Chapter 467 The Public Opinion Battle Between Jasmine and Deborah
"Liam, you go first," Jasmine whispered.
Liam got up and left. "Alright."
"Are you Jasmine?" Deborah asked, smiling as she approached.
Deborah had clearly done her homework; otherwise, she wouldn't have come straight over.
"No, I'm not," Jasmine replied, shaking her head.
Deborah looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Aren't you?"
"No, my name is Yasmine Cunningham," Jasmine corrected her.
"Are you really that insistent on your name? Is the name give by your adoptive parents so hard to pronounce? Or are you trying to cut ties with your original family now that you have a better one?" Deborah said, sounding judgmental.
With just a few words, she tried to paint Jasmine as someone who despised her adoptive parents.
She wasn't here to establish authority but to test the waters.
"Of course, I have my principles. After all, I am the legitimate daughter of the Cunningham family, not an illegitimate one defying morality. So yes, I insist on my name," Jasmine said coldly, her aura stronger than ever.
In the past, she had been too timid, but now, facing a high-level opponent, she couldn't show any weakness.
Showing weakness could mean losing the most important things to her.
This world was cruel; she knew the principle of survival of the fittest, and the excellent ones were always sought after.
She was afraid of losing Ethan, so she had to become stronger.
Deborah looked at Jasmine, her eyes deep and unreadable.
After a while, Deborah laughed and extended her hand. "I'm sorry, did I scare you? I'm not your enemy but an ally. I'm the new project director at LY. My name is Deborah, but you can also call me Marissa."
Jasmine admired her, or rather, she truly didn't care about being called the daughter of a mistress.
"Hello," Jasmine said, shaking her hand.
Deborah smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," Jasmine echoed.
Deborah turned to the two students with her. "I heard you signed up for the GMC International Business Management Challenge at Stanford University this year?"
Jasmine nodded.
"I'm honored to give you a lecture. Two years ago, I achieved excellent results in this competition," Deborah said gracefully.
She was showcasing her strength, making every effort to display her capabilities.
Jasmine just smiled and said nothing.
"Senior, I heard you were Ethan's ex-girlfriend. Is that true?"
"Why did you break up?"
The students gathered around, trying to curry favor.
Deborah didn't speak, just smiled faintly, which was a tacit acknowledgment but not a confirmation.
"Ethan was kicked out of the Douglas Group. I heard his startup isn't doing well either. Are you back to help him this time?"
"That's so loving. You're so close with Ethan."
Deborah smiled. "We've known each other since we were kids. Our families are close, and Connor and he are best friends. Naturally, our relationship is deep. I wouldn't feel at ease if I didn't come back to help him."
Jasmine followed behind, just listening to Deborah's words.
"You two are really well-matched. I think you're a better match than those women who had scandals with Mr. Douglas."
Jasmine remained silent.
GMC was an international business management competition, and many media reporters were present.
In recent days, rumors about Ethan and Deborah were all over the internet.
Jasmine felt pressured as she read those reports every day. But now, she had calmed her mind.
If Deborah could hold back and not come to her, she would still feel uneasy. However, Deborah was already eager to showcase herself, which made Jasmine feel that Deborah was insecure.
If Deborah weren't insecure, she wouldn't be in such a hurry.
After all, the one who strikes first often loses.
"Did you hear? Marissa, today's lecturer, is Ethan's ex. She's back to help him, and they're definitely going to rekindle their relationship."
"If I were her, I would choose Ethan, too. Even if he's no longer the chairman of the Douglas Group, that face is still worth looking at for a lifetime."
"Exactly, he's so handsome."
Jasmine sat quietly at the far edge of the lecture hall, listening.
She wore earphones and looked at her phone, watching the news heat up online. Media reporters were all over Deborah, asking questions.
"Marissa, do you have confidence in helping Ethan through this tough time?"
"Marissa, it's said the Douglas Group is suppressing Ethan. Do you think you can handle such a big company?"
"Of course, I believe in my abilities and Ethan's," Deborah said with a smile.
Jasmine's fingers lightly tapped the table.
She was waiting for the right moment.
The media went wild. As soon as the lecture ended, the trending searches started.
Some said Ethan and Deborah were preparing to get married.
Some said they saw Ethan ordering a custom diamond ring.
Some said Ethan was going to propose to Deborah.
Jasmine just watched as Deborah misled the reporters.
She knew the power of public opinion.
Deborah knew Ethan needed her now, so the company couldn't directly refute the rumors.
Every word she said was cautious, leaving no room for criticism.
"Deborah, do you remember me? I'm the girl from your neighbor's house. I'm a sophomore now. I really like you, but you often got hurt when you were with Ethan. I felt so heartbroken back then." A junior hugged flowers and ran over to give them to Deborah.
"You've done so much for him. You're so kind. If he doesn't cherish you..." The girl said, her eyes turning red.
Deborah gently shook her head. "Giving is mutual. What I've given to him is not even a thousandth of what he's given to me. You don't know him; he's cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Without him, I might not even be here today."
Everyone looked at her with envy.
Jasmine propped her head up, confused.
With Deborah's intelligence, she should know this could backfire. The recent public opinion was too intense. If she kept stirring things up and Ethan came out to refute the rumors, it would be embarrassing for her.
What exactly was she trying to do?
Before long, a new trending topic appeared in the news headlines.
The chairman of the Evercrest Group reposted Deborah's news, adding: [With such a devoted wife, Ethan's return to the peak is just a matter of time.]
The Evercrest Group was a recent project partner of Ethan's. They had been stalling due to pressure from the Douglas Group.
However, with Deborah's involvement, the chairman of the Evercrest Group reposted on Facebook and responded, which was very intriguing.
Jasmine suddenly realized that Deborah's public opinion wasn't aimed at suppressing her or Ethan; it was to make the company pay.
She was gradually infiltrating, making people in the business circles subconsciously believe she was Ethan's girlfriend, fiancée, and even future wife.
In this way, as her position in the company gradually rose, the entire company, including Ethan, would become dependent on her.
Because if she decided to leave or said something negative, it would be devastating for the company.
Jasmine was silent for a moment. Then she posted on Facebook.
She posted a photo of her and Ethan's marriage certificate with Yasmine Cunningham's account.
If Deborah wanted to manipulate public opinion, Jasmine would use the Cunningham family's background to do the same.
After all, she had many influential brothers and wasn't afraid.
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