Chapter 181 The Relationship Between Actress Fiona and Ethan
Ethan had reserved a table at the Pearl Restaurant in advance, taking Justin and Jasmine for a meal undisturbed.
Jasmine was unaware that, at the very moment, two men were fighting ferociously over her at the Stellar Enterprises lounge.
"Mr. Ethan, everything is taken care of. Tom beat up Connor pretty good—he's in the hospital now and will likely keep quiet for a while," Liam reported over the phone.
Jasmine peeked cautiously at Ethan, who had stepped aside to make the call, feeling uncertain.
"Mommy, this place looks so expensive," Justin whispered.
Jasmine gave Justin a reassuring smile. "Justin, if you work hard in school and become strong, one day when you earn your own money, you can treat... Uncle here for a meal, okay?"
Justin blinked. "You mean Daddy..."
Jasmine glanced around and lowered her voice. "Justin, Uncle is just being polite; you can't take it seriously. He will... be someone else's daddy in the future."
Worried that her son may be disappointed later on, Jasmine gently comforted him.
Justin’s eyes reddened, and he hung his head with a sense of grievance. "I don't want him to be someone else's daddy."
"Justin... you can't think like that. Uncle will surely get married someday and have his own kids, so..." Jasmine's fingers tensed up a bit. "I'm sorry, Justin. Mommy will give you a complete home, okay?"
"Mommy did nothing wrong," Justin said, cradling Jasmine’s cheeks and speaking softly to comfort her.
"Auntie, where did Uncle go?" Casey, the little kid who's practically become like an orphan, was clinging to Justin all the time.
Unable to shake off this little tag-along, Justin brought him along.
"He went to make a phone call," Jasmine said with a smile as she playfully ruffled Casey's hair.
"Hello, would you like to order now?" The restaurant waiter eyed Jasmine and Justin with a less than friendly demeanor, as this upscale restaurant tended to be snobbish.
Both Jasmine and Justin were dressed simply, while Casey was wearing pricey items.
Even his little shoes were a limited edition, costing over a thousand dollars.
"Just... just a moment." Jasmine nodded; her social anxiety evident.
Justin counted on his little fingers. "I want to treat Daddy to a meal. Uncle gave me some pocket money, and I've been saving it for a long time."
Jasmine was momentarily surprised, then she smiled at Justin.
"Hello, I have five hundred dollars, is that, is that okay?" Justin looked up at the waiter, pulling out a wad of money from his small sling bag, with tens, twenties, and fifties, and it seemed the largest was a hundred-dollar bill.
"Ha?" The waiter let out a mocking laugh. "Kid, with that kind of money... you can't even reserve a spot."
"Mommy, it's too expensive here. Can we go somewhere else?" Justin asked Jasmine quietly.
Jasmine nodded, thinking to wait for Ethan to return before switching restaurants. "Little Justin wants to treat us."
"Then, are you staying or not? If you're not ordering, please leave quickly; don't waste our time. The seats here are valuable," the waiter said, visibly annoyed by Jasmine's hesitation to place an order.
"This whole restaurant is my Uncle's, and you better apologize to Justin and Auntie, or you're definitely going to be in trouble," Casey said angrily, slapping the table and pouting in displeasure.
The waiter clearly didn't take the kid seriously and scoffed. "Kid, who do you belong to? Do you have any idea who owns this place?"
"Who?" Casey retorted.
"This place is a high-end restaurant under the banner of Starlight Entertainment. It's not for just anyone. See that table over there? Know who's dining? It's Fiona, the top actress. Ever heard of her?" The waiter pointed to a table in the corner.
It was then that Jasmine realized they were one of only two parties dining there that evening.
"I've... heard of her." She knew of Fiona, the leading lady of Starlight Entertainment, a top-tier actress in showbiz, rumored to have had a fling with Ethan.
Even in prison, Jasmine had heard of Fiona. All the women there envied Fiona, thinking she was the most likely candidate to become Mrs. Ethan, marrying into a top-notch wealthy family.
"So, you're not ordering and just sitting here? I don't know who reserved this spot for you." The waiter pressured Jasmine to leave.
"Uncle!" Casey called out angrily.
Just then, Ethan walked in from outside, seemingly in a good mood.
Connor had been sent to the hospital by Tom, who'd warned that if Connor spouted nonsense about the Gu's one more time, he'd get hit each time.
Ethan was quite satisfied with his cousin, a scapegoat ready for use.
"Uncle! That waiter is picking on Justin and Auntie," Casey yelled.
Ethan frowned and approached. "What's happening here?"
The waiter panicked upon seeing Ethan, covering his mouth in fright and confusion. "Mr. Gu... Mr. Gu..."
So, it was Ethan that brought them here. The waiter was shocked that a tycoon like Ethan brought such a shabby woman to dine. It never crossed her mind it could be Ethan.
Her face turned ghostly pale, and the waiter hurried to explain. "I'm sorry, Mr. Gu, the lady... I just thought..."
Jasmine waved her hand, intervening. "No, it's not that, Justin wanted to treat you to dinner, and he only has five hundred dollars, so... this place is pricey." She spoke in a hushed voice, also worried about embarrassing Ethan.
Ethan squatted in front of Justin, a mix of surprise and amusement on his face. "Justin wants to treat Daddy to dinner?"
The waiter's eyes nearly popped out. 'Daddy? Ethan had a son?'
This kid was dressed in such plain clothes. The waiter began to wonder if the faded shirt he wore be some sort of limited-edition new release.
"Mmm." Justin held a wad of cash with glee. "I saved up for a long time."
Ethan embraced Justin, casting a dark glance at the waiter without saying a word.
Jasmine, kind-hearted, naturally did not want the waiter to get in trouble, knowing that they were all just trying to make a living.
Ethan did not reprimand the waiter then and there, but he would definitely ensure the restaurant improved their management and staff training.
"What would Justin like to treat Daddy to?" Ethan asked softly.
Justin hugged Ethan's neck with joy. "Daddy, do you like to eat kebabs?"
Ethan paused, seeking help with a glance toward Jasmine. He didn't know what were kebabs.
Jasmine took a deep breath. "It's... it's those skewers sold at street stands, one dollar... per skewer."
A man of Ethan's status would probably never have heard of it.
The waiter beside them trembled with fear, bowing their head as much as possible, not daring to make a sound.
"Justin... how about we eat here today, and you can treat us some other time, is that okay?" Jasmine whispered to Justin, knowing Ethan would never go for street-side kebabs.
"Since Justin likes it, it must taste good. So, let's allow Justin to treat us today." Ethan not only agreed but also pinched Casey's chubby cheek playfully. "Casey, you're living off my luck every day."
Casey was ecstatic. "Justin's treating, oh yeah!"
Jasmine stared blankly at Ethan, Justin, and Casey. The trio seemed so in sync, there was not a trace of discord, and it even... made Jasmine's heart quiver.
She wished she could secretly capture this moment, just to keep it quietly on her phone.
"Let's go." Ethan put Justin down and extended his hand toward Jasmine.
Jasmine stared at Ethan's hand in a daze. Holding hands in public didn't seem proper, yet, as if possessed, she raised her hand to reach out.
"Ethan!" A sweet and pleasant female voice called out.
It was Fiona.
She was dining at a corner table and upon seeing Ethan, she cheerfully called out to him.
Jasmine's heart tightened, and she instinctively pulled back her hand, hiding it behind her back in an awkward and embarrassed manner.
Indeed, in Ethan's circle, she could never hold her head high.
"Ethan, what are you doing here?" Fiona ran over happily, affectionately hugging Ethan's arm.
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