Chapter 48 Ending the Partnership
"Jasmine... doesn't know either?" Liam pondered how chaotic one's personal life must be not to know the identity of their child's father.
"It's all thanks to you, isn't it? How this child came to be, why Jasmine ended up in a stranger's bed - your families, the Douglases and the Wilsons, should know better. To ruin a woman, you've stopped at nothing, and now you have the nerve to ask about the child's father," Richard spat in anger.
"Mr. Richard, you're gravely mistaken about Mr. Douglas. Our family has done nothing to you and would never stoop to such actions," Liam retorted defensively on behalf of Ethan.
"And you expect me to believe that even if Jasmine was set up to have Justin, she wouldn't know who the man was?" Liam asked, disbelieving.
Richard couldn't be bothered to explain any further and turned to find Justin.
At that moment, Ethan emerged, cradling Justin in his arms.
Richard walked over and took Justin from Ethan. "Thank you for today, Mr. Douglas. I will repay you. Just give me a deadline."
Ethan furrowed his brow; they were siblings indeed. Richard and Jasmine shared the same stubborn streak.
"Stellar Enterprises runs a charity foundation, and Justin's situation qualifies for aid; Liam's already handling it. After this, his treatment at the hospital will be on the house," Ethan said nonchalantly.
Richard paused, his voice dropping to a whisper, "We don't need Douglas family handouts... I'll pay you back within two months, thank you, Mr. Douglas."
With that, Richard carried Justin out.
Justin leaned against his uncle's shoulder; his eyes fixed on Ethan with longing.
How he wished... Ethan were his father.
Ethan wanted to say more, but seeing Richard's strong defenses, he held back.
"Any word on Jasmine?"
Liam shook his head. "Jasmine didn't use her ID to buy a ticket. Silverlight City's big; if she wants to hide, she won’t be easy to find."
"Who hit Justin?" Ethan asked.
"Evan went to Richard's garage early this morning. He probably burned down the house, too... and yes, Evan hit Justin," Liam said, clearly angered. The Wilsons and Daniel may have deep-seated grudges, but a child shouldn't bear the brunt.
Wasn't that what any rational person would think? What did the child do to deserve this?
But Evan, in his impulsiveness, struck Justin.
"I warned the Wilsons. I made the call to the police and told them to leave Jasmine alone," Ethan said, his voice deep with severity.
Liam knew Ethan was not just angry; he was furious.
The Wilsons were in for it.
...
The Wilson Family.
"Has Serena woken up yet?"
"The doctor said Serena suffered a shock; her health was too fragile for surgery..." Karen wept on the couch. "Why does my daughter have to suffer so much? It's all that Jasmine's fault; she called the police and framed Serena. She wants Serena dead with her wicked heart!"
Benjamin sat beside her with a dark expression. "Where is Jasmine?"
"Dad... Jasmine's gone," Evan said nervously as he stepped into the living room.
“She got away? Didn’t I tell someone to bring her here? How could you let her slip through our fingers?” Benjamin demanded in a stern voice.
Evan averted his gaze and spoke in a hushed tone. “I went to Richard’s to find her, but she wasn’t there. I had Richard roughed up a bit, so that must've tipped her off.”
Evan headed there early in the morning with the intention of driving Jasmine away. Let her run, he thought. She’d better never show her face in Silverlight City again, or it would mean her doom.
Benjamin was determined to make her die this time.
“Evan, Serena is your sister,” Karen reminded him, her voice choked with emotion.
“So I suggest we look for a volunteer donor first. Once Serena’s health has stabilized, we can deal with Jasmine then. She’s in hiding now, and we can’t afford to delay Serena’s treatment,” Evan tried to soothe both Benjamin and Karen.
“Hmph, Jasmine’s life belongs to Serena; who else would we use?” Karen disagreed. “The doctor said that Serena’s too weak to undergo transplant surgery just yet. We still have time. We must find her within a month.”
Evan fell silent, then nodded slowly. “Alright, I’ll make sure we bring her back.”
“Sir! Ma’am, young master... there’s been trouble at the company,” Evan’s assistant rushed in from the door. “Young master, Stellar Enterprises suddenly pulled out of the Meadowdale joint venture. Without their investment, our cash flow is jammed... Everything else is manageable, but if we miss payroll, it’ll delay construction. And if we don't meet our deadlines... the penalty fees...”
They would be astronomical.
Benjamin’s expression darkened as he looked at Evan. “Stellar Enterprises? Find out if there's been some mistake. The Wilsons and the Douglases are intertwined through marriage; Serena is Daniel’s fiancée. Who at Stellar dares to cut ties with the Wilson family?”
“It's... it's CEO Ethan...” the assistant said, inhaling deeply before speaking softly.
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