Chapter 192 Did Jasmine Have Twins Originally?
"Why are you here, you little tag-along?" Ethan, not wanting Jasmine to be upset by the child crying, got out of bed and opened the door.
The little tyke didn't even glance at Ethan, squeezing past him and rushing straight into Jasmine's arms. "Mommy, I hacked into the hotel's system."
Jasmine was stunned. "You're not supposed to just access the hotel system."
"I distracted the receptionist lady," the kid spoke calmly, an expert in his mischief.
"A little genius..." Jasmine said with a smile, trying to soothe him. "Did you sneak out? Does your dad or your uncles know?"
The kid huffed. "Dad's a baddie."
Jasmine shot Ethan an anxious look. It seemed the child had run away on his own again.
Ethan wasn't pleased, wondering if this kid was getting too attached to Jasmine.
"I'll call his dad." Ethan picked up his phone to call Edgar Cunningham.
"Don't call, he's actually not my dad." The kid lunged to hug Ethan, his eyes brimming with tears, pleading pitifully. "Someone left me at his doorstep, and he took me in, but I know he's not my real dad."
Ethan felt bewildered as he looked down at the small child clinging to his leg, a sudden jolt of surprise racing through his chest. The child's expression and actions reminded him vividly of the first time Justin had met him at the Douglas family's place, hugging his leg and pleading for Ethan to protect Jasmine.
"Are you sure you only had one baby?" Ethan cast a suspicious glance at Jasmine.
Jasmine was baffled by Ethan's question.
When Jasmine first learned of her pregnancy, she was terrified to the point of refusing to leave her home, let alone attend prenatal checkups.
That year, following the saga of the true and false heiress, Jasmine returned to the Summer family, where Richard and his mother took constant care of her.
Jasmine could only remember how frail she was then, yet her belly was surprisingly large.
After Justin's birth, he weighed only four pounds and five ounces... But Jasmine refused to believe such a coincidence. It just wasn't possible.
Richard had also been present at the hospital during the delivery. Jasmine trusted Richard implicitly; she knew he wouldn't lie to her.
"Justin is the only baby," Jasmine confidently asserted.
"Mommy, you are my mommy," said Joe as tears brimmed his eyes, clinging to Jasmine and refusing to let go. "I know you're my mom."
"The little guy has become dependent on you after you saved him," Ethan clarified. "You can't just run out like this; your family will worry. Even if you don't like your dad, do you want to make your grandma anxious?"
After a moment's consideration, Joe conceded, "Okay, but I want to stay with Mommy."
Ethan had little interest in the details; his main priority was to shake off the tag-along. He sought uninterrupted alone time with Jasmine, cherishing the opportunity after they had finally managed to escape for a vacation together.
After sending a message to Edgar Cunningham, it wasn't long before the entire Cunningham family appeared.
"Joe, why are you troubling your aunt again?" Edgar was genuinely apologetic. "The child is just too fond of you," he explained to Jasmine.
Jasmine just shook her head.
"Jasmine, it's clear Joe really likes you," Edward said, noticing Joe hiding behind her. "Since you’re also here for the wedding banquet, why not let Joe stay with you until it ends?"
"I disagree!" Ethan immediately refused, his mind adamant. There was no way he could agree. After all, they were finally on a vacation, just the two of them—a rare occasion indeed.
"Mr. Ethan, you should show some compassion," Nolan Cunningham said mockingly.
"Why? He's not my son," Ethan said with a heavy sigh, sitting to one side.
His disagreement was firm. Perhaps if the child had been Justin, his stance might have wavered, but faced with the cunning offspring of a stranger, there was simply no chance of that.
"Jasmine, Ethan is cold-blooded and lacks compassion. I suggest you leave him for someone else," Edgar suggested as he stood defensively in front of Jasmine. "Like me, for instance."
Jasmine responded with a hint of irritation, "Mr. Ethan doesn't behave in that manner," unwilling to entertain any criticism of him from others.
