Chapter 45 Escape from Silverlight City
Richard's struggle was frenzied. "Come at me if you dare, you son of a bitch!"
The bandages on Jasmine's ear were soaked with fresh blood; it seemed she might truly go deaf in her left ear.
Collapsed on the ground, Jasmine tried to crawl towards Justin, who was still wiping away blood, his face etched with terror.
"Richard, that bitch almost got my sister killed yesterday, and managed to draw Ethan into her mess. She's got some nerve," spat Evan, before his boot landed brutally on Jasmine's stomach, as if infuriated by her newfound protection.
"Jasmine, you're getting more and more capable, aren't you? What tricks did you use to seduce Ethan?" Evan yanked Jasmine's hair again, forcing her to look. "Watch closely."
After speaking, Evan signaled to the bodyguard to move against Richard. "Which hand of yours touched my sister inappropriately, huh? I want your sister to watch closely as I cripple you."
Richard struggled, but his right hand was pinned to the ground.
He learned maintenance during his time in the military and specialized in auto repair after being discharged. His hands were his livelihood; his skill in fixing cars depended entirely on them.
If they were to mangle Richard's hands, they might as well be taking his life.
"Please... don't..." Jasmine knelt on the ground, begging Evan in panic. "Take my hands, mine, just... leave my brother be, please..."
Her voice was hoarse as she pleaded for Evan to spare Richard.
But Evan held her there mercilessly, forcing her to watch.
A bodyguard picked up a mechanic's hammer and savagely smashed it down on Richard's hand, repeatedly, turning flesh and bone into a blur of gore...
Jasmine knelt there rigidly, her body slowly numbing and turning cold.
Justin was still crying, crying as he threw himself to cling to his uncle's hand.
And those people were about to strike again.
It was just a child...
How could they bear to do this?
Richard fought like a madman. His bloodied fists pounded into the face of the bodyguard; he was unstoppable, as if he'd kill him out of sheer hatred.
It was these people who pushed him to this edge.
Jasmine knelt there in silence.
Lifting her head and glancing at Evan with a hoarse voice, Jasmine said, "I've paid off my debts to the Wilson Family long ago; what more do you want from me..."
Fear of death didn't faze her; what else could she possibly fear?
"Jasmine, your debts to the Wilson Family, to Serena, you think you can clear them? My sister's been bullied into severe depression and has been tormented by nightmares all her life. She lost a kidney in a car accident and suicide attempt, and you've aggravated her into a critical coma. Do you think the Wilsons and the Douglases will let you off? I'm telling you; this is just the beginning."
Evan was telling the truth; Serena was in a coma from the shock, and Karen and Benjamin had lost control. They had every intention to take Jasmine's life.
His presence here was the only thing that might spare Jasmine from death...
"Let's go." Perhaps finally fed up, Evan tossed Jasmine aside and led his group away.
Richard cradled Justin, frantically trying to soothe him.
Justin was trembling from head to toe, clearly traumatized by the ordeal.
They all knew they couldn't go on like this—something had to give, or the child would fall ill.
Jasmine sat there on the ground, silent and still for a long while.
Maybe coming back was a mistake.
Maybe to ensure Justin's safety and a peaceful childhood, she needed to stay away from him.
His condition was still critical, untreated, and unmanaged. Jasmine needed money, a lot of it.
"I'll find work..." Jasmine glanced at Richard. "Bro, I'll send money home every month. Don't skimp on food for yourself, and about the kid's school... if it can't be worked out, then forget about preschool. He'll be able to go to public school anyway."
Richard nodded, with resignation etched into his features—it was a necessary sacrifice.
"If I stay, the Wilsons and the Douglases won't leave me be. They'll just keep causing distress for the kid, and with his condition, we can't afford any more distress." Jasmine wiped away her tears, which stung as they soaked into the burn scars on her face.
"Maybe it's for the best to lay low for a while," Richard agreed, offering her some cash. "I found a new job; it’s not as tough as fixing cars—24 hours on, 24 off. It's manageable, and I can take care of the kid."
Jasmine only took five hundred-dollars for the road, pushing the rest back into Richard's hands. "You'll need this to look after the child..."
Choking back tears, she turned and left without another word.
"Jasmine..." Richard called after her. "No matter where you go, give me a call."
But Jasmine, deaf in her left ear, didn't stop—didn't even pause.
She was leaving.
Escaping.
To earn money.
Without the kidney transplant for Serena, the Wilsons would unleash their wild hunt for her with even greater ferocity.
A dark thought crossed her mind—she could end up dead in the wilderness, her body stripped of organs.
With an ironic chuckle, Jasmine limped away, each step heavy, laden with the weight of inevitability.
She looked back. She wanted one last lingering glance at her son, and then she was gone.
She couldn't bear to part with her son...
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