkey kid as the Taylor family seemed to ignore his existence. There were talks that the Taylor family's finances were tight and Jordan's parents were too swamped to attend to their son.
It appeared Jordan was passed out drunk, possibly in some woman’s bed.
Lisa was also drunk, out cold at the Douglas estate.
Jasmine couldn't trust the Taylor's servant to pick up Casey, so she carefully convinced Ethan to let the child stay.
Casey excitedly held Justin's hand but contained his enthusiasm without yelling or screaming.
The truth was, kids fear loneliness the most, and the presence of a playmate seemingly brought them a lot of joy.
"Good thing I got Justin a bigger toddler bed," Ethan said as he leaned against the doorframe, admiring the newly redecorated children's room, and ruffled Justin's hair. "With your height, buddy, isn't it much more comfortable now?"
Justin raced into the bathroom, delighted to find that the sink had been lowered, allowing him to reach it with ease. "You're the best, Dad."
Ethan's lips curled into a proud smile at the compliment.
"All right, you two need to brush up and hit the sack. You've got school tomorrow and pretty soon you’ll be moving up to elementary. You've got to study hard, okay?" Jasmine gently coaxed them as she escorted the two little ones to brush their teeth.
Ethan didn't want Jasmine to handle everything alone, so he lifted Justin up to squeeze the toothpaste and handed him a brand-new frog-themed toothbrush.
"I really like the toothbrush,” said Justin, his face lighting up. He liked everything his dad gave him.
Casey eyed the toothbrush Jasmine handed to him; it was a pink piglet. "Auntie Jasmine, why is my toothbrush pink? Pink is for little girls and I'm a tough guy."
Jasmine couldn't help but chuckle at Casey's complaint. "Who says pink is just for girls? Boys can rock pink too."
Suddenly, Jasmine's cheeks flushed as she realized what Casey had called her...
Ethan snickered to himself, clearly pleased with the moniker.
"I want the little frog." Casey, being spoiled rotten at home, pointed at Justin’s frog toothbrush, indicating his preference for green instead.
"Casey, you're a guest in our house, and guests need to be polite. You can't just take whatever you want, got it?" Ethan laid out the rules for Casey.
Intimidated by Ethan, Casey hung his head and silently prepared to start brushing his teeth.
"The pink piggy is actually pretty cute," Justin whispered. "How about we swap?"
Casey looked up; his eyes slightly watery. "Really?"
Justin nodded and handed the green frog toothbrush to Casey.
After briefly considering his options, Casey made his decision, stating, "I'll keep the piggy. It's adorable."
Justin stood beside Casey as they both brushed their teeth. "Make sure you brush the top and bottom well, or you'll get cavities."
Justin took care of Casey, who was clueless about household chores without his servants back home.
Jasmine slipped out of the bathroom, cautiously pinching Ethan's shirt as they quietly left together.
She felt that it was time to let the little ones fend for themselves as children need room to grow independently, too.
Ethan zoned out, but then noticed Jasmine tugging at his shirt and followed her out of the bathroom.
"I made some snow fungus and lotus seeds with goji berries and dates for you. You said your stomach was upset, so why don't you have some?" Jasmine inquired anxiously.
While listening to Jasmine, that was when Ethan remembered his earlier excuse at dinner about feeling unwell. "Okay," he calmly replied.
Jasmine smiled with relief and scurried into the kitchen to serve him the snow fungus soup. At least, she felt she was valuable to Ethan.
Seated at the dining table, Ethan opened his mouth to speak several times but held back each time, while Jasmine, sitting beside him, remained quiet.
"Jasmine... our relationship, it's definitely going to make Harper view you as a thorn in her side. You ought to be cautious around her. She's not like Zelda. Zelda’s openly mean, which you can guard against, but some people are sneaky in their malice, and those are the hardest to protect yourself from," Ethan warned Jasmine.
Jasmine paused, taken aback by Ethan's unexpected caution to be aware of Harper.
"Harper... she's actually quite capable," Jasmine muttered softly.
Harper was cunning, and if she and Ethan were genuinely aligned, she would definitely be a strong asset to him. A merger between their families might have its advantages.
"Mr. Howard has been quiet so far, showing neither pleasure nor anger. He seems to be wary of your alliance with the Browns. Once you and Harper..." Jasmine's voice trailed off. She was subtly trying to play matchmaker between Ethan and Harper.
Ethan's face darkened. He then set down his spoon as he responded in a cold tone, "Jasmine, I've told you, there's no chance for Harper and me. If I had intended to join with her, you wouldn't have a purpose or value here. Since you are here, stop fantasizing about pairing me with Harper."
He stood up and went straight upstairs, feeling irritated. With Jasmine being all business, their relationship felt nothing more than that of superior and subordinate.
He knew Jasmine didn't harbor any other feelings for him, so he could only rely on her perceived value and significance to him to keep her around.
Jasmine wouldn't depart as long as she could still benefit from him. He aimed to secure Jasmine's loyalty, which meant he needed to find a method to make her develop feelings for him. He planned to begin spoiling and doting on Jasmine from the next day, ensuring she couldn't imagine her life without him.
Sitting at the dining table, Jasmine's eyes reddened, wondering if Ethan despised her.
She felt so inadequate. Lacking a prestigious family background and without a reputable name.
Had she remained the Wilsons' daughter, she wouldn't be pushing Ethan toward Harper.
But it was for Ethan's good. She had to consider what was best for Ethan.
Howard hadn't made a move against Ethan yet, but once he did, Jasmine knew that no matter how capable she might be, she would be powerless.
In the face of lineage and authority, her slight cleverness seemed feeble.
...
In the bedroom.
Jasmine cautiously pushed open the door; it seemed Ethan was already asleep.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she tiptoed to bed, settling on the edge farthest from Ethan, almost rolling off the next second.
Ethan reached out, suddenly pulling Jasmine into his arms and holding her tight.
Jasmine's breath hitched in fear, her heart racing, on the verge of crying out in shock. She dreaded the closeness and touch of others, so her body instinctively stiffened. Battling the discomfort rising within her, Jasmine took deep breaths to calm herself down.
Thankfully, the person holding her was Ethan. Hearing his heartbeat and feeling the warmth of his embrace allowed her to quickly regain her composure.
"Mr. Ethan..." Jasmine whispered softly.
Ethan didn't respond verbally; instead, he just held her tighter, his arms gradually constricting.
Last night, he had dreamt of that fateful night six years ago.
The woman pleading under him...
He wasn't sure if it was Jasmine, but the guilt had been haunting him, making him fear constantly.
He feared he was the one who had driven Jasmine to this point—her severe depression, multiple suicide attempts, and even her acute anxiety that manifested physically.
He feared he was the one who left Jasmine to give birth alone, subject to the public's scrutiny and tormented by rumors and slander for six years.
He feared that the one who had pushed Jasmine into the abyss, crushing the rose and trampling it underfoot, leaving her lying in the mire, was not Daniel, not Evan, not any of those who had hurt Jasmine, but himself.
Sensing that something was off with Ethan, Jasmine turned around anxiously and nestled into his chest, reaching up to touch his forehead.
It was burning up...
"Mr. Ethan, you have a fever."
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