Edgar couldn't quite decipher the dynamics at play. "Ethan, you've got plenty of women already. Just let me have Jasmine. What's your asking price?"
"Word has it that Stellar Enterprises is a real mess, and you got booted out early, right? How about this: you let Jasmine go with me, and the Cunningham Family will ensure you regain control of the company. What do you say?" Edward started to negotiate with Ethan as well.
Ethan was in a precarious position at the moment.
Jasmine looked at Ethan anxiously, scared that he would actually trade her away.
"Feeling bold, are we?" Ethan sneered. "What, is PETA protecting you?"
Jasmine was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter when she caught on.
Edward snorted, clearly irritated by Ethan's presence.
Nolan Cunningham remained silent throughout, taking a considerable amount of time before finally speaking up. "Everyone, please leave. I need to have a discussion with the child and Jasmine."
"On what grounds?" Edward and Edgar were the first to object.
Ethan perceived the Cunningham clan as rather oblivious. "Nolan, if you've got a screw loose, go see a doctor. Take your little tag-along and get out."
Recognizing Ethan's resistance to persuasion, Nolan shifted his attention to Jasmine, leaning in to whisper. "You're well aware of the situation at Stellar Enterprises as the CEO's assistant. If the Cunningham family is willing to side with Ethan, the boost from the desert project will secure his position in the Gu Corporation."
Jasmine's grip on the child tightened—Nolan Cunningham was making a valid point.
The desert project held paramount importance for Ethan at this juncture. Daniel had hackers meddling with the project's plans, and any mistake could lead to dire consequences.
Jasmine sought to provide Ethan with some solace.
"Jasmine," Ethan reminded her not to listen to Nolan.
"Mr. Ethan…" Jasmine looked nervously at Ethan. "Keeping the kid like this isn't a solution. May I step out to discuss the child's issue with General Li?"
Ethan frowned. But Jasmine’s pleading eyes made it impossible for him to refuse.
"Nolan Cunningham, I'm warning you, stick to the topic of the kid and nothing else," Ethan cautioned him against making unnecessary comments.
"Mr. Ethan gets scared too?" Nolan Cunningham sneered. "Are you afraid of Jasmine finding out you've been toying with my sister's feelings, or scared she'll learn about your endless list of exes?"
"Nolan Cunningham!" Ethan frowned, unimpressed by Nolan's pitiful attempt to sow discord.
"Mr. Ethan…" Jasmine quickly got up and hugged Ethan. "I'll be right back after I take Joe downstairs."
Jasmine picked up Joe and followed behind Nolan as they left.
Nolan led Jasmine to the resort's lounge area and didn't speak a word along the way.
It wasn't until Jasmine sat down with Joe in her arms that he spoke up coldly. "Managing to charm both of my brothers and Joe, you must be quite something."
Jasmine knew Nolan Cunningham was mocking her.
She bowed her head and stayed silent.
"I appreciate your intervention in rescuing Joe, yet given your track record of extortion, I find it difficult to place my trust in you," Nolan Cunningham said, referring to her past misdeeds.
Even though Jasmine had risked her life to save the kid, Nolan still suspected that she had an ulterior motive.
"Why don't you be direct and state your purpose? From fostering dependence in Joe to seeking my brother's favor, and then constantly clinging to Ethan, it seems now you aim to leverage him as a means to embed yourself further into the Cunningham family. Go ahead and reveal your true intentions." Jasmine had saved Joe, and Nolan was grateful for that. If Jasmine were to be open and honest about what she wanted, he'd be willing to fulfill it.
Jasmine took a deep breath as she pondered to herself, 'Once you're tainted, it seems impossible to restore your image in someone else's eyes.'
"Mr. Cunningham, if you're here to discuss these matters, then there's no point in continuing this conversation." Jasmine rubbed Joe's head. "Who gave you the confidence to think the Cunningham family is above Ethan? He is the summit in my heart, and I have no need to use him to climb to anyone else."
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