Chapter 54 My Child
Jasmine's fingers clenched in fear as she shot Ms. Blanche a pleading look.
"Mr. Patrick," Ms. Blanche rushed over, "she's the new hire, who just finished training. She’s our new receptionist. Is there an issue?"
"Lift your head!" Henry's voice was icy, betraying thin patience.
With trembling fingers, Jasmine slowly raised her head.
Henry paused, then let out a chuckle. "Never mind, I mistook you for someone else."
Ms. Blanche heaved a sigh of relief and signaled for Jasmine to leave quickly.
Henry said no more and walked away.
Jasmine breathed easier; it had been five years—Henry had certainly forgotten her by now.
Once Henry was out of sight, Chloe approached shakily. "That man's aura is just... terrifying."
Jasmine's legs were numb with fear.
Chloe propped her up, chuckling. "Scared, huh? I thought Mr. Patrick had taken a shine to you. That would've been horrifying."
With an awkward smile, Jasmine tried to shrug off the terror.
"Did you hear what Mr. Patrick's assistant mentioned?" Chloe guided Jasmine back to the reception desk. "The annual commerce banquet is being held at our club this year. We're the biggest club in Boston, you know. They even check diplomas for receptionists! You're lucky—it’s a prime hiring season that got you in."
Jasmine nodded. "I heard."
"Do you know who attends these banquets? Have you heard of the Douglas family from Silverlight City? They're even a notch above Mr. Patrick." In the world of business, there was always someone higher, with no end in sight.
Jasmine's fingers stiffened, her heart suddenly racing. The commerce banquet would surely bring Daniel and Evan, and that thought alone sent her into a spiral of anxiety.
"Can I... can I take the day off?" Jasmine whispered.
"No, Ms. Blanche said everything's geared towards that day, no one is allowed to take time off," Chloe shook her head.
Jasmine's fingers tightened nervously, her mind racing with what to do next.
Staying here put her at risk of being caught and dragged back.
And being dragged back meant a sure dead end.
"Jasmine, Room 3688 upstairs needs a fruit platter. The service staff is swamped, and we could use an extra hand," Ms. Blanche walked over and beckoned to Jasmine.
"How about I go? Jasmine isn't familiar with the duties," Chloe offered, thinking she could do it instead.
"No need. It's just dropping off a fruit platter. I need you here with me," Ms. Blanche said offhandedly.
Jasmine nodded, walking towards the service area in heels that still felt alien to her.
"This bottle of wine is worth over a million, so you must handle it with the utmost care," someone at the service counter pointed to a bottle chilling in an ice bucket.
With an anxious nod, Jasmine wheeled the cart into the elevator.
Once, a million-dollar bottle of wine meant nothing to Jasmine, but now, it was an astronomical sum.
"Sir, your fruit platter and wine," Jasmine called out as she knocked on the door.
No response.
Finding the door ajar, she pushed it open and entered.
Inside, Henry was sitting on a couch, engaged in conversation with several big shots.
Keeping her head down, Jasmine placed the wine bucket on the table and arranged the fruit platter.
She moved quietly, then turned to leave.
"This club is beyond exceptional, Mr. Patrick. Even the waitstaff look better than celebrities. Seems like a waste for such a lovely young lady to be only a waitress," Anderson, who had been whisked away by Emily earlier, couldn't take his eyes off Jasmine.
Her legs were too striking to ignore; long and straight, they were an enthusiast's dream come true.
Henry glanced at Jasmine briefly without a word.
Feeling panicked, Jasmine kept her head down, wanting to leave.
But Anderson stood up and blocked her path. "Young lady, what's your name?"
"Haha, Anderson's taken a shine to this young miss," someone teased.
"Let me tell you, girl, catching Anderson's eye is your good fortune," another chimed in, coaxing Jasmine not to be foolish.
Sweat started to form in the palm of her hands; Jasmine wasn't sure how to handle the situation.
This was her first day on the job after three days of training, and she didn't want to cause any trouble for Emily.
"Are you a college student?" With Jasmine's youthful appearance and fine figure, no one would suspect she had a child.
Anderson's hand was inching dangerously close to Jasmine's leg.
"She's not up for it," Henry declared, his voice steady after a heavy silence.
Jasmine flinched and stood rooted to the spot, with her head bowed low.
Caught off guard, Anderson paused, prompting Henry to add, "She's a mother."
The dinner plate nearly slipped from Jasmine's trembling hands. Her heartbeat raced. Henry had recognized her.
The men were taken aback. "Mr. Patrick, you know her? A mother, yet she's kept such a figure?"
"A MILF? That's even better," another executive chuckled.
Jasmine's cheeks flushed, but not with shame—with anger.
Their leering eyes were like those of men picking out produce at a market.
It was an insult.
"She's a tough catch," Henry quipped, a sly smile on his face. "You gentlemen will have to show your skills."
"Ha, does that mean you've tried chasing her before, Mr. Patrick?" The men shared a laughing inquiry.
"Yeah, for three years, to no avail," Henry joked half-heartedly.
Jasmine felt her ears burning. She wanted to run away.
She could foresee the humiliation that Henry was about to bring upon her.
"So hard to get that not even Mr. Patrick's charm worked? Playing hard to get, or was the price not right?" Anderson mocked with a snide laugh, reaching out to grab Jasmine's wrist. "A million for a night; that's top dollar for you."
Jasmine dodged in a panic, recoiling from his touch as if it were a reflex.
And then a dinner plate crashed onto Anderson's head. At that moment, Jasmine almost dropped to her knees.
It wasn't intentional, truly...
It was just an unconscious reaction... Her body acting beyond her control.
Near tears, Jasmine choked out an apology, "I'm... I'm so sorry..."
Anderson, stunned, touched his forehead, where the skin was grazed.
The others gasped - this woman was quite audacious.
"That's a bit disrespectful," Anderson's tone dropped, his glare seething at Jasmine. "If it weren't for your looks, you wouldn't even have the chance to stand here."
It seemed to ignite a competitive streak among the men. Another executive said with a grin, "I'll offer two million, Mr. Patrick... and I'll take her off your hands."
Henry, ever enigmatic, smirked at Jasmine. "Back in the day, I was willing to go as high as eight million."
Jasmine stood shivering, feeling a mix of fear and cold.
Six years ago, she was hauled into court by Daniel and Evan, charged with trying to extort a total of eight million dollars from the Wilsons and the Douglases...
Eight million—that was the number Henry dangled before her to provoke a reaction.
That year, Henry had made her an offer: if she was willing, he could help Jasmine clear the eight-million-dollar debt.
"Eight million? Are you out of your mind? For a woman who's had a child?" One of the executives was gobsmacked as he stared at Jasmine. "Huh? Do you know how little it costs for a young starlet? It's all about the connections."
"These days, the price is eight million," Anderson insisted, picking a fight with Jasmine. "I’ve got to 'inspect the merchandise' first, though."
Trying to leave, Jasmine turned, only to be yanked back and slammed against the wall by Anderson. "So, you hit me. How are we going to settle this? I’ll check out the damage and see how much you owe me. We’ll deduct it from your eight million!"
Anderson had never met a woman bold enough to strike him. Today, for the sake of his pride, he was determined to take Jasmine with him.
"Anderson, consider this: she's already had a kid. Really think she's still worth eight million?" Henry quipped from the sidelines, with a laugh.
Henry, pensive, spoke up softly. "What if the child she bore is mine? Doesn't that make her even more valuable?"
Silence fell.
At Henry's words, Anderson's grip loosened subconsciously, and he stared at Henry, eyes wide with something like horror.
Had he laid a hand on Henry's woman?
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