Chapter 55 Eight Million
A shockwave went through the room.
No wonder she hadn't bitten at the eight million. Bearing Henry a child out of wedlock—heck, that could easily be worth hundreds of millions, no trouble at all.
"You should step outside," Henry suggested to Jasmine.
Stunned, Jasmine gazed at Henry, digesting the revelation. That night... had it really been him?
Fleeing the room in turmoil, she took refuge in the restroom, soothing her jangled nerves with splashes of cold water in an attempt to wash away the tormenting memories of that night. They haunted her like a nightmare, a corrosive presence in her soul.
She chastised herself for not staying alert that night, for surrendering to the drugs in her drink.
She was playing into their hands.
"Jasmine, you okay?" Chloe murmured, noting Jasmine's damp hair on her return.
Jasmine shook her head slightly.
"HR needs an info update. Could you fill it out?" Chloe handed over the form.
Jasmine took the form, inhaling deeply. It was asking a lot, even inquiring about her relationship status.
In the space designated for her name, Jasmine hesitated for a moment before writing "Jasmine Avery" instead of her given name.
The name Jasmine Wilson had been hers for over two decades; the first twenty years had been a source of pride while the last few had brought nothing but shame.
Detested by the Wilson family, yet they refused to release her - being ostracized from the family meant keeping their surname was pointless.
Once she had filled everything out, Jasmine handed the form to Chloe.
"Jasmine Avery, that's such a lovely name," Chloe remarked.
Jasmine simply smiled in response, offering no words.
Jasmine worked the reception until ten in the evening, waiting for the night shift replacement to arrive so she could head home.
"Emily's out with a client tonight, so she won't join you on the ride back," she was informed.
Nodding in acknowledgment, Jasmine planned to make her way home alone.
After changing her clothes, she hesitated outside the door before deciding to wait and see when Henry would leave - she had some questions that needed to be cleared up.
Huddled with her knees to her chest behind a reserved parking spot, Jasmine sat lost in thought. She had fled her past with no money to buy a phone, and while Emily had an old phone to give her, Jasmine hadn't yet managed to get a SIM card.
With the chamber of commerce banquet imminent, staying put was risky, but leaving meant losing the roof Emily had offered her – she had promised to help out during the club's staff shortage.
"Mr. Patrick, everything at the club is arranged to your specifications. Rest assured, no mistakes will occur," an assistant assured Henry while opening the car door for him.
Club leaders were all-smiles as they saw Henry off into his car, clearly intimidated by his presence.
Jasmine, tucked behind a curbstone, sneaked a nervous glance. With so many people around, she didn’t dare show herself.
Upon entering his car, Henry caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror of a figure crunched behind the vehicle, mutely huddled with a head buried in their legs.
His assistant prepared to drive, but Henry's deep voice halted him, "Get out."
Confused, the assistant asked, "Mr. Patrick, aren't you leaving?"
"I'll drive myself back," Henry replied as he stepped out of the car, gesturing for his assistant to go.
The managers also awaited his next move.
"Send them all back," Henry ordered with a frown, disliking the pomp of the overdone welcome.
The managers exchanged glances and departed along with Henry’s assistant.
Once the parking lot was empty, Henry leaned against his car door and lit a cigarette.
Jasmine hid behind the corner for a moment and peered out tentatively—her heart skipped a beat when she caught Henry glancing in her direction, so she quickly ducked back out of sight.
Henry's gaze held a teasing glimmer, as if he were amused, waiting to see what Jasmine would dare to do next.
Taking a deep breath for courage, Jasmine rose to her feet and approached him with her head bowed. "Mr. Patrick..."
"Yes?" Henry's eyes seemed to pierce right through her, filled with a profound curiosity.
"Was it you... six years ago?" She asked in a whisper, her gaze fixed to the floor.
Henry scrutinized her. The woman standing before him now would likely go unnoticed in a crowd—he might not even give her a second glance.
The woman who once sparkled like a swan on stage, who had caught his eye, was nowhere to be found. Instead, she had been replaced by a timid, dust-covered, self-effacing ugly duckling.
It was shockingly easy to ruin someone, he thought. It seemed all it took was five years.
"Who do you hope it was?" Henry asked, his tone carrying weight.
He knew everything there was to know about Jasmine.
Five years ago, he had indeed considered bringing that graceful swan home to keep.
But back then, Jasmine was too proud.
Unwilling to bow, he had no choice but to wait and see her edges worn down and her pride stripped away.
Silence hung in the air—hope? What Jasmine hoped for was for nothing to have happened that night, but that was just a fantasy.
"What if I said it was me? What would you do? Blackmail, extortion, call the police?" Henry asked with depth.
Jasmine's head dipped even lower. "I didn't..."
She hadn't tried to extort money from Evan and Daniel; they were the ones who had smeared her name.
But no one would believe her.
Tears welled up, making her eyes glisten as she lifted her head to look at Henry. "I don't want anything... If it was you, could you just take a paternity test with Justin..."
Henry frowned. As he watched her closely, he realized this woman, as always, was challenging the very limits he set for himself.
"Justin's sick. He needs his father for some tests," Jasmine blurted out, anxious that he might misunderstand. "I don't intend to use the child to claim... anything, I swear."
Henry crushed his cigarette in the nearby trash can and opened his car door. "Get in."
Jasmine stood rooted in place, her anxiety palpable. She was uncertain if Henry had agreed to her request.
"What's the illness?" Henry asked when he noticed Jasmine didn't move.
"Hemolytic anemia," she replied softly.
Henry was silent for a long moment before he spoke again. "Why should I help you?"
Jasmine hesitated, biting her lip as if wrestling with her next words. "What can I do..."
For her son, she was willing to do anything.
Reputation didn't matter to her anymore.
"Stick with me for three years, and I'll take care of the kid's illness," Henry said, his gaze fixed on Jasmine as if waiting for her reaction.
Jasmine just stood there, dazed and seemingly at a loss.
If it had been the Jasmine from six years ago, she would have flat-out refused Henry's proposition.
Back then, Jasmine was always so proud, as if nothing could make her bend.
But now, she was the one bowing her head too low.
"I... I want to see the paternity test first," Jasmine wasn't foolish. She needed to be sure that Henry was truly Justin's biological father.
Henry's eyebrows lifted, and his lips curled into a smile. "Sure, I'm ready whenever you are."
Jasmine's heart was tight with anxiety.
Henry wasn't the type to claim a child without reason; his lack of sentimentality pointed to that night likely being his doing.
"Get in the car, I'll give you a ride home."
Jasmine shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary."
"Afraid I'll bite?" Henry's look was deep and meaningful.
Jasmine remained silent.
"Leave some contact information at least. You can't expect me to search for you everywhere, can you?" Henry extended his phone to her.
Jasmine hesitated and looked down, not moving.
She didn't have a phone...
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