Chapter 42 Mr. Douglas
Jasmine looked up at Ethan and after a long pause, she began, "Mr. Douglas, this is pointless..."
Mentioning Serena would only drag her deeper into the mess and invite reckless harm from Daniel and the Wilson family.
She just wanted to protect herself.
She wasn't gifted with the inherent superiority and influence that Ethan had.
Ethan's brows knitted together. "If you don't stand up for yourself when bullied, any harm that comes your way is on you."
His voice was frigid, instilling a twinge of fear in Jasmine.
Ethan was not a 'good guy' in the traditional sense, but he had saved her more times than she could count. She was grateful, yet she knew better than to expect him to understand her plight.
"Let's make a bet, Mr. Douglas," Jasmine said, her voice hoarse, and her gaze intense.
"What are we betting on?" Ethan asked, his eyes deep with meaning.
"That even if I speak up, Serena won't be affected in the least," Jasmine let out a bitter laugh.
But if she did speak up, Daniel and Evan would never let her off the hook.
She could foresee the consequences.
The fear of those consequences – no one could understand it.
Ethan was no different from the rest; he condemned her cowardice, and her failure to retaliate, without knowing why she couldn't fight back.
"I can help you," Ethan's brows furrowed.
"There's no reason for you to cross your own family and the Wilsons for my sake." Jasmine shook her head. For Ethan, it was merely a wager.
And she didn't want him to make that bet.
He was powerful, but she was insignificant.
For the first time, Ethan observed Jasmine with serious contemplation.
This woman seemed to understand life too well.
She was aware of her place, a smart woman.
The police arrived and took her statement.
In line with Ethan's thinking, Jasmine implicated Serena as well.
However, shortly after the police left, they called back to report that Miss Serena was completely oblivious. Apparently, the nanny had been spouting nonsense before and had now just confessed.
Jasmine's IV hadn't even finished dripping when Daniel and the Wilson clan had already managed to sort things out.
She gave Ethan a raspy-voiced glance. "You've lost."
Ethan wore a grim expression.
Today, however, it was a woman like Jasmine who had taught him a lesson.
The nanny's sudden change of heart was surely due to some tampering by Daniel and the Wilsons.
He could have helped Jasmine turn the tide and forced the nanny to come clean, but Jasmine was right—she wasn't worth the effort.
"Thanks for today." Jasmine removed her IV herself and bowed slightly to Ethan.
He moved to stop her, but it was too late.
After speaking, Jasmine stumbled away as if frightened, seeming eager to escape.
She didn't even stay to finish the last bit of antibiotic.
Daniel and Evan must be frantically searching for her by now.
If she fell into the hands of Daniel and Evan today, she'd be better off dead.
After all, Serena was their golden child.
"Jasmine!" Ethan called out, frustration edging his voice. Why was she running? What was she afraid of? With him still here, would Daniel dare to hurt her in his presence? "I'm still here, why the hell are you running?"
"Can you protect me forever, Mr. Douglas?" Jasmine asked, trembling.
Ethan frowned; her audacity was astonishing. Did she really expect him to protect her for a lifetime?
"If you can't, then don't bother showing me kindness. A man of your stature, Mr. Douglas, should understand this better than I do." Jasmine tightened her clothes and glanced at Ethan's suit. "Mr. Douglas... your suit, I'll repay you when I have the money."
She didn't want to owe anyone anything.
Ethan felt utterly out of character as he watched Jasmine's desperate search for Justin.
"Since I lost the bet, you and Justin can come to my place for now," Ethan proposed, crossing what he felt was the last line of his principles.
He offered Jasmine refuge at his home. "I'll handle the issues with the Douglas and Wilson families for you."
Jasmine paused, turning back to look at Ethan with a mix of surprise and fear. "Mr. Douglas...is there something you want from me?"
Jasmine couldn't believe Ethan's motives were purely altruistic.
Acting on impulse? Impossible. Maybe for someone else, but not Ethan.
A man like Ethan could have his pick of women. So why?
"I need a woman by my side to play defense for me, a shield. Don't worry about the details. For now, you seem to fit the bill," Ethan said casually.
Jasmine caught on; it was probably because she was an easy fix.
In a way, this suited Jasmine just fine. Did this mean she was now clinging to Ethan's coattails?
Although Ethan had given Jasmine the opportunity to get closer to him, she had changed her mind now; she didn't want to drag Ethan down.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Douglas; I'm not for sale," Jasmine bowed again.
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