Chapter 545 Jasmine and Deborah at Odds
Evelyn found it funny.
She never touched the trust money. Every month, she transferred it straight to Sophia.
Even if Cordelia kicked her out of the trust, she'd understand and wouldn't be mad.
But even if Cordelia didn't, she didn't want the money anymore.
Now, she was acting in the entertainment industry. She wasn't famous, had few scripts, and the company treated her unfairly, but she could still support herself.
She'd grown up and was self-sufficient. She always looked down on women like Sophia, who couldn't imagine life without a man.
A woman should be independent, strong, and have her own career. If she couldn't afford steak every meal, she should budget for three meals a day. Nothing wrong with that.
Life is what you make of it.
Living like Sophia was exhausting.
When Amelia woke up, she was already in the hospital ward.
She sat up, looking around with a headache.
"You're awake," a young nurse said, smiling. "Your fever's down. How are you feeling?"
"Much better." Amelia nodded.
After a pause, she asked, "Did a man named Nolan bring me here?"
She didn't know why she was hopeful.
When did she start expecting things from Nolan?
Maybe it was every time she was in trouble, and he showed up to help.
Or when she was homeless, and he took her in.
Or when she was sick, and he cooked for her.
Or even when she mistook him for a gigolo and pestered him for money.
"No, it wasn't Nolan," the nurse said. "It was a Mr. Crawford."
Amelia's heart sank.
It wasn't Nolan.
He probably hadn't even looked for her all night.
"My phone," she said, realizing she left it at Nolan's house.
Did he notice?
"Let's update your info. Are you an adult?" the nurse asked. Amelia looked very young, especially in her white dress, without makeup.
"Yes, I'm an adult," Amelia nodded. "I'm a senior intern."
"Good." the nurse handed her the test results. "Do you have your boyfriend's number? I can call him. Did you know you're pregnant?"
Amelia was stunned.
Pregnant?
Impossible. Nolan always took precautions.
Except for that one time when he was drunk and didn't use a condom. But could it be that one time?
"If you plan to keep the baby, check hormone levels regularly. If not, schedule a painless abortion."
Amelia was in shock, her mind blank.
She'd have to abort it, right? Nolan hated her; he wouldn't want this child.
If he found out, he'd be even angrier.
What should she do?
What if Nolan thought she was using the baby to trap him?
Amelia clutched the test results, asking, "Could the test be wrong?"
The nurse shook her head. "You can come back in a few days to check again."
Amelia's eyes filled with tears as she sat on the bed, feeling lost.
What should she do?
At LY Company, Samuel was in a meeting, looking serious.
"Deborah went back to the Hawthorne Group and set up a project department just to compete with us," a colleague fumed. "This is too much. Mr. Douglas treated her well with a high salary and commissions, and she still betrayed us."
Jasmine glanced at the project list. Deborah had snagged several key projects, all ones LY was negotiating.
"We need to stay sharp. The enemy won't show mercy, so we must be ready to fight back," Samuel said, looking at Jasmine. "Jasmine, stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed."
Once the room cleared, Samuel asked, "What do you think about this?"
He was furious about Deborah's betrayal. She was truly heartless.
"It's better than expected," Jasmine said, pulling out the project data. "She took Future Technology Innovation Group and Interstellar Intelligent Solutions, which I anticipated. We set up Project Group B quickly, cutting off many of her resources. What she took, LY can handle."
Samuel nodded. "But finding top-tier suppliers and brand partners won't be easy to replace."
"If we can't replace them, we'll produce them ourselves. We need to be self-sufficient. Relying on others isn't good for growth," Jasmine said.
After a pause, she added, "We've had meals with their bosses. They're friendly towards you, wary of your family's influence. Deborah, as an illegitimate daughter, couldn't have taken these projects alone."
"Of course, there are higher interests involved," Samuel said.
"Maybe it's not interests, but leverage," Jasmine replied.
She suspected Deborah was using information she got from Ethan to threaten project parties, forcing them to abandon LY.
"Deborah does have the capability to soar high," Samuel admitted. "Do you need me to use my family's connections to negotiate other projects and let her take these?"
"She may soar high," Jasmine smiled. "But the higher she flies, the harder she falls."
Jasmine bit her lip and then smiled. "Deborah is just a weathervane. We'll invest heavily in whatever project she takes. Trust me, let's take a gamble."
Samuel's mouth twitched. "No wonder you're Ethan's wife, so bold. From raw materials to production workshops, you want to compete with century-old enterprises?"
"Even century-old enterprises can go bankrupt. When they die, it's our rebirth," Jasmine saw this as a business opportunity.
Investment shouldn't be a problem; she could discuss it with her mom and brothers. Although Ethan had no money, he'd give her advice.
Deborah using the Harper family's 'blacklist' to threaten companies indicated serious violations. When this info was handed to the police, those companies would be finished.
That would be her time to rise.
Deborah thought she was smart, but she overdid it.
"So confident?" Samuel was surprised; it was rare to see Jasmine so sure.
"I just want to bet. You don't have to follow. If I lose, it's on me. If I win, you can invest, and I'll share with you," Jasmine smiled.
"Don't underestimate me." Samuel laughed. "Don't worry about it. You shouldn't have to figure out the money alone; I'll talk to my brother."
Jasmine thought, 'It's still up in the air who's gonna win this time.'
She was determined to go against Deborah!
In the end, it would be a matter of who lost more miserably.
